I approach today with sadness. Another empty chair at the table as a friend passed. The strange thing was that I passed the police officer, stopped, investigating his death, and I didn’t know that it was him. Jack was doing a good deed by shoveling snow at a church on Thursday for another person’s funeral on Friday when he had a fatal heart attack. I drove over Saturday, finished the job for him and spread salt. The (other) funeral had been delayed.
There are not that many people who live up in the high country on Arizona’s Mogollon Rim. Maybe fifty total. Now 49. He is survived by his wife of forty years, children and grandchildren. He’d worked on the railroad, had been a cowboy, horse wrangler, did a lot of those sorts of jobs as country people seem to do. When I moved into the White Wolf Mine, he came over and helped me horse the clothes dryer from the back of the trailer into the utility room. Jack was like that. He dropped everything he had to do in order to do for others.
It’s a small community, and the paramedic that responded to the church where he had been found was his best friend. I know him as well, and he is not taking it well.
Sic transit gloria mundi.
Friday, I cut wood.
Saturday, I burned a lot of it sitting in front of the fire, reading, snacking and blogging.
When you spend a great deal of your life around people who are a waste of oxygen, losing one of the good people wounds deeply.
When my late brother-in-law (small brother) had his heart failure, he was out in the oil patch doing his job and went out looking at God's blue sky while some black faced cows were watching.
Better to go out doing something worthwhile than dying by inches in an assisted nursing home.
Condolences to those he left behind.
May God comfort you and all who knew him. God bless you all.
You have my condolences.
Sounds like he was one of the best. Rest easy.
Sorry to hear it.
Sure does get to be a regular occurrence, as the years go by.
-Kle.
It's always those left behind who suffer most.
Yes. It surely does.
Sorry for the loss of a good man, and a friend. Prayers up for his family.
His life an inspiration, his memory a benediction.
Thanks Brig
God is there for those who seek Him. His family is having a tough time of it, but that is to be expected. It was a sudden thing.
Not much to do but mourn, each in his/her own way. And move on.
Thoughts and prayers for the family and those who knew him. The good ones always go way to early.
RIP and I hope we're all approximately ready when it comes.
Speaking of which, good to see you've got the Mine's fires working. Important in the new Ice Age.
I assume from his character and activities and his involvement with a church that I will meet him one day.
The good ones always seem to get called home 'early'.
Deepest condolences to all those concerned.
RIP, Jack.. Sounds like the salt of the earth.
There is a viewing today in Winslow, where two of his children and their families live. I'll be there. Funeral Wednesday. I'll be there too. I'm taking an old USAF Col. retired fighter pilot with me, also friends with Jack. There you go, the Navy taking care of the Air Force – again. ;^)
The fireplace eats wood like a monster. And I have been chopping it. Because I moved in winter, I didn't have two or three cords stocked. I will not make the same mistake next year. Oak is best, then cedar, then juniper and the bottom of the barrel is pine. I have all four types of wood here on the WWM – but don't plan to deforest myself. A wood permit for the national forrest is $10 per year.
Let us hope that we will all be there.
He was about my age, DRJIM. He was old.
All of that, Jules.
National forest nearby? You could slowly work on a fire break for the hovel.
Though as I recall they are particular which trees you take.
They did put a flue in, correctly, right? I only ask because the one here at the farm needs replacing, so it goes through wood pretty quick, too.
Or do you have an insert of some sort?
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