TOO MANY GOODBYES

    While I'm not an old geezer I may become one when the generation preceding me is gone. They've been "going" a lot lately.

   Francesca lost the last of her parent's age group when "Tia Pacquita" died at 96 last week.

 2012 in Caracas

   There have been some amazing old folks in that gang. Uncle John Violich -who died at 106 five years ago- survived the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.  

     I got to meet her mother's sister ("Tia Paquita") in Caracas two years ago.  She was a sweet wisp of a woman who loved growing bonzai trees.

   

  Thank God for Joe Besse. My mother's favorite cousin, who loves to grow corn, is winding up his 92d year on the family farm in western Illinois.

  Terry kids on the Besse farm,1954

   

   We got a phone message from Joe last week telling us that cousin Jim Hawk had died at 86. His great uncles, "the Hawk bothers", fought  in the civil war. Both died; one from disease and the other after taking a bullet in the Battle of Chickamauga.

    Now Joe is the last of his group on my side of the family.  With the Reaper standing so close we decided to call him last night. Cousin Joe sounded comfortable at home watching the World Series.  We talked about Jim ("They say he died quietly, sittin' in a chair"), his family, and the price farmers are being paid for their corn (too low!). 

   We also learned Joe had suffered still another loss.  For once he failed to win the top prize in his community's shuffleboard tournament.

   "I had it goin' until in the last frame" He said adding with a chuckle, "I guess you have to share the glory every now and then". 
I hope he shares it for years to come. I'm too young to be an old geezer.
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