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Beverly Hengst (Allen)

Sadly, we have lost another classmate.  Charles Erekson passed this morning with his wife and daughter holding his hand.  He was recently diagnosed with lung cancer and had requested to be at home for what time he had left. 

Charles personally requested that any gifts in his honor be made to the Los Gatos Rotary Scholorship Fund.  You can make your contribution out to the "Rotary Club of Los Gatos Scholorship Fund:.  Note "in memory of Chalres Erekson" at the bottom of the check.  Mail to P. O. Box 1018, Los Gatos, CA 95030.

If you wish to send flowers, they can be ordered from the local florist: https://rbloomsoswego.com/

The family is planning on having an online service and the details will be coming.

Cards can be sent to 886 Ninth Street, Lake Oswego, OR 9703.

His daughter said Charles cherished all of the messages, cards, videos, texts and prayers from our class.  He truly felt the love and support given from our class.  Please keep his family in your prayers.

Wendy Sherrill (Carter)

So very sorry to hear about Charlie.  I will always remember what a kind and honorable person he was.  So glad that I got to spent some time with him at our reunions.  He was special.

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Sorry to lose let another classmate.   condolences to  Charles family.    Yup it's me, still here.  Considering how bad I feel,  I'm surprised, althouth today has been better than it's predecessors.    Had my last radiation treatment Thursday a weel ako.   Docs told me to not do anything for at least 2 weeks.   Been tringin to follow their orders, but I'm not an easychair person, sometimes just hasd to do stuff, paid for it the next day.. 

     Go back for an MRI around may 1st, then consultaion to  whats come next.   They mentiones chemo for a year.   No ones ever mention prognosis yet.   I guess "one more day" is good enough.  My speech has not gotten any better, nor my typings and spelling, handwitting still sub-henscratting. My eyesight and hearing have gotten worse.   Tried to play my guitar,, cant play a lick, even the tunes I use to play in my sleep.   Well, I want really that good anyway.

    Hope all is well with everyone.  

Marcie English (Nolan)

Good morning everyone. I was wondering how long it would take for our friend Beau to “unfollow” doctor’s orders and entertain us with his imaginative musings. Was glad he did, but he was a “bad boy, bad boy.” Take care and God bless.

Kay Watters '65 (Greene)

Aaahhh, there you are, Beau, coming back from the nighmare of chemo rounds?  Anytime we are fortunate enough to hear from you, makes the day better, brighter.  

 You are our funnyman, comic relief, albeit, nothing funny about the situation you and Diane find yourselves in or all the aggravating  old age maladies, we are all beginning to experience.

I've lived the past five yrs, enduring the pain and limitations of a bad back and sciatica diagnosed by 4 surgeons, yes, TX Brain and Spine, going with Baylor Scott and White and having an MRI Wed.   My diabetes Type 1, remains good.

Still working in Navasota, tx in a small antiques shop and I really enjoy it, as I've collected since my twenties and now get to see the other side by being a vendor. Partime and enjoy the teamwork of the other vendors and public great, we stop to talk about our individual past and such.  Very busy when we have events Groovy Wine Walk 250 visitors last weekend.  and Texas Birthday Bash.

My sis boh made it through and are totally vaccinnated  She in Bayou Vista and me Anderson, TX.  Just had lunch together at our favorite restaurant, La Casita, yesterday, both of us looking older since we'd seen each other and realizing life is too short to stay away from each other til one of us leaves first.  Our twin life has been up and down throughout our lives, but we are through with that.

Beau, just keeping plugging along and make the right choices for yourself and what you can accept.  And keep loving and receiving  the love from all your animals.  I have a partial pit that has sad old eyes, and likes to smell my skin cancer spots.  I told the docl he can spell cancer, Doc agreed some animals can. 

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Marsha and Kay, you are too kind and I thank you.  To say this been tough, is puting it mioudy.   I seen to getting stronger...i hope..   met with a group of bikers this moring for cooffee in bellville.  saw an old friend, and met some new ones.     i chure  needed that.  they didnt mind that i sound like forrest gumps dumber brother, or dat I sidnt rige my bike.

     prolly never get normal agaain, whatever that was.   Food tastes like metal or whatever that taste is..  I can use a large economy size listerine bottle in one week.   I'm suppose to eat lots of proteien,  docs orders, and normally I would complie with that, but nothing tastes good, or likc I remember how it's suppose to taste, my specaltiey,  burnt toast ! ! !  

   I think I'm getting hunger...I tink.   What shall I partake of...hmmm,   metal stew?   metel enchladas?  metal and meatballs?   maybe I'll just goe out out and take a bite out of the bumper on my truck.  I heard in season, they are qeite dellctalbe.   You knoww, evne "two fingering" the keeboard is not good wnough.  Maky I can type with my toes.   Or just maky,  get the dogs or cat to type.   Well maby not together, the cat hates and beagle but tollerates the big dog.

Troy Holiman

Details concerning celebratin Charles Erekson' life from Amy Varga his daughter

Kay Watters '65 (Greene)

I like the ice house idea, you will have to welcome locals as well, and motorcycleists , you would be a natual.  You wont make much money, but will have the most loyal real people gathering there everyday.

Carole Gunter (Snell) (Jenkins)

Thanks, Troy, for keeping us updated about Charles's illness and now about his service.   You and he truly had an amazing friendship over these many years.   

Lloyd Pond

Oh

Oh well, I guess we are living in an upside down world. Ferrell and I celebrated our 53 anniversary! What a girl to wait on my craziness all these years. I am lucky to have her. Yeah there are times when , you know, things are rough and bumpy... like for example, Ferrell likes lemons. Squeezes them for tea, salads, fish, avocados, etc. So I thought, as an anniversary present, I would buy a big bottle of Real Lemon juice. All you have to do is open the bottle and pour the lemon in. No peels and you never get any juice in your eye. Well, you know, she refuses to use what i bought. Says that the bottle juice doesn't taste like the fresh squeezed juice. You know come to think of it, if thats all I have to worry about after all these years, I am a very, very lucky guy. Don't worry, I also bought a new massage, heated recliner in addition to the bottle lemon juice for the anniversary. I think Ferrell will enjoy using the recliner.

Teddie Jordan

Lloyd and Ferrell, happy anniversary. We are on a crooked number too. And maybe you can plant her a Meyer lemon tree in the backyard. We had one at our previous home and they are productive. And don't "you"

fall asleep in "her" recliner. 

Carole Gunter (Snell) (Jenkins)

Lloyd and Ferrell --  53 years!, Congratulations.   What a blessing to have that many years together.

Teddie Jordan

Pat Brantley, RE your comment about the mystery of what happened to Ben Vanden Bossche after he moved from Waltrip zone to live in West or SW Houston. I have always said that our beloved classmate Jenny Taylor could track down the devil's shadow. Jenny any info on Ben? He was just a nice guy and a lot of personality. I've always said that the only thing worse than losing contact with an old friend is not knowing or being able to know, and honor them!?

Kay Watters '65 (Greene)

Checking in all, to see what's been happening.  The bluebonnets turned out in beautimous supply along with all the wine cups, buttercups, Indian paintbrushes, etc. here in Grimes county. Really loved seeing them. It's amazing where and when our wildflowers, weeds, dewberries choose to grow.  Seems I see different ones show up each year, and  the dewberries move around also.  berries arn't ready yet, my great grands are waiting to come pick them though and we will make dewberry cobbler this year.

Beau, hope all is going well, prayers and wishes coming your way.

I had surprise visitors at The Bluebonnet Vintage and Collectibles shop a while back:  Jack and his lovely Linda Mersiosky Montgomery visited and I was actually on duty.....So happy to see two of our Waltrip couples and to visit with them.   They were visiting the popular venue as Navasota is being called.  So many customers are from out of town.  The Montgomerys' have been married a similar amount of years as Ferrell and Lloyd Pond  So congrats to them both as well.  They've moved to Brenham, and Beau, I was quick to ask if they had visited the Ant Hotel and the men's room. 

Kay Watters '65 (Greene)

Doubly blessed, yesterday got a call from Beau and Diane they would be touring the strip of stores in Navasota.  I dropped whatever it was I would be doing and got to town as quickly as I could.

Long story short, it was mezmerizing to actually be in the prescence of Beau and his very wonderful gentle guilding wife. Beau has grown quite the snowwhite beard and now has to keep his head overed at all times. He carries a cane to better manuever with, but quickly informed me it is not a necessary prop, but helps with the uneveness of the streets.  Definately makes him a dramatic looking figure!

Talk overflowing between the three of us, and continued with a good lunch at Classic Rock cafe across the street from the Bluebonnet.  Try the chicken sallad croissant  and fruit, now my favorite. Beau stuck to a hamburger he and Diane shared. Beau checking out the bathrooms discovered the guitars and old records for sale back there and announced he would be returning.  Diane enjoyed the amviance of the cafe.

I'm afraid I took up most of their time and they missed some of the antique stores and will need to come back for another visit......ok by me, maybe we can have some Waltripers come out and visit at the Classic Rock cafe as well.

Beau Wann, Jr.

    Kay, thank you for those kind words,  Talk about blessed,  such a deliget to talk with Kay.   Madee our trip to Navasota such a pleasant one.  Woulda stayed longer, but I was very tired and wimped out and headed homeward bound to CH.   There is a cvery good ACE hardware there,   Lots of great things from A to Z .  looking for a new mailbox, Seems ours was damaged in the last cattle stampede.    

    We not only have cattle up here in cattle country, but now have a covey of Peacocks.   Beautiful birds they are.  Dont know whoe belongs to them. since they were on my palece, they belong to me.  Of corce I'll have to feed them, and worry about them run over by idiots driving buy, like the US postal service.  They drive doen our road at top speed.   Hope they dont wander on over to 290, they die for sure.   

    We also have two red foxes that come out in the daytime and nighht , and one grey fox only seems to come out at night, so the game camera records.  I put dog and cat food doen st the creek for any critter that will eat it.  Peakcocks like fruits and other sunch delicacys like bugs and the like.   I put fruit out for tem, teyll have to catch their own bugs and stufff.

    Any of yall that like classical music,  found many piano players on you tube, especally one in particular,  Alice Sara Ott.    Watched her play Beethovens piano concerto no 3   not my favorite piece, but watching Alice Sara Ott play anything is now my favorite piece.. not only is she a delight to hear play, but a delightto watch her play.  Looks likes she's in a trance and souls is possesed by God and Beethoven.  When she is playing and the orchestra is not,  they look upon her as if she IS  God.  And her gaze towards them is about the same.

     Never have I seen such passion before as Alice Sara Ott carresses the black and white keys.   The look on her face is that of an angel and that of a childs that have happened upon the most wonderful "thing", the piano.  Like my face would look disceringy a box of fresh hot shipleys donuts in the kitchen in the morning, or a left over cream puff or chocolate elcaire, or discovering that I could piano like Alice Sara Otts.   

     She is 32 now, and sadly she was dianosed with MS two years ago. Dont have to tell anyone what a horrible disease that it, I knnown  one that has lived and died from MS.   Not a pretty picture that. 

     Time to depane...tireder than I want to admit.  Go my follow up Mri and lab work tomorrow, then off to see the wizard,...Got eye appiontments and hearing appiontmentsw comeing up and GP appnt .  Too bad they dont make houce calles any londer.   Been seeing double and blury even with myg lasses on, and not cant hearssdddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddd

whoa, fell asleep and put about 10 pages of the above d's.  Nap time, gabye....

Lloyd Pond

What a wonderful world! Spring is my favorite time of year. The rebirth of all the plants and spring colors make me happy. The ice storm did some damage, but most everything has come back. A giant pecan tree reigns over our back yard and has deposited tons of those green katkins over the patio and in the gutters. I hope that their abundance portends a pecan crop in the fall. Another tree that sprouts up everywhere is the Texas Ligustrum. The purple berries are their distinctive feature. So many berries spreading the tree everywhere. I think that if left to themselves the grass in the yard would be replaced with the tree. Thankfully, three or four suffered major damge from the ice and snow. 

The birds have been visiting our patio this last week.Many tiny sparrows patrol the area looking for bugs? I don't see anything  edible out there, but the sparrows are diligently searching. A pair of blue jays are building a nest in the pecan tree above the patio. Such a pretty bird. And some woodpeckers ar nearby. I hear them but do not see them. I wish they had a call like Woody Wood Pecker, but I will settle for their shrill whistles.

Wayne Lake

Pat B, I look forward to seeing pics of the GG Baby.

Kay, I love your positive attitude and share your enthusiasm for things that are old.

Beau, I envy your courage, keep it up, you give us all hope.

Lloyd, I’ll have whatever you’r having. I’m still trying to understand how you acquired the necessary skill sets for repairing acoustical instruments for (I would assume) demanding Austin classical musicians.     

Teddie, where are you?

Troy, thanks for keeping us informed about the passing of Charlie Erickson, may he RIP.

Bennie, keep on keepin’ on about happenings in Wharton, especially Mike Blakely, love his down home TX music, it’s close to home for me as my Mom was born and raised in Matagorda Co.

Susan, hope you are doing ok, sorry for your loss.    

Johnny, when do we party in person again?

Willie, Happy 88^th B-day – you keep on writing and singing songs and I’ll keep on listening .

All, stay well.

Been making bird houses for summer birthday gifts for friends and family in MN (lot’s of song birds), maybe going to start a new company and call it ‘Free Housing for Economically Challenged Birds’ by Bird Brained Wayne, A Non-Profit Entity.

Findin’ some trout and dancin’ with dolphins in Aransas for one more month, then heading North to fish for small mouth bass in Northern MN until September, wtl    

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

Here's the info Troy shared about Charlie Erekson's service tomorrow:

Details concerning celebratin Charles Erekson' life from Amy Varga his daughter

Pat Brantley (Ross)

Beau, I feed the deer and other critters.  It is illegal as I am in the city limits.  No one sees them because they come through a gate and eat on the patio.  They do make a mess spilling feed and tracking mud, but I love  most of them.  My grandson installed a camera so I could watch them.  I have 4-5 doe or does, 2 bucks (not as often), 3 giant raccoons, and occasionally one of the neighborhood red foxes.  I also have spotted a possum and a skunk once.  I have two bowls of fresh water and the raccoons stand in them!  I put deer chow in one bucket and deer corn in the other.  Someone told me deer corn is bad for them because it's just empty carbs.  Deer act like they want that stuff first.   My younger daughter lived in an apartment across from Vargo's Restsurant in Houston.  They had peacocks.  She would sit on her balcony and call me.  Those peacocks would scream and I would always think it was a baby in distress.  Maybe it was a mating call.  Good luck with your herd, Beau.  I got in the business of feeding deer because a wounded doe came up from the ravine looking for water and a place to rest.  She had been hit by a car I think.  Her wounds are healed now.  She has a few scars but is putting on some weight.  Ron had not participated in my adventure until the polar vortex hit.  Then he was outside getting the water bowls inside and unfrozen so he could put fresh water in them.  My daughter and I are flying out to San Jose to drive my grandson's car back here.  He and his wife have bought a home in South Austin.  He is working remotely for Google until September and she works remotely for Lamm Enginering so they can live anywhere.  His boss is trying to get him transferred to Austin officially.  He will get another job in Austin if it doesn't happen.  Her company is willing to let her work remotely for as long as she wants.  Baby may change her mind about working, but company is trying to make it easy to stay.  Really different world now.  Even George Jetson had to fly to work.

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

Just FYI - I'm assuming that the times posted for Charles Erekson's Celebration of Life service are Pacific Daylight Time, so it would be 4:00pm Central time

Beau Wann, Jr.

     Hey Pat, deer like sunflower seeds, and apples.  got a bunch of sunflowers down at the creek, plus it comes in the bird seed bags, and you can also buy sunflower seeds, which I'm sure youre aware of.   I also buy soybeans, it's good protein for the deer,  Tey also love apples and pecans,  I draw the line at giving them pecans, I love em too. and there's pecan trees all over the county.

     I do buy them apples.   Krogers sells "about to go bad" fruit, apples and oranges etc.  they"re abpit a dollar a bag, and if tey sont have any apples "about to go bad". then I just buy some really good apples.   I keep them in the bottom of the Kelvenator till I can smell em gettin riper, then I cut em up and haul em down to the creek. I hear tell that peacocks like fruit....Guess I'm destineds to feed all the critters in the county/

     I also plant "deer plots", rye and austrian winter peas, and more sunflowers.  Put dog and cat food down at the creek for the foxes, coons, possums, bobcats and for any stray dog or kitty cat that's down on their luck.  and the odd duck or two or three.

     I had, on one occasion, the opportunity to install a phone line in Vargos,  I didnt know they had peacocks till one of em SCREECHED at me.   Vargos had and outer wall in the front of the restaurant, and a an opeing without a door.  I parked my truck out front, got out and put my tool belt on, lots of screwdribers and the like in the pouch, and my portalble phone on the other side ote the belf.   As I was wakking through the oouter door, I didnt see one of those pretty boys setting on top of the opening.  

     Wjem I walked through the door, that ol boy let out a SCREECH that would curl a bald mans hair. Wjen I heard what I thought was the end of the whirld, signafied by a horribble SCREECH,  i whirled around ready to meet my maker or whup the SCREECER, which ever came first, and as I twirled around, all the tools in my pouch wound up all over Vargos parking lot and courtyard much to the amuscment of folks standing around watching the show..

     Took me a while to replace the tools that I lost at Vargos.   You dont know what youre missing till you reash for it and it's not there.  One of a dozen "amimal vs phoneman" stories I could tell, but it's getting late and I'm tired, Had a long day down at MDA today/.

Head surgeron said no sing of the tumors, coming back, but there is swelling of the brain and the fatigue that Was supppse to be over by now.  Plus they found two white spotts on the center of the brain, one on eash side.  They sounded puzzlesd, but said it is more like the sign for  a vitamin B1 defeciny which expainse the no let up on the fatigue department Toing to start on a round of steroids tomorrow, and If thangs hasnt chandes by thrisday, then they have to postpone my chemo which was suppose to start next Monday.. My pills will cost  7000 dollars a month.   not toow bad .  

     Jackie said her chemo meds cost her 35,000 a treatment and her insurance wouldnt pay for it.  I dearly miss Jackie,  so very much....never heard her complain about anything, not her cancer, or anthing.  Sometimes she would call me or email me and tell me how much she laughed at one of my idiot stories,  She didnt say "idiot"  I did/   I tried to come up with all the funny stories I lived through just to please her, would have done .anything for Jackie.     What a beautiful lady she was and will all ways bee in my menory.   

    my typing is getting worse, so I think I'll head to bed.  Little Miss is calling for me, and If I dont heed her calls, shell come sit on the keyboard so I cant type, bless her/  

     Keep the sun at your six, adn "ride boldy ride..."

Your forever frien and resident critter wisperer,  Cehphurs R the Waco Kid esq

Post script:  When "BLAZING SADDELS "(WHY can I not spell saddels? man this is so frustracing)  came out, everone , my coworkers and the like thought I lookes just like Gene Wilder, aka "The waco kid" I wasnt sure if that was a good thing or not,  so back then folks calles me Waco, or mabe it was wacko. anyway, not to matter, I answer to most anything,  Waco, wacko,  I believe he was one of the 7 drawfs.

Beau Wann, Jr.

     hey Wayne, thanks for the goodd vibes, hope you catch your limit in whater your ar e finshing for.   If i'ts ok with all the folks,  we can have another party on the hill.   plenty of room to spreasd out, and keep the reqired distant from one and other and people can bring their own food and drinks if they wants.    we will have food and drinks here  exect  no cover charge, the party is on us, but is folks want to bring thrire own, t en that's good. 

       I sure wouls like to see folks before it's too late , The powers that be, have not convinedds me c that I have a lot of time left. espescially when use words like "extrodinaery" and "' we've never seend this happean befow", and the people are just TOO nice.  Never been treated so kind befoew, like maybe it's my last day on oith. im not afeared or anything, but I will be giving up a life I've known for three quarters of a centery for a life unimaginale.     We  have a  plethora of masks and hand sanitizer.  Cant promise any critters will come eat out of yori hands, cept the dogs, as long as it's meats, but no onions.   onions are death on dogs and most anuy critters, Gives them a blood disordeer and not recovery. so we dont cook meat and oniipms tpgetjere. 

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

During the Celebration of Life for Charles Erekson, his daughter explained his life lessons and I just wanted to share them with y'all. 

Mary Weidner (Williams)

Thank you Jimmie Lee. I love this.