Honoring Bill

Uncle Bill, Christmas 2013

I hope to get a copy of the Eulogy my cousin Amy Lamm Brownlee's husband Tom gave at my Uncle Bill's funeral. It was perfect. And he delivered it well - it a heartfelt manner, but without blubbering as I most likely would have done. Though he did have to take a couple gulps from a bottle of water - to be expected when one speaks in an emotional situation like that one. Tom's been a part of this fam for over 20 years.

I arrived in Denver last Thursday on a Frontier flight from Des Moines. Frontier is picky about carry on luggage! So I ended up checking my bag - since I couldn't smoosh my suitcase into the sizer they have. My baby girl Amy and my sis Betso picked me up at DIA. Bets had arrived a few hours before me and the girls had lunch and shopped awaiting my arrival. I'm happy they had a chance to catch up with each other - comparing MLM notes. That stands for multiple level marketing. Since Amy is starting her own business, Betsy's experience (many years as a Longaberger sales rep) is more valuable advice.

We stopped at Amy's former workplace Marczyk's Gourmet Grocery, then went to Amy's place near 10th and Pennsylvania to freshen up. Later we stopped to pick up our cutie niece Jordie and headed to my cousin Amy's home in Centennial, a Denver suburb. The freeway was a parking lot, so we took backroads - which probably took just as long - but we had fun chatting. It was nice to arrive and see the family. And get those  hugs. The Lamms are such great people - love my aunties, cousins and their fams. Bill's sis Julie from St. Louis was there too.

David, Bruce, Amy, Martha and Tom

The next morning we met sister Cindy and her son Colby in the parking lot at the church for Bill's funeral mass. Bill was a founding member of the church - near their former home in Denver. Uncle Bruce and David's wife Lisa each did a reading. And Tom rocked that awesome eulogy. The minister's talk was about doors. He said life is full of doors - we all go through them all day long. But doors are an analogy for the stages of our lives too. And that last one - death is inevitable. We don't know what's on the other side of that last door...People of faith like Bill know that what is on the other side is better than anything on Earth...

John, Matt, Lauren and Kate - all very cute kids, all as close as siblings despite the Colorado to California split

There was a nice reception in the church hall after Mass. After people had a chance to greet the family, Aunt Jean and Uncle Bruce gave a short talk on their relationship with Bill. I'm sorry but my photo of them came out fuzzy. Then each of Marty and Bill's grand kids (David and wife Lisa have Lauren and John and Amy and Tom's children are Kate and Matt) each gave a short statement about their grandfather.

A beer at the Paramount

That afternoon Cindy, Colby, Betsy, Amy and I walked from Amy's place down to the Pavilion. We met Jordan and her girlfriend Jill for a beer at a pub there. We wandered around in that area for a while and eventually went to Colby's fave place Euclid Hall. We headed back to my cousin's place that evening where David's wife Lisa cooked up a mess of fab chicken. I enjoyed hearing Marty tell...well Marty stories about working as a docent at the Denver Art Museum for many years. She's a wonderful story teller and good artist too.

We met Jordie's gf Jill - nice!

I heard that in Bill's last days he told my cousin about the history of relations between Russia and Ukraine - he was well-read and informed. His sister Julie told about her memories of living on 38th Street in Des Moines - she and her sister had rheumatic fever and had to lay flat on their backs for months. Marty said she met Bill at a party and they ended up going to ski together in Aspen and other places. It was the begging of a beautiful relationship!

The Bullock girls - without our big sis Susi. Aunt Jean and Uncle Bruce Rader

Bill flew into Omaha the first time he met my grandparents and parents - and my dad was so nervous, worried Bill wouldn't like us. He must have ended up liking us okay - he married Marty after the meeting!

Betsy had to fly out Friday evening - she had other fam obligations in Reno, Nevada. Jordie graciously delivered her to the airport. Amy caddied Colby, Cindy and me back to her place for a slumber party - but we were all beat and hit the hay soon. We were up early though - Jelly called. It's my fave breakfast place in Denver.

Colby and Cindo headed back to Vail after breakfast

Amy and I had a nice day together Saturday. We were able to meet up with my Atlantic homie Julia Hoilien just off I-25 near REI and her husband Jeff Mason after their daughter's track meet. While we waited we shopped at REI and I snagged a new suitcase - one that could make it through the sizer at the Frontier gate. Boom - take that Frontier.

We met Jules and Jeff at a the Denver Beer Co. It was great catching up with those two - such interesting people. A month ago they took their daughters to an island off of Venezuela to scuba dive. How cool is that? Man I have neat pals.

They also are very interested in my life and Amy's too - Jeff and Amy had a long conversation about Amy's South/Central American trip last summer. They each took her biz card so they can refer people to her should the occasion arise. The beer was good and they were able to snag a bowl of crawfish and fixins from a food truck. Good time!

Amy and I shopped a little that evening and saw a chick flick. Sunday a.m. she dropped me off at the airport. I'll be back in a month - Paul and I have trekked to Colorado for Memorial Day for the past few years. The flight is only 1.5 hours and before I knew it I was hugging my honey - Pablo. Happy to be home.

Loss of a family member - Trip to St. L

Uncle Bill passed away last night. He was in hospice and was on my mind a great deal the past couple days. Still it's hard to accept. His funeral will be next Friday - Paul and I wouldn't miss it.

Thanks to all of you readers for your thoughts and prayers during Bill's illness. My Aunt Marty - who bugs me if I don't write this blog, and my cousins Richard, David and Amy appreciate it. I'm sure they're happy Bill is no longer struggling with his illness. But that empty spot where he used to be looms large.

Today Paul and I are heading to St. Joseph and Kansas City, Mo to move Judson to St. Louis. We're moving most of girlfriend Kara's stuff too. They've leased a place in a trendy part of town. I hope it's not a third floor kinda place! Pictures to follow.

Happy Easter all, if I don't get back to blogging before then. 

Uncle Bill, Uncle Bill!

Cissy - (my cousin Amy - a throwback reference to Family Affair again) emailed last night to say your good thoughts and prayers are doing the trick. Ash Wednesday will never be the same for her again, she said. My Uncle Bill Lamm was able to get off the respirator and is now just on oxygen.

The doctors expect it to be slow going - battling the effects of the pneumonia with some other health issues. He will likely be in ICU a couple more days and then will go into a regular hospital room.

Good news indeed. Thanks for caring my friends!

Uncle Bill

If you're old like me, you'll likely remember the TV show Family Affair. The premise was a wealthy bachelor William "Bill" Davis, living in Manhattan with a butler Mr. French. His brother Bob and wife are killed in a car wreck so Bill inherits the children - teen Cissy, and twins, ages about 6, Buffy and Jody. Bill isn't keen on taking on parenthood, but it grows on him as the episodes go by - (especially since Fr. French does most of the tough stuff.)

Photo Courtesy Wikipedia - Buffy (lower right) had a Mrs. Beasley doll - giving me a Jr. High nickname...

I remember the children greeting their uncle running to the door yelling "Uncle Bill, Uncle Bill." I always wanted to do that to my Uncle Bill. Bill Lamm - one of the nicest men I've ever met. Uncle Bill is in the hospital - he has pneumonia and needs your help. Your thoughts, prayers and message to the higher power.

I've known my Uncle Bill since as long as I can remember. He married my Aunt Marty over fifty years ago. She was a single gal teaching school in Denver when they met - her lucky and, and his! The way she tells it, she was fixing to head to Europe and he planned to head off to parts west to be an attorney. Instead, they fell in love and stayed in the Mile High City - raising a great family, my cousins, Richard, David and Amy.

Of course when you're a little kid, you don't pay attention to your relatives much - except when you need something. Uncle Bill was just a guy to me then. It wasn't until I grew up a bit that I took notice. During my college years Marty and Bill hosted us during our travels between Iowa and the ski slopes during spring break. One year they delivered beer to us at our motel near the airport when we were stuck overnight when our flight was cancelled.

These past few years since daughter Amy has lived in Denver, Marty and Bill have invited us to stay with them when we visited the city. Paul and I have so enjoyed the chance to have my aunt and uncle all to ourselves during that time. It's never tough to get a chance to hear my Aunt Martha - even in a crowd. (My mom and dad were never hard to hear either...) Bill is more the silent type, however. So it was a wonderful chance to hear from him.

Uncle Bill is a very spiritual man and he likes to talk about his Catholic faith. He told us about a trip he and Marty took a few years ago through the mountains near Ouray, Colorado. A guy was out working on the roof of the Catholic church and when Bill stopped to chat he found out that was the priest! He covered several parishes in an old Jeep with bald tires - driving over a precarious mountain pass. Marty told us later Bill had sent the guy a check for new tires...that's the kind of guy he is.

Bill is the best listener I know. He'll ask, "Just what is Jud doing now?" or "Tell me how your trip to NY City went" and then listen for an answer with follow up questions. He doesn't zone out, thinking of what he wants to say next. That's something I can be guilty of.

I'm aiming to be more like my Uncle Bill by listening better. To remind myself, I have a foam ear on my desk. So far it's not working very well, but the ear looks cool.

Thank you in advance for prayers or good karma thoughts for the Lamm family and Uncle Bill.