One of Jim’s first jobs outside of working at the greenhouse was as a paper boy for the Fredonia Daily Herald.  His customers loved him.  Jean and I helped him fold the papers in a pinwheel shape so they’d be easier to throw.  Not only did paper boys have to fold and throw newspapers but they had to collect from their customers which required a lot of patience.  The money Jim earned from his route helped him pay for his tuition at K.U. 

I also went to K.U.  The first week or so Jim and I were on the phone a lot, mainly because I needed advice.  I remember that he even set me up with a date!  The first time that I visited K.U. before actually enrolling there, Jim took me out for dinner and ordered shrimp which I’d never tasted before.  One time when he was on break from his studies at K.U., even before I entered college, big brother Jim treated me to my first  banana split at the corner Rexall drugstore.  Jean may have been there too but that’s another fuzzy memory.

…in the call from Jean this morning, she added another memory of Jim’s antics.  The aforementioned “Three Musketeers” grabbed some bras off the clothesline back of Dennis’ mother’s house and put them on their ears like earmuffs and paraded around.  Jean said that Dennis’ mother became very, very angry.

There are many more fond memories of Jim and our family and Jean and I will continue to add more if you wish; she is blessed with a very good memory although her meds dampen her thoughts sometimes.

A couple of days ago, I read an article in the AARP magazine about Sharon Stone who suggested 8 things you should do now, one of which is “Embrace Family”.

I especially liked her thought that “you’re going to have lots of friends in your life,  but your family will be yours for a lifetime.”. My feeling also.

Jim, would you please share these memories and thoughts with your siblings.  I know you are involved with many tasks and decisions but I wanted you to have some interesting anecdotes from the past to help comfort you and your family.  If you have time please let us know what decisions have been made to help your mother as we are all very concerned and wish her the very best