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A while back, I told ya about a 101 year old fella that I had been talking to. Well, he turned 102 in November. This guy is the father of a client of mine, and this client is a good friend.
Anyway, I used to talk to this guy as much as I could because he is the only person I have ever known that lived in 3 separate centuries (1800, 1900, and 2000). I thought that this alone was the most incedible thing I have ever known. Imagine, living in 3 separate centuries, and seeing American and world history happen right before your eyes. He is amazing! The stories he told were wonderful, and I could actually see the events and people he spoke of while he explained his life and travels.
His name is Seamun Jones. He developed encephilitis (SP?) a couple of weeks ago, and was hospitalized. Then he got pneumonia. Saturday night, he died. I am going to his funeral in a little while, and will say goodbye to a friend, and a legend (to me anyway). The world was definitely a better place while he was in it.
James DuHamel
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Sorry for your loss James. My grandparents all passed away before I could really appreciate all the things they had seen(from childhood in Ireland to aging in the US), and I regret the missed opportunity. My mom was born in 1930, I simply never tire of her stories. She knows all of the family history, and I want to be able to pass that history on to my children. At 71, she's as sharp as she'e ever been, most think she's much younger than she is.
I know she won't be around forever, and I try to make good use of the time we do have.
I think with time and civilization, we've lost a lot of the tribal storytelling and history of our past.
With that goes the respect for elders and a sense of identity.
I'm happy that you had an opportunity to see the world through someone else's eyes, it really makes us evaluate our own perspective. My mom's stories of childhood in the end of the depression and WWII, really make me think about how good we've got it now....
Mike
*James, A friend of mine when I was in college grandma came to calif in a covered wagon. I used to listen to her stories. It was fantastic. I can understand your sadness. Your loosing so much in such a short period of time. I still mention you in my prayers.
*I had a great uncle who died last year just 2 months shy of 105. He was a wonderful man - intelligent, loving, witty right up until his last couple of months. His life spanned 3 centuries, he served in WWI and WWII. He loved plants and got a PhD in horticulture after serving in WWI. He was muscian - my mother has his old mandolin and he told us how he used to while away the long hours in the war with it. He saw unspeakable horror in WWI as a medic in the field. I loved his stories. He knew so many things about so many things plus he was such a neat person. The French Foreign legion finally awarded him the medal of honor for his WWI service 2 years before he died - they finally tracked down the few remaining soldiers who served in France. He said it didn't mean much to him. But he said 104 was long enough for anyone to live and then he went. I have a wonderful night blooming cerus cactus he broke off a little stem of the one he'd had for more than 60 years to remember him by. It is my most treasured plant. I guess he is pretty much my hero and I miss him still. Another rich legacy gone.Mary
*James - I know exactly what you mean. My grandmother will be 103 on January 12th. Sorry to hear he's passed away.Jeff
*Thanks for the mention in your prayers, Ron. They have helped more than you will ever know.Seamun was my official adopted grandpa. I never knew my real grandparents. They died before I was old enough to know them. Seamun adopted me into the family, and told me I was officially his grandchild. I knew it was only an honorable title, but it meant a lot to me. His daughter (my client friend) and her daughter adopted me into their small family as well. She is my second mom, and second sister. We have gotten close over the last three years. Counting Seamun, that makes 6 I've lost this year. I'm getting real tired of funerals. This year has not been good in that sense, but I know people who have had a much worse year than me. Those are the people I feel bad for. I wake up each morning, count my blessings, and thank God for the day ahead. I can't do anything but, ya know?Anyway, enough babbling. James DuHamel
*i Counting Seamun, that makes 6 I've lost this year{{{{{James}}}}}} Oh my, how hard that must be. I guess their wisdom was needed elsewhere. Still in my prayers, too.
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A while back, I told ya about a 101 year old fella that I had been talking to. Well, he turned 102 in November. This guy is the father of a client of mine, and this client is a good friend.
Anyway, I used to talk to this guy as much as I could because he is the only person I have ever known that lived in 3 separate centuries (1800, 1900, and 2000). I thought that this alone was the most incedible thing I have ever known. Imagine, living in 3 separate centuries, and seeing American and world history happen right before your eyes. He is amazing! The stories he told were wonderful, and I could actually see the events and people he spoke of while he explained his life and travels.
His name is Seamun Jones. He developed encephilitis (SP?) a couple of weeks ago, and was hospitalized. Then he got pneumonia. Saturday night, he died. I am going to his funeral in a little while, and will say goodbye to a friend, and a legend (to me anyway). The world was definitely a better place while he was in it.
James DuHamel