Hello everyone, Randy Johnson here. I grew up with Mike, knew him since grade school and lived right across the street. I recently spoke with Jeff Darby and we talked about all the memories we had of Mike. We played baseball and football non-stop in the summer, we lived at the community pool in Shakopee, we would swim all day go home for dinner and go back to the pool! We camped out in a tent in my back yard so many times in the summer I can't count, we would stay up all night and run around all over town! We had it good! Those are some vivid memories for me as a kid. Mike, Jeff and myself lived very close to each other and spent our childhoods together. Jeff and I were talking of how we wish that we could have known Mike as closely in our adult lives, from what I’ve seen and read on his web site he was on the right path. Jeff and I have been to Mike's grave many times since his death to keep it clean and to sit and remember Mike, we will go visit him this summer again. Of course the cemetery where he is buried is just a few hundred yards from the Shakopee pool where we spent half of our childhood together! The last time I saw Mike alive is when us three were at Jeff's house when I was home on leave from the marine corps, I think Mike was on leave from the army as well. When I first heard of his death I thought for sure it was just rumor or some sort of army snafu. I wish it would have been. It will be good to sit and share all the memories of growing up with Mike and lots of other friends this weekend [25th high school reunion], all the snowball fights, fistfights, ballgames and a lot of things I’ve forgotten that others remember! God bless! Randy.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
From Randy Johnson
Hello everyone, Randy Johnson here. I grew up with Mike, knew him since grade school and lived right across the street. I recently spoke with Jeff Darby and we talked about all the memories we had of Mike. We played baseball and football non-stop in the summer, we lived at the community pool in Shakopee, we would swim all day go home for dinner and go back to the pool! We camped out in a tent in my back yard so many times in the summer I can't count, we would stay up all night and run around all over town! We had it good! Those are some vivid memories for me as a kid. Mike, Jeff and myself lived very close to each other and spent our childhoods together. Jeff and I were talking of how we wish that we could have known Mike as closely in our adult lives, from what I’ve seen and read on his web site he was on the right path. Jeff and I have been to Mike's grave many times since his death to keep it clean and to sit and remember Mike, we will go visit him this summer again. Of course the cemetery where he is buried is just a few hundred yards from the Shakopee pool where we spent half of our childhood together! The last time I saw Mike alive is when us three were at Jeff's house when I was home on leave from the marine corps, I think Mike was on leave from the army as well. When I first heard of his death I thought for sure it was just rumor or some sort of army snafu. I wish it would have been. It will be good to sit and share all the memories of growing up with Mike and lots of other friends this weekend [25th high school reunion], all the snowball fights, fistfights, ballgames and a lot of things I’ve forgotten that others remember! God bless! Randy.
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Thanks, Randy, for adding your memories of Mike! I hope you have a great time at your 25th reunion this weekend with the rest of your classmates.
Thank you also for going to Mike's grave and tidying it up. As you can imagine, it's too infrequent that any of us family get there since we're all out of state now. I made it there last July, but for the rest of our family it's been many years. It's heartwarming to us that you do go there and remember him! We appreciate it.
I've wondered how it's looked so neat when I have been there. I've always been pleasantly surprised that I haven't had to cut away many weeds, and at times there have been some well-kept flowers in a pot. I'm not sure who has done this, but it sure warms my heart when I see it!
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