Many years ago a small group of men started gathering for
coffee each morning at Reeds. They came from all walks of life and backgrounds
and all they wanted out of that time together, was to share their stories and
bond in friendship. They were coined the “Sunshine Boys.” Well this year hasn’t
been good for the Sunshine Boys, as four of them have passed away but there was
a special friendship in that group that you couldn’t help but notice, and that
is what I want to talk about today. It was between Rusty and Morrie. Clyde
“Rusty” Rust and Morris “Morrie” Mikkelson. Both of them long time Crosslake
residents.
Many of the people who frequented the Legion Club in town
will always remember Rusty calling bingo numbers or working at the club.
Putting his military uniform on for Memorial Day in the honor guard. Being in
the parades. Cooking brats and hamburgers at the Mission of the Cross Church he
loved, at the flea markets. Rusty was just a fixture in Crosslake
Morrie was involved in several civic projects in Crosslake
but he told me the one he was most proud of was his work at the library. He
could recite historical things that had happened in Crosslake for as far back
as you cared to remember. We had a discussion about Abe Lincoln one day and
Morrie corrected something that was said. The other man shrugged his shoulders
and said. “You probably knew him personally.” He was one of the kindest, old
gentlemen; I was ever privileged to meet. Mitch Alborn wrote a book called “Tuesday’s
with Morrie.” I should have taken notes about all of the conversations we had.
There might have been another book.
The two friends moved into Golden Horizons together in their
later years and Rusty, who still had a car, would bring Morrie with him to
coffee each day. We all watched them start to fail over time, using a grocery
cart to lean on as they made their long way in each day. We always put Morrie
at the head of the table so he had a place for his walker to sit but actually
he had earned that spot. Then one day they stopped coming. To the rest of us
they were gone, but not forgotten. Last year at our annual picnic at the
campgrounds we got to see them there together with all of us for the last time
and it was heartwarming to say the least.
On January 28th Rusty passed away and not
surprising a few days later on February 4th Morrie went to be with
his friend. A. A. Milne who wrote “Winnie the Pooh” said about friendship. “If you live to be a hundred I want to
live to be a hundred minus a day, so I never have to live with out you.”
Maybe that’s how Morrie and Rusty felt. “We’ll
be friends forever, won’t we Pooh?” asked Piglet. “Even longer” Pooh answered.”
May they both rest in peace. Gone but never forgotten.
Mike Holst
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