Musings

Today was the 7th anniversary of the death of Matt Luedke. He was a friend of Beau's and our family. He died tragically in a truck wreck in 2001. Every year it is a sad time to remember his death. Tonight was the first time I spent this day with Larry and Beverly. A few of us went over to a mutal friend's house and remembered Matt. Especially the great times when our boys where close friends, played baseball together. Those baseball years were some of the best times. The parents would all pile on chartered busses and go to the playoff games in places like Huntsville, Jacksonville, Lufkin, and Austin. Frankie had a special black Cougar shirt he would wear. I bleached on accident. We still carried it with us on our many bus trips!! Tonight Larry talked about the years the boys' talked about just playing at Disk-Fault Field in Austin. Larry mentioned the night the team won their first trip to Austin. He said Beau ran up to him and said we are going to Austin, Larry. These special group of boys played baseball all summer across from our house. We had the cool ice crusher... so they all come over to cool off. They also went every afternoon after school to Steven Marek's grandmother. They would play basketball, baseball, football and eat a full meal before they ever got home.
The night he died was a cold,wet night. Not too different from a couple of nights ago. Crystal and I hated to call Beau that night. Finals were going on. Here in Rosebud we had already lost another guy they had played ball with just in September. So another young life taken was more than any town should bare. So 7 years later I remember Matt, Beau, Steven, Keith, Eric, Ryan, Kyle, Josh, Brad, Adam, James, Seth, .... It was a wonderful time for me. I loved having them over and loved being a part of these special group of boys. Proud to know them as men, fathers, fathers to be, and I know Matt would have been a great man and father.