October 16, 2007 |
| Memories of Jesse and Bruce |
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Written by Chris Newbill on October 15, 2007
Jesse Aganew came to Ahtanum in the fifth grade. He's in the Ahtanum 5th grade picture, fourth from the left, middle row. He was by far the smartest kid in class, scoring 107 or something on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills.
When the classroom windows were tilted open, from outside it appeared that the courtyard was tilted. During recess Jesse and I would look at our reflections in the windows and stumble backwards, flailing our arms, pretending we were falling down hill. We were silly.
In the sixth grade we were assigned different classrooms, and we drifted apart. I wondered why Jesse didn't have better grades after the 5th grade - - probably not challenged enough or became disillusioned. He was extremely bright. And he was a very kind and gentle person.
While I'm bawling and crying over departed friends, I just as well mention Bruce Rennie. Bruce and I were pretty close friends in the seventh grade. I was in awe of the guy - he was smart and capable. I stayed overnight with him once on his Dad's 400 acre farm on Slavin Way. He had a 45-lb bow which I could draw only part way, but which he was strong enough to draw fully. He'd shoot the arrow in the air, and I'd fall down running in circles wondering where the arrow was going to fall! See how smart I was? If I'd stood next to him, I'd have been alright, since he wasn't going to shoot himself! We shot at water skippers, climbed the tree, looked through the microscope, and generally kept our distance from the three-foot wide carpenter ant hill swarming with a million ants. Dad was disappointed when he came to pick me up and I didn't really want to go. Bruce and the farm were fun!
Bruce and I both had a crush on Kris Johnson (Vestad) in the seventh grade. Kris liked Bruce better than me. She's always had good taste.
Bruce was positive, energetic, and always willing to help. I heard that Bruce drowned trying to save his Dad, when his Dad capsized in a canoe. His Dad survived, but tragically Bruce didn't. That was Bruce - if he thought you could use some help, he didn't hesitate to jump in and help you out. Bruce was selfless that way.
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2007
November (1)
Kathy's ...