Friday, February 20, 2004
Uncle Buster
Roger Bouvier Stricklett was born June 27th 1925. He was the youngest child of grandma and grandpa and born in the Blair home as Sally was. When mom and dad married, grandma was six months pregnant with him which was a twenty-one year spread between mom, the oldest, and him. He was given the nick-name of Buster by grandpa.
Little Sally (who was three years old at the time) called my mother the morning of his birth and asked, “do you know what we have at our house?” Of course he was always adored by the family as the “baby.” Uncle Buster was ten years old when grandpa died and was surrounded by the women in the family from that day on. He had the auburn hair and brown eyes my mother did and they were always “soul-mates.”
Buster was a bit of a trial for grandma. She was forty-two when he was born and without the male presence in the house and three of the girls still at home she didn’t have a lot of time to mother him. When he was older he came to visit us often when he wasn’t in school. We were like a second family to him and he enjoyed the companionship of my folks. He and I often traded places as it was a treat for both of us. I would go to Blair and he would stay with my folks. My dad was in the plumbing business at the time and would take him along. The male jokes and men’s company was something my dad thought he needed. He would hand him a shovel and tell him to “git to diggin,” and they would have a contest to see who could dig their hole faster. Dad always paid him well and I’m sure that and the comradeship were most welcome.
Buster had a rich voice and a constant laugh. Dad loved to tease him or spin a long yarn about something hilarious and they would both laugh so hard they’d roll on the floor holding their sides. Mom would grin and chuckle but I don’t remember her ever erupting with riotous laughter. She would dish up dessert and we would sit around the table eating and enjoying the moment. Those were good times that we all laughed about the rest of our lives.
He graduated high school in Blair where his five siblings had before him. It was 1943 and he enlisted in the Army Air Force Cadets the same year. He served in the Pacific until 1946. Upon returning home he worked at an oil company in Omaha and in 1949 was employed by Vinton Motor Company in Blair. He started out as a salesman and was recognized many times for his achievements. He then took on the job of accountant, assistant and later general manager. He remained until he retired in 1991.
He always loved music as the rest of the family had. Must have been in the genetic line from grandpa who also loved music and played the fiddle. He sang in the choir at church and later formed a men’s chorus called the “Melody Men.” The group became very popular and made appearances throughout Nebraska and Iowa. They were commissioned “Admirals in the Great Navy of Nebraska” and were chosen to introduce the new State song, “Beautiful Nebraska,” while representing Nebraska at the New York World’s Fair in 1965.
He was very active in the community and became prosperous as uncle Bud did. He married Phyllis Petersen in 1949 and they had three children, Roger Phillip, Julie Ann and Joy Elizabeth. They remained in Blair and built a home on the property where he grew up, at grandma’s.
I rarely called him “uncle” Buster. He was more like a brother to me. He was only three years older than my brother, Louis, and seven years older than me. We all grew up very close. After retirement he still wanted something to do with his time so he drove a school bus several years for the Blair School System. He always had control over his passengers with his quick wit and his fun personality.
The last year he was driving he became very ill with what he thought was a bad cold or maybe pneumonia. It turned out to be lung cancer and his health deteriorated rapidly. Rocky and I made a quick trip to Nebraska to see him and the next day he was released to go home with Hospice care. Aunt Phyllis and his children gave him their constant attention and we were glad we could be there his last days.
At times we would be the only two in the room and we had the opportunity to tell each other our feelings and love for each other. We were to go home the next day but he turned his head in our direction and said, “why don’t you stay another day, Esther”…………….I said if he wanted us to we would. When it came time to say goodbye I bent over to kiss him and he said weakly, “have a good trip home, Esther”………………I kissed him and whispered, “and you have a good trip home too, Buster”……….we both knew we would never see each other again this side of heaven and it was our last goodbye until we meet again…………….
The memory of him is constant…I miss his rich voice and laughter….I miss my oldest brother………….he passed away six days later………..
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
Little Sally (who was three years old at the time) called my mother the morning of his birth and asked, “do you know what we have at our house?” Of course he was always adored by the family as the “baby.” Uncle Buster was ten years old when grandpa died and was surrounded by the women in the family from that day on. He had the auburn hair and brown eyes my mother did and they were always “soul-mates.”
Buster was a bit of a trial for grandma. She was forty-two when he was born and without the male presence in the house and three of the girls still at home she didn’t have a lot of time to mother him. When he was older he came to visit us often when he wasn’t in school. We were like a second family to him and he enjoyed the companionship of my folks. He and I often traded places as it was a treat for both of us. I would go to Blair and he would stay with my folks. My dad was in the plumbing business at the time and would take him along. The male jokes and men’s company was something my dad thought he needed. He would hand him a shovel and tell him to “git to diggin,” and they would have a contest to see who could dig their hole faster. Dad always paid him well and I’m sure that and the comradeship were most welcome.
Buster had a rich voice and a constant laugh. Dad loved to tease him or spin a long yarn about something hilarious and they would both laugh so hard they’d roll on the floor holding their sides. Mom would grin and chuckle but I don’t remember her ever erupting with riotous laughter. She would dish up dessert and we would sit around the table eating and enjoying the moment. Those were good times that we all laughed about the rest of our lives.
He graduated high school in Blair where his five siblings had before him. It was 1943 and he enlisted in the Army Air Force Cadets the same year. He served in the Pacific until 1946. Upon returning home he worked at an oil company in Omaha and in 1949 was employed by Vinton Motor Company in Blair. He started out as a salesman and was recognized many times for his achievements. He then took on the job of accountant, assistant and later general manager. He remained until he retired in 1991.
He always loved music as the rest of the family had. Must have been in the genetic line from grandpa who also loved music and played the fiddle. He sang in the choir at church and later formed a men’s chorus called the “Melody Men.” The group became very popular and made appearances throughout Nebraska and Iowa. They were commissioned “Admirals in the Great Navy of Nebraska” and were chosen to introduce the new State song, “Beautiful Nebraska,” while representing Nebraska at the New York World’s Fair in 1965.
He was very active in the community and became prosperous as uncle Bud did. He married Phyllis Petersen in 1949 and they had three children, Roger Phillip, Julie Ann and Joy Elizabeth. They remained in Blair and built a home on the property where he grew up, at grandma’s.
I rarely called him “uncle” Buster. He was more like a brother to me. He was only three years older than my brother, Louis, and seven years older than me. We all grew up very close. After retirement he still wanted something to do with his time so he drove a school bus several years for the Blair School System. He always had control over his passengers with his quick wit and his fun personality.
The last year he was driving he became very ill with what he thought was a bad cold or maybe pneumonia. It turned out to be lung cancer and his health deteriorated rapidly. Rocky and I made a quick trip to Nebraska to see him and the next day he was released to go home with Hospice care. Aunt Phyllis and his children gave him their constant attention and we were glad we could be there his last days.
At times we would be the only two in the room and we had the opportunity to tell each other our feelings and love for each other. We were to go home the next day but he turned his head in our direction and said, “why don’t you stay another day, Esther”…………….I said if he wanted us to we would. When it came time to say goodbye I bent over to kiss him and he said weakly, “have a good trip home, Esther”………………I kissed him and whispered, “and you have a good trip home too, Buster”……….we both knew we would never see each other again this side of heaven and it was our last goodbye until we meet again…………….
The memory of him is constant…I miss his rich voice and laughter….I miss my oldest brother………….he passed away six days later………..
Until tomorrow,
Essentially Esther
