Honoring friends

     Enough time has passed that I feel more comfortable relating a recent tragedy within the bluegrass community. Our friend, dobro player Jim Clausen of Sioux City, was killed almost instantly on July 25th, 2010 in an accident when he was returning home from the Backbone Bluegrass festival pulling his little "Scamp" trailer.
     It was so hard to believe - Don and I had been sitting with him just that morning listening to the gospel show. It has shocked and saddened all who knew him. Jim was one of the kindest guys we knew - a true gentleman - and we miss him, sitting around drinking coffee and discussing things, laughing and huddling under our canopy in the rain, jamming with him... we think so often of his wife and daughters and how they are faring.  I hope there are jams in heaven, Jim. Farewell, friend.  (Photo: Jack Langley & Jim Clausen, hiding out from the rain in July 2009 under our canopy)

     In late August, Don and I traveled to Le Mars, Iowa to see  our friend and Jim's pal, Jack Langley, receive an award for the "Best Traditional Country Songwriter CD of the Year" (for the CD "Guitarman) from Bob Everhart, president of the National Traditional Country Music Association. The award was presented on August 31, 2010 at the 35th National Old Time Country, Bluegrass, and Folk Music Festival held in Le Mars. We were so proud and pleased for him! We got to hear him put on a great show with his son, Mike.
     We also met Jim Claussen's widow, Gloree, while there and had a chance to tell her how sad all we bluegrass folk are to have lost Jim, and give her our condolences personally.  Bless her!

     Since we had other commitments, we missed seeing all our pals at the Barnes Bluegrass Festival in Aledo, IL this year.  Hope to make it next year.  Dean was there and said it was windy and cold, so maybe it is just as well.