Mike asked me at Mc Donald's to go with him and Joey the night they had their fatal accident. I didn't go and a short time later they were gone. I was probably the last person they saw before the accident. The night of his funeral I went to the Exmoor Country Club in Highland Park where Terry McDonough worked because I did not want to go to the funeral alone. Terry was not there and I drove the 30 miles back going 130 miles and alomst killed myself going to the wake. I hope these guys are doing well...I would have been no help to them in those days...I wish them both the best they deserve it...
Mike was a great friend. He had a fantastic sense of humor and an ever present twinkle in his eyes that often meant mischief was at hand. I vividly remember helping him create a "studio" out of a cistern or concrete coal bin in the basement of his house. One of my funniest recollections from high school was he and I drinking at Phil Reynold's house. Mike was trying very hard to get me mad and start a "fight". Can you picture Mike and I fighting???? It lasted all of 10 seconds and we laughed about it for some time afterward. Mike had a great passion for art and for his friends. For me, he was a great listener when I needed a willing ear. My friend, you have been gone from us physically for many years, but you have never been forgotten.
I moved to CL the start of second semester sophomore year and started dating Mike my junior year. So when I think of high school, I think of Mike. He was always so good to me. Such a loyal friend. We really enjoyed each others company. Mike had visited me during the week of Thanksgiving ('69) down in LA where my family had moved during my senior yr. I was attending LSU. We had a wonderful time and I was scheduled to visit CL & Mike in just a few weeks during Christmas break.The weekend of Mike and Joe's accident was my 18th birthday weekend. My birthday had been on Sat but I had some sorority activity that night so Sunday I was waiting by the phone for Mike to call. Instead my parents called and said that they were coming from New Orleans to Baton Rouge and for me to stay at the dorm. I just thought they were coming to take me out for my birthday. I never dreamed my heart would be broken. Even after all these years, I remember everything about the visitation and funeral and how it snowed.....but it is like someone else was going through it. Mike's death changed the direction of my life. I am very thankful for the sweet memories I have of Mike. I have several pieces of his art work. In fact my daughter has one of his paintings in her house. So Mike still has a place in my family's life....I believe he would like that.
Mike was such a great guy and one of the best friends I have had in my life. My father once told me that I would have alot of friends in my life, but in the end mybest friends could be counted on one hand. well Mike would be there before I even started counting fingers. Mike was so talented and creative that just amazed me. The world really missed out on what he could have done. He drew a charcoal portrait of me, that I thought was great, (my brothers said I looked like Alfred E Neuman), but it is a treasure that I will always keep. Mike once showed me a drawing that he had made and kept back in his room. It was in black ink and was somewhat disconcerting, but really cool. The thing that struck me so mush was that in the lower left corner, there was a small tombstone, with the date of his death, 1969 He was a special guy, and I guess the world was just not ready for him.
Gerald Wilhelmi
Mike asked me at Mc Donald's to go with him and Joey the night they had their fatal accident. I didn't go and a short time later they were gone. I was probably the last person they saw before the accident.The night of his funeral I went to the Exmoor Country Club in Highland Park where Terry McDonough worked because I did not want to go to the funeral alone. Terry was not there and I drove the 30 miles back going 130 miles and alomst killed myself going to the wake. I hope these guys are doing well...I would have been no help to them in those days...I wish them both the best they deserve it...
John Radke
Mike was a great friend. He had a fantastic sense of humor and an ever present twinkle in his eyes that often meant mischief was at hand. I vividly remember helping him create a "studio" out of a cistern or concrete coal bin in the basement of his house. One of my funniest recollections from high school was he and I drinking at Phil Reynold's house. Mike was trying very hard to get me mad and start a "fight". Can you picture Mike and I fighting???? It lasted all of 10 seconds and we laughed about it for some time afterward.Mike had a great passion for art and for his friends. For me, he was a great listener when I needed a willing ear.
My friend, you have been gone from us physically for many years, but you have never been forgotten.
Sleep well.
Tassie Crawford (McCollum)
I moved to CL the start of second semester sophomore year and started dating Mike my junior year. So when I think of high school, I think of Mike. He was always so good to me. Such a loyal friend. We really enjoyed each others company. Mike had visited me during the week of Thanksgiving ('69) down in LA where my family had moved during my senior yr. I was attending LSU. We had a wonderful time and I was scheduled to visit CL & Mike in just a few weeks during Christmas break.The weekend of Mike and Joe's accident was my 18th birthday weekend. My birthday had been on Sat but I had some sorority activity that night so Sunday I was waiting by the phone for Mike to call. Instead my parents called and said that they were coming from New Orleans to Baton Rouge and for me to stay at the dorm. I just thought they were coming to take me out for my birthday. I never dreamed my heart would be broken. Even after all these years, I remember everything about the visitation and funeral and how it snowed.....but it is like someone else was going through it. Mike's death changed the direction of my life. I am very thankful for the sweet memories I have of Mike. I have several pieces of his art work. In fact my daughter has one of his paintings in her house. So Mike still has a place in my family's life....I believe he would like that.Charlie Boss
Mike was such a great guy and one of the best friends I have had in my life. My father once told me that I would have alot of friends in my life, but in the end mybest friends could be counted on one hand. well Mike would be there before I even started counting fingers.Mike was so talented and creative that just amazed me.
The world really missed out on what he could have done. He drew a charcoal portrait of me, that I thought was great, (my brothers said I looked like Alfred E Neuman), but it is a treasure that I will always keep. Mike once showed me a drawing that he had made and kept back in his room. It was in black ink and was somewhat disconcerting, but really cool. The thing that struck me so mush was that in the lower left corner, there was a small tombstone, with the date of his death, 1969
He was a special guy, and I guess the world was just not ready for him.