Hello my good friend.

I told you I'd make it to see you. I have to say that every time I think of or view your name I remember two things foremost. It was the way you talked with me about matters where you thought I was being serious and then when you found out I was teasing how you changed so fast and so humorously.

When the subject seemed to be intense, your face would get that way. You'd wrinkle that brow and eyebrows almost coming together, then skrunch up perse your lips together. You would focus straightaway on my comments and the pending doom of the situation  I was unraveling for you. Then, when the punch line would come, you just through your head back and laughed abandonedly and you would first reach up and put your hand on my shoulder as if it was ok and that you got the joke, and you weren't mad at me for playing it with you. Then you would slap my shoulder harder laughing even louder and from deep with your chest.

Sometime you would try to make fun of me the same way. But you were always too kind to take advantage of anybody's naivette — that glorious innocense gifted to some — as did I yours. Now I wish I could take mine back, except then, I wouldn't have the pleasure of thinking back on your facial changes swinging from worry and pensiveness to hilarity.

Now when I look at your photo I think "Good grief, Fred! You were such a handsome guy." And I realize that underlying my teasing you so much was my envy of your great looks. Well you look even better today in your senior photo. I regret we don't have any more pictures of you so we could see if you aged like the rest of us. But probably not. Whatever is true, I will always remember you exactly as you were to me, so serious and then that face opening up and your roaring in laughter and fun, eventually slapping me on my arm for sharing the fun story with you.

Like my friend Billie Friesen, Fred, I am saddened to see you depart. But on the other hand, as fine a person as were you I bet you're in a better place today!

I miss you. Take care.

And I'll see you one day. I guess, that is, if I go in that direction!

Goodbye for awhile my friend. And thanks for letting me have your time again. Bet you're laughing at me as always.

Skippy Collins

Now you have your rose. And it has been here forever, as it will remain here the same.