Rascal, mischievous, prankster and one who liked to dance just a bit, with trouble! These are terms I use affectionately when I think of my cousin Mike.

My happiest childhood memories are of time spent at Grandma and Grandpa’s house in Humboldt. Mike taught this California girl the finer things in life such as hunting and catching horny toads, roaming the field behind Grandma’s house on foot, on Smokey or in that old Jeep Willy that he loved to drive. We could spend hours upon hours out there. However, I don’t think his day was complete until he had me screaming my head off, while he drove like a mad man! I truly believe he derived great enjoyment in scaring me to death! And his laughter….nothing like it, I can still hear it every time I think of him!

Best cousin ever and we look forward to seeing you again,

Love, Shannon and Jeff

This family has always had fun family gatherings. Whether it is a birthday, a holiday, a summer barbecue, a death in the family, a wedding, an Easter egg hunt, or just for no reason at all, these times are very special. There is always a time for the telling and retelling of old family stories. Mike always seemed to really enjoy these times, and his laugh was contagious as the tales continued. He would add a few details from his own memory.

One of my favorite memories of such a gathering was at the time of Mike and Laurel’s 25th anniversary. Their children came to us weeks ahead and asked if they could have this surprise party in our yard. They pulled it off perfectly. While designated persons kept Mike and Laurel away from Humboldt, the children and their cousins and several others literally transformed our yard into a festive party place. They worked for hours and carried out all their plans for decorations, a delicious meal, and even a program. Mike and Laurel suspected nothing, and were overwhelmingly surprised.

Aunt Ruthi Jones

Dad and I agreed that labradors are the best breed of dogs. Dad’s dog, Wyatt, is on the right and my dog, Lewis, is on the left. But my favorite animal stories with Dad are actually about cats . . .

A lunch box rescue

Dad once rescued a stray cat from inside his power plant in Phoenix. In order to sneak her out, he put the cat inside his large igloo lunch box. Us kids were thrilled when dad came home that night with a new kitty that we named Mystique.

A swing set rescue

While coaching a Little League baseball practice, Dad spotted some ragamuffin kids throwing a kitten over a swing set just past the outfield. To run off the kids, Dad started tossing rocks at the kids to scare them off. Then, he went and rescued the kitten that we named Tommy. Best cat we ever had.

Dad’s soft spot for furry critters brought us so much joy as children.

Sarah
Daughter

My face in this photo says everything you need to know about what a day with Mike was like.

He was tough when it came to enduring the things life threw at him but tender and compassionate to the little guy, the underdog, and most of all, his family. Mike has left an irreplaceable vacancy in our lives. Mike has made heaven even more beautiful to us.

Charles Wildman
Grandson