TODDIMER
Last night we had dance practice again. To make a long explaination and story short. I was talking to a man that I knew was associated with a good friend of ours. Todd. Brother Tingy told me that Todd had been killed in a trucking accident a year or so ago. I had wondered why we hadn't heard from him in so long. But at the same time that is how our friendship had been forever. We wouldn't see or hear from each other for several years then he would show up or call and we would take up right where we had left off.
Well time to get ready for church.
LATER IN THE DAY
I got acquainted with Todd the summer after I graduated from High School. Summer 1974. I was dating a young man named Dean, he and Todd worked together. Dean was preparing for a mission that summer and fall while we were dating. Just before Dean left for his mission he told Todd to keep and eye on me not for me. Just about as soon as Dean left Todd was right there trying to get me to date. Well #1 I had just sent a boyfriend off on a mission and #2 Todd is really a great guy but he is one of the most negative people that I have ever met. He really would have driven me nuts had I ever taken up with him. He was always depressed, and feeling like the world was picking on him. Well not always, when he was in a good mood which was alot of the time, he was one of the funniest people that I have ever known, and alot of fun to be with.
It was just that he would get in these deep blue funks, and whoa, how depressing he could be.
Todd spent alot of time out at my parents home after Dean left on his mission. He and my youngest brother James were really good buds. James was all of about 3 at the time. Todd made up nick names for almost everyone that he knew. I don't think he ever gave me one though. My baby sister Janece was Poogit baby, my neice was McGillacutty, he had silly names for all of his kids etc. I always called him Toddimer.
In June of 1976 I took off with my Aunt and Uncle and went back to Virginia to live for a while
the Todd thing and the Dean thing were both driving me crazy by this time. Todd was always around and my family and Deans family were always referring to us as FIENCE'S! We weren't.
The only agreement between us was we'll see what happens in 2 years.
Shortly after I left Todd started dating a beautiful young lady that had moved to Idaho Falls shortly before I left named Kristy. They got married sometime while I was gone. I didn't hear much from him over the next few years. I sent them a wedding announcement when Shane and I got married. He tried several times on our wedding day to call me and I wasn't around. He wanted to surprise me but he finally told mom just to have me call when I got home from the
reception. So I did. We laughed and we cried, that was one of the awsome things about our friendship. We both could laugh and cry together and not feel enbarrased. He was just like a brother to me. That was the only way that I could love him, despite the fact that he wanted so badly for it to be otherwise at one time.
Just a couple of months after we got married Shane and I stopped at an office supply store in Idaho Falls. As Shane was coming around the car to let me out I turned and looked at the driver of the car next to us and Todd stuck his tongue out at m, that is typical of a greeting from him,
so I stuck my tongue out at him. He and his dad then drove off. No hello, no go to He--! Just
drove off. Boy did Shane let me have it. "Is that any way to greet a friend"? he said. All I could say was, "He Started It"!
We didn't see him for another few years. Probably another 9 or 10 years. Janece, my little sister would often say that she would like to meet the guy that nick named her Poogit Baby. We always called her either that or poogy for short. So for her 16th birthday I contacted them and invited them up from Utah, If they could get away, to attend the birthday party that we had for
her. Her birthday is on December 19th so it is kind of close to Christmas and they didn't know if they would be able to come up to Idaho or not. They did show up and we had a really fun night.
That was the last time that we saw him for another 4 or 5 years. Then out of the blue he called us on a Super Bowl Sunday so we invited him out to watch the game with us. By this time he and Kristy were divorced and he had been living in Gold Beach, Oregon. He was just in Idaho Falls for a month and wanted to see us. Needless to say Todd and I didn't get much football watched. We had alot of catching up to do. He ended up staying in IF for about a year. While he was there he married Maureen ? I can't remember her last name. They ended up moving up to the Coeur d'Alene area, I believe it was, and I didn't see him again for a while.
Then the Christmas after we moved into this house, he called to let us know that Amber his oldest daughter was marrying a boy from here in Boise. They mailed us an invitation and we attended the open house here. I ended up sending Shane and the kids home and I stayed at the reception with Todd and his family then Todd brought me home when it was all over with. That was the last time that I saw him. We kept in touch for the next couple of years through emails and phone calls, then everything stopped. I haven't even heard from his dad since. For all I know he is gone also. I don't know what happened for sure, where he died or where he is buried. I will miss his sillyness and his laugh, and so much more about this special friend.
Mom W was here 11/08/2004 09:30:00 AM
