I was saddened and shocked to hear of Colene's death.  In spite of our distance over these many years, Colene has always been a special person to me.  In our early years in Oregon, Colene and I grew up together.  Children of the same age, of mothers who were very close, we were raised as sister and brother as much as cousins.  In those years Colene was my buddy, my soul mate.  We were children of the war years, born before the American involvement, formed our first memories during the war, and began to form ourselves in the immediate post war period.  This left a stamp on me and a bond with Colene that I don't have with many other people.  From then, my childhood memories include Colene, our summers at Culp Creek, swimming in the river, fishing at Winchester Bay (my most memorable seasick episode was with Colene), summers in Eugene.  My last memorable event with Colene was her Senior Prom.  I was Colene's date and we had a great time.  From then, our paths diverged, and I lost track of that special relationship.  But now, I know it still exists and suffers from her passing.
As I think about my past with Colene, I realize that Colene was my entry way into knowing Colen, her father ("Uncle Coney").  I think Colene had a special relationship with her father.  Maybe Colen wanted a boy first, but apparently it didn't matter, since he didn't seem to treat Colene any differently, taking her with him on his many outdoor adventures.  I'm sure that is where Colene got her love of the outdoors and fishing, the activity that gave her such pleasure in recent years.  As I have watched Colene in the recent past, I can see her father (they were even shaped the same).  In the childhood years, when all adults except your parents are somewhat distant, I could relate to Colen indirectly, and now, again through Colene, I have a better sense of the man, of his good qualities that show in Colene, and more of a saddness that his life was cut so short.  But then, I guess part of us lives on in strange, unpredictable ways, and we still have the opportunity to affect the world and people's lives.
Now that Colene is gone, I still consider her my buddy.  She was a kind, benevolent presence that formed an anchor in my life at a critical period, and I am sure in the lives of others.  I join you there in remembering Colene's life and thanking her for the part of her she left behind in all of us.
>>
Jack L. Lewis
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
University of Minnesota