Copper Mountain Mesa News

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By Bob DeLoyd
03/19/11

By Annelies Kuiper

Our little Community held our Board meeting last Monday evening; as we do, at 7p.m., on the second Monday of every month. We were all very sad to learn that our neighbor Ron Dehart died on Sunday, March 13th.

Ron moved to the Mesa permanently in 1999, became an active Community volunteer and was one of the familiar faces at Ruth Denison’s Vipassana. We send our heartfelt condolences to his wife Linda, as well as to Ruth, Margaret and everyone at Dhamma Dena.

Best wishes go out to all those celebrating March birthdays: Joe Lane, Seimi Sheba, Dulce McDermott, Bev Long and anyone else not yet on our Mesa birthday calendar.

The Board decided to hold our annual Easter egg coloring on Saturday, April 2nd; at the same time as our monthly Community Breakfast. So, mark your calendars and bring the whole family out for a wonderful breakfast and Easter celebration. The Community Center is at 65-336 Winters Road: 4 miles East of Border; 5 miles West of Lear and the Breakfast is from 8-11a.m.

Last Tuesday evening, I was enthusiastically greeted by Ruth Malton at the supper and Bingo party. She is our Special Olympics Star, plays on their bowling team and is an active participant in most Community events. With shining eyes and a huge smile, she told me how she had won the ‘Crazy C’ game on March 1st. “I only had odd numbers and I still got Bingo,” she announced triumphantly. “You should put that in your newspaper column!” Congratulations, Ruthie: we love you!

Steve Tuttle served Corned Beef, Cabbage and rye bread for Supper, which looked and smelled delicious. Nineteen people played Bingo and Carrie and Jason, from Yucca Valley, won the draw for Bingo next week and the ‘double action’, respectively.

Our U.S.D.A. Food Give-away is on Monday March 21st from 8-11a.m. Last month, we fed 100 families. The monthly Pot Luck party is next Saturday March 26th, starting at 4p.m. You are most welcome to join us at any of our Community events: we’d love to see you. Stay well!

Copper Mountain Mesa Renderings

The Passing of a Good Friend

By Bob DeLoyd

Tuesday

08- I was informed that my very dear friend Ron Dehart is in ICU after a fall but was in stable condition at the local hospital. His wife Linda would travel from Texas to be with him. She would later bring him home with Hospice care..

Saturday

12- Ron is home and his Linda is taking real good care of him. Everyone hopes he’ll turn the corner and feel better soon. I spent a little more than an hour or so by his bedside and I am mighty thankful for that!

On Sunday 13 at around 11am I called Linda to see when she would like me to bring over some cans of applesauce over so that she can mix Ron’s medicine into it to make it easier for him to take. She said that she had just gotten Ron to sleep and she needed to rest and would call me later.

At 3:40PM Ron’s wife Linda called to tell me the bad news that my dear friend, my buddy for many years had passed away at 3:30PM. He went to sleep and had never woken up.

On Monday I went on over to Ron’s house to see him one last time. I wasn’t going to do this but for some reason I felt I had to. There were many of his friends there who have been keeping watch since he passed on yesterday. He laid there with a smile and some said that it looked like he was winking. I stayed a few moments and then went into the next room and about cried until friends said it was okay and gave me a hug; it was hard. I spent a spell reminiscing with others and then I left.

On Tuesday 15 Linda had a little get together of Ron’s close friends at 4pm. I spent the rest of the time before 4pm going through twelve years of photos on my computer and putting every picture of Ron and Linda in a folder to take over to her; it ended up being 280Megs, 234 pictures and one video.

I arrived at Ron and Linda’s and helped Linda break down the hospital bed and put it away outside. Terry Serrels, John Demers, Linda Sibio with her husband Blake, Seimi Shiba, Shatay, Ruth Denison, and Piper Cort showed up a little later bringing food and friendship. We all sat and took turns telling our stories about Ron. Each story was like the changing scenery from a train window as it races its way through a mountain pass and onto farmlands, towns, and cities; a life that was complex but well lived. I could write of these stories here but I think it would be appropriate of me to keep them private to our little group who knew and loved Ron so very much.

Ron and I spent many hours discussing and debating all kinds of subjects. He was the only one here who I felt comfortable talking with and knowledgeable on a wide range of subjects that we covered. I will miss that! I will also miss the inside jokes we’d play on each other. I’ll miss the stories we told each other about growing up; he was from the east coast and I from the west. We had so much in common and yet we were so different and all this made for a good friendship I’ll never forget and a friend I’ll deeply miss. What you left behind in our physical world are our memories of you and a well used empty chrysalis that has brought forth something bigger than the whole. When I think of you it will always bring me a smile because that is the kind of person you are and the kind of humor we both shared. Too bad we never got to eat that pizza with the extra anchovies!

Come see our little community website: http://www.coppermountainmesa.com