| Author | Message | ||
     Bruce Jorgensen Username: Brucejorgensen Registered: 11-2007 |
Last weekend......Bruce and Joni Jorgensen, Danny and Nancy Nelson, Gerald Fenstad, Art and Nancy Lackaduck(sp), all attended a memorial gathering at Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center. The gathering was at the GARY WESTBY OBSERVATORY on the Prairie Woods grounds. That is just north of Wilmar Minnesota where Gary was a game warden at the time of the accident that took his life at age 52. One of Gary's dreams was the creation of an environmental learning center, built for the purpose of raising awareness of environmental issues with people young and old. The observatory named after Gary is quite impressive as is the attendance of the facility that has been gaining in popularity each year to the point where thousands visit it each year. Gary was the last person in the world to seek this kind of recognition. His heart and passion was really into what he was doing...and his memory will last for along time. Gerry, Danny, and myself all shared stories of Gary. We had allot of laughs. There were many people there that miss Gary very much. For those who did not know the details of Gary's last month it went like this. When Gary and Gerry were at St. Cloud College...they made a pact on April 20th that they would someday go to Alaska. (Gerry told this story at the gathering). The significance of the date was that it was my birthday. In 1997 I approached Gerry and said why don't you, Gary, and I go to Alaska. I was a pilot for United Airlines at the time...and could get employee passes. My oldest son Mike also joined us for the two weeks. Mike still laughs about the one pair of cheater glasses that we all kept sharing. On October 15th 1997....Just 30 days after we returned from the trip...I received a call from Gerry about 2:00 AM with the terrible news that Gary had been killed in a car accident. Gary, his wife Cindy, and a friend were all in Gary's van...driving to St. Cloud to watch Gary's oldest son Brian play a championship football game. A completely un-related high speed chase took Gary's life and put Cindy and their friend in the hospital. If I have my facts straight it went something like this. A deputy Sheriff was chasing an older man for the crime of not having a drivers license. The chase took them across the path of Gary....the evening Sun played a factor....and then the crash where the Deputy's car went speeding across the highway. He obviously did not see Gary's van. The left front of the van was smashed into which caused the van to roll. Gary was killed instantly. So many people were at the funeral that it had to be held at the high school. During the procession it was very heart warming to see an obvious military veteran go to a full salute along the highway during Gary's last ride to the cemetery. There were bag pipes, and many police and game wardens attending the funeral. You all know how much everyone liked Gary Westby in High School. Well, it did not stop. Gary was well liked every where he went. Gary lived his passion...and evidence of that still exists in the building that is named after him. | ||
| Bruce Jorgensen Username: Brucejorgensen Registered: 11-2007 |
Gary Westby had a Springer Spaniel called Maddie. When Maddie had puppies....she let Bruce and Joni Jorgensen have the pick of the litter. They went to Willmar to pick up one Springer Puppy. They came home with two. Missy and Bandit. I am going to attempt to place a picture of the Puppies and Gary in his Game Warden uniform. The puppies came from some great hunters. I used the book Gun Dog...to train these puppies. I learned how to train them to go Pot on command. The first time I tried it they were running full blast in our park behind our Burnsville Home. I commanded "POT GIRLS" from a full run...they both stopped, squatted, went potty,in formation then off to a full run again in formation. I wished I could have had it on film. | ||
| Bruce Jorgensen Username: Brucejorgensen Registered: 11-2007 |
Gary Westby, Gerald Fenstad, Bruce Jorgensen, Bruce's Son Mike. Alaska - September, 1997  |