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Flashback Friday

While back in Northlandia a few weeks ago I learned a friend of mine had died.  Ron "Redi-Mix" Harn of Bushnell was 85, and after a brief stay in a nursing home, died of a stroke.  He was in the Korean War and worked at the hammer factory there all his life.  He was married to Lana, a pretty cool person in her own right.  

I met him when I first joined the Western Illinois Antique Auto Club.  The first time we really hooked up was at a car show.  They were parked right across from me and they invited me over to sit with them.  I knew who he was from the meetings and after that I also started sitting with him n the back row.  We did the usual things, make jokes, giggle like kids and generally had a good time.

Lana took some pictures of some Club stuff and they gave me a booklet of them back in the day.  


      





















I was around when he retired at 65 from the factory.  And I was around when he had his knees operated on.  He told me they poured cement in there to make it strong, thus my moniker "Redi-Mix".  He always made room for me next to him. 


I saw him a couple years ago at the Bushnell car show.  Lana told me then he was developing dementia.  



  
Good bye, old buddy.  

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