Gene

Ever meet one of those guys that’s the nicest person you’ve ever met yet he is so strong that he can unknowingly bruise  you by just talking to you. Well, that’s Gene. He’s one of the finest people I’ve ever met.

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Gene

 

We first met Gene and his wife Linda while clogging with Oklahoma Land Rush cloggers at Willow Hall in Tulsa. We did exhibitions together and got to know each other quite well. The clog instructors were giving extra lessons on Wednesday night and we started taking them. Gene was in the class, but Linda was not. One night we asked Gene to go out and eat with us and we stayed out until about 11PM. The next lesson night we got there about the same time as Gene. I looked in the back of his pickup and he had his front door in there. I asked him why he had his front door with him, and he said when he came in late last week, Linda had locked him out and he had to sleep in his pickup. He said to make sure Linda didn’t lock him out this week, he took the front door off and brought it with him.

 

That’s Gene with Linda telling my daughter Tamara she is an angel in our home.

 

Gene and Linda were part of the original group that started Misques and the Cuties clogging group with us. After it got going good, we became very close friends with Gene and Linda. We learned quickly not to sit on the right side Gene when we traveled together. When he talked, he had a habit of reaching out and hitting you with the back of his left hand. Since he talked almost continually, by the time you got to your destination, your arm was actually bruised because he was as strong as a bull and he didn’t realize he was hurting you.

 

Gene helping a little old lady across the street before one of our Misques dances. One of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet.

 

 

Gene called me one day and said ..”.Hey Bill, I found you a jukebox for your basement.” He had found a guy in North Tulsa that used to supply Rockola jukeboxes in the Tulsa area. I met him there and the guy had about 20 jukeboxes for $300 a piece. I said Gene, I have no way to get it home and if I did, I still had no way to get it in the basement. He said no problem I’ll haul it to your house in my pickup and help you carry in down there. I said I don’t think we can do it, it weighs 350 pounds. He said no problem, so I went ahead and bought it. We unloaded it from his pickup and carried in to the den and it just about killed me. I told Gene he was going to have to go down first if we carried it down the stairs and he said no problem. So down we went. I know he was carrying 2/3 of the weight. We got down and again I was hurting pretty bad, but Gene seemed to be fine. Right then and there I decided to never get Gene mad at me.  Gene played the jukebox every time we had a get together at our house. The jukebox is still in the basement today.

 

Gene and my wife Pam dancing at the Prague Kalache Festival. Gene is really getting into the dance.

 

 

Gene’s wife Linda told us a story about a dance they went to and Gene was dancing with the host. He did a twirl with her and threw her right out an open window onto the lawn. He just doesn’t realize how strong he is.

 

Gene liked to go to garage sales. He took me with him on a couple of all day runs. That guy could find more bargains. He was a good carpenter and he often made nice stuff out of his garage sale bargains which he often gave as gifts to his friends.

 

When the Misques were doing our exhibitions, we traveled all over north east Oklahoma and southern Kansas. Everywhere we went there was always at least one person that he knew in the audiences. He worked for Bell Telephone and I guess they worked all over the area. It was amazing how many friends Gene had.

 

Gene and Linda standing on their well kept lawn at their home in Tulsa. Friendliest couple in town.

 

 

We have had years of fun with Gene and Linda and we shall be friends always. Gene is one of the best guys I’ve ever met.

Thanks for reading Gene,

Hawg Jaw Bill