My very first news of the day was Victor calling to tell me Charlie Cleveland had died. We spent several minutes talking about him and then I came here to read it for myself. Like others have expressed I too had a deep appreciation for him long before we ever met. So much so he was my first choice to write a story about for the Parker Pages. I think we all recognize there was something special about the man that we were able to discern from just reading his posts. I truly wanted to meet him and I thought the members would be interested in what I found out. I wrote it as best I could but sadly it fell far short of actually being with him. He loved his old guns and his old cars but most of all he loved his family and his sweet wife Bessie. He could tell a story in such a way it would draw you in, captivate your attention and leave you spellbound. Of all the things he showed me and told me about, one in particular stands out above all the rest. (I know I’m being long winded but it’s therapeutic.) Early one morning before the sun came up we were sitting at the kitchen table eating hot biscuits and talking about turkey hunting. He said I want to show you something and walked into another room. He came back carrying something wrapped in an old piece of cloth. The way he held it and looked at it I new it was of tremendous value and importance to him. He sat down and reverently uncovered an ancient looking long box turkey call. Long and skinny, I thought I had never seen anything like it. He told me it belonged to his father who used it for years before giving it to him. I believe that humble piece of wood fashioned into a hunting implement was his most prized earthly possession. To me this summed up the essence of the man. He could draw joy and happiness from the simple of things and could share and convey those feelings to everyone around him. I loved Charlie Cleveland and will be forever grateful for the experience he allowed me to share with him. I’ll leave with a short video as we left the hunting grounds and traveled The Old Field Road.
https://youtu.be/EXNlRtZBJBI?si=fyxRGOWmHH8lDymq