A penny for your thoughts - 1909 VDB style.

One Christmas, all I wanted was a penny - a 1909 VDB (the first wheat penny) I saw at Ben Franklin. (I have no idea why a retail store like that had a coin collection in the rolling glass display case- but it did.) So I showed it to Dad- he didn't buy it, didn't seem interested. A couple days later I see a bulge in Dad's wallet shaped like the coin and coin holder. Well this shape in his wallet became more and more pronounced, of course, as the days passed. Every time he set his wallet down I could see the shape of the coin holder- and I knew what it was. But I couldn't tell him what it was or let on that I knew - it was a surprise right? This went on for, in kid time, about 6 months. It was probably, really, about two to three weeks? Well, anyway, the coin landed under the tree on Christmas day. The indention remained in his wallet for months later. The memory and the coin - the only one in my collection - has stayed with me forever.

Looking back on it now, it seems like his wallet was always set on the table with the coin indention up. Still not sure if he was careless, teaching me about patience, or if he just wanted to see how I would react? Irregardless, the $5 or so coin, in not so great shape, takes me back now 35 years to a five and dime store with my Dad.


I hope that this is and isn't like Danny DeVitto in "Throw Momma from the Train", when he showed off his coin collection? Movie clip link below.
Click here for Clip

Dean

Neil's ashes flow in this creek behind the Gilmer farm, where he played as a kid.

Gilmer/Butter's Farm House where Neil grew up - on Gilmer Rd, Greens Fork, Indiana. The long, long gravel drive on Gilmer Rd made a sound under the car - - the unforgetable, but familiar prelude to your visit there. (As a kid, to me, it felt like a visit back in time.) The creek is never the same. If you don't know the local weather a trip down the hill to see is always enlightening. Dry? High? Still? Passable? Dangerous?

Dean

Ellen's first visit to her Dad's stone - December 2011

Graveside - December 2011

Big Cars

I bought a 1983 Lincoln the other day. Not sure why except it is in such great shape. Everything about it reminds me of Neil and his 1985 Grand Marquis. I will never forget when he finally got rid of that car and brought home a little "toy" Mercury Sable company car. It was like they took away his 10 gauge and gave him a squirt gun. Not happy with the "mid-grade" car selection now afforded, every bump in the road the Sable couldn't take as the Grand Marquis had was a personal insult to him. I wonder if anyone at Eaton pointed out this obvious slight? He likely would not have missed it had the tables been turned, I am sure.

Dean

One Year

Neil passed away one year ago today. His year long absence has magnified his daily presence.

Dean

Those faces!

Neil hated anything gross and would always make the funniest faces when anything gross was near. The grandkids had a great time showing all of Neil's "gross" faces last night when they reached their hands into the pumpkin "guts." The wrinkled nose was a fan favorite from grandson Garrett! Usually the gross face got Neil out of some nasty jobs (as surely he couldn't stand it), but at Halloween we realized (we think) that it wasn't always an act!

Dean

Halloween and Neil Gilmer

We shouldn't let this Halloween Season pass without recalling it to be one of Neil's favorite times of the year. His inventiveness came out for many to enjoy and to take home memories ! We remember him fondly !!

Steve & Nancy Z

Greens Fork Musuem Brick

Brick was donated by Mary Anne Butters (Neil's sister) and is located on the West side of the Museum in the Garden area by the gazebo. Beautiful spot. If you get a chance go inside and check out the displays and Greens Fork history!

(Please see the link to the right of this post re: the Greens Fork Museum.)

"Gilmer Sprinkles" M & M's on Neil's Grave - July 2011

Mimi w/ the grandkids - July 2011

Kay's first visit to Neil's headstone, Greens Fork, IN July 2011

Severe Weather Updates

With all the destructive weather lately, it has reminded me that our own personal meteorologist, always closely monitoring the situation from 1,000 miles away is no longer sending us instant alerts (via email and phone.) These alerts were often delivered before the T.V. and radio even took notice, and always before the sirens went off! The sign-off for our weather man was always - "You may wanna keep a close eye on that. It doesn't look good."

Dean

Neil's Headstone at Sugar Grove Cemetery, Greens Fork, Indiana, May, 19 2011

April 2011 "Life at Hunter's Creek" Magazine Article

Credit/Citation: Life at Hunter's Creek Magazine, April 2011 edition, Volume XIV, issue 2, page 41. View online at : www.hunterscreek.net/Life-at-Hunter%27s-Creek-Magazine~141675~14540.htm

Honoring a Neighbor
By John Mongoven
On a beautiful, sunny afternoon
on March 15, more than 40
friends, neighbors and fellow golfers
joined together to honor and
remember Neil Gilmer. Neil was one of the founders of the Hunter’s
Creek Golf League, which tees off every Tuesday afternoon at the
Hunter’s Creek Golf Club.
A memorial bench with a distinguished bronze plaque was unveiled
and dedicated in Neil’s honor. At the dedication ceremony, I stated
that it was most appropriate for the bench to be placed between the
driving range and the putting green, as it would be an idyllic spot to
relax and enjoy the serene and beautiful surroundings
of the golf course. Neil spent quite a bit of
time there. He loved the game and was a very
good player.

After a welcome and thank you to those in attendance,
Kay Gilmer, Neil’s wife of 46 years, stepped
forward to thank everyone for their donations to
the bench fund and for their friendship to Neil.
Neil’s long-time playing partner, Tony Gonzalez,
then stepped forward to say a few heartfelt words
to pay homage to our friend. Tony expressed all of
our feelings of loss for this great man and how fitting
it was that Neil would be remembered every
time someone came to sit and reflect with Neil’s
angel looking on.
Neil passed away at the age of 69 on November
19, 2010 after a long and difficult battle with cancer.
A long-time resident of Orista Bay in Hunter’s
Creek, Neil was an addicted golfer - he was such a
fanatic about the game that he would sometimes
play more than 36 holes in a day! All you had to
do was mention the word “golf” and he was ready
to play.
Neil’s favorite course was Hunter’s Creek and
he often voiced his opinion that
Hunter’s Creek needed a community
golf league. So, along with
John Wiseman and Dan Rapp,
they put their heads together and
started one. I was able to join
their foursome every week, and,
whether you played well or poorly,
Neil made sure everybody had a
great time. His humor and dry wit
were a very important part of his
game.
Thanks to Neil and several others, the Hunter’s Creek Golf League has
become a very successful weekly community event. His beautiful memorial
bench will offer a place to take a moment to reflect and enjoy
the beauty of the day.

________________________________________________________
(Editor's Note: A special thank you to John M not only for this article- which is great. But especially for his, and the whole golf foursome mentioned above: for not only their dedication to golf, which Neil enjoyed, but their dedication to their friends. It was amazing how Neil perked up when they came by so often in his final weeks and how much they did for him both physically and emotionally when golf was the furthest thing from Neil's body (even if not his mind). Thank you John M, John W, and Dan R!)

Mimi and the Grandkids at the "bench" - March 2011

A Stiver’s Sendoff

Last night our small group of past and present Eaton associates got together for another “Boys’ Night Out”. Our venue was dinner in Chelsea, MI. On our way to the restaurant, we gathered at Stiver’s Bar and Grill. For those of you familiar with I-94 in SE Michigan, it’s located at exit 162. This was a favorite watering hole from our Eaton Battle Creek days when we made multiple trips each week between our offices in Battle Creek and our customers’ offices in the Detroit area. This old haunt was frequented by many of us, and usually in the company of Neil. It’s a low-brow place with nothing remarkable except their “fishbowl” martinis, which were an obvious favorite of Neil’s. Our group included Tom K., Merv W., Al W., Steve D., Curt S., John C., Simon N., Mike G., John L. and Chuck M. After each ordering a “Boombaton” of choice, we made a toast to Neil and savored the cocktails as well as some memories. The place seems unchanged from when we were last there, several decades ago for most of us, but we’re sure it was just as Neil would remember it. We trust that he was looking down on us with that smile on his face and wishing he could be there in person, but we know he was with us!



Here’s to you, Neil. Cheers!

TRIBUTE TO JOHN NEIL GILMER AT HUNTER’S CREEK GOLF CLUB - DEDICATION OF MEMORIAL BENCH – MARCH 15, 2011

TODAY IS A DAY OF JOY BECAUSE WE ARE PAYING TRIBUTE TO A DEAR FRIEND THIS TRIBUTE IS TO DEDICATE A BENCH TO MEMORIALIZE NEIL GILMER’S LIFE AT HUNTER’S CREEK GOLF COURSE. KAY, HIS WIDOW, IS HERE WITH US, ALONG WITH FRIENDS AND MEMBERS OF OUR GOLF LEAGUE IN WHICH HE USED TO PLAY.
NEIL WAS A NATIVE OF INDIANA, AND SPENT MOST OF HIS PROFESSIONAL LIFE WORKING AS AN ENGINEER FOR EATON CORP, AT THEIR DIVISION IN MICHIGAN. UPON RETIRING IN 1999, HE MOVED TO ORISTA BAY, A NEIGHBORHOOD OF HC. HE BOUGHT THE HOME HERE BECAUSE OF ITS PROXIMITY TO THIS GOLF COURSE. DURING ELEVEN YEARS, AS I WAS ALSO RETIRED AND HIS NEIGHBOR, I WAS PRIVILEGED TO PLAY MORE THAN A THOUSAND ROUNDS OF GOLF WITH HIM. WE WERE GOLFING BUDDIES, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, WE DEVELOPED A BROTHERLY FRIENDSHIP AND SHARED SO MANY MEMORIES. HE TAUGHT ME SO MANY THINGS, I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE AMERICAN CULTURE, ESPECIALLY ABOUT THE MID-WEST AND RURAL FARM LIVING.
CHARACTER
NEIL WAS CHARACTERIZED FOR HIS GREAT AND DEEP INTELLECT, SMARTNESS AND GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR. HE WAS A TRADITIONAL AND A WELL MANNERED GENTLEMAN. HE MADE SO MANY FRIENDS IN THE PLACES WHERE HE TOUCHED PEOPLES LIVES AS NEIGHBOR, STUDENT, AND HIS PEERS AT WORK. THIS IS, BY ITSELF, AN EXCEPTIONAL LIFE ACHIEVEMENT. HIS DEPARTURE WAS A BIG LOSS FOR THE FAMILY, FRIENDS AND TO THE COMMUNITY.
LOVE FOR GOLF GAME
HE EPITOMIZED THE LOVE FOR THE GOLF GAME AND HAD CONSIDERABLE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GOLF GAME AND ITS RULES. HE WAS ADDICTED TO GOLF, AND COULDN’T STOP. OUR USUAL GOLFING OUTINGS WERE FOR 27-36 HOLES. I WAS A STRONGER AND MUCH BETTER GOLFER THEN.

AS YOU KNOW, NEIL WAS A GOOD GOLFER AND AROUND THE GREENS HAD UNMATCHED ABILITY. HE WAS KNOWLEDGEABLE AND RESPECTFUL OF THE ETHICS OF THE GAME. WE WILL REMEMBER HIM FOR HIS SPORTSMANSHIP, AMONG OTHER THINGS.
I WAS AT THE GOLF COURSE WAS WHERE HE EXHIBITED SO MUCH PASSION AND JOY. IT WAS HERE WHERE HE DERIVED PLEASURE WITH THE MAJESTIC VIEW. HE USED TO PRAISE THE BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPING, LAKES, TREES, BIRDS, ETC. HE KNEW THE NAMES OF EVERY BIRD AND ANIMAL IN THE AREA.

HUNTER’S CREEK GOLF CLUB
SOME TIME AGO, WHEN GOLF COURSES IN FLORIDA STARTED TO EXPERIENCE OPERATIONAL PROBLEMS, THE OWNERS OF THIS COURSE ENTERTAINED THE IDEA OF SELLING IT. NEIL BECAME CONCERNED WITH THE FUTURE OF THE CLUB AND/OR THE USE OF THE LAND BY A FUTURE OWNER. I REMEMBER HIM SAYING, “THE LEAST WE NEED HERE IS ANOTHER OIL CHANGE OR SHOPPING AREAS IN THIS BEAUTIFUL PROPERTY.” THROUGH THE AUCTION SITE, WE OBTAINED FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS CLUB. AT OUR INITIATIVE, WE WORKED IN THE BACKGROUND IN AND EFFORT TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL BUYERS WHO WERE COMMITTED TO THE GAME.
IT WAS GREAT NEWS WHEN THE OWNERS OF THIS CLUB DECIDED TO KEEP IT AND BROUGHT IN A NEW MANAGEMENT COMPANY TO RUN THIS CLUB. SUCH COMPANY INITIATED A PROGRAM TO IMPROVE THE CONDITION OF THE COURSE AND TO STRENGTHEN THE RELATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY H.C. RESIDENTS. POSITIVE RESULTS ARE VISIBLE TODAY: THIS CLUB IS NOW BETTER THAN EVER IN EVERY RESPECT. NEIL’S INITIATIVE, WITH SOME OF YOU, TO ORGANIZE OUR GOLF LEAGUE, WAS IN PART AN EFFORT TO PROMOTE THE CLUB AMONG THE RESIDENTS OF H. C., THUS HELPING THE CLUB’S MANAGEMENT IN THEIR EFFORTS.
WELL DESERVED TRIBUTE
IN SUMMARY, THE DEDICATION OF THE BENCH TO NEIL GILMER’S MEMORY AT H.C. GOLF CLUB, IT IS A WELL DESERVED TRIBUTE TO SOMEONE WHO HAD SO MUCH PASSION AND LOVE FOR THE GAME. MOREOVER, THIS IS RECOGNITION FOR HIS COMMITMENT TO THE SUCCESS OF THIS CLUB, AND PARTICIPATION IN THE COMMUNITY AFFAIRS.
THIS MEMORIAL BENCH WOULD REMIND US ABOUT NEIL’S LEGACY: HIS LOVE FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THE GOLF GAME. THIS WOULD MOTIVATE US TO MAINTAIN THE EFFORTS TO MAKE H.C. GOLF A BETTER PLACE. AS TO ME, THIS MEMORIAL WILL ALSO BECOME A PLACE FOR REFLECTION AND REMEMBERING THE GOOD TIMES AND MEMORIES THAT WE HAD AT THIS BEAUTIFUL PROPERTY.

KAY GILMER AND ALL OF US THANKS THE MANAGEMENT OF H. C. GOLF CLUB FOR APPROVING THE MEMORIAL AT THEIR SITE, AND TO JOHN MONGOVEN WHO WORKED SO HARD TO MAKE IT POSSIBLE, AND THOSE WHO CONTRIBUTED TO ITS COST.

ANTONIO GONZALEZ

The General

Herbie and I are thinking of our good friend, The General, today. We sure do miss him. Our love to Kay, Ellen, Dean and family. Jean

70th Birthday

Neil would have been 70 years old today.

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

Link to Ground Hog Day event 2/2/11 - upper right of blog -------->>>>>>

Best part is around 4 minutes or so into video clip.

The Big Holiday: It's coming

Hi Guys,

Don't forget to find your copy of Ground Hog Day to watch (several
times? ;) ) during the big snowstorm on Wed in honor of Punxsutawney
Neil. I don't think shadows of any type will be seen in Michigan if the
10-12" of snow predictions hold true...

Don