Dear Samuel,
In all of my letters for you I tell stories about friendship and how friends share the spirit of love that can unite us, with the Holy Spirit that transforms our mortal lives!. This is a special story about dear friends and one I will miss for a time until in spirit the circle of friends will be unbroken.
This letter includes a story about a treasured friendship that came about through my employment at William Woods University. If anyone is so fortunate to find a career they love, blended with colleagues, friends and family they will be blessed beyond measure. I have discovered this blessing and try in this letter to pay tribute to a friendship that describes this beautiful blessing.
I started teaching at William Woods University in 1988 and made a friend right away. He was a model for me. He was a mentor by example and always projected demeanor and work ethic needed to inspire me to also succeed as a college professor. The story begins with work I did before I came to the university and made friends with Col. Clyde Patterson.
In 1982 I painted a watercolor of a wild rainbow trout I caught on the Little Piney River. I studied classic still life paintings in the style of the Dutch Masters and included my fly rod and reel in the composition. My lifelong friend, brother Gregg, encouraged me to enter the painting in a new public competition to produce the first, Missouri Trout Stamp. From approximately one hundred paintings, my watercolor was selected! Winning this competition brought an opportunity to illustrate Chuck and Sharon Tyron's book. My relationship with Sharon and Chuck may be the basis for yet another story in a letter to you. Anyway - it was my work in the years prior to nineteen- eighty eight that corresponded to the interests of Colonel Cyde Patterson. The word colonel, means a high ranking officer in the United States Military. Clyde earned this rank in a time before he came to William Woods University and went on to earn another high rank in United States Higher Education, the rank of Full Professor.
I was eating in the William Woods dining hall, a good meal and great conversation was had, when I connected with Col.Patterson. It was a time like now, when he needed to learn to live a kind of new life rooted in nature.
After Clyde purchased the book, Fly Fishing for Trout in Missouri , he discovered my pen and ink illustrations, he asked me to go fly fishing with him. We made several outings and always had a wonderful time. I even did some Plein Air Painting (French for painting outside on location) of trout streams with him as my model Because of these times with Clyde, my nature gallery of memory is enhanced by the “Patterson Collection”!
This story is a story within stories and is written today in loving memory of Marion Patterson, Clyde’s loving spouse and soul mate. It has been written in part because Clyde suggested that today at the time of Marion’s memorial service I remember her. I did this all day and started writing this story as a tribute to her at sunrise. I have done so for a week since received a message from another friend of her death. It is an emotionally challenging thing for me, this story, but it is what I feel I can do best to pay a tribute to dear friend Marion.
After I became friends with Clyde, we planned a trip, to include my family and Mrs.Patterson. This wonderful memory is the story within the stories:
The Martins and Pattersons traveled to Rock Bridge Trout Ranch in southern Missouri. Upon arrival we checked into our cabins and then ate in the restaurant there. Our table in the dinning room was next to a large window that was a perfect view over the trout stream below. The meal was wonderful and we watched Ruby - throated Humming birds that came to feeders just outside the window at the edge of our table. The weather was great and our stay was most relaxing for the adults and fun for your father who caught a trout at a very young age!
The last day I fished with Marian and tried to give her some special instruction in catching big fish. I also played a bit of a joke on Clyde. Once Clyde, had waded down stream, practicing his skillful casts, Marion and I stood on the bank and talked. We tried to spot some trout to cast lures to. The light spinning rig I loaned to Marion was perfect for my objective and being a veteran of Ozark streams and experienced in finding places that an elusive lunker trout could hide was a skill I developed growing up on the Current and Meremaec rivers!
A good technique to lure a big trout from a deep secluded hole in the river is to drift a large bait into the monster’s territory. The only thing I could find to put on Marion’s hook was going to be something I could catch with my bare hands. I told Marion to keep fishing with the lure tied to her line, while I hunted a more inciting one. I walked into the woods by the stream where Marion fished to find a special bait for her! I had not ventured far into the forest until I spotted some moss covered flat rocks in a damp sandy area. I turned over a rock and saw what I thought was a little snake. I grabbed it quickly and just as quickly, discovered it was a huge night crawler worm! The sandy soil made it tough and the perfect bait for my purpose! I returned and told Marion I found something that would catch a big trout. I sort of turned my back to Marion to hide the view of the monster worm trashing about when I put it on the hook! Next I asked Marion if she would allow me to cast the thing for her, and with luck I lobbed it in the water above the deepest shady spot we could locate up stream from Clyde. I handed the rod to Marion and she allowed the line to drift through the deep hole. About three-quarters of the way through the dark water the lines got tight and changed direction. I told Marion to be patient, “wait just a bit and reel in the slack line, now, jerk the rod and set the hook!” I said. The rest was Marion’s skill and eventually I grabbed a big four or five pound male rainbow trout she pulled to shore! The monster had a big old hooked snout! Later, Clyde arrived with a couple of small trout. I wish you could have seen his face when Marion hoisted the stringer from the stream with that huge fish she caught, Clyde was amazed and will know the rest of the story about the big fish Marion caught that magical summer day, when he reads this story.
Our times together included art exhibits and other fun activities including the restoration of a beautiful landscape painting that hung in Marion’s family home. I restored the painting as a gesture of appreciation for being such good friends and like this story is a tribute to our friendship. Rest in Peace Dear Marion!
In all of my letters for you I tell stories about friendship and how friends share the spirit of love that can unite us, with the Holy Spirit that transforms our mortal lives!. This is a special story about dear friends and one I will miss for a time until in spirit the circle of friends will be unbroken.
This letter includes a story about a treasured friendship that came about through my employment at William Woods University. If anyone is so fortunate to find a career they love, blended with colleagues, friends and family they will be blessed beyond measure. I have discovered this blessing and try in this letter to pay tribute to a friendship that describes this beautiful blessing.
I started teaching at William Woods University in 1988 and made a friend right away. He was a model for me. He was a mentor by example and always projected demeanor and work ethic needed to inspire me to also succeed as a college professor. The story begins with work I did before I came to the university and made friends with Col. Clyde Patterson.
In 1982 I painted a watercolor of a wild rainbow trout I caught on the Little Piney River. I studied classic still life paintings in the style of the Dutch Masters and included my fly rod and reel in the composition. My lifelong friend, brother Gregg, encouraged me to enter the painting in a new public competition to produce the first, Missouri Trout Stamp. From approximately one hundred paintings, my watercolor was selected! Winning this competition brought an opportunity to illustrate Chuck and Sharon Tyron's book. My relationship with Sharon and Chuck may be the basis for yet another story in a letter to you. Anyway - it was my work in the years prior to nineteen- eighty eight that corresponded to the interests of Colonel Cyde Patterson. The word colonel, means a high ranking officer in the United States Military. Clyde earned this rank in a time before he came to William Woods University and went on to earn another high rank in United States Higher Education, the rank of Full Professor.
I was eating in the William Woods dining hall, a good meal and great conversation was had, when I connected with Col.Patterson. It was a time like now, when he needed to learn to live a kind of new life rooted in nature.
After Clyde purchased the book, Fly Fishing for Trout in Missouri , he discovered my pen and ink illustrations, he asked me to go fly fishing with him. We made several outings and always had a wonderful time. I even did some Plein Air Painting (French for painting outside on location) of trout streams with him as my model Because of these times with Clyde, my nature gallery of memory is enhanced by the “Patterson Collection”!
This story is a story within stories and is written today in loving memory of Marion Patterson, Clyde’s loving spouse and soul mate. It has been written in part because Clyde suggested that today at the time of Marion’s memorial service I remember her. I did this all day and started writing this story as a tribute to her at sunrise. I have done so for a week since received a message from another friend of her death. It is an emotionally challenging thing for me, this story, but it is what I feel I can do best to pay a tribute to dear friend Marion.
After I became friends with Clyde, we planned a trip, to include my family and Mrs.Patterson. This wonderful memory is the story within the stories:
The Martins and Pattersons traveled to Rock Bridge Trout Ranch in southern Missouri. Upon arrival we checked into our cabins and then ate in the restaurant there. Our table in the dinning room was next to a large window that was a perfect view over the trout stream below. The meal was wonderful and we watched Ruby - throated Humming birds that came to feeders just outside the window at the edge of our table. The weather was great and our stay was most relaxing for the adults and fun for your father who caught a trout at a very young age!
The last day I fished with Marian and tried to give her some special instruction in catching big fish. I also played a bit of a joke on Clyde. Once Clyde, had waded down stream, practicing his skillful casts, Marion and I stood on the bank and talked. We tried to spot some trout to cast lures to. The light spinning rig I loaned to Marion was perfect for my objective and being a veteran of Ozark streams and experienced in finding places that an elusive lunker trout could hide was a skill I developed growing up on the Current and Meremaec rivers!
A good technique to lure a big trout from a deep secluded hole in the river is to drift a large bait into the monster’s territory. The only thing I could find to put on Marion’s hook was going to be something I could catch with my bare hands. I told Marion to keep fishing with the lure tied to her line, while I hunted a more inciting one. I walked into the woods by the stream where Marion fished to find a special bait for her! I had not ventured far into the forest until I spotted some moss covered flat rocks in a damp sandy area. I turned over a rock and saw what I thought was a little snake. I grabbed it quickly and just as quickly, discovered it was a huge night crawler worm! The sandy soil made it tough and the perfect bait for my purpose! I returned and told Marion I found something that would catch a big trout. I sort of turned my back to Marion to hide the view of the monster worm trashing about when I put it on the hook! Next I asked Marion if she would allow me to cast the thing for her, and with luck I lobbed it in the water above the deepest shady spot we could locate up stream from Clyde. I handed the rod to Marion and she allowed the line to drift through the deep hole. About three-quarters of the way through the dark water the lines got tight and changed direction. I told Marion to be patient, “wait just a bit and reel in the slack line, now, jerk the rod and set the hook!” I said. The rest was Marion’s skill and eventually I grabbed a big four or five pound male rainbow trout she pulled to shore! The monster had a big old hooked snout! Later, Clyde arrived with a couple of small trout. I wish you could have seen his face when Marion hoisted the stringer from the stream with that huge fish she caught, Clyde was amazed and will know the rest of the story about the big fish Marion caught that magical summer day, when he reads this story.
Our times together included art exhibits and other fun activities including the restoration of a beautiful landscape painting that hung in Marion’s family home. I restored the painting as a gesture of appreciation for being such good friends and like this story is a tribute to our friendship. Rest in Peace Dear Marion!