Julie R. Neidlinger: Lone Prairie Art and Writing

One less around the table.

written by Julie R. Neidlinger 0 comments link this post

I haven't been to the Lake Region Writers' Group meetings for a few months, partly due to recent Nicaragua planning and travel, and also because of gas prices. The last time I was there, however, we'd had a good meeting. We shared our writing, listened and critiqued each other's efforts, and had our usual 10-minute writing exercise.

It was the last time I saw Bill.

Bill had a huge memorial service on February 27th, attended by the entire community and firemen from across the state. It was held in the WW2 Memorial Building because of the numbers of people who attended. His obituary was massive and revealed the kind of person he was, his life having been one that touched so many. The newspaper had articles on how his passing really affected people, and members of the writers' group even sent out emails talking about how he will be missed in just our own little circle.

I only really knew Bill through the writers' group. He wrote a book, and I was always reminded that despite all my excuses and protestations for not finishing any number of writing projects that I had started, Bill, despite battling some physical limitations, had finished a book (two, actually), and was working on a third. His wife Mary was delightful, and helped Bill with his books as editor and typesetter.

Sometimes, when we did writing assignments during our writers' group meetings, I'd come up with some pretty bizarre solutions to the problem. Each person would go around and read their effort and I would slide a bit lower in my seat as my turn approached. I'd read whatever bizarre bit of creative writing I'd managed to pull out of the air in ten minutes, and when I was done, Bill would just get a grin on his face at the end of the table.

"Julie, that sounds just like something you'd write, now, doesn't it?" he'd chuckle. He even took the time to thumb through my entire Bob book when I brought it in to show the group, laughing and shaking his head. "This is great," he said with a chuckle when I brought in the western Bob story.

I was working on Wednesday, when the memorial service was held. I watched as Bill's flag-draped casket was carried out, preceded by bagpipes. I took some photos. I kept thinking how strange writers' group will seem, if I ever get back, to not see him at the end of the table keeping the discussion going and talking about publishers.

I don't know if the stuff I dragged into writers' group, or created there, was so great.

But Bill? He was a great guy.

Photos: Firemen lined up in front of Memorial Building | Fire truck and casket