Juist Family Memories
(that can be told….)
We met Randy in the Fall of 2002 and immediately fell in LUV with the big guy. Always smiling. Always sharing a hunting or fishing story or just talking endlessly about Danny. Randy was helping with the repairs to our home caused by Tropical Storm Allison. We soon found him to be a very good carpenter, building by hand two custom-crafted wood fireplace mantels. And rebuilding doors that would never close or slide well, until Randy got ahold of them.
While in our home, Randy noticed a family photo taken of David (my husband), Luke (my eldest son – then 16), Norbie (my youngest son – then 15), and me (Annie) on a goose hunting trip at Bay Prairie Outfitters in Midfield, Texas. Before we knew it, we were invited to write a check and become members of a goose hunting club. It was a welcome opportunity after the ordeal our family had experienced with the flood. If only words might adequately express how much fun and great memories the hunting trips gave my family. We always looked forward to the hunts and in particular hunting with Randy. He simply made it fun, from start to finish.
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Now the other guys told us Randy only wanted us in the Club b/c we have 4-Wheelers. Of course that was not true, but it was true Randy always complained about the walk. I think it is the only time we ever heard him complain and somehow he even made that funny.®
Randy was the guy who happily volunteered to fill in Norbie’s and my dugouts when we had to leave a goose hunt early.®
Randy was the guy, THE ONLY GUY, who would save me his goose livers. And gather up pâté recipes for me, including a very special one that belonged to his grandmother!®
We never got to join Randy in his annual goose gumbo cookoffs. But he would bring us containers full and make sure we heard how he and Danny cooked for days. Is that true, Danny?®
Randy was a serious hunter. Norbie and I remember he took it so seriously, that it didn’t matter his best fiend might be in the way of a shot at a goose. First there was silence, and then a faint but resolute voice saying something about something squishey in his pants and wondering how much a taxidermy would charge to mount his hunting cap. We looked up to find who else but Aaron Dees sitting at an odd angle, staring at his favorite hunting cap. Now, I don’t care what anybody says, "THAT THERE’S FUNNY!!" Huh, Aaron?®
Randy was always the first guy to offer us a cold beer. At 5:00 in the morning!We liked Randy so very much and feel down-right robbed not to have more hunts with him. Heck, we never even got to go fishing with him. He was that kinda buddy.
We are envious of those who knew Randy for a long time and have many more hunting and fishing stories to share. Okay. We expect there are many more that can not be shared than those that can be. We can only imagine the hurt and vacuum they must be feeling at his loss.
The Juist Family (David Juist, Luke Juist, Norbie Juist and Annie Fabio)
by Annie
9-15-04
More to come.
Please send your stories in. Brian bak@franklucco.com
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