Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Contribute your thoughts and pictures

Anyone can comment on the posts here but if you want to add your own post you have to be signed up as an author. To do that please email  me at mb@marthabruce.com and I will add you as an author - I need your email address to do that.
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13 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 24, 2010 at 11:02 AM

    Thank you Martha for starting this.
    I love it.
    I will work on a posting of our trip to Mexico,
    where we went to sort things out.

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  2. Karen LuMarch 27, 2010 at 7:49 AM

    1971 or was it 72? it was a warm ann arbor evening. tom and I out, not doing much, just listening to the radio. then Otis came on. tom joined and I still remember him singing "sittin on the dock of a bay" to me. It touched then and still resonates almost 40 years later.

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  3. jeunesseMarch 27, 2010 at 11:41 AM

    Tom and I were friends in high school~the same class. We also both went to UofM. We got together for a date, 72-ish. He picked me up in a (did he have a red MG?)He took me to the AA Experimental Film Festival at the old art/arch building on Main campus. Pat Olesko performed that night. Then we went for a few beers at the Del Rio. It was a wonderful evening and I'll always remember enjoying Tom's company. That was the last time I saw Tom. Almost 40 years later and I always wondered what happened to him. You never forget Tom.
    I'm Jean Morgan Compton; some of you might know me better as the sister to my more famous musician brother, Scott. But, Tom and I were classmates. Lots of fun memories from HS as well. Nice to see pics and hear his voice. Still in MI. Wish I could be there for the Memorial but have an oldest daughter graduating from EMU. Best, Jean

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  4. steve schindlerMarch 27, 2010 at 7:48 PM

    I am so very sad to hear of Thomas's demise. He and I had been trying to reconnect after many many years. He last called me from PHX on his way down to Mexico. I apologized for not hooking up with him when his son passed. He was so gracious and kind. He was totally excited about going South to surf. Thomas was the first guy of the Burns Park kids to do so many things, play drums, skateboard,take apart cars and motorcycles, drive cars and motorcycles, ski, listen to JimiHendrix. He was so freakin smart and charming it was scary. All the mom's always liked Thomas, he just had that killer smile and happy go lucky attitude with life. I remember being as his home around Xmas in 7th of 8th grade. He was wrapping a album cover as a present to give to one of his sisters. Of course he included a note saying that he was listening to the actual album..I think is was the Doors. Thomas athleticism could best be characterized a a Gumbylike ability to contort into or through any space. I also remember walking with Tom down Wells street on our way to Jay Williams house. Everytime we walked by the fence of one particular house we would try to walk the whole length of th top of the fence. He could always do it I struggled. On this particular occaision I fell and Tom laughing hystericaly told me I need to work on my STELLAR BALANCE. HE then proceeded to explain that we were all connected to all things in the universe. Therefore we only need to sense the connections and we would always be in balance. This was Back in 6th grade 1966? way way way before Carlos Castenatta. I can say with no hesitation that I loved that man as a brother from the first day I ever met him. Dola

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  5. janet galardi popperMarch 28, 2010 at 6:12 AM

    A Tribute to the Man Who Turned Me on to Otis Redding

    Thomas Wehrer
    skinny boy
    moving fast
    sly eye smile

    40 years or more since this crystal clear memory
    Try a LIttle Tenderness
    that's what you said
    just try a little tenderness
    xxooxx,
    galardi

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  6. Martha HuddleMarch 28, 2010 at 7:53 AM

    Thanks Janet - I love the "sly eye smile" line - really hits the mark!

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  7. moire wadeMarch 29, 2010 at 2:36 AM

    On our Honeymoon we stayed in a lovely little town in Ireland called Dingle in Co.kerry.We decided to go horse back riding.Tom seemed happy about doing this so off we went.We found a riding stable and picked out our horses.The guide was in front,Tom then me.I was looking around at the beautiful scenery then I noticed Toms riding skills.He was bouncing up and down so out of rythem to the horse.I called out to him and when he turned I saw the anguished look on his face.Well that was it for me I started to laugh and did'nt stop all through the rest of our trip. He was so sore.Everytime we came across horse stables we would laugh so hard.That day I did wet my pants laughing.

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  8. AnonymousMay 13, 2010 at 8:31 AM

    I failed to stay in touch with my high school friends and I have learned to regret that action. In retrospect they played such an important role in my makeup and Thomas was a big part of that. My memories of him are frozen in time. I will never be able to re-connect with him and that is my loss.

    My memories of Thomas are from long ago – late 1960s and high school. He was gangly, wiry, awkward, but strangely coordinated and capable physically. Intellectually is where he shined. He and I disagreed on many topics, but I always felt we were able to respect each other.

    The English Class Story. I remember an English class we were both in (10th grade?). We were in a discussion group whose topic was the Vietnam War. Thomas came to the presentation unbelievably prepared, not only with his own opinions on the War, but with a detailed history of the conflict dating back to the French colonial period, to an in-depth analysis of our growing involvement. He presented a well formulated argument against our involvement in the war. His knowledge and organization were truly impressive.

    The Telephone Pole Story. In high school we used to “rally” with our cars (or our parents cars). One day he and I were “zipping” around in this little red car he had. Don’t remember what the make was, seems like it was European – Peugeot, Fiat? We had turned from Hill Street onto Lincoln and were flying down the hill. When we got to Cambridge, Thomas attempted a left hand turn – this would be right in front of his home. I don’t know how fast we were going, but it was too fast for that car at that turn. Well, of course, we didn’t quite make it and were headed directly at a telephone pole. We weren’t wearing seat belts; the car probably didn’t even have them. Well, you know where this is going. No he wasn’t able to swerve out the way. We hit that pole dead center of the car. Lady Luck was with us that day. The pole proved to be rotten and we went right through it and up into his next door neighbor’s front yard. We both sat there stunned for a few seconds, our mouths hanging wide open. As the upper half of the pole swung from the wires, we got the hell out of there. 15-20 minutes later sanity set in and Thomas dumped me at Burns Park and he went back to the scene where apparently the police had arrived. I don’t remember the outcome of that incident, but it sure was exhilarating.

    These two stories relay my view of Thomas: the cerebral man and the wild man. It was this combination that I found both fascinating and intriguing.

    Some of the memories are like flashbacks (don’t know what would cause that), just bits and pieces, both of Thomas and the Wehrer house. Black bedroom, Beatles White album, Rolling Stones (Sympathy for the Devil as Paula mentioned, but also their debut album with King Bee and other R&B songs), drums, Debbie Wright barfing in my lap, climbing those stairs to get to his bedroom, wood floors, working on his motorcycle in the basement, just hanging out. I enjoyed going to Thomas’ home. I always felt comfortable and welcome.

    “When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight” (Kahlil Gibran). I extend my condolences to the entire Wehrer family on their loss. I profess ignorance about the soul and its eternal existence, but I do know that Thomas touched all that he knew and a piece of him will live on with us all. Peace.


    Peter Meagher

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  9. Martha HuddleMay 14, 2010 at 11:33 AM

    what a nice bunch of memories - I had forgotten the telephone pole incident.

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  10. AnonymousMay 24, 2010 at 11:24 AM

    Memories fade over time, but I do recall another car story. Driving was such an integral part of our high school lives. We were all a little nuts then.

    We were out driving in Thomas’ parent’s car. I remember it as a two-door medium blue or gray sedan. It may have been a convertible. Perhaps a Pontiac? Thomas turned down a road off of (I believe) Geddes. The road was a dead-end and, at that time, had a circle turn around. The turn around was filled with water either from rain or winter melt. Thomas, being the spontaneous person he was (did he stay the way?), decided to zoom around the circle in the water. I remember thinking this might not be the best idea, but he seemed determined (the wild man). So we (I think Willie and Dola were with us, but I can’t be sure) started to fly around this circle in what proved to be water deeper than it initially appeared. Of course the car began to slow down and eventually stopped. Water made its way up the tailpipe stalling the vehicle and, worse, it began to flood the interior. We knew pushing was required and, in time, were able to move the car out of the water. We opened the doors and the water flowed out of the car … well, not all of it. We all got back in and began to drive around with our feet in several inches of water.

    I remember driving around when Thomas found another circular turn around. This one without water. Thomas got this grin on his face and told whoever was sitting shotgun to open the door. He began driving around the circle in a count-clockwise direction and the water started flying out of the car. He drove faster and faster applying more force to the water (the cerebral man). I remember all of us laughing like silly kids.

    Well there was still residual water on the floor of the car. We weren’t sure what to do next. Someone, maybe Thomas, came up with the idea to use the vacuum at a car wash. I recall sitting in the car wash trying to suck all of the water out with the vacuum hose. We were able to remove all of the standing water, but the carpet was soaked. The only way it would dry was with time … a lot of it.

    This is where my memory fails. I do not recall the outcome of this incident. Perhaps someone with better recollection can help.

    Peter Meagher (petermeagher@yahoo.com)

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  11. Martha HuddleMay 24, 2010 at 11:51 AM

    Thanks Peter

    I thought the water in the car story was told somewhere else on the blog but I can't find it

    Martha

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  12. doug caseNovember 16, 2013 at 4:48 PM

    Here's my Tom story. Dont remember the year early 70's. Tom 'borrowed' my bike for an afternoons riding. It had two basic traits 1) very loud. 2) great at wheelies. Tom demonstated his skill at wheelies all over downtown A2 until the police pulled him over, gave him a ticket and impounded my motor cycle. When he sheepishly told me of his exploit I was a little ticked off, but; we all know it was never that easy to stay mad at Thomas. In a couple of days I got a letter from the police saying that this motor cycle had been reported stolen in Ohio! I knew it wasn't (it turned out the bike in Ohio was not properly registered) but this added another dimension to the hassle. When I got home the next day there was Tom with my motor cycle! !!! I don't know how he got it back, but he did. That was Tom as honorable and true a friend as I have ever had.

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  13. Paula JeanNovember 17, 2013 at 6:56 AM

    I love it." we all know it was never that easy to stay mad at Thomas" - indeed we all do

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