He was someone you didn't need to see every day, he would not have wanted to. He loved his dogs more than people. He lost the love of his life after 20 years with her. They had a daughter and she gave him grandaughters. He never remarried, didn't date anyone except to go dancing. He did many things in his life. He traveled, he was in the war and saw history made that we only read about. He always looked two days older than dirt. He could clean up and you could take him to town tho. He was a night club owner in the 30's 40's and 50's. He knew every musician that ever walked in a five state area. Most of them he kept alive by hiring them in rotation. He owned a place called "The Dog House"... it was a road house outside of the city limits on a lake shore. He loved to dance, country, old time, ballroom you name it. He had a dog sled team and always dreamed of going to enter the Ididarod up in Alaska, but when he talked about that he was already in his 70's. He died at the age of 93. He was my grandmothers cousin. They used to drink together.. and I joined that to make it a trio. He lived in a house built into a hill that he made himself. Room enough for him and a dog. I lived just below him on the lake for six years. Every other day or so we would get together and talk. He had sold me the property on the lake front that was the parking area for his old night club. Many stories from him of my family.. the old ones that he knew and let me know thru him. He said I had the wild hair of my Aunt Evelyn, he didn't elaborate much on that one, only that you never knew what to expect out of her and everyone was sort of afraid of her until she laughed. He said it gave him the creeps cause.. she and I have the same laugh. Many hours spent with Cliff... he seemed as if he was way older than he was, but you could never put a number on it. A group of us went out to breakfast after the bars closed one night. Cliff was out and about to, keeping in mind he is about 73 at this time.... a smart mouthed drunken bastard said something nasty to a lady that Cliff had been out dancing with.... it was outside in front of the restaurant. Before we knew it, we saw Cliff grab the smart ass, who was in his 20's nailed him to the hood of a car by the scruff of his neck and tell him to mind his manners or the next thing out of his smart mouth would be a bloody mess. The smart ass backed off and appologised to the lady, and then Cliff straightened up his collar on his coat and walked calmly into the restaurant. We were stunned. Cliff was a doer.. he didn't think twice about if he could do it or not, he just did it. When confronted about that action we saw, he said, I didn't think about it or I would have talked myself out of it. That is the secret of life, your best times are on impulse and so are your successes. Surprise, impulse, and jack daniels.
Cliff always made time for me, he would come to my shows. We had coffee together, we drank together with my Granny. He took me out on the dog sled. He gave me a purbred siberian husky that I love to this day and have her ggggggg granddog at this present time. I could look out my window on the lake at any given day and see him mushing with the team. The last time I saw him, I was visiting my other grandmother. He heard I was in town, and he had guessed where to find me. He was in his late 80's then. He was still driving around and showed up at the old folks home where my grandmother lived. My grandmother was going in and out of demintia and sometimes knew me sometimes not. Cliff said.. not to let it get to me, cause she had it good.. he remembered every pain in the ass he ever met and he wishes he could forget em... and with a wink and a hug he got me and my other grandmother to smile that day. That was the last day I saw him alive. We have been out of touch. He was sharp as a whip the day he died. I remember you Cliff and I am sorry I could not hang out more over the past years.. but I did what you wanted, the show went on.As far as you knew, I was still on the road when you closed your eyes for the last time. The next time I play, I will do "Mom & Dads Waltz" just for you. I don't doubt that is is still your favorite. Dance with my granny for me.... and I'll see you at last call.
http://www.wcsfc.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=336951
Bernice Fanebust Beck & cousin Cliff Kittelson RIP Bernice RIP Cliff
