Today has been a sad day for the Reynolds Clan. Our Uncle Bud passed on.

Not only is this a loss to our family but also to the city of Morris OK. When the Tornado in 1984 hit Uncle Bud's store (Reynolds Lumber and Hardware) was one of the few business that did not leave town. For all intensive purposes he was the towns life support.

Today My Great Uncle passed on.

This is a reality I am still coming to terms with. No matter how logically I know that none of us get out of this mess alive it just does not fit. Some people are more than a person, they are an institution. In a town of 1200 we are anticipating a large turn out at the funeral. As is true with any small town we do not have many locations that will hold so many.

My Uncle Bud was not necessarily a perky person. But for what he lacked in perky he more than made up for in compassion. I know of very few people who care so deeply for a community that they would stay only to prevent the town's death.

In hard times such as this I am so proud of my family. We are a large, tight knit extended family. When times like this come we circle the wagons. This is true now. We are all stepping in to make this work. This is what would make my Uncle proud.

To my relatives stumbling on to this, please help me in celebrating our Uncle's life. He was among one of the most generous people I know and he loved us all so very much. Now it is his time to move on and celebrate with those who have gone before. It is now up to us to keep this family together. Please lets not leave this to the next funeral. Our family is a rare and special gift (even if we do have our oddities).

To the rest of you please hug your loved ones and remember to tell them you care. The only thing certain in life is death.

This song is certainly not my Uncle's speed (he liked Elvis) but for me this is a fitting tribute. Here's to you Uncle Bud.