A Surprise At A Memorial For Gus

     This happened years ago, when I was still working for the Forest Service.  There was a forester named Gus who worked in the Regional Ministry of Forests Office in Prince George.  I don’t remember in what aspect of forestry he worked in, but it was nothing that really applied to my job of mapping and timber cruising.   Gus’s job occasionally required him to come down to our district office in McBride, and that is when I first met him.

    Then for about half a year or so, he worked permanently in our McBride office.  I never did know Gus very well.  I think he was originally from Argentina; he did speak with an accent.  A group of us would usually walk down to the post office to pick up our mail, during the last half of our lunch hour.  Gus would sometimes join us on the walk.

    Gus then stopped working in our office and moved back to Prince George.  I had heard that he had cancer.  Shortly thereafter, our office was informed that Gus had died.

    There was a memorial for Gus to be held up in Prince George at a Forestry-related park, so a group of us from McBride went up for the memorial.  I had never been in that park before, so after we parked the truck, we walked up the path, where a man was standing, handing out something to everyone.  I assumed it was a program for the memorial service.

    When I got to the man, I got a big surprise.  He told me to hold out my hand, and then instead of a printed program, he put some of Gus’s ashes into my hand.  He then told me to sprinkle Gus’s ashes somewhere in the park.

    I was really kind of shocked to be holding in my hand, part of the remnants of what used to be Gus.  I did of course, walk down one of the forest trail, and picked out some special places to spread Gus’s remains.

    I don’t recall any actual “service” at the memorial for Gus, but having held some of his ashes in my hand, made his memorial the most memorable that I have ever attended.

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