Birthplace: City, State, USA
Date of Birth: 00/00/00
Edsel came into the Ranch as a lifelong friend of Bill Sr. He and Bill grew up together in San Luis Obispo and were schoolmates through high school. In fact, Edsel, Bill, Wally Pfleagher, and Harvey Castell, who were all schoolmates in the 1930’s, would have a reunion every year for over 40 years, up until Bill’s death.
Edsel is the most unassuming and polite person among the Ranch crew. He is normally quiet, always has a pleasant demeanor and continually has comforting smile for anyone around him. Edsel was a schoolteacher for probably better than 30 years in Colinga, and I only wish I could have had a teacher with Edsel’s calm disposition.
You can’t help but enjoy Edsel. He is a person who listens to the most boring stories, pays attention to everyone regardless of age, and never makes anyone feel unimportant regardless how obnoxious they may be. I don’t know of anyone I was around when I was a young teenager that really made me feel like I was important more than Edsel.
I remember years ago, Edsel and his son Eric, spent a week at the Ranch (not during hunting season) to get away and enjoy the solitude and quiet of the Ranch. They decided to do something to help out and hauled creek rock, hand-shoveling truckload by truckload, into the yard to control the soil washing from the front of the house. It was probably averaging 103 degrees each day, but for them it was a labor of love.
I don’t want to make Edsel seem like a saint because he enjoyed himself like anyone else. One of the last hunting trips Donnie and I took with Edsel was in northern California. We had spent the afternoon at the river having lunch and taking a dip to wash off the stink. When we got in the truck to go back to camp, we pulled out our special bottle so everyone could have a little shot to prepare them for the trip back. The bottle, which was half full, was passed to Edsel and it never made it’s way back to Donnie and I. Now that wasn’t Edsel’s normal behavior, but he did like a good drink like anyone else.
Edsel is one hell of a hunter also. That same patient, calm attitude he displayed around people was channeled into Edsel’s hunting style. He is very deliberate, watchful, and a damn good shot. For years, he and Eric would come out opening weekend and bag at least two year between them. I can remember one time they filled their tags with 4 deer opening weekend and left two deer at the cabin for us to make jerky. This was just another indication of Edsel’s generosity and appreciation for being allowed to be part of the Ranch.
I can also remember one evening I was hunting and shot a deer late in the evening that ran into the creek. The deer was still alive and I couldn’t get the deer out before night set in and I thought for sure I lost him. Edsel came out that evening and told me not to worry that we’d get the deer in the morning. The next day, Edsel was down on his hands and knees, following pin drops of blood up and down the hillsides, and finally located the deer that apparently died in the night. I never knew anyone who had the patience to track a deer like that.
Edsel had been a great contributor the Ranch in many ways. He has certainly provided some balance to all the dominating personalities at the cabin, and everyone picks up his infectious smile when he arrives. He has been a great friend of the family, a positive influence to those he’s around, and someone who always makes you feel important. We are grateful for the opportunity to have Edsel in our lives.
Bill Jr. 2005
