The death of me
Today I got a Google alert that Lee Wochner had died.
That caught my attention, so I clicked on the link.
Here’s what I learned:
Leland R. “Lee” Wochner
DECATUR – Leland R. “Lee” Wochner, 80, Decatur, retired from Caterpillar Inc., died Tuesday (April 8, 2008). Services: 10 a.m. Saturday, Brintlinger and Earl Funeral Homes, Decatur. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, with 8 p.m. Masonic services. Burial: Salem Cemetery. Memorials: Decatur Masonic Temple Building Restoration Fund or Macon County Animal Control and Care Center.
Published in the Decatur Herald & Review on 4/11/2008.
You can understand my relief in seeing that I wasn’t the dead person. (Although, like Mark Twain, I was curious to see what people would have said.)
In one of the many wondrous examples of the fascinating adventures one can lead through the internet, I actually “met” (virtually) Leland R. Wochner about 10 years ago. Someone emailed me something thinking that I was he, which led me back to him. I remember him as rather crochety, but I also recall being impressed with his just getting started on the internet at age 70. Ten years ago, that was noteworthy.
My full first name, by the way, is Lee. Not Leland, or Leon, or Leeward, or any of those. My mother chose the name because she had three children before me all of whom got a nickname: Raymond became “Raymie” or “Ray,” Michael became “Mikey” or “Mike” (although we family members all still call him Michael), and Lorene got tagged with “Lorie.” So my mother looked for a name she didn’t think would result in a nickname, and here I am with it. And it worked.
Given the rarity of the combination of my first and last names — “Lee” not sounding terribly, well, German, and therefore an unusual choice — it was surprising indeed (and, as Freud would note, disappointing) finding someone else with the same name. I’m just glad I’m not dead as well.
April 13th, 2008 at 11:49 am
So then we SHOULDN’T be calling you The Lee-ster?
April 14th, 2008 at 10:23 am
My grandfather used to write the obituaries for a newspaper, and he used to joke that everyone seemed to die in alphabetical order.
So naturally, when he passed away, my grandmother made arrangements with the editor to make that otherwise.
I’m glad it wasn’t your obituary, because I’ve only just finally met you. But condolences to the other Mr. Wochner’s family, should they see this.
April 15th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Yeah, I’m kinda glad you’re still here too.
That other Lee Wochner afterall, ‘would have wanted it that way’.
July 10th, 2008 at 9:06 pm
I got a chuckle out of your near-death experience at my great uncle’s expense. Uncle Lee was a little crotchety in outward appearances, but he had a heart of gold!
Thanks to everyone for their condolences, albeit a strange situation. 🙂