Uncle Rudy

We haven't heard a lot about Billy lately. Not because he died or anything like that.

Billy has a lady friend and because of that I have not been invited into the Von Crippe home lately. More info on the girlfriend when I am allowed to meet her. Actually Billy is kind of shy and is not one to be premature in showing off his new love.

My uncle Rudy worked with Billy's dad at the Amana Meat market and actually got Otto hooked on the infamous Raleigh fags. Well Doug worked at the Amana Meat Market at about the same time....in fact he rented an apartment from Uncle Rudy. Actually he lived in Uncle Rudy's house in the apartment above. He would sneak down to burn a Raleigh with his landlord and on more than one occasion would be invited down to the cellar where Uncle Rudy would have his home made Rhubarb wine, locally know as Peistengal or as Doug would refer to it simply as Pie.

This week Doug was passing through on his way back to his ranch in Wyoming and he decided to make a pit stop in Amana. Doug moved away in 1976 and has only been spotted back in Amana one or two times since. (Doug has an uncanny resemblance to the late Ed Bradley of 60 Minutes fame. He is often approached in airports being mistaken for Ed.) He now is retired and tells us he is a self proclaimed deer whisperer. He hangs out at his mountain cabin communicating with the deer. Probably still smoking an occasional Raleigh and sipping on some whiskey. His stash of Uncle Rudy's PIE has long been depleted. Perhaps , it was this yearning for some Pie that caused him to stop for a visit.

Since he had sold his house to Billy's landlord, we called them over for a spontaneous visit. We were all sitting around the bar giving our political opinions when I spotted a bottle of Uncle Rudy's Pie. We estimated it could be 60 plus years old and since we had been primed by other elixirs, it was decided to break open the slightly rusty screw cap and partake of the well aged potion.

Well, as they say, the rest is history. All present felt it was the best and smoothest Pie they had had ever.....so much that we had to try a second sample just to make sure our taste buds were not playing tricks on us.

I have posted the only picture I have of Uncle Rudy. It is from an old Amana Postcard. He is the one on the left. The others are Uncle Chuck and Gawkovich. All are now dearly departed.

As my friend Barbara says, "record your history"