pegleglooker
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- Jun 9, 2006
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Today I said goodbye to a very special friend.....and his name was Bill Jennings... This is his story....
About a year ago I was doing some research on the Lost Pegleg in the local ( Hemet, California ) library, when a volunteer told me that I should meet a man named Bill Jennings. I said ok who's Bill Jennings. She told me that Bill was a extremely noted author, editor and just a GREAT guy to talk to. Well I'm always ready to talk to anyone who might have some info, so I called and talked to his wife Anne and we set a date to meet. I was very nervous to meet someone who was well educated and a true professional ( I didn't want to come across like someone who has not done his homework ). So when I met Bill I brought some of my collection of newspaper clippings, some Desert Magazine's and my copy of Golden Mirages ( I felt prepared ). Bill and I started talking about my two favorite subjects Pegleg Smith's Lost Gold and Lost Ship of the Desert. There was a straight forwardness about Bill, he also had that look in his eye like... Well are just going to believe that or
He also had a compassion like a father would give a son, and I knew right then and there I needed to see him as much as I could. I learned that Bill was a writer for Desert Magazine, he was a journalist ( he had a column called " On My Side " which ran for 40 yrs in the San Jacinto Valley ), he became the Hemet bureau chief for what is now the Press Enterprise ( the major newspaper in the Inland Empire ) and he spent a decade with University of California Riverside's Deep Canyon Research Center. He was VERY qualified. Bill was not doing well when I met him and there were times when he wasn't sure if he could talk so sometimes I bribed Bill with Marie Callender pies if he wasn't sure, and it worked... ( after all, a pie was well worth the time ). Bill and I would meet on and off over the next 6 months or so and the last time I saw him he gave me three books to read saying " these are from my private collection, but I think you'll like them ". One was from Dennis Casebier and he was right, I just couldn't put it down. I had to work a ton for awhile but as soon as I could I called and asked to meet him again, and to return the books, and that is when Anne told me he had passed......It didn't really sink in till today. There was a " gathering " at the Hemet Museum ( the old depot ) and it was then that I realized just how special he REALLY was. Someone once told that you can tell how rich a person's life was by how many people come to bid farewell... and Bill was a VERY rich man. The place was packed with all kinds of people, journalist, historians, editors, friends and family members. His children ( all are full grown adults ) wore " Dads " Hawaiian shirts and in his honor did not iron them. LOL....His greatgrandaughter played her flute ( she has only been playing for 2 weeks- brave girl ). There were people wearing bandanna's ( another Bill trademark ) and there were a lot of tears. But they were not tears of sorrow, they were tears of joy, in celebrating a life of someone very very special. We all sat around and told " funny Bill stories " and just reminisced about Bill. Afterwards we went back to Bills place and had food and drink and just sat back and relaxed.Bill, wherever you are, I THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for all the time you have given me, and I am PROUD to call you my friend. I know I will never meet another one like you... I miss you......
PLL
A collage of Bill's life
The lady in the middle wearing purple is Katherine Siva a very respected Cahuilla Elder.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katherine_Siva_Saubel
Anne Jennings and some fat guy LOL !!!! ( me )
The band
A collection of friends
Here's a link to Bill's obit: http://www.pe.com/localnews/rivcounty/stories/PE_News_Local_S_jennings14.399f8b4.html
