Background
Without a bit of background, this article might not make much sense to readers of The Lime Springs Page. Here’s what lead up to the article.
Bud Weatherford was my mentor when I was a young teenager trying to learn about ham radio. But before that, he taught school at LSHS. That was before I knew anything about city schools.
He was a great mentor and he and Gert became my friends. And Bud was a character! Neil Gassett roomed with Bud’s parents. I remember Neil telling “Bud stories” decades later and doubling over with laughter when doing so.
After seeing Bud’s name mentioned in two articles in a recent edition of the Cresco Times Plain Dealer, I was moved to write a letter to the editor about Bud. Marcie published it in this week’s issue. There may be many who knew Bud but who do not get the Times, so I’m publishing the article here and will “advertise” it on facebook to help those from Cresco find it.
Here’s the article:
Bud Weatherford
My Labor Day began by reviewing the Times from last week (Sept. 2). Something caught my eye:
A friend and mentor, Francis “Bud” Weatherford, was mentioned in not one but two front-page articles, the articles by/about Jim Grosser and Jerry Lybbert. Both gentlemen praised Bud for his knowledge of physics and his ability to transfer knowledge to students, particularly those who were receptive.
My relationship with Bud was not as a direct student, but as what might be called a “guest student.” Bud was a teacher at Cresco High School; I was a student at Lime Springs High School.
I, somehow, through self-study, was about to become or had already become, a licensed Amateur Radio Operator, a ham. My friend and neighbor, Leonard Sandvik, was in about the same boat, so we tried to help each other along, from crystal radios on up! Leonard switched from LSHS to Cresco HS and learned of Bud and the Tube and Shutter Club, basically a ham radio club, complete with station, held at the school. Leonard invited me to attend, I met Bud, and a long relationship began.
I’m not sure how much I actually learned from Bud. And most of what I learned probably had more to do with life than radios. I learned not to get too excited over anything. And I learned that selecting parts according to precise specifications, which is what we inexperienced in the art had to do, was unnecessary. “Oh, this’ll do!” was the response from Bud on more than one occasion when I asked for a very specific part.
Bud introduced me to Dave Munson, because Bud knew that we were both headed to Iowa State. That resulted in us becoming roommates and, eventually, nine years later, graduating on the same day. Dave spent a career as a pilot for TWA. I spent a career working at E. F. Johnson Co. and Rockwell Collins as an electrical engineer. While neither of us can fully attribute our careers to Bud or the Tube and Shutter Club, I’m sure we both feel that Bud was a positive force in the process of reaching our goals.
Gareth Goetsch was another member of the club and budding ham. Now, Gary and I spend winters about 500 feet apart in Mission, TX. Barely a conversation between us passes without some mention of Bud and the “good ol’ days!”
Here it is, 60 years later, and Bud Weatherford is mentioned in two articles on the front page of the Times and remembered by me and others! The interesting thing is that he’s not so much remembered for his technical skills as for his people skills! I’m thankful for Bud and Gert for the help and encouragement they provided to me and others. Bud was certainly a one-of-a-kind memorable character!