March 6, 2006

• I should have posted this a few weeks ago, but I think I've been a combination of too upset and short on time.  A friend from Natchitoches killed himself February 18th.  Here is the obituary from the Baton Rouge paper:

  
  

  Michael Matherne was a child of God, an angel on loan to this Earth and a truly loving son, grandson, brother, nephew and especially friend. A cook at Louie's Café and a resident of Baton Rouge, he died at 11 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, 2006. He was 21 and a native of Jackson, Miss. Visiting at St. James Episcopal Church on Friday, Feb. 24, from 10 a.m. until religious service at 11 a.m. He is survived by his father and mother, Charles Matherne and Deborah Pee Matherne; grandmother, Margie Warren Pee; sister, Angela Matherne Faust and spouse Robert of New Orleans; two brothers, Christopher Matherne and spouse Allison of New Britton, Conn., and David Matherne of New Orleans; two nephews and a niece. He was preceded in death by his maternal grandfather, Thomas Pee; and paternal grandparents, LeRoy and Emily Hunter. Michael was a 2002 graduate of McKinley High School and a member of the band and the gifted and talented program. He attended Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, and LSU. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made on his behalf for mission work in Honduras and the Bay Islands. Donations may be sent to St. James Episcopal Church, 208 N. Fourth St., Baton Rouge, LA 70801, with reference "Michael Matherne Memorial."
  Published in The Advocate from 2/23/2006 - 2/24/2006.

  
  

  Mike dated my good friend Brooke for a while when we lived in Natch.  He always climbed the big trees in the old neighborhoods around town.  I remember going to Brooke's house and when I'd pull up he'd holler out to me from some perch high up in the tree.  One night at the Pioneer Pub he was trying to get Roy's attention to say goodbye, but Roy was in the middle of one of his stories, so Mike just put his lit cigarette butt in Roy's shirt pocket.  Anyone else would have suffered some extreme Aryan wrath, but with Mike....Roy just busted out laughing because it was such a Mike thing to do.  He was different, and I'm not trying to sugarcoat his life and say that Mike was the guy that everyone should have met in order to have made their lives better, but he did make many of my days better, and I know I'm not the only one. 

  
  

  At the risk of sounding like an After School Special: If you ever need someone to talk to, you know I am here.  Call me, email me, text me, show up on my doorstep at 3 am.  Don't hold it all in.  Please.

  • 3:34 pm
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