Today, Sunday April 22, Tara Rae Barker gave birth to her first child, a daughter whom Tara and her husband Will have named Kira Rae. She is Jim's first grandchild. And she is truly a blessing! We will be posting pictures as they come in!
Mother and baby are doing fine.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
My Brother Jim
When I was born, my brother Jim was already ten years old. And he was already the source of many stories within our family. My memories of the Blue House on Busey street are very vague and spotty. But I remember more sharply of the house on Perkins Rd.
That house was a Ranch-Style house, a long rectangle, with a basement running the length of it beneath the floorboards. We kept just tons of ... "stuff" down there. Piles of books and old magazines cluttered much of the floor area. We had tried to turn a portion of it into a livable family area. But often that area just got filled up with growing piles of "stuff". The basement was frequently "off-limits", according to my parents whenever Jim had returned home. I wasn't supposed to bother him when he was in the basement , but little brother Eric would go anyway. Jim never did complain. He was always happy to share whatever he was doing with me.
I remember once when we were talking about music (Jim and I almost always talked music). He asked me what my favorite song was. I was still very young, maybe 8 or 9, and music was only just reaching my consciousness. I wasn't really sure what to say. I hadn't ever thought about it much. But I had been hearing the radio a lot thanks to Deni and Julie. I thought about one song that was in my mind often, repeating all day long sometimes. So I told him, "Riders on the Storm". I remember that Jim smiled hugely at that, and was excited to talk about it more. It felt great to win the approval of my big brother.
I remember talking with him beside a long row of stacked magazines. Many of them relating to Hockey. Some of them comics. He was telling me about how great Aquaman is. That was the first comic I ever read. But like so often, our discussion turned again to music. I wanted to talk about Rock 'n Roll but Jim pointed out there were other kinds of music to think about too. And that's when he first mentioned Blues to me. He spent a lot of time trying to describe it to me that day. Jim was always very patient. I tried hard to understand but didn't quite get it. But it was because of Jim that I would seek it out in later years. Whenever I hear really good Blues I think of Jim. He brought it to me.
One time, Mom and Dad decided that Jim needed a quiet space all to his own. Where he could be left to his thoughts without being disturbed too much (especially by much younger little brothers). So a pseudo-room was arranged in the back corner of the basement. Well I would go there even though I was told to leave him alone. Jim never complained. He always had time to talk with me for a while.
Jim loved pistacios. The carpet on the floor was often covered with red-dyed and plain pistacio shells. Sometimes I would sneak down to this room and join him for feast of nuts. And we'd stay up really late watching old Beatles movies and singing along. Or we'd watch "Creature-Feature" until the wee hours of the morning. I watched my first Godzilla movie with Jim. To this day, I'm still excited to see any Godzilla movie. They bring back such happy memories.
Jim introduced a lot of music into my world. I've never lived in any apartment without a copy of 'Blood, Sweat and Tears'. He showed me much more than just music. He showed me patience, tolerance, and a willingness to share the good things in life. These are gifts I will always treasure for all of my days.
Eric Wicklund
That house was a Ranch-Style house, a long rectangle, with a basement running the length of it beneath the floorboards. We kept just tons of ... "stuff" down there. Piles of books and old magazines cluttered much of the floor area. We had tried to turn a portion of it into a livable family area. But often that area just got filled up with growing piles of "stuff". The basement was frequently "off-limits", according to my parents whenever Jim had returned home. I wasn't supposed to bother him when he was in the basement , but little brother Eric would go anyway. Jim never did complain. He was always happy to share whatever he was doing with me.
I remember once when we were talking about music (Jim and I almost always talked music). He asked me what my favorite song was. I was still very young, maybe 8 or 9, and music was only just reaching my consciousness. I wasn't really sure what to say. I hadn't ever thought about it much. But I had been hearing the radio a lot thanks to Deni and Julie. I thought about one song that was in my mind often, repeating all day long sometimes. So I told him, "Riders on the Storm". I remember that Jim smiled hugely at that, and was excited to talk about it more. It felt great to win the approval of my big brother.
I remember talking with him beside a long row of stacked magazines. Many of them relating to Hockey. Some of them comics. He was telling me about how great Aquaman is. That was the first comic I ever read. But like so often, our discussion turned again to music. I wanted to talk about Rock 'n Roll but Jim pointed out there were other kinds of music to think about too. And that's when he first mentioned Blues to me. He spent a lot of time trying to describe it to me that day. Jim was always very patient. I tried hard to understand but didn't quite get it. But it was because of Jim that I would seek it out in later years. Whenever I hear really good Blues I think of Jim. He brought it to me.
One time, Mom and Dad decided that Jim needed a quiet space all to his own. Where he could be left to his thoughts without being disturbed too much (especially by much younger little brothers). So a pseudo-room was arranged in the back corner of the basement. Well I would go there even though I was told to leave him alone. Jim never complained. He always had time to talk with me for a while.
Jim loved pistacios. The carpet on the floor was often covered with red-dyed and plain pistacio shells. Sometimes I would sneak down to this room and join him for feast of nuts. And we'd stay up really late watching old Beatles movies and singing along. Or we'd watch "Creature-Feature" until the wee hours of the morning. I watched my first Godzilla movie with Jim. To this day, I'm still excited to see any Godzilla movie. They bring back such happy memories.
Jim introduced a lot of music into my world. I've never lived in any apartment without a copy of 'Blood, Sweat and Tears'. He showed me much more than just music. He showed me patience, tolerance, and a willingness to share the good things in life. These are gifts I will always treasure for all of my days.
Eric Wicklund
Brotherly Love
As my older brother, Jim could do no wrong. Most of the time. But when we were young, Deni and I were willing participants to Jim's maniacal plans. The blue house on Busey had two torture chambers: the attic and the basement back room. These were ideal, isolated locations where Jim carried out some of his most deviant forms of torture.
In the attic was a section lined with mattresses. Jim would bribe us (Deni and I) up there with some kind of treat, and then make us play football. Sounds innocent enough. He even played on his knees to give us a fighting chance. But when he made a touchdown (made it to the end of the mattresses) the torture began. He would get the opponent down on her back, pin her arms with his knees and spit on her face. Ugh.
We weren't the only ones. The attic window was the test for sailing. We had a little woven basket that Jim tied one of our Dad's handkerchiefs to. Then he'd catch a toad and put him in the basket. We'd drop him out of the attic window and watch him sail down. Then we'd run outside, find the frog and repeat. At least it wasn't us.
The basement was the chamber for hockey torture. He would pay us candy to run along the back wall of the back room while he practiced his slap shots. We were always willing participants...until mom found out.
In the attic was a section lined with mattresses. Jim would bribe us (Deni and I) up there with some kind of treat, and then make us play football. Sounds innocent enough. He even played on his knees to give us a fighting chance. But when he made a touchdown (made it to the end of the mattresses) the torture began. He would get the opponent down on her back, pin her arms with his knees and spit on her face. Ugh.
We weren't the only ones. The attic window was the test for sailing. We had a little woven basket that Jim tied one of our Dad's handkerchiefs to. Then he'd catch a toad and put him in the basket. We'd drop him out of the attic window and watch him sail down. Then we'd run outside, find the frog and repeat. At least it wasn't us.
The basement was the chamber for hockey torture. He would pay us candy to run along the back wall of the back room while he practiced his slap shots. We were always willing participants...until mom found out.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Jim's Vitae: Just the beginning...
James Victor Wicklund was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, on February 23, 1952. He grew up in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois with his parents Lila Jean and Romayne–"Wick," his sisters Deni and Julie, and brother Eric.
Jim was a devout 'critter lover.' He spent his childhood collecting pets, including an alligator, which he had to ride his bike to creek everyday to catch crayfishtofeed it, a monkey, a litter of muskrats and all sorts of newts, birds, fish and just about anything else you can think of. He made sure to teach his sisters how to catch frogs and snakes so they wouldn't be "girls" about it.
Jim began playing tennis at the age of 3 with a racket his dad cut down to adapt to his small but agile frame. He went on to play pony league and little league. In his teen years Jim spent many hours at the local Ice Arena, working as a rink guard, and became more than adept at hockey, a sport for which he had a great passion.
In addition to his natural ability as naturalist and athlete, Jim was equally fluent in music. In middle school, he began with the coronet followed by the french horn. His high school years were where his real love affair with music took off, electric guitar in hand. Jim organized his first band in the family living room playing the songs of the day by the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds and more. His love for rock and roll evolved as he moved south, to include the inspirational blues of the legendary Stevie Ray Vaughn, with whom he shared the stage in his beloved Austin.
Jim's love for xtreme sports took him to Florida, racing dirt bikes. When he broke his ankle, he became part of the pit crew. Memories of this are only partial.
Jim married Bevery Ann Richey in 1975. They had a daughter, Tara Rae, in 1978. Shortly afterward, they moved to Houston, TX. In 1984, a single Jim married Georgiane Miller. They have a son, Stevie Ray and a daughter, Daphne Maryhelen.
Jim's life has been one of many and varied interests, which he pursued with great passion. His lifelong passion for animals led him to become an aviarist, breeding and raising exotic birds (african greys ie. "Rodney," lovebirds, cockatiels), and breeding and raising dogs (bloodhounds, sharpeis, english bulldogs). He spent many hours hand-preparing food for them from scratch and building an aviary in his backyard.
His passion for gardening, which started with his parents, led him to become an accomplished gardener, known to the local garden center staff at a number of centers in Austin. For a while he had them looking out for any new purple flowered plant they had come in.
Jim never met a stranger and had many friends with whom he stayed in touch, even those he had had in grade school. He was a loyal friend, a beloved father, son and brother. Family was everything to Jim.
James Victor Wicklund passed away after a lengthy illness on February 22, 2007 at Brackenridge Hospital in Austin Texas. His daughter, Daphne, and sister, Deni, were at his bedside.
Jim is survived by his loving children, daughter Tara Rae, who is expecting her first child in April, 2007, son Stevie and daughter Daphne. He is also survived by both parents, his brother and two sisters. We were all so blessed to have had him in our lives.
Jim was a devout 'critter lover.' He spent his childhood collecting pets, including an alligator, which he had to ride his bike to creek everyday to catch crayfishtofeed it, a monkey, a litter of muskrats and all sorts of newts, birds, fish and just about anything else you can think of. He made sure to teach his sisters how to catch frogs and snakes so they wouldn't be "girls" about it.
Jim began playing tennis at the age of 3 with a racket his dad cut down to adapt to his small but agile frame. He went on to play pony league and little league. In his teen years Jim spent many hours at the local Ice Arena, working as a rink guard, and became more than adept at hockey, a sport for which he had a great passion.
In addition to his natural ability as naturalist and athlete, Jim was equally fluent in music. In middle school, he began with the coronet followed by the french horn. His high school years were where his real love affair with music took off, electric guitar in hand. Jim organized his first band in the family living room playing the songs of the day by the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds and more. His love for rock and roll evolved as he moved south, to include the inspirational blues of the legendary Stevie Ray Vaughn, with whom he shared the stage in his beloved Austin.
Jim's love for xtreme sports took him to Florida, racing dirt bikes. When he broke his ankle, he became part of the pit crew. Memories of this are only partial.
Jim married Bevery Ann Richey in 1975. They had a daughter, Tara Rae, in 1978. Shortly afterward, they moved to Houston, TX. In 1984, a single Jim married Georgiane Miller. They have a son, Stevie Ray and a daughter, Daphne Maryhelen.
Jim's life has been one of many and varied interests, which he pursued with great passion. His lifelong passion for animals led him to become an aviarist, breeding and raising exotic birds (african greys ie. "Rodney," lovebirds, cockatiels), and breeding and raising dogs (bloodhounds, sharpeis, english bulldogs). He spent many hours hand-preparing food for them from scratch and building an aviary in his backyard.
His passion for gardening, which started with his parents, led him to become an accomplished gardener, known to the local garden center staff at a number of centers in Austin. For a while he had them looking out for any new purple flowered plant they had come in.
Jim never met a stranger and had many friends with whom he stayed in touch, even those he had had in grade school. He was a loyal friend, a beloved father, son and brother. Family was everything to Jim.
James Victor Wicklund passed away after a lengthy illness on February 22, 2007 at Brackenridge Hospital in Austin Texas. His daughter, Daphne, and sister, Deni, were at his bedside.
Jim is survived by his loving children, daughter Tara Rae, who is expecting her first child in April, 2007, son Stevie and daughter Daphne. He is also survived by both parents, his brother and two sisters. We were all so blessed to have had him in our lives.
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