In Memoriam Val Stroud d. 22 September 2008

On the afternoon of August 29th, Val and I were waiting for bundles of papers out back the Madison Daily Leader. Val was a taxi driver for the company, and our family has routes. Val was my first source for the news that the Republicans had chosen a woman for vice president candidate. She said she was watching the running mate picks carefully since they say Obama would be assassinated and McCain would die in office.

Val herself died--in the office of a mother--on the 22nd of September. Could it be that the angst and practical aspects of succession and successors were on her mind? Val lead a nation of one; her sole citizen will be her successor.