My mother, Ruth Eloise Lauterbach (Hulett) was Ned's cousin.  I got to know Ned at our every third year Lauterbach Family Reunion. As the reunions ticked off, I found myself eagerly awaiting my next chance to see Ned.  My mother adored him, and I think that before she passed away a few years ago they were the last cousins of many that had existed before.  She felt a great kinship with Ned even though they lived far away from each other and did not get together too often. The Lauterbach Family Reunion was a very big event for her and Ned was the #1 highlilght, especially in the later years when they were the only two cousins left.  

As you go through life you meet people who seem somewhat bigger than life, others that have a deep empathy, those that have a high intellect, a few with a great sense of humor, and some exceptional people who seem to embrace life as a fantastic exploration.  Ned seemed to me to embody all those traits. And to top it off he always seemed interested in what I had to say. He was a guy that it was so easy to be around.

He was very missed at our last family reunion when his health did not allow him to travel. It was a great reunion, but was missing a very key ingredient.  With him and Albe as parents, no wonder all the kids turned out to be such wonderful people.  I am sure they feel very blessed to have the parents they did.  I will miss him and will never forget him.  AND NED, I STILL HAVE EVERY SINGLE LAUTERBACH REUNION T-SHIRT THAT YOU PRODUCED!!

I’m not sure why, but I started calling Ned Lauterbach “Stud” shortly after I met him when the Lauterbach family moved into our neighborhood. He was one of the most peaceful, supportive and interesting people I have met in this lifetime. The last time I saw Stud was when he was in the finishing stages of the tree house in Evanston. We had to use an extension ladder to climb up to the platform and the dumb waiter was still being fine tuned but was functional enough to bring up the two bottles of beer Albe placed on it for us. It was a warm summer Evanston night on Forest Ave., with most of the same smells I remember from childhood. We had a warm talk for quite a while and it was as if I had only been away for 6 months or so. He was always a good listener, non-judgmental and helpful in a positive way.

I always used Stud and Albe as a measuring stick for a good marriage. They were intelligent, decent people who raised some smart, interesting and good children, and kept the Democratic Party strong in a conservative town. Not a bad resume.

I was glad for the few conversations we had by phone after he went to the retirement facility, he loved Albe completely.

My grandpa Ned left the world early in the morning on February 2, 2015- just shy of his 93rd birthday. Although I grieve a tremendous loss, I feel an overwhelming peace and comfort about his passing. I am humbled and blessed to have had my grandfather in my life for over 26 years, and I know he is finally resting happily with my grandma Albe -his girl- after one “helluva” life here on Earth. Grandpa Ned was one of my first true loves and throughout my childhood and young adulthood, an incredibly steadfast and adoring role model and friend. My grandpa was and will always be one of my best friends.

Ned is the most reliable grandparent I have ever known, and from an early age I was able to appreciate that and take comfort in the unique way he and grandma Albe functioned as additional parents in my life. He was not overbearing, he was there when I needed him, or if I just wanted to play, and he didn’t bat an eyelash about it. He never asked anything in return for all the wonderful things he did for Jack and me as kids and into our adulthood. He was happy to be in the moment with us. Looking back on it now, I wonder how many times throughout my childhood I called that oh so familiar 869 telephone number, asking if I could come over to play? Never once in my 18 years growing up in Evanston was I met with any answer other than “Come on over Clairesy!”  I can’t help but smile when I think of how he couldn’t wait to tell someone I was his favorite granddaughter.  Not only did he tell me I was beautiful (up until his last month of life), but he always treated me like a lady, for which I am more grateful than he could ever know.

As I grew into a young adult, I became acutely aware of my grandfather’s character and why it was that he was so loved by the Evanston community and beyond. Ned did not need to attend a church or be a religious man to embody the motto “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. He practiced that every single day of his life with close friends, family, acquaintances, and strangers. Each and every person my grandpa encountered was worth his time and important to him, and as I observed his interactions throughout the years, I learned the quality of listening, not just hearing. When I think on his benevolence and grace in how he treated others I’m reminded of the quote, “You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him”.  

Grandpa Ned taught me to experience small joys slowly. Don’t rush a beer with a friend, don’t leave a party early, don’t pass up an opportunity to try something new, and above all else, find the value in learning about other people and what they have to say. Ned never, ever discounted what someone had to say, and he had such unfaltering faith in the human spirit. Grandpa Ned will be with me when I enjoy the company of friends over dinner, when I put up campaign yard signs on a nippy October day, or when I travel to a new place that is far off the beaten path. Whenever I’m on a mountain top or beside the ocean, and I feel the breeze, I will take an extra minute to enjoy and be grateful for that experience, and remember that’s all he ever asked of anyone.