My brother Steve and I spent our summers as kids with our cousins Lance, Richard and Mickey at our grandparent’s cottage in southern Michigan. Lance worked hard during those summers helping our grandfather care for the cottage and raising extra cash selling fishing worms.  He had a hand painted sign at the end of the dock “Red worms 100 for 25 cents”. On Friday evenings there was a steady stream of fisherman pulling up to the dock for bait. Lance expanded the business to night crawlers, catalpa worms and crickets. Soon they all knew Lance by name and would give him their order for the next weekend. Lance made over $100 for a few summers. During the spring of Lance’s last full summer at the cottage a tornado struck across the lake. Lance saw opportunity there and spent the summer helping weekenders with clean-up and repair. He was so busy he turned the worm business over to my brother and me.  
Lance kept an eye out for me since I was the youngest in the group and he was the youngest of his brothers. He never spoke poorly of anyone. In fact, if one of us did he would stop it. I’ll remember Lance for having a kind heart and gentle spirit.