Today we lay to rest an old friend, Duane (Didge) Simonson. He was only 51 years old. He was a Father, Grandfather, Brother and Friend. I met Didge back in the late seventies through Bob Carlson on one opening of fishing. He was having a barbecue out front on the lake, one of many we enjoyed through the years. Didge lived on the east shore of Mille Lacs at this time, raising a family in the house he was raised in. Those were the rebellious years, which most of us should never have survived according to some. We were all wild and adventuresome, we had the world by the tail.
He was a simple man who lived off the land. I throughout the years often envied his lifestyle, not for the money but the freedom it allowed, you see, Didge for most of his life was a logger. A true to God lumberjack! Now he would probably of never considered himself that, I think he always thought of himself as a guy just doing whatever it took to earn a paycheck and live to get by another day.
Over the years he did many things to earn a living, he even worked with Bob, Kath and I for a while, but sooner or later he always ended up back in the woods felling trees, and over the winter would work in the mill sawing boards and cutting railroad ties. He would always spend some time each fall wandering the woodlots they owned, surveying the oaks, maples and basswood stands for where he would be cutting as soon as the ground froze. I know he was actually doing his scouting for deer season, but he had that freedom, to roam the woods any days he wanted. He was pretty much a one-man operation turning out 25,000-30,000 board feet of lumber each winter and spring. He would cut in the mill until the logs would run out by late spring and then find something else to do for the summer. In the last few years he retired from logging and took a job closer to home in Aitkin.
We fished opener together for quite a few years too, how he loved to fish. We would give him so much crap about his Zebco 33 with maybe 75 ft. of line on it. I can’t tell you how many times we pulled anchor to chase a fish that had run all the line off the reel, after a couple years of that he finally changed line, it was just the way he was. He finally did buy a new rod and reel too! I know for him, being there was more important than the fishing itself.
Bob and Kath stopped over Saturday night with a scrapbook full of pictures with many of Didge and his kids. The camaraderie we shared, and the memories we have, we’ve spent the last few days reflecting back on the stories and pictures. Man, were we young! We partied hard and lived fast then. That was back when you didn’t trust anyone over 30 or in a position of authority…………….. Today we are some of those people!
Didge never had the Internet or a cell phone, he knew what he needed to about them through others, a lot of the time over the years he didn’t even have a phone at home, you always knew you could find him at the sawmill if you needed something or just wanted to talk.
He was always up on current events and was quite an intelligent soul, just didn’t have much use for what we consider modern convenience’s, or some consider necessities.
He had a motorcycle and loved riding it. He traveled when and where he wanted to. I always loved listening to his adventures, from Montana to California, Washington and Idaho. He even logged out west for a while.
We have four-wheelers and toys, well he had a log skidder, trucks and big equipment, the ultimate toy collection!
We loved the springs and fall every year, spending time over fishing and deer hunting seasons talking smart and reliving our best memories with each other.
Some others on the site knew him too, a couple dozen I’m sure, and can add on to this post if they want.
Reflecting back, we will all miss him very, very, much! 
February 1, 2006 at 9:16 pm
#1248754
Didge will be missed, that is for sure. 
Thanks Jim!