Lise Cook (Cordsen)

I knew Clinton in grade school. He was smart - too smart,and smart alecky. Everthing he did was great - he could pronounce the Mexican volcanoes Popocatepetl and iztaccihuatl like he was a native speaker. In the summer between 4th and 5th grade, we were in a summer music program at Casey together. After a morning of orchestra, I would walk home with Clinton, who played the cello. I  played the violin but would always ask to carry his cello because I thought it was cool. Clinton was more than happy for me to lug his cello up Mapleton Hill, no easy feat for a nine year old girl. (Told you he was smart!) I adored him. In the middle of 5th grade my family moved from Mapleton Hill to The Hill and I only saw Clinton one or twice over the years. However, shortly before he died, I saw him in Sprouts. He was way across the store and had just checked out and we sort of nodded to each other. My biggest regret is that I didn't run across the store and tell him how much I had loved him when we were in grade school. I will always remember him fondly and I can see us walking up Mapleton Hill with our instruments as if it was yesterday.