GaryOsberg.com

Good morning from Collegeville,

Yesterday we buried Brother Willie.  Last June we celebrated his 92^nd birthday in his room in the retirement center here at Saint John’s Abbey.  I brought him a choice of a cold bottle of O’Doul’s or a cold bottle of Budweiser.  He chose the Budweiser. 

About eight years ago I noticed an old man kind of shuffling towards Wimmer Hall. I stopped and introduced myself.  I asked him what he did and he responded in a gruff voice, “My name is Brother Willie and I work in the woodshop.  I make a table and chair set, haven’t you seen them?  They are for little ones.”   Since I had a six year old granddaughter, I asked him if he would make a set for me.  “Oh, I don’t know, there are many orders ahead of you, I don’t know if I will live long enough to make a set for you.”   I responded,  “No problem, I will pray for you every day and I am sure that you will live long enough to make them.”    I visited Br. Willie in the woodshop many times, I always left him one of my calling cards and reminded him of my order.  Over the years I took delivery on two children’s table and chair sets plus 8 of the small wagons filled with blocks of many shapes and sizes.  About five years ago, Br. Willie had to stop working in the woodshop but he still would make his rounds going thru the garbage searching for pop cans.  He donated the money from the cans to the poor.

Brother Willie is best known for his role as night watchman on campus.  The pub in Sexton Commons is named after him and George Maurer wrote a song named “The Brother Willie Shuffle”.  He was a great man and he will be missed.

The show this week is live from The Town Hall in New York City.  Guests include legendary English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello and guitarist-songwriter Tom Rush plus Heather Masse, the usual cast of characters and the news from Lake Wobegon.  If you miss the show, it is very easy to catch an old show online at www.prairiehome.org   simply click on April 11, 2009 under The Archive.

“Success has nothing to do with what you gain for yourself.  Success is what you do for others.”  Brother Willie (William Jerome Borgerding, OSB)