Fred Endert: R.I.P.

Yet another local fellow who I seemed to keep bumping into, at least figuratively, since I moved up here. Fred Endert died Thursday. He seems to have had quite a full life, from the looks of his obituary.

I first ran into Fred Endert when I signed up for an English Composition class at College of the Redwoods back around '74ish. I liked the guy if only because he had a sense of humor and seemed to enjoy his job. He was much more pleasant than the guy who ran the English Comp class I took later on.

Don't remember if I finished Endert's class, or not. Maybe not, because if I had, why would I sign up for yet another English Comp class a few years later?

I next bumped into Fred when I was with A Company, 579th Engineers of the California Army National Guard. We were based at the Sequoia Park armory. He was actually with an Army Reserve Drill Sergeant unit at the time but did his weekend drills up here. I spoke with him briefly back then but he didn't remember me. How could you expect him to, me being one of hundreds of students he'd known.

I remember one drill I felt kind of sorry for the guy. We were doing something out at the North Jetty Coast Guard Station. They had (don't know if it's still there) a small NCO type club there where they served beer and such. One of the rules was on a plaque above the entrance: "He who enters covered here buys the bar a round of cheer". In other words, if you enter the bar wearing a hat, you buy the bar a round of drinks.

Endert didn't notice the sign and, being a Drill Sergeant, was supposed to wear his head gear at all times, or so he said. So he walks in, the bartender notices him with his hat on right away and sounds the free rounds alert by hitting the bell sitting on the bar with a mallet. "DRINKS ON THE HOUSE...!", shouts the bartender.

Poor Fred. He tried to talk his way out of it but the barkeep would have none of it. I could see Fred quickly checking his wallet to check if he had enough money to pay for all the drinks. Bummer, but better him than me, I guess.

I next bumped into him when I got my first list of registered libertarian voters up here. For some reason I was surprised he would be registered to vote as a libertarian. I made a point of always stopping by his house when I needed signatures from registered LPers, but he never seemed to be home. He used to live on D Street almost across from the house Richard Marks owns there.

A few years later I met a guy who turned out was married to Endert's ex- wife. I never had a clue there was a connection until I ran into her daughter, Cathy Endert, Fred's daughter. That relation would end up having me bump into her sister- in- law Eureka City Councilgal, Polly Endert, who I did some work for. I never met Polly in person. I just spoke with her on the phone.

People have different feelings about different people. I guess some people didn't like Fred Endert. His daughter, Cathy, once mentioned that some people didn't like her father and she asked how I felt. I felt the same then as I do now. He seemed like a nice enough fellow to me.