RIP Austin1972 1972-2020

[Greever 90]

I am sorry to say that our resident cow expert Austin1972 has passed.

He had been sick for the past month and was down in Illinois selling his house so that he could move to Michigan and live with his SO/childhood sweetheart. She had last talked to him this past Sunday, and when she hadn’t heard from him by Tuesday she called the local Sherrif to do a wellness check. They found him face down, and deceased. 

His Mother had him cremated, and there will be a Memorial for him this Summer in Onekama, MI. He wasn’t tested for Covid, and there was no autopsy, but his girlfriend thinks it was Covid related. He did have Exema (sp?) an auto immune disease, and he took the quarantine very seriously.

I met him through SA shortly after joining, and we became good friends. I spent many weekends at his family cottage, and he even gave me a key to it. I was at his farm several times and we once blew up a bunch of pumpkins with tannerite. I talked to him a few weeks ago and he didn’t even mention being sick. We instead discussed plans to buy some adjoining land in Michigan and establishing a no kill animal rescue shelter.

He was like a Brother to me, and I will miss him for the rest of my life.......

FUCK 2020, and FUCK Covid-19!!! 

 

[F_L 32]

RIP Austin and Fair Winds

[Steam Flyer 5,043]

Another good man gone.

I never met him in person but wish I had. This is really a shame.

Sincere condolences and sympathy to his family.

- DSK

[ROADKILL666 323]

2020 sucks balls! Sorry to here this.Fair winds buddy 

[bplipschitz 297]

18 minutes ago, Greever said:

I am sorry to say that our resident cow expert Austin1972 has passed.

He had been sick for the past month and was down in Illinois selling his house so that he could move to Michigan and live with his SO/childhood sweetheart. She had last talked to him this past Sunday, and when she hadn’t heard from him by Tuesday she called the local Sherrif to do a wellness check. They found him face down, and deceased. 

His Mother had him cremated, and there will be a Memorial for him this Summer in Onekama, MI. He wasn’t tested for Covid, and there was no autopsy, but his girlfriend thinks it was Covid related. He did have Exema (sp?) an auto immune disease, and he took the quarantine very seriously.

I met him through SA shortly after joining, and we became good friends. I spent many weekends at his family cottage, and he even gave me a key to it. I was at his farm several times and we once blew up a bunch of pumpkins with tannerite. I talked to him a few weeks ago and he didn’t even mention being sick. We instead discussed plans to buy some adjoining land in Michigan and establishing a no kill animal rescue shelter.

He was like a Brother to me, and I will miss him for the rest of my life.......

FUCK 2020, and FUCK Covid-19!!! 

 

Truly saddened by this.  I never met him in person, but we had some things in common that we discussed on the boards and via PM.  2020 does indeed suck.

[IStream 2,315]

What Steam said. For a while he was talking about moving out to the PNW and I was really looking forward to meeting him. Hopefully the Prairie Schooner has taken him to a better place.

[Snaggletooth 3,015]

Condolances to frendes and familey.  RIP A

[billy backstay 962]

48 YO??  WTF!!  This is a terrible loss to this community!  I enjoyed his posts, and am very sorry for his family and friends, RIP Austin72.....

[Anomaly2 75]

Very sad to hear/read this. I remember when he named a calf for Bob Perry's late son. Seemed like a very nice man. RIP.

[Blue Crab 1,037]

As above. A good man gone. He loved those cows. RIP

[Cruisin Loser 1,472]

He certainly seemed like a good and decent person. Fair winds, Austin.

[d'ranger 2,658]

So sorry to hear this, all his writings and photos were most enjoyable, the guy you wish was your neighbor. I am stunned and saddened by his passing, just way too soon.

Condolences to all his friends and family and RIP Austin for a life well lived if way too short.

[Bristol-Cruiser 1,063]

Very sorry to hear this. Condolences to his family and friends.

[Slick470 141]

Fair winds Austin. I never met Austin but shared a few PM discussions with him about owning old houses. His old house was a lot older than ours, but they were fun chats all the same. Like many of the posters here, I had hoped to one day meet him in person and buy him a drink. Damn, way too soon. Condolences to all that knew him and loved him. 

[Elegua 798]

Man, I enjoyed his posts. One of those people you would have wanted to meet in the meat world. This sucks. 
 

Fair winds. 

[hobot 1,927]

Damn, another member of the family gone. I really would have enjoyed meeting him also.

I always thought he lived in one of the greatest named towns in America, Sandwich Illinois 

Damn.

RIP Austin.

[DA-WOODY 1,002]

FUCK FUCK FUCK

I was lucky to have spent a couple hours with him at Fidd's in DAGO while he was out on buisness working on the underpinning of the interwebz.

Great Human Being in every aspect.

Hiz life adventures spanned things I could only imagine much shared in this cat-litter box

SA and the World is a Lesser place without him

FUCK 2020 !!!!

RIP BROTHER !!!!!!!!!!

 

[hobot 1,927]

Thank you Greever for the update, I couldn't have been easy to create this posting.

[bmiller 748]

Damn! Condolences to his family.  Never met but he seemed like a genuine good guy.

[kimbottles 611]

WELL SHIT!!

I did meet him and he was a nice guy.

Rest in Peace Matt!

[Rasputin22 2,652]

If I had cattle, I would name a calf after him. Much like he did for Spike. 

[Owen 64]

This is sad news;  thank you for sharing it.  It was inspiring to follow him as he started what seemed to be a new chapter in his life the past few years.  

[Dorado 624]

Damn  . . .

Good guy. He will be missed. 

[hasher 778]

2 hours ago, Greever said:

I am sorry to say that our resident cow expert Austin1972 has passed.

He had been sick for the past month and was down in Illinois selling his house so that he could move to Michigan and live with his SO/childhood sweetheart. She had last talked to him this past Sunday, and when she hadn’t heard from him by Tuesday she called the local Sherrif to do a wellness check. They found him face down, and deceased. 

His Mother had him cremated, and there will be a Memorial for him this Summer in Onekama, MI. He wasn’t tested for Covid, and there was no autopsy, but his girlfriend thinks it was Covid related. He did have Exema (sp?) an auto immune disease, and he took the quarantine very seriously.

I met him through SA shortly after joining, and we became good friends. I spent many weekends at his family cottage, and he even gave me a key to it. I was at his farm several times and we once blew up a bunch of pumpkins with tannerite. I talked to him a few weeks ago and he didn’t even mention being sick. We instead discussed plans to buy some adjoining land in Michigan and establishing a no kill animal rescue shelter.

He was like a Brother to me, and I will miss him for the rest of my life.......

FUCK 2020, and FUCK Covid-19!!! 

 

The rest of you sons of bitches better not die!

[Trovão 466]

r.i.p. austin. way too young to depart. fair winds!

condolences to family and friends.

[SloopJonB 8,290]

Another sad day in a year filled with them.

Only the good die young.

[sailm8 81]

I did not know him but the posts above make me wish I had.  RIP

[VWAP 960]

8 minutes ago, sailm8 said:

I did not know him but the posts above make me wish I had.  RIP

yes

[Lark 1,442]

He added greatly to the tapestry of this forum.   I cannot imagine the caliber of his thread to those lucky enough to actually know him.   

[nacradriver 650]

Austin was a good shit....  and added some class and sanity to this asylum.  My prayers to his family.

Mit Gott geh mein Freund

[Navig8tor 1,185]

Well that’s a bit of a shocker!

Seemed like a stand up guy with a earthy connection to the land he stood upon.

Condolences.

[Cal20sailor 2,314]

Very sad.  I'll be very happy to put 2020 in the rear view mirror.  

[pbd 131]

Way too soon.

We're all worse off without him.

Fair winds.

[Innocent Bystander 882]

Damn. Always figured he would sell the farm and head for the NW. always a thoughtful poster. We will miss him. 

[aA 199]

terrible news. always enjoyed his well thought out posts and online demeanor. may his sails and cup remain eternally full

[Raz'r 3,343]

Damn. Seemed like a stand up dude and loved reading his comments. RIP Austin

[Point Break 2,734]

That makes me very sad. I can’t tell you all what a tough year this has been. Too many good people have had very bad things happen to them. Fair winds Austin. I wish you had been able to realize your move to the PNW and live to a happy old age. 
 

There is a lesson here my SA friends........and I have learned it at a very dear price. 
 

We are not promised tomorrow. We only have today. Live that way. 

[chinabald 669]

So sad. Seemed like a nice guy. Lots of knowledge about a variety of things. Far to young. 

[Dorado 624]

Austin 1972.

Served with us for 30 years. Fought in 21 engagements with Comanche and Kialoa. Cheerful in all weathers. Never shirked a task. Splendid Behavior.

[Grande Mastere Dreade 2,147]

fair winds Austin,  another nice guy gone...  he will be missed...

[billy backstay 962]

3 hours ago, hasher said:

The rest of you sons of bitches better not die!

 

I second the Motion!!

[billy backstay 962]

1 hour ago, Point Break said:

We are not promised tomorrow. We only have today. Live that way. 

 

Thanks PB!!  We can always count on you to cut to the heart of the matter!!!

 

[Mrleft8 2,244]

RIP Austin.

I was just thinking yesterday (or this morning, it's been one long wakeful nightmare since pinching a nerve in my back on Wednesday night prepping for the hurricane that never came) that I hadn't seen any posts from him in the last couple of weeks.

He will be missed by many (if not all) here for his kind manner, and good humor.

Condolences to his family, and friends.

[Trovão 466]

1 hour ago, Point Break said:

That makes me very sad. I can’t tell you all what a tough year this has been. Too many good people have had very bad things happen to them. Fair winds Austin. I wish you had been able to realize your move to the PNW and live to a happy old age. 
 

There is a lesson here my SA friends........and I have learned it at a very dear price. 
 

We are not promised tomorrow. We only have today. Live that way. 

Today is all there is.. yesterday is gone, and tomorrow may never come. Curious, I'm just finishing to read "The Power of Now", and this is the main lesson...

[rastro 776]

Fuck, he was fun to spar with and took time to post content and pics.

He is missed already.

2020 is indeed a bitch.

[billy backstay 962]

13 minutes ago, Trovão said:

Today is all there is.. yesterday is gone, and tomorrow may never come. Curious, I'm just finishing to read "The Power of Now", and this is the main lesson...

 

Thanks Trovao!!  Just ordered used on Amazon, Free with my points...  Will be waiting when we return from Charleston vacation, living one day at a time here....

[Recidivist 528]

Very sad to hear this.  Thanks Greever for posting and letting us know. 

Fair winds Austin 1972.  RIP.

[Ishmael 6,120]

Well, shit. I liked Austin, he had a good heart. I also was hoping to meet him in the meat world some day. RIP.

Does anyone know if he had sold the farm yet?

[Greever 90]

17 minutes ago, Ishmael said:

Well, shit. I liked Austin, he had a good heart. I also was hoping to meet him in the meat world some day. RIP.

Does anyone know if he had sold the farm yet?

He had not, but was working on it. That’s one of the things we were discussing during our last phone call.

I will post more next week. Very tired, just heard the news Thursday afternoon...

 

[Sol Rosenberg 6,239]

Stunned. 
 

This f-ing year. 

[Sidecar 899]

35 minutes ago, Recidivist said:

Very sad to hear this.  Thanks Greever for posting and letting us know. 

Fair winds Austin 1972.  RIP.

+1

[chuso007 593]

Really sorry to hear this.

RIP Austin

[Snaggletooth 3,015]

52 minutes ago, Ishmael said:

Does anyone know if he had sold the farm yet?

Mite wantte to check in withe Greever...........

[basketcase 406]

fair winds and following seas.

[Willin' 878]

Adios Austin! Sincere condolences to all who knew and loved him.

48 years is not enough time!

[BayRacer 33]

Very sad to hear/read this. Never met him but certainly a great contributor to this online world and the real world. Condolences to his family, SO, and friends. 

[Gangbusters 113]

Sad news. Thought about looking him up when cruising through Sandwich but never did. RIP Austin.

[billy backstay 962]

8 hours ago, Greever said:

I He did have Exema (sp?) an auto immune disease, and he took the quarantine very seriously.

 

I have several friends who have suffered with Eczema, and although it's an autoimmune disease, I can't imagine it predisposing someone 48 YO to suffer more from Covid-19?  It's a skin affliction, nothing to do with respiratory, as far as I know....

[White Lightning2 227]

Another voice of reason gone from this mortal plane. While I never met him, his contributions here spoke of a man with a discerning intellect and a deep connection with the land that he loved. 

 

WL

[hasher 778]

21 minutes ago, billy backstay said:

 

I have several friends who have suffered with Eczema, and although it's an autoimmune disease, I can't imagine it predisposing someone 48 YO to suffer more from Covid-19?  It's a skin affliction, nothing to do with respiratory, as far as I know....

My sisters, my mother, my daughter and several nieces have varieties of auto immune.  I suggest that rather than drowning the government in a bath tub we make sure that we kill this monster disease.

[hasher 778]

oops

[billy backstay 962]

Just now, hasher said:

My sisters, my mother, my daughter and several nieces have varieties of auto immune.  I suggest that rather than drowning the government in a bath tub we make sure that we will this monster.

 

I have had two autoimmune afflictions.  Reiters Syndrome in 1992, and Guillian-Barre, in 2002.  Both laid me out for several months, but recovered to a normal, healthy life.  Other than chronic allergic rhinitis, and arthritis in a knee and great toe, I am fairly fit for a 65 YO. I protect myself from Covid as much as possible, but think I would probably not become a statistic, should it occur...

[VWAP 960]

When appropriate someone who knew him should set up a  time for a moment of no posting on this site  in his honor 

[hasher 778]

1 minute ago, billy backstay said:

 

I have had two autoimmune afflictions.  Reiters Syndrome in 1992, and Guillian-Barre, in 2002.  Both laid me out for several months, but recovered to a normal, healthy life.  Other than chronic allergic rhinitis, and arthritis in a knee and great toe, I am fairly fit for a 65 YO. I protect myself from Covid as much as possible, but think I would probably not become a statistic, should it occur...

I am not real happy about anyone threatening the lives of their fellow citizens.  Sometimes it gets personal.

[billy backstay 962]

9 minutes ago, hasher said:

I am not real happy about anyone threatening the lives of their fellow citizens.  Sometimes it gets personal.

 

Not sure what you mean with that directed at me, but I couldn't agree more with your point!  Wonder how many new cases will arrive with Trump's "Million Man MAGA Rally" superspreader event, in DC tomorrow, or was it today??  Masks are like seatbelts and child seats in cars.  We readily give up a personal freedom for the greater good and safety for all...

[hasher 778]

1 minute ago, billy backstay said:

 

Not sure what you mean with that directed at me, but I couldn't agree more with your point!  Wonder how many new cases will arrive with Trump's "Million Man MAGA Rally" superspreader event, in DC tomorrow?  Masks are like seatbelts and child seats in cars.  We readily give up a personal freedom for the greater good and safety for all...

It isn't difficult to be rational.  I'm a little less...  I am hoping we can all get on the same page and grab the mother fucker by the tail.

[hasher 778]

1 minute ago, Snaggletooth said:

Howe do you feelle aboute weird, queere, emottionalle, outta the blue, and overte the toppe responses licke youre owen?

I'm good with it.  Do you enjoy?

[billy backstay 962]

Just now, hasher said:

It isn't difficult to be rational.  I'm a little less...  I am hoping we can all get on the same page and grab the mother fucker by the tail.

 

I'm in total agreement and sync with that thought!!

[billy backstay 962]

1 minute ago, hasher said:

I'm good with it.  Do you enjoy?

In times of serious national and  international peril, "over the top", is required and appropriate...

[roundthebuoys 661]

This is sad.  I didn't know him personally but he was a good and decent guy and I learned from him.  PA is lesser without him. 

[hasher 778]

1 minute ago, roundthebuoys said:

This is sad.  I didn't know him personally but he was a good and decent guy and I learned from him.  PA is lesser without him. 

It is not just the old folks dying.  We are losing the best of the best.

[IStream 2,315]

Many of the old folks are the best of the best.

[Point Break 2,734]

1 hour ago, hasher said:

It isn't difficult to be rational.  I'm a little less...  I am hoping we can all get on the same page and grab the mother fucker by the tail.

Isn’t going to happen till 1) there is an effective and widely distributed vaccine or 2) there are bodies in the streets. Too many cannot or will not lean hard into the things that will get us through......sorry to say. I am unbelievably disappointed in my fellow Americans. 

[billy backstay 962]

3 minutes ago, Point Break said:

Isn’t going to happen till 1) there is an effective and widely distributed vaccine or 2) there are bodies in the streets. Too many cannot or will not lean hard into the things that will get us through......sorry to say. I am unbelievably disappointed in my fellow Americans. 

 

I can't "like" your post, but I couldn't agree more!  The anti maskers, and anti vaccine folks are fools!  We gave up some  personal freedoms, and rights when we began using seat belts, and using child seats in cars;

wearing masks, and following the Scientists orders is no different...

[Burning Man 837]

10 hours ago, Greever said:

I am sorry to say that our resident cow expert Austin1972 has passed.

He had been sick for the past month and was down in Illinois selling his house so that he could move to Michigan and live with his SO/childhood sweetheart. She had last talked to him this past Sunday, and when she hadn’t heard from him by Tuesday she called the local Sherrif to do a wellness check. They found him face down, and deceased. 

His Mother had him cremated, and there will be a Memorial for him this Summer in Onekama, MI. He wasn’t tested for Covid, and there was no autopsy, but his girlfriend thinks it was Covid related. He did have Exema (sp?) an auto immune disease, and he took the quarantine very seriously.

I met him through SA shortly after joining, and we became good friends. I spent many weekends at his family cottage, and he even gave me a key to it. I was at his farm several times and we once blew up a bunch of pumpkins with tannerite. I talked to him a few weeks ago and he didn’t even mention being sick. We instead discussed plans to buy some adjoining land in Michigan and establishing a no kill animal rescue shelter.

He was like a Brother to me, and I will miss him for the rest of my life.......

FUCK 2020, and FUCK Covid-19!!! 

 

WTF????  WOW!  That sucks hairy balls.  Austin and I corresponded quite a bit early on.  We even talked about getting together on his farm to do some long range shooting and cook steaks with his awesome cast iron skillet recipe.  I regret now I didn't try harder to take him up on his offer, but living overseas made that difficult.  

Oh wow, I'm totally on tilt.  I don't recall how old he was, but I don't think he was all that old.  The world has definitely lost one of the good ones.  FUCK FUCK FUCK!!!

[billy backstay 962]

6 minutes ago, Burning Man said:

WTF????  WOW!  That sucks hairy balls.  Austin and I corresponded quite a bit early on.  We even talked about getting together on his farm to do some long range shooting and cook steaks with his awesome cast iron skillet recipe.  I regret now I didn't try harder to take him up on his offer, but living overseas made that difficult.  

Oh wow, I'm totally on tilt.  I don't recall how old he was, but I don't think he was all that old.  The world has definitely lost one of the good ones.  FUCK FUCK FUCK!!!

 

48 YO.  1972-2020...

[Burning Man 837]

23 minutes ago, Point Break said:

Isn’t going to happen till 1) there is an effective and widely distributed vaccine or 2) there are bodies in the streets. Too many cannot or will not lean hard into the things that will get us through......sorry to say. I am unbelievably disappointed in my fellow Americans. 

This ^^.  Without wanting to make this political - I simply cannot fathom the whining from those who feel put upon having to wear a paper mask when out in public when both my mother and father spoke of the incredible sacrifices they and all Americans gladly made during both the Great Depression and even more willingly at home during WWII.  Once upon a time not too terribly long ago, Americans actually cared about their fellow citizens and often made sacrifices for the great good of the country.  Now, it all about the individual.  "Me, me me.  F*ck you, I've got mine!" and "what have you done for me lately?"  

Unbelievable disappointment in my fellow Americans is a severe understatement.  I'm embarrassed and disgusted at what we've become and what we're continuing to become.  It would not surprise me in the slightest if some narcissistic, selfish non-mask wearing prick who thought it was a good idea to go out to bars and parties came into contact with Austin at some point and killed him.  It could have been the grocery store cashier, the UPS or Amazon driver, or any number of other people in MI who are calling this the same as "just the flu".  I would say that sort of knowingly reckless behavior borders on 2nd degree murder.

[Burning Man 837]

16 minutes ago, billy backstay said:

 

48 YO.  1972-2020...

I saw that, thanks.  In my shock, I missed the dates and didn't do the math.  

[chester 667]

Well this just totally sucks.

[Clove Hitch 850]

He sent me bacon once. It was amazing.  Sublime. 

 

Fair winds 

[Owen 64]

On a June trip to local grasslands,   I told my daughters about cow knowledge I’d gleaned from SA. “There’s this cool guy...”

[ancientseawolf 60]

Another reminder

 

Carpe Diem

[Hike, Bitches! 278]

RIP, Matt. 2020 sux ballz.

[Fakenews 1,139]

Always enjoyed his posts. Seemed like he would be a great guy to hang with.

48 is way too young.

RIP.

Edited November 15, 2020 by Fakenews

[atoyot 117]

I'm sure sorry to see another good man missing from the landscape. Seemed honourble, willing to consider another point of view long enough to give another's its due even if it was a blatantly stupid one.

And lesser minds live on, rather than he live, in denial of basic decency and devoid of his old-fashoned character.  Fuck this year, sidewsys.

 

.

[Bus Driver 4,189]

So sorry to hear.  

[Throatwarbler-Mangrove 23]

No words. Y’all said everything that needed to be said.

Fair winds.

[B.J. Porter 2,852]

12 hours ago, Greever said:

I am sorry to say that our resident cow expert Austin1972 has passed.

He had been sick for the past month and was down in Illinois selling his house so that he could move to Michigan and live with his SO/childhood sweetheart. She had last talked to him this past Sunday, and when she hadn’t heard from him by Tuesday she called the local Sherrif to do a wellness check. They found him face down, and deceased. 

His Mother had him cremated, and there will be a Memorial for him this Summer in Onekama, MI. He wasn’t tested for Covid, and there was no autopsy, but his girlfriend thinks it was Covid related. He did have Exema (sp?) an auto immune disease, and he took the quarantine very seriously.

I met him through SA shortly after joining, and we became good friends. I spent many weekends at his family cottage, and he even gave me a key to it. I was at his farm several times and we once blew up a bunch of pumpkins with tannerite. I talked to him a few weeks ago and he didn’t even mention being sick. We instead discussed plans to buy some adjoining land in Michigan and establishing a no kill animal rescue shelter.

He was like a Brother to me, and I will miss him for the rest of my life.......

FUCK 2020, and FUCK Covid-19!!! 

 

Damn, that's terrible news. I always enjoyed his posts here, though we never met.

I'm sorry for your loss, and for everyone who knew and loved him, he seemed like a really decent guy.

[SloopJonB 8,290]

4 hours ago, billy backstay said:

 think I would probably not become a statistic, should it occur...

That's what everyone thinks.

Until it happens to them.