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Steamboating Magazine

Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2019 11:58 am
by PeteThePen1
Hi Folks

Doing some housekeeping for my emails I have just realised that it is over a year since I have heard from Ron Fossum and probably more than that since receiving the last copy of Steamboating.

Has anybody any news of Ron? Is he well or indisposed? He certainly has done a lot for hobby steamboating so I feel that we should not let him disappear from our hobby simply due to our neglect.

Regards

Pete

Re: Steamboating Magazine

Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2019 4:34 pm
by Lopez Mike
I tried his phone just now and got a voice mail with another person's voice and name. I'm going to be traveling past his home on Thursday morning and will drop by and inquire.

Re: Steamboating Magazine

Posted: Sat Jun 08, 2019 8:14 pm
by Oilking
Last time I saw Ron was a couple of years ago when he stopped by the Portland and left some copies of Steamboating Magazine. He was listed in the 2018 NWSS membership list, but does not appear in the 2019. Queries of local steamers did not provide any better information.

David Vik

PS: The Portland will once again be cruising the third Saturday of each month June through September 2019

Re: Steamboating Magazine

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2019 2:40 am
by Lopez Mike
Three days ago I dropped by Ron's old address on Hoyt St. in East Portland. It is a rather run down duplex in a rather run down neighborhood.

The middle aged couple who answered the door said that they had just moved in the day before and knew nothing of Ron. I knocked on the door of the other half of the duplex and got no response.

Just now I called his old phone number ending in 0896 and got a young man who had been assigned the number three or months ago. He gets calls for Ron but knows nothing of him. When he calls his friends their caller I.D. shows that the call is coming from Ron! Takes a while for the phone company to get its act together I suppose. So don't call him. He was very nice about it.

I guess no information is some information. If anyone has the knowledge to do some internet research I'm sure we would all appreciate it if only it turns up an obituary.

A great loss to the steam community if that is what has happened.

Re: Steamboating Magazine

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2019 11:40 pm
by Oilking
I just got a reply that Ron is alive and living in Portland, but the source was not able to provide any other info?

So Where in the World is Ron Fossum?

David Vik

Re: Steamboating Magazine

Posted: Sun Jun 09, 2019 11:45 pm
by Lopez Mike
That's encouraging but kinda weird. Wish we knew more. Was this a steamer who had the information?

I hope he's right.

Re: Steamboating Magazine

Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2019 3:53 pm
by PeteThePen1
Thanks for the efforts Mike and David.

A thought has just occurred to me. What about his Facebook page? I don't use that kind of App feeling that Google knows far too much about me already never mind all the stuff that Facebook collects (and sells). However, Ron may still use Facebook to keep in touch with his closest friends and thus leave us a clue as to his location.

Regards

Pete

Re: Steamboating Magazine

Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2019 7:11 pm
by Lopez Mike
The word is that he is alive and living in Portland but not involved with steaming at present. No details on anything else so I'm going to drop the subject.

Thanks to all who were concerned. Apparently not needed.

Re: Steamboating Magazine

Posted: Tue Jun 11, 2019 8:59 pm
by PeteThePen1
Thanks Mike.

Good to know that he is still with us.

Regards

Pete