He Has Left a Legacy

What a week! One week ago today, at this moment, I was at an estate sale of my neighbors. She was a dear friend and I wanted to get a few things that would carry on her memory. I was so excited about my finds, calling friends and family to tell them about it. My brother Mike called at 2:43 pm to tell me that he was not going to go into work that afternoon. He had decided to go snowmobiling with the club. I inquired about the club; I did not know he had belonged to a snowmobile club. He went on to tell me about the Ridgeway Riders and how our grandfather was one of first members. With that he told me he needed to go and he loved me, I told him I loved him too and we hung up.
The evening came and I was late getting dinner ready. At around 7 pm the phone rang once and the caller ID did not pick up who it was, around 7:15pm, I was dishing up dinner and the phone rang again, this time Paul answered it. “Yes, OH NO! WHAT?! OH NO!” I looked at him and asked, “What? Who are talking to?” He mouthed, “Mike…snowmobile accident…he is dead.”
I was frantically trying to pack us up and get down to my family. Some friends of ours, Dave and Sally came over and helped me pack, Steve and Pat came over to take Rudy, and the rescue came over to take Jake. We left Appleton around 11 pm and arrived at mom and Bill’s at 1:30 AM. We all hugged and cried and cried some more. We went to bed around 3:30 AM.
I woke up Thursday morning hoping I had a terrible dream. Reality hits and the mourning process start all over again.
On Friday we met with the funeral home to discuss arrangements, how surreal. I tried to imagine what my parents are going through and I could not let my mind go there. My heart physically ached for them.
Then I would think of Halle, his sweet little girl, only 9 years old and without a daddy. She was his little princess and the love of his life. He loved her so much.

I know Mike is in heaven and looking out for us. I know he is in a good place. I just wonder, “Is there really a hell in our after life?” I do not think there is. I think we are living it. I feel like I am right now.
My brother called me everyday, sometimes more than once a day. I am going to miss that more than anything. Sometimes we did not even have anything to say to one another. It was talk about the weather or the news in SW WI. Many times, I knew what was going on in SW WI before it hit the news down there.
Mike had the biggest heart ever. My sister often asked, “I wonder how it ever fit in his body?” He would give you the shirt off his back and his last penny. His “Tommy Gun” or “Machine Gun” laugh was contagious and he always lifted your spirit when you were down.
I have never seen so many people at a funeral. We decided to have everything in one day. Two days was too much. We had a visitation from 10-12 and the funeral at 12. The church holds 250 and it was packed with people standing in the back and sides. He made such an impact on so many people. My brother in law said it well, “He left some huge footprints.”
I feel that he left a little of himself in each of us, everyone he met. I know I will think of him everyday and he will be watching over me for the rest of my life. When it is my turn to go, he will be there to greet me.

Michael Gullickson (July 23, 1970 - February 20, 2008)
Michael P. “Gulli” Gullickson, age 37, of Ridgeway, died on Wednesday, February 20, 2008 from injuries due to a snowmobile accident near Mt. Horeb. Mike was born on July 23, 1970 in Madison to Harold and Bonnie (Brink) Gullickson. He was a 1988 graduate of Dodgeville High School and a graduate of UTI Tech of Phoenix with a degree in HVAC. Mike worked for the U.S. Postal Service in Madison. He was a member of the Ridgeway Riders Snowmobile Club and A.B.A.T.E.. Mike lived life to the fullest and enjoyed snowmobiling and riding motorcycles. His positive, loving ways will always be remembered along with his saying that “You don’t say goodbye without saying I love you.”
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Glenn Gullickson; Wayne Brink; Loren and Ruth Gutherz and Jerome Skindrud; a brother-in-law, Mark Olson; an uncle, Dennis Brink and a cousin, Michael Brink.
Mike is survived by the love of his life, his “Little Princess” Halle Kiesling of Cross Plains; his fiancée, Dena Ellery and her children, Jaymi and Wes Ellery of Ridgeway; his mother, Bonnie and Bill Skindrud of Mt. Horeb; his father and best friend, Harold “Chick” and Julie Gullickson of Arena and step-mother, Jan Gutherz of Dodgeville; two sisters, Heidi (Paul) Heuring and their children, Joel, Will and Natalie of Appleton and Kelsi Gullickson and her children, Jordan Slack and Jenna Knoble of Mt. Horeb. step brothers and sisters, Melissa Olson and her children, Zachary, Miranda and Kiera of Mt. Horeb; Billy (Ronda) Skindrud and his children, Lucas Danz, Morgan Danz and Jordan Oyen of Mt. Horeb; Michael Elhert of Portland, OR; Colin Elhert of Madison and Lindsey Elhert of Madison; grandparents, Gladys Gullickson of Ridgeway; Alice Brink of Mt. Horeb; Alma Skindrud of Mt. Horeb; Bob Hill of Dodgeville and Betty Hill of Spring Green; a very special friend, Al Kaul of Menasha as well as aunts, uncles, cousins and many friends.
Funeral services will be held at 12:00 Noon on Monday, February 25, 2008 at the Barneveld Lutheran Church. Pastor Jack Way will officiate with burial in Eastside Cemetery in Ridgeway. Friends may call at the church on Monday after 10:00 A.M. In lieu of flowers, memorials would be appreciated. The Lulloff-Peterson-Houck Funeral Home, Dodgeville is serving the family.
Mike, May you soar with the angels, with the wind beneath your wings. We will always love you.