Good bye Tom Simms
First of all: I am from Switzerland. So my English ist not perfect.
February 1979. We arrived at Tom’s and Veras house in Rosebud. I remember it was one day before the first birthday of their daughter Kimimila. Tom and I had contact before over his painting and my interest about Indian culture. We stayed at the Reservation for 3 month and spent a lot of time together. Tom helped me to get in contact with native Lakota. Through him I learned about the sacred pipe, sundance and he introduced me to the medicine man Running Elmer. So we spent a lot of time together in the sweat lodge and on ceremonies at night. And I got my own sacred pipe. I will be always thankful to Tom for all of that. We even got married by Running Elmer on April 21.1979. A day we still celebrating as our wedding day for now 42 years. Even so, not everything was so funny with all the problems we have seen at the Reservation, we had a good time there. Never ever we laughed so much as we did at Rosebud. The humor of the people and their unique talent as storyteller was just outstanding. After returning to Switzerland we stayed in contact. There were nor mobile phones, no social media, just old fashioned hand writing. I once returned back to Rosebud in the 80s. I was not doing well at this time and decided to get help from the medicine man Running Elmer. Again I was warmly welcomed by Tom and Vera who lived then on a little farm house near St. Francis. They helped me to recover and just showed me what kind of good people they are. And so was Kimimila - even so she was just 7 or 8 years old - she was like a little nurse to me. As it happens with the time. Our contact got less. But we always stayed in contact. Tom send me his children book for my children and some drawings. In the last years we had contact with Kimimila and Vera trough social media. And we heard about Toms Dementia. Now his time on earth is over and he changed to the spirit world. We will always keep him in best memory. We condole his Family, Vera, Kimimila and Daniel.
Bound in grief. Beat & Brigitte.