Author - Lineman grun

Submitted By - TSB     My CEO is very up-to-date with us at our little rural coop in central Illinois. Thursday he sent us an email that a lineman in northern Idaho was killed on the job. I don't know this man personally but what I do know is that his name is Jake Booth. He was a 23 year old apprentice lineman who loved every second of his job, a "rock solid lineman".  The part that hurts me the most is that the article said he left a wife and a newborn son. Another part was that the general manager of his company was quoted saying, "Its dangerous work. We know that. He knew that. Its the nature of the business."  I am not at all disputing that as all of you probably won't. He probably could of used a better choice of words and not make it sound like an accident like this is just part of the job. It just shines a brighter light on it for me. I knew what to expect with linework, my father is going on his 34th year as a lineman, so I have been getting groomed for this job all of my 26 years of existance. But some parts are never set in until something like this happens and all you can do is put yourself in that newspaper article, see your face in that newspaper picture. I too am an apprentice lineman with a wife and newborn son. They are everything in the world to me. So to here his story has compelled me to write a little something about him. So in your busy life, take  some time to pray for his family and the men of Kootenai Electric Cooperative. I am sure he will me missed but never forgotten.  Like the bumper sticker says, "GOD created light, then he created lineman to distribute it..." well it sounds like he is getting a good grunt to help him. Rest in Peace.