"Topper and Sugarfoot"

Snow up to your butt and colder then Billy Hell! That was what was going on the day 30 years ago that Tim "The Blacksmith"and I "The Redhead" broke down in the St. Louis area before Christmas. We had a horse trailer dealership in Valley City, and we were driving back from Chickasha, Okla. with a new trailer on top of the bed of the truck, and pulling a new trailer behind when the hitch broke, leaving us stranded at a truck stop. Word spreads fast among truckers in a truck stop, and before long, a little white haired man and his wife stopped to give us a hand. They had received a call from a trucker on their "home based CB radio" and drove the 20 miles or so to meet us, and offer us help. "Topper and Sugarfoot" (their CB handles), also known as Otto and Marie Horn came into our lives.

He was short and sweet with snow white hair and an elf like appearance. Sugarfoot was warm and smiley and just like "Aunt Bee" from Mayberry. Topper was a retired trucker and expert welder, and they guided us, limping along to their home.

Problem fixed, they cooked us dinner, lots of hot coffee filling our thermos, wished us well, hugs and kisses and a lifelong friendship was formed.

They visited us once in Valley City, making a stop on a vacation trip across the U.S. They spent the day, dinner served, lots of hot coffee in a thermos to go.....you know the rest.

Not the kind of friendship where we religiously planned stops, but we always knew each other was there.

Topper is gone now, meeting new friends and offering his skills on a heavenly highway....but Sugarfoot's CB radio is always on.

Marie still calls once a year, and sends a card at Christmas.

"Hey there, this is Sugarfoot.......calling to say hello to the Blacksmith and the Redhead"!

"Back at you Marie!"