RIP Fran the Hobo Minstrel

[West]

Although Fran stopped hopping trains many years before this site was created, I think we can all respect the old-timer who spent the later years of his life trying to keep alive the hobo traditions and educate people about what it really was like.

Fran was a really great guy, extremely helpful and a brother to all. His greatest passion was to preserve the way of life that he was raised into as a young kid who would talk to the hobos at the nearby yard.

I talked with him a lot last summer, and he stopped answering my emails in August. Only tonight I received an email from Triple T (Tina) his daughter informing me that he had caught the westbound that very August of 2013.

RIP Hobo Fran, thanks for all that you have done for me and the hobo community.

http://www.worldpath.net/~minstrel/

 

[Tude]

cool information - and the link to his site as great. And a great meet for you. Did you ever look at his book?

 

[Roosterruler]

CRIKEY! YOU FOUND HIM!
And he's dead.
Crap.

Here's my connection...

Back in 8th grade (Hello 2005!), our rad teacher for honours history (the one that had us all singing "Hallelujah I'm a bum" together as a class along with the geoduck diddy) gave us the option of participating in National History Day.

I did my project on hoboes - specifically those that rode the rails and I focused on the signs that were used to communicate.

For years after that, I was known for that project - I was the "hobo girl" to all the incoming classes and some of my classmates.

For part of my research, though, I started to write to Fran, the Hobo Minstrel.

I totally remember his webpage.
That exact webpage you posted!
It looks the same as it did eight years ago - exactly the same. I guess I would've run into him around a year or two after he first published it.

I remember his name, now.
I remember writing back and forth with him all throughout the 8th grade.

While the other kids were reading history books, I spent all of my free time "emailing with a hobo." A decade later and I still correct people on the difference between a hobo, a tramp, and a bum just as he taught me. I always told folks I wanted to be a hobo because they travel and work. I spent a lot of time dreaming about going to the "hobo gatherings" he told me about.

I did the report. Did fine. Competed. Did fine.
And then I was a crappy penpal and lost contact without giving him a real solid farewell-thank you.

Every time I thought of him, I thought, "Hey! I should email..." and eventually I forgot his name. I forgot how to find him on the internet.

And now, just about a decade later, here's a post on him at stp telling me he's dead.
Things coming around full circle.

RIP Fran.
Thanks for educating me and getting my gears going.

 

[Tude]

Amazing !

 

[West]

cool information - and the link to his site as great. And a great meet for you. Did you ever look at his book?

I bought his book from him, I think his daughter might be distributing them now but I'm not sure.

 

[West]

Thanks for sharing Roosterruler, I'm not surprised at all that he helped you out, he did the same for me. They call me "hobo kid" and "Chris McCandless" at my school, too.