The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

Letter to the Editor

 We would like to express our appreciation for the wonderful spread you did for “Izzy the Camel” in your February 15th edition of the Times. You turned an extremely sad time into an awesome tribute. You must understand that we may be prejudiced, but he was our grandson.

Izzy was a born poseur for pictures, which led to his being a television star in which he was cast as a member of the walking dead in an episode of “Z Nation.” When Mickey and Tawnya got married, he was the best man in their wedding along with Winnie, a miniature donkey, who was the Maid of Honor. Izzy was so proud, and you should have seen the huge bow tie he was wearing!

Izzy was such a special presence in the area, and he was known far and wide. We have received condolences from all over the country. The most defining photo you published was of Izzy drinking tea from Mickey’s red cup. That cup has been all over the world, and Izzy loved it. If Mickey were to set it down, Izzy would have it in nothing flat and guzzle it down.

Izzy was so easy and tender with everyone but especially children, which he loved first, then the ladies, and last the men, unless the man had a carrot in his pocket, in which case he jumped to the front of the line. Izzy loved carrots and other crunchy vegetables, but one he didn’t like was broccoli. If he were given broccoli to eat, as occurred with the late Tom Hiatt, he would swing his head wildly and spew the broccoli out of his mouth. He once “confided” to us that President H.W. Bush said, “I’m the President of the United States, and I don’t have to eat broccoli if I don’t want to!” and Izzy, just as famously said, “And I don’t have to eat broccoli if I don’t want to, EITHER!”

Thank you,

Skip and Lois Winchester

Waitsburg, Wash.