Vero Beach, Fla. ? It’s not easy on the nerves, eulogizing a friend and wise personal adviser, especially one taken before his time.

That’s why I forever will be grateful to Elden Auker’s wife of 73 years, Mildred. Her hearing isn’t what it used to be, so she isn’t aware her whisper is anything but that. As I made my way to the podium at United Methodist Church last week, I heard Mildred say, “Tom’s put on a lot of weight.” The people in the back of the church must have wondered why I was laughing. Oh well, it beats crying.

One of the all-time great athletes from the state of Kansas, Auker, 95, never lost his brilliant mind and was the last living pitcher to face Babe Ruth. He never tired of sharing stories of his days of playing with and/or against friends Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Lefty Grove, Mickey Cochrane, Jimmie Foxx, Hank Greenberg, Charlie Gehringer and Dizzy Dean.

In my 25 years drawing paychecks to write about sports, he was my all-time favorite conversation partner.

He and Mildred welcomed me as a guest in their home several times after I convinced Elden to collaborate on his autobiography. We did three days of interviews the first trip, three more the next. While I napped during the afternoons, he did the dishes and cleaned the house.

Several times, as the man most consider to be the greatest athlete in the history of Kansas State talked into my tape recorder, I thought: “I hope he lets me use this one.”

He censored himself once, putting red pen to words detailing how poorly he thought John Henry Williams treated his father, Ted. Auker feared including that material would lead John Henry to cut off his access to Ted. All three are gone now, but the memory of Elden talking about how he was convinced he and Mildred were being bugged by John Henry endures.

Auker outlived the Sultan of Swat and his snotty son, though not always under easy conditions. A couple of years ago, one hurricane ripped off the roof of the Aukers’ home, and another damaged the retirement home into which they were bound, delaying the move by a year. For a few days, they slept on the concrete floor of a warehouse in the company of rats.

Auker told such compelling stories about the biggest names of his era it was easy to overlook his own accomplishments. At K-State, he was All-Big Six in football, basketball and baseball.

College Humor magazine selected him as All-American in all three sports. He routinely beat his age in golf, until giving up the game a few years ago to help nurse his wife back to the good health she enjoys today.

When last we spoke, about six weeks ago, Elden was happy to hear K-State’s new basketball coach, Bob Huggins, shared his Sept. 21 birthday. He also was angry that a juiced Barry Bonds had passed Ruth and was headed for Hank Aaron.

As usual, he didn’t talk of his own accomplishments.

In 1935, Auker’s best of 10 major-league seasons, he went 18-7 and won a game in the World Series for the World Champion Detroit Tigers.

Auker is coming home to Kansas to rest. He was cremated, and his request was that his ashes be spread over his hometown Norcatur, a wish that soon will be granted. Even at 95, he was far too young to die.