Michael Edward Julin

Creston
Michael Edward Julin, age 75, of Creston, Illinois, took his trip to the mothership during the evening of Thursday, January 9, 2025, making a space for the 50,000th best guitarist in the world to move up to number 49,999. He leaves behind a few axes, many stories, and almost as many vinyl records.
Mike is survived by his kid, Salem Collo-Julin, his cousins and extended family from the Whalen, Julin, and McNeela clans, and many dear friends (especially his dog companion Olaf, the daily recipient of many, many treats from Mike's weekly grocery runs).
He was preceded in death by his wife, Carol Back, who introduced him to concepts that continually improved his life until the end: forgiveness, loyalty, and Prozac. Others who may be greeting him at the pearly gates are his parents, Gerald Julin and Mary Jane Roten, his grandparents, friends with colorful nicknames (Turtle, J.J., the Touch, Mighty Joe), beloved four-leggers (Cinder, Dusty, Kodiak), and his favorite phone call and best friend for decades, "Big" Dan Tallman.
He was born on October 12, 1949 on the northwest side of Chicago, and for some time managed to be both a Cubs and a White Sox fan, but ultimately decided that his dollars spent to ascertain a general sense of malaise would go to the south side.
Mike graduated from Steinmetz High School in Chicago, which was an event celebrated by both his family and several deans of discipline. He had been transferred there after an academically stellar but religiously challenging career as a St. Patrick's student; his transfer an event celebrated by several Christian Brothers. Mike voluntarily enrolled in the United States Army and served in the Vietnam War.
He was an entrepreneur at heart, and ran two businesses during his lifetime. As a young man, he ran a music instrument repair and record shop called Borderline Records, on the west side of Chicago in the 1970s. In his last decade, he was proud to hold court at Records and Memories, a vintage vinyl and goods emporium in the small but mighty village of Creston, Illinois.
Mike was fascinated by all kinds of music and when aspirations of being a folk troubadour were trounced by being shut out of an open mike at the Earl of Old Town because "that g-d Steve Goodman guy arrived," he shifted his guitar dreams to rock 'n' roll and the blues. In the 1970s and '80s, he attended many concerts and shows at Chicago venues like Wise Fools Pub, the Checkerboard Lounge, Theresa's Lounge, and the 1815 Club.
Later in life, his love for exploration resulted in many road trips exploring the great Midwest with Carol (and more than a few times, Dan) in tow, drinking root beer at minor league baseball games, finding treasure at flea markets, and keeping the radio on the "search" function to spice things up a bit.
Mike never met a conversation he didn't like. Anyone in his presence for more than a few minutes got a greeting and then learned an obscure fact about '50s westerns, the Three Stooges, or the great Nellie Fox. He thought it was important to be able to hold a conversation with anyone, and mainly did so with courtesy and respect (unless the topic was the business machinations of Chicago sports team owners, in which case he would let it all hang out). He loved pizza with sliced jalapenos, rocky road ice cream, dogs, being Irish, ballads, great guitarists, the city of Chicago, Carol, his many friends, and his daughter, who will miss him very much.
A memorial gathering and record listening party will be planned in the coming months at Records and Memories in Creston; another will be planned at a music venue to be determined in the Chicago area so Mike's ashes can litter a green room one last time.
Financial donations in Mike's memory may be directed to the Chicago Musicians Fund at Sweet Relief, the Night Ministry, or United Way of Ogle County. Those who would rather keep their cash under the mattress are still encouraged to give someone a phone call and tell them they love them.
There will be no services at this time. Cremation care has been provided by the Unger-Horner Funeral Home. Visit www.ungerhorner.com to sign the online guest book.