Every year came the Randolph County Missouri, Old Settlers Fall Fair and Festival (RCMOS). We'd start out on Thursday with a parade of students, starting with kindergarten. This is a photo my father took of me waving in a red shirt, and black pants, center. to my right is my best friend, Lennis, and behind his another best friend to be, and behind him John; I had a lot of best friends who rotated in and out in my life, but only John stayed my friend throughout my adult life. The banner photo is of the marching band on the way back to the school.

Old Settler Parade, 1954. Photo taken by Galahn Kilgore.

When I went to find photos of the new elementary building, built in 1962, and completed for my 5th grade year of 1963, I realized I don't have a single photo digitized of it. 5th grade was important for me, because that was the year that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. The Principle didn't make it around until the middle of the afternoon, and at this time he announced it to us. We were all sent home. For me, that meant I went to Grandma and Grandpa's house, and he had the news on TV. We were watching Lyndon Johnson being sworn into office as the next President of the United States of America, and Grandfather said to me, "I met him once after WWI." My grandpa served in WWI and WWII, and like my Father, I have his discharge papers. During WWI he served in a chemical unit, and in WWII he served stateside as a fireman.

My Grandpa is pictured far right leaning against the lady who is certainly not my grandmother; he would not meet my grandmother until after the war.

In 1963 I learned to play the clarinet, but quickly switched to the alto saxophone, and I would play in the band from seventh grade to my freshman year when I quit. I was never good at playing second chair. To me practice took the fun out of it. I was born to draw and paint. I never grew tired of drawing.

The clarinet was much easier for me to play than the saxophone, I probably already lost lung capacity by then, because I'd been smoking for three years, I was ten in this photo, and I started smoking at the age of seven years. I didn't smoke a lot just when I could steal away and bum a few cigs off of Curt.

I had to beg for this beast, and I should've stayed with the clarinet, I was much better at it, but then I might be a clarinetist and never the painter/poet I am today.

Tiny me practicing in the new house. age eleven years.

Sixth Grade trip to State of Missouri Capitol Building.