My friend Kenneth

When we lived in Missouri, WE met a Farmer, Kenneth Conrad. He and his wife Eileen were the cream of the crop and the salt of the earth, THE BEST. They had a marvelous family of ten children.  When I read the following it is something that old WWII Soldier of German descent would have said, as a matter of fact,  some of them he did say:

I rode the tractor with him while his eldest son ran beside the tractor to lift the mower over the rocks. Listen to his wisdom: AN OLD FARMER'S WORDS OF WISDOM... KEEP SKUNKS AND BANKERS AT A DISTANCE. LIFE IS SIMPLER WHEN YOU PLOW AROUND THE STUMP . A        A BUMBLE BEE IS CONSIDERABLY FASTER THAN A JOHN DEERE TRACTOR. W       WORDS THAT SOAK INTO YOUR EARS ARE WHISPERED NOT YELLED. ME   MEANNESS DON'T JUST HAPPEN OVERNIGHT. FO        FORGIVE YOUR ENEMIES, IT MESSES UP THEIR HEADS. DO      NOT CORNER SOMETHING THAT YOU KNOW IS MEANER THAN YOU. IT       IT DON'T TAKE A VERY BIG PERSON TO CARRY A GRUDGE. YO        YOU CANNOT UNSAY A CRUEL WORD. EV     EVERY PATH HAS A FEW PUDDLES. W     WHEN YOU WALLOW WITH PIGS, EXPECT TO GET DIRTY. TH     THE BEST SERMONS ARE LIVED, NOT PREACHED. M      MOST OF THE STUFF PEOPLE WORRY ABOUT  NEVER GONNA HAPPEN ANYWAY. DO       DON'T JUDGE FOLKS BY THEIR RELATIVES . RE     REMEMBER THAT SILENCE IS SOMETIMES THE BEST ANSWER. DO     DON'T INTERFERE WITH SOMETHIN' THAT AIN'T BOTHERING YOU NONE. TI    TIMIN' HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THE OUTCOME OF A RAIN DANCE.          THE BIGGEST TROUBLEMAKER YOU'LL PROBABLY EVER HAVE TO DEAL WITH WATCHES YOU FROM THE MIRROR EVERY MORNIN'. GO      GOOD JUDGMENT COMES FROM EXPERIENCE AND A LOTTA THAT COMES FROM BAD JUDGMENT. LE    LETTIN' THE CAT OUTTA THE BAG IS A WHOLE LOT EASIER THAN PUTTIN' IT BACK IN.          IF YOU GET TO THINKIN' YOU'RE A PERSON OF SOME INFLUENCE, TRY ORDERIN' SOMEBODY ELSE'S DOG AROUND. Kenneth was one of my  WWII heroes, his son Harry is also a  hero of mine from Nam.  Every youngun' of that farmer’s family is  successful and loving. Kenneth is gone, Eileen is in an assisted living facility, with some plans to join her with her sweet sister in Florida.  Visited and cared for by loving children.     There are times you must remember people who was an influence in your life.  Nite Shipslog I am not sure the year, but I know it was a dodge. Kenneth and Eileen loaded all the children in this  vehicle, for trips to town, shopping and church. Maybe one of the kids remember the year! PS2: I usually talk about Eileen's singing voice when the Conrad name comes up!