Farmer’s & Family make life long friends

His name is Kenneth Conrad.

Hers was Eileen Pinder.(now Conrad)

Kenneth,  a paratrooper from WWII, met his olive skinned beauty,who had English roots, via the Islands, in Florida. Married her and took her from the comforts she knew in Florida to rolling hills of North Central Missouri. Where, at a farmhouse, with a well and outhouse, they raised a beautiful family of six girls and four boys. All beautiful, good looking AND TOUGH.

We were invited to a Birthday party Sunday in Okeechobee, it was for Harry, the eldest, his 65th.  Wow, I remember Harry when he was a teenager. A big growing farm boy.

The boys, Harry, Kenny, Robert and David Luke, all men in anyone’s book, all successful in life and assets to the USA.

The Girls, all beauties, Glenda, Juanelle, Irma, Mary, Lil and Vickie, true ladies and also successful in their chosen careers.

In 1960, I was fortunate to get orders to a small radar site just outside Kirksville, MO, as a computer repairman. We had one son about 2, and met these folk in church, at Moberly, MO. Many Sundays we were invited out to the farm for dinner, we fell in love with them all.

Funny, when I thought I was a preacher, we went back to pastor that little church  and added more cement to a relationship.

Sherry and I have always been in love, and pretty demonstrative I guess. The kids thought of us as the kissing couple. LOL. We did kiss a lot, still do! I would bet we kiss 2 out of 4 times we pass in this motor home. LOL That girl is a good kisser.(It is also hard to control that girl’s hands!)

Anyway, Kenneth was true to his German heritage, the man could make  anything work. He worked a full time job at H.B. Chance and farmed forty (?) acres. He helped his neighbors constantly.

(One of our stops in the mid 1990’s)

Anytime thru Missouri, we stop to see them. Florida is still home for Eileen, so we see them at least once a year when they come down. After moving to Florida we met some of the extended family, one especially Aunt Irma Lee. Also a wonderful lady, she treated Eileen's children as her own. Sewing beautiful clothes every year as they grew.

(Eileen & her baby, David Luke)

(Glenda with Aunt Irma Lee (Aunt Nee))

The children dote over their Mom and Irma Lee. In their youth the two were well known singers until Kenneth broke up the singers. But still, now in their 80’s & 90’s their voices are good. The children inherited mom’s talent and Kenneth’s work ethic.

I did not know the Birthday boy, one of my heroes, was a singer. But  we were treated to a duet by Harry and Vickie.(no pic)

This whole bunch Sings, When Eileen sang in our church, her talent and dedication was such as to send chills, she could have sang in Carnegie Hall, she was that good. Glenda says Vickie sings like her mom but with more range.(wow)

The boys in construction, the girls professional, finances, medical, administrative and Vickie, she is a Jet Mechanic here in Orlando at the Airport.

David Luke a specialty cabinet maker/carpenter and Glenda, late of the financial and care giving world; are here in Florida.  The rest still in and around the Show-Me state.

I confess to stealing the photos from Holly, David Luke's sweet wife. WE are getting old. I DIDN’T TAKE THE CAMERA AND SHERRY LEFT BOTH PHONES AT HOME,(yep we are getting there).

(This is Bailey, David Luke's daughter (a few years ago) we missed her at the party, she was off baby sitting, she is a lady now.)

Thanks for stopping by the log.

Nite Shipslog

PS:

Kenneth could not come to Florida. He is a victim of that terrible disease, Alzheimer's. I sure missed him.

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The corvair. we owned one of these. I loved it, It drove great but it sure loved to leak oil!!!