To the editor:
I think I recall that Ken taught me to tie my shoes. I do recall that he taught me how to ride my bicycle, how to roller skate and how to play baseball.
He taught me how to shoot pool, and with our older brother Harry and Ken both being pinsetters at the Perry Bowl, I learned how to bowl. Ken taught me how to catch night crawlers for fishing in Frog Creek. He taught me how to tease our girl cousins.
When he turned his Perry Daily Chief paper route over to me, he taught me how to fold the papers in the alley side room of their building along with all the other paper route boys.
He protected me from the neighborhood bully, and we played kick-the-can, punch-the-ice box and steal the bricks on warm summer nights. He took me pheasant hunting up near Rockwell City and taught me how to play poker and how to throw horseshoes and how to set up our model train sets.
We shot out the neighborhood street lights with our BB guns, of course getting caught. He was an avid reader and handed down his books to me.
Once at Christmas time we taught our younger brother Bob how to keep a secret when we sneaked a peak at the hidden presents before Christmas, without realizing that the folks had misnamed the presents on purpose.
Later on, he taught me how to drive a car, how to check the oil and how to change spark plugs. We double-dated.
He and Dad taught me about railroading the big Milwaukee trains.
Of course, now I am sincerely more grateful than I have ever been. He was my big brother. I will miss him and may he rest in peace. Thank you, Karen, for loving him and caring for him these many years.
Larry Laborde
Perry
