Comments on: Capaha Lagoon: Funny What You Forget

By: Ken Steinhoff

Ken Steinhoff — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:55:38 +0000

THAT’S a great war story. Don had a dry wit when I knew him, but I never saw his “wild side.”

By: Steve Parsons

Steve Parsons — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 17:49:25 +0000

Don Gordon was the reason I got into newspaper reporting.
During the time I managed the automotive department of Montgomery Ward downtown, the Missourian had an open call to the community for a column, titled “My Opinion.” Before me, the only people they published for the column were bankers, lawyers, college professors, and established business people. I wrote an article that Don liked and he published my piece, and five others, before hiring me to become a sportswriter for the Missourian. I had no journalistic experience. I certainly was no sports writer, but Don believed in me and took a risk.
Ken, you might have remembered Don in his somber days. But, the Don I saw was light-hearted and jovial. I even caught him grinning the day following when my great “flaming Missourian reporting vehicle” burned to the ground.
At the time, the paper had bought a small fleet of Ford Pinto Station Wagons to ferry the crews around the area and to their assignments. This particular day, I was asked to deliver another reporter out toward the “mall” that was being built between Town Plaza and the interstate.
As I returned, and while driving eastward along William Street, I was merrily motoring along as passers-by most heartily and vigorously waved at me as they passed westward. All this acclamation lead me to believe that I was a righteous traveller, but I soon discoved that the Pinto was on fire.
As soon as I could, I turned left onto a side street, on the left side of Del-Farm, ran into the store, jerked a fire extinguisher off the wall, ran back out to the Pinto, popped the hood and was immediately met by an inferno that I had given enough oxygen to to really take off.
The next day, I was greeted by the burned-out remains of a a kit car, sitting on a plaque, on top of my desk delivered by a round of applause. B. Ray Owen sat at his desk and grinned. Don stood at his door and smiled.

By: Ken Steinhoff

Ken Steinhoff — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 01:48:31 +0000

Adam,

When the book is published, the question is going to be whether it’ll be filed in the fiction or non-fiction section.

By: Adam Steinhoff

Adam Steinhoff — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:58:48 +0000

Thank you very much Libby, Sherry, Paul, Spokesrider and Tim. The stories and pictures about Cape are great, but the conversations that you have with my dad in the comments section really add depth to, what I feel is, a new-age autobiography/biography/memoir. Please keep stirring the memories.

Adam

By: Ken Steinhoff

Ken Steinhoff — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:27:18 +0000

Tim,

Good to hear from you. And, thanks for bringing back memories of Troop 8. I uncovered a bunch of pictures from there last night, so be assured that they’ll be showing up.

You did better than I did. I had more than enough merit badges to earn Eagle, but I took ones that I was interested in instead of ones that were required, so I only made it as far as Life. My brothers, Mark and David, made it all the way and were also Vigil members of the Order of the Arrow.

By the time they were Scout age, Dad was winding down his construction business and was able to spend more time with them and Scouting. I’ve always said that Scouting added a whole new dimension to his life: for the first time, he learned how to be comfortable speaking to groups and directing projects that weren’t focused on moving dirt.

I’ve got lots and lots of stuff. The biggest problem is figuring out what the heck it is.

Say “hi” to your mom for me.’

By: Tim Pensel

Tim Pensel — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:56:35 +0000

Ken, I think most of us have more of an influence on those surrounding us than we might realize. For instance, you were indirectly a big influence on my Boy Scout career, since we were both in Trinity Lutheran’s Troop 8. At that time (when I turned Boy Scout age of 11), you were on your way out to bigger, better (and more age-appropriate) things. I wanted to be just like you, so at age 14, I achieved Eagle Scout and went on to earn to palms.
I’ve since spent 31 years in the Cape Public School System as both a teacher and administrator, having retired in 2008.
I sincerely enjoy your blog and its “quiz” aspect that makes me think back to the sixties. Not a realistic thought, but I hope you don’t run out of photos or the dialogue that goes with them. As a side note, your mom and mine have been friends for years.

Thanks!

By: Ken Steinhoff

Ken Steinhoff — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:46:39 +0000

Like the old saying goes, “History is written by the winners (or the survivors).”

This blog has really brought home the fact that newspapers are really the ones who “record history on horseback.”

I may not have made much of an impact with my life, but it’s somewhat satisfying to know that long after I’m oak food, folks will be seeing my name when they look up factoids in MO, OH, NC and FL. If you’re only alive so long as someone remembers you, then I should be around for quite a while.

By: The Spokesrider

The Spokesrider — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 04:15:34 +0000

Ken, Your mother has the right idea. I’ve noticed in the old county histories that the people who outlived the others got to tell the pioneer stories the way they wanted to. Usually there isn’t evidence to contradict them, but occasionally they didn’t know about other records or about people who hadn’t died but had merely moved a long ways away.

By: Ken Steinhoff

Ken Steinhoff — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 03:57:10 +0000

John,

My mother says that her stories are a lot better now that the folks who could contradict her are dead.

By: The Spokesrider

The Spokesrider — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 03:51:21 +0000

Good stories, Ken, and I like the photo.

I tell people that I have a great memory about things that happened in the past. I often remember them wrong, but I remember them well.