K9 Officer Boco died in the line of duty.

I attended Memorial Services for Boco yesterday. He was recently shot and killed by a dangerous fugitive. He was on duty and doing crucial work for the Lincoln Parish Sheriff Department.

Many Lawmen and citizens attended the service.

 Many fellow K9 Officers were present.

Taps was played for Boco. A flay was officially folded for him. Bagpipes played as the Service ended.

I was proud to attend. I am fond of dogs. I like some dogs more than I like some people.

Changes in the neighborhood around my old McKinley Home for Boys.

Neighborhoods can change. Boy! this one did. I saw this one change a lot. From wheat fields
to Freeways in my lifetime. This neighborhood is in the San Fernando Valley. The McKinley Home for Boys was in the south east part of the Valley. Across Ventura Blvd from the foothills. Near the corner of Woodman Avenue and Ventura Blvd.

Here is a relic from the San Fernando Valley Museum. The McKinley Home made it to the street sign.

I first saw the neighborhood around 1932. I was 7 and was put in the home by my Dad. He had more important things to do than bother with his ninth child. He was newly widowed and wanted to see the world.

Here is a view of the Home in a picture taken about when I entered it.

It was a nice place surrounded by wheat fields. I remember watching a thresher working across the street. I was in a dorm in the second building from the left. First floor on this end of the building. The building by itself on the left is the hospital. I recovered from pneumonia there. Boy! do I hate cod liver oil.

My bedroom.

Picture of the dorms.

This picture is of the neighborhood taken in the late fifties. The Home was moved to San Dimas in 1961. The city had completely surrounded the Home.

No wheat fields. Looks different after about 30 years, huh? Ventura Blvd had been made into the Ventura Freeway, The Home was torn down and the Sherman Oaks Galleria mall built in its place. Here is a view of the mall (which was built on the Home site) from the Freeway.

I reckon that the neighborhood has changed a lot since I first saw it in 1932. The white structure  in the left of the picture below is the mall. The name of the mall has been changed from Sherman Oaks Galleria to Westfield Fashion Square.

The San Fernando Valley Museum is located in the mall.

The singing right tackle.

These pics are from the John C Fremont Junior High School 1940 Yearbook. Fremont was in Pomona, California.The building is still there but is now a school administration building. The building was well built. After school I had the job of picking up papers in the school yard. I was 15 and in the Boy's Glee Club and played tackle on the football team.

Here is my picture in the Boy's Glee Club. (top row center)

I remember singing "Stout Hearted Men, I love a Parade, and Deep Purple".

Here is my football team picture. I was known as the ferocious number thirteen!

I was the Singing Tackle.

My great grandson, Christian Steven Newberry was baptized today.

It was a lovely ceremony conducted by Pastor Greg Clark.

Music group of Cedar Crest Baptist Church, West Monroe warming up before the church service.

Christian waiting.

Pastor Greg and Christian in the water.

Two happy souls.

 About to go under.

This is Christian and his two brothers, Ross and Ethan. Christian is following in the Christian path of his two older brothers. I pray the best for them and their folks.

After the service Christian, his brothers, his Mom and Dad (David and Joy), his maternal Grandpa and Grandma (John and Kerry), and the old Prunepicker (Chuck) had a jolly meal at Johnny's Pizza.

Maike Niebergal brings her smile to Ruston.

Isn't that a beautiful smile? I wish that I could smile like that.

Maike (pronounced Micah) is visiting her exchange student parents, Cheryl and Richard Maxwell, for the next week. In 2007Maike spent time as an exchange student in the Maxwell home in Malvern, Arkansas. In the eleven years since then Maike in Germany and the Maxwells in America have kept close ties. (several visits) Here is a recent family picture. (today)

This family is closer together than many families that live on the same continent. It warms and gladdens my heart to see them together. The sight is a tribute to the loving nature and graciousness of these three people.

Unionville Meeting 8-18-2018

I picked up this information at the Unionville breakfast this morning. Lincoln Parish is going to build a 50 million dollar courthouse (lots of taxes) with a car wash out back.

The Best Day of Genealogy Lectures.

And I have sat through days and days of lectures, classes, and instructions on genealogy. Yesterday at the annual Ark-La-Tex Genealogical Association in Shreveport Philip B. Adderley gave a series of lectures that were the best that I have ever heard. I enjoyed my day and the lunch sandwich was great.

My briefcase, cane, and coffee cup were in the lecture hall an hour early. I wanted a seat in the front row.

Philip's talks were heavy on the use of land records in genealogy research. Very much confusion in the early days of America. Who had title? When we were running the Native Americans out. Much discussion about who had buyer's rights. Interesting.

The seminar was excellent. The Ark-La-Tex people did their usual great job. Every seat was full. 80 attendees.

A year of Altzheimer makes a difference.

These two pictures of my friend Rosa Lee Blakley were taken before and after a year of Alzheimer Disease.  The first is a picture of Rosa shot last year as we entered the Cracker Barrel in West Monroe for breakfast. We went out many times last year. I was happy and proud to be with Rosa and I know that she enjoyed herself.

It has been several months since we went out for a meal. This is a photo I took yesterday. Rosa was in her bath robe. We sat for 2 hours while she talked to me in a very low voice. I did get some laughs out of her by being silly. We walked some in the back yard.

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She still knows who I am. I asked her and she said my name.

It is so very sad. A year ago she would get all dressed up and and go out with me. Yesterday was the first day that I have seen her not get dressed. I hope to take her for a ride next week.

I was invited to Boot Hill.

Boot Hill is a car race track the other side of Shreveport. It is within a few miles of Texas. Some of my friends are car race fans and go often. . I hinted that I would like to go with them sometime. My record as a car race fan is pretty weak. I watch them some on TV. I can remember going to a car race with my brother in law Marion Mott in Bakersfield in the thirties. I still remember the smell of castor oil. The track was on South Union Avenue. So my last trip to a car race was some eighty years ago. You could not call me a rabid fan. But I wanted to go and was invited last night.

The races started at 7:30 and ended about midnight. I got in bed around 1:30. After a couple hours of races I had enough. My friends were still enthralled and enjoying themselves. I think with further exposure and experience I might become a better fan.

My three friends lead me to the stands.

The flagman was fun to watch. He was a vital part of the races and kinda ran things.

Richard Jones and John Jeffcoat.

Keith Lewis. These three friends were great buddies and hosts.

I was sure glad when the end came at midnight!