I went to school with your Mom and your Dad. They are great people. I was the only Raymond girl (I think) that your Dad let drive his precious car, until your Mom came along.

I have memories of both Les and Junior that span my entire lifetime. Les made my first skate board and let my sister, Jane, and me help birth baby pigs. Les taught my Mom and me how to raise baby calves so I could sell them for college funds. He also made me participate in the “cutting” of the calves for the mountain oysters. My 8th grade boyfriend, Doug Caywood, drove by and I was mortified.

As for Junior, he was bigger than life. Always gruff but huggy, kissy at the same time. He always called me “Kid”. I probably wasn’t the only one, but he made me feel that way. I loved him like he was my own uncle and loved Les for making me laugh while I was younger and for giving my Mom love and laughter for the last 15 years of her life.

Dianna, Junior’s daughter, was one of my best friends. There were five of us girls in the same grade while growing up and we were all great friends. Junior would let Dianna go anywhere if I was going, too. If he only knew. I’ve lost touch with Dianna and I would appreciate it if you would forward my email address to her or to one of her daughters.

I was so sorry to hear of Junior’s passing. I’m living in Mississippi now, but my husband’s sister made sure to tell us. Many, many memories floated through when I heard the news. He touched so many lives with very little effort, that was just his way.

I certainly enjoyed all of the stories. Thanks for providing them. Give my best to your parents and tell them I don’t like being this old – everything is starting to hurt. Too bad we don’t take good care of ourselves like your Dad did with his car.

It’s not going to be quite the same, visiting Kansas without stopping in to see Uncle Junior (and sitting around in his living room with the furnace on way too high).

And Doug, at Les’ funeral there was just as much laughter in the kitchen after he died as there was before he died. We remembered Les as he was, and reveled in the stories and memories and poking fun at each other.

Greg even leaned his head against the kitchen wall and tried out the worn spot where Grandpa’s head used to rest. ;-)

JoAnne, my wife, says that she will never forget the first time she saw Uncle Junior. He rode up on his horse, looked at her, said hello, and then said to me, “Well hello Dougie, how the hell are you you little son of a bitch”. That was her introduction to a man that she would grow to love as I did.

The thing that always impressed me was how close Junior was to his kids. He raised 5 good ones. I grew up just down the street from them and we saw each other every day. Junior was also very good with animals. He trained horses for a while and if you rode a horse that he trained, you knew it. He also loved dogs, and always had one.

Junior lived a full life, and was active right up until the end which is what he would have wanted. He told me several times that he never wanted to have to go through what my dad did and live in a rest home. I thank God that he didn’t.

When my Dad died, I did not go to the funeral because I wanted to remember Dad as I last saw him, alive with a smile on his face. Junior was really upset when he heard that I was not coming back to the funeral. When I explained why, he stopped yelling at me, and said that he understood and that he was sorry that he yelled at me. He was one of the few people that understood why I did not go to my Dad’s funeral.

He was a good man, and he will be missed.

Geno H