Kenneth and his siblings (Jr,Danny, Gloria, and Violet) grew up on Rochester in the East Bottoms of Kansas City MO, not too far from the Missouri River. The area was very poor and densely populated with little houses and street lights (to hold down the crime?). When Kenneth was 10 or 11 years old, he was taken home by his Aunt Pauline and Uncle Ralph. He was going to mow their yard and spend the night. During the night he started crying to go home. He told Ralph & Pauline that he just couldn't sleep without a street light shining in his window!
Some highlight memories of the old days in the East Bottoms are the hot tamale man who used to come down the street pushing his cart and hollering out for customers, the Breezy Point tavern with shuffleboard, the community center "Our House" where all the little kids were shuffled off to vacation Bible school every summer, Grandma Moore and her tent revivals, huge taco eating contests in Harold's back yard, and holiday meals at Mae's where the women all competed for fanciest desserts and cutest gift wrappings, and the siblings all goaded each other about how much money they each had buried in coffee cans in their back yards.
Kenneth married Jo Ann Crawford on Mar 08 1950. Father of four, Debra, Kenneth Jr, Benny, and Stephanie.
In 1958, Ken and Jo bought their daughter Debbie a Shetland pony named Lucky and they joined the Rodeo Kids of Independence MO. Every summer Sunday afternoon for years was spent practicing at the Rodeo Kids' home arena on 40 highway . Kenny and Benny both joined when old enough. The kids performed with the club, trickriding, barrel racing, jumping, flag drills, roping and whip acts until about 1966. During that time, they were in the American Royal and the American Royal parade, and Benjamin Stables rodeo every year.
Kenneth was a pipefitter-welder all of his life, having been brought into the apprenticeship program at a very young age by his step father-in-law, Clay Copas. Cope helped lift this whole family out of poverty. Kenneth then helped his brother and sons into apprenticeship programs. He was a fiercely loyal union member.
Some highlight memories of the old days in the East Bottoms are the hot tamale man who used to come down the street pushing his cart and hollering out for customers, the Breezy Point tavern with shuffleboard, the community center "Our House" where all the little kids were shuffled off to vacation Bible school every summer, Grandma Moore and her tent revivals, huge taco eating contests in Harold's back yard, and holiday meals at Mae's where the women all competed for fanciest desserts and cutest gift wrappings, and the siblings all goaded each other about how much money they each had buried in coffee cans in their back yards.
Kenneth married Jo Ann Crawford on Mar 08 1950. Father of four, Debra, Kenneth Jr, Benny, and Stephanie.
In 1958, Ken and Jo bought their daughter Debbie a Shetland pony named Lucky and they joined the Rodeo Kids of Independence MO. Every summer Sunday afternoon for years was spent practicing at the Rodeo Kids' home arena on 40 highway . Kenny and Benny both joined when old enough. The kids performed with the club, trickriding, barrel racing, jumping, flag drills, roping and whip acts until about 1966. During that time, they were in the American Royal and the American Royal parade, and Benjamin Stables rodeo every year.
Kenneth was a pipefitter-welder all of his life, having been brought into the apprenticeship program at a very young age by his step father-in-law, Clay Copas. Cope helped lift this whole family out of poverty. Kenneth then helped his brother and sons into apprenticeship programs. He was a fiercely loyal union member.
Kenneth and his siblings (Jr,Danny, Gloria, and Violet) grew up on Rochester in the East Bottoms of Kansas City MO, not too far from the Missouri River. The area was very poor and densely populated with little houses and street lights (to hold down the crime?). When Kenneth was 10 or 11 years old, he was taken home by his Aunt Pauline and Uncle Ralph. He was going to mow their yard and spend the night. During the night he started crying to go home. He told Ralph & Pauline that he just couldn't sleep without a street light shining in his window!
Some highlight memories of the old days in the East Bottoms are the hot tamale man who used to come down the street pushing his cart and hollering out for customers, the Breezy Point tavern with shuffleboard, the community center "Our House" where all the little kids were shuffled off to vacation Bible school every summer, Grandma Moore and her tent revivals, huge taco eating contests in Harold's back yard, and holiday meals at Mae's where the women all competed for fanciest desserts and cutest gift wrappings, and the siblings all goaded each other about how much money they each had buried in coffee cans in their back yards.
Kenneth married Jo Ann Crawford on Mar 08 1950. Father of four, Debra, Kenneth Jr, Benny, and Stephanie.
In 1958, Ken and Jo bought their daughter Debbie a Shetland pony named Lucky and they joined the Rodeo Kids of Independence MO. Every summer Sunday afternoon for years was spent practicing at the Rodeo Kids' home arena on 40 highway . Kenny and Benny both joined when old enough. The kids performed with the club, trickriding, barrel racing, jumping, flag drills, roping and whip acts until about 1966. During that time, they were in the American Royal and the American Royal parade, and Benjamin Stables rodeo every year.
Kenneth was a pipefitter-welder all of his life, having been brought into the apprenticeship program at a very young age by his step father-in-law, Clay Copas. Cope helped lift this whole family out of poverty. Kenneth then helped his brother and sons into apprenticeship programs. He was a fiercely loyal union member.
Some highlight memories of the old days in the East Bottoms are the hot tamale man who used to come down the street pushing his cart and hollering out for customers, the Breezy Point tavern with shuffleboard, the community center "Our House" where all the little kids were shuffled off to vacation Bible school every summer, Grandma Moore and her tent revivals, huge taco eating contests in Harold's back yard, and holiday meals at Mae's where the women all competed for fanciest desserts and cutest gift wrappings, and the siblings all goaded each other about how much money they each had buried in coffee cans in their back yards.
Kenneth married Jo Ann Crawford on Mar 08 1950. Father of four, Debra, Kenneth Jr, Benny, and Stephanie.
In 1958, Ken and Jo bought their daughter Debbie a Shetland pony named Lucky and they joined the Rodeo Kids of Independence MO. Every summer Sunday afternoon for years was spent practicing at the Rodeo Kids' home arena on 40 highway . Kenny and Benny both joined when old enough. The kids performed with the club, trickriding, barrel racing, jumping, flag drills, roping and whip acts until about 1966. During that time, they were in the American Royal and the American Royal parade, and Benjamin Stables rodeo every year.
Kenneth was a pipefitter-welder all of his life, having been brought into the apprenticeship program at a very young age by his step father-in-law, Clay Copas. Cope helped lift this whole family out of poverty. Kenneth then helped his brother and sons into apprenticeship programs. He was a fiercely loyal union member.
