SUCCESS!!! I
FOUND JOHN GRAVES!!!!
Hi all. What an easy
task......Thanks to getting a phone number of John's brother, I called his
brother (Bracken), who then called me back. He told me that John lives in
Alabama, his wife is named Betty, (no children) and gave me John's number.
I just talked to John
and he was as excited to be contacted as I was to find him. He said he
gets home to Lexington every few years and the only person he ever sees is Moose
(Rodekohr). He ALMOST made it to the last reunion, but something else came
up.
Anyway, I sent him
the first installment of TLC's (5 of them) and promised to send the other 40
over the next few weeks.
He's really glad to
be back in touch and is ready to go on the TLC list.
Next we had
requests for whereabouts of Zelma Wilmot. And from HER brother Roger
Wilmot, we learn:
My sister's name is now Zelma Joyce Hookham, however she goes by
Joyce. She lives at 8406 Longview Road, Kansas City, MO, 64134. Her husband's
name was Bob, but he died several years ago. He had a hip replacement and a
blood clot went to the heart and killed him. He was a tour bus driver. She is
currently staying at Timberlake Nursing Home, probably for a couple of weeks,
while she is going through rehab for some vertebra stress fractures.
So, there you
have it! We have a useful pipeline of contact. Anyone else you're missing and
would like to know about?
Next, in
answer to a number of emails and some phone calls, I'll tell you about the
latest news from Lexington. Some of you may have seen it in the Kansas City Star
today 10/1/2002.
As you know,
Lexington on occasion has harbored some eccentrics and nutcases, even a criminal
or two. The latest is well known to local residents. His name is Max Weller, and
I believe he is a native.
Yesterday the
police discovered that Max's mother Mildred had died in February of 2001. They
searched the house and found her body there. She had been covered with kitty
litter and a tarp. Since that time, according to news reports, Max has concealed
her death and cashed her social security checks. He's known for his vitriolic
letters to the press, both local and the Star, and he did indeed serve on the
city council at one time. And he ran unsuccessfully for office, including mayor,
several times I believe. Today he is to be arraigned on a number of charges:
abandonment of a corpse, receiving stolen property, and forgery.
I like to write cheerful Lexington news, but it's not always beer
and skittles, as my grandmother used to say. I never knew what skittles were,
but I do think I've been exposed to beer on occasion.
I hope my report - void of speculation and heresay - will answer
your questions. Meanwhile, farewell from your old hometown. We go now to prepare
for Wentworth Homecoming this weekend, and the Apples, Arts & Antiques
festival the next weekend. Come visit!
Your devoted scribe,
Susan
TLC #46: Oct. 1, 2002