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CHARLEY BLACKMORE

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I had a Motor Route with "The Columbia Daily Tribune" from November 1, 1967 until Dec 31, 1996, when I drove myself to the hospital with a heart attack.  I always said I would deliver papers as long as my health held out.
 

I spent 20 years driving a Volkswagen Beetle, but advanced to a Nissan Pathfinder the last few years.  I still delivered to most of the same area I started delivering to in 1967.

My route consisted of delivering The Columbia Daily Tribune, Monday through Friday in the afternoons after work from the Post Office and in the mornings about 6:30 am on Saturday and Sunday to about 180 customers.  I delivered to the old Rainbow Village Trailer Court, behind Stephens Golf Course off East Walnut, the Columbia Country Club neighborhood, the area east of Westlakes down to the Eastwood Motel area and some of the Whitegate Subdivision.

I enjoyed the route and the money, and miss seeing all my friends on the route, but now enjoy sleeping late on Saturday and Sunday mornings and and not having to be @ The Tribune seven days a week!

"CRAZY" CHARLEY is still my nickname which I started using in 1977 when I began donating my time to community radio at 89.5 FM-KOPN, doing my oldies show called "Monday Night Live."  I also had a show, for a while called the "Red Neck Round-Up" featuring country music.  Rob (my son), Keith Clark (his friend) and I did shows together during his days at Jeff Jr High School called "In The Middle" and "Rock & Roll High School" during their Sophomore year at Hickman High School.  My career at KOPN ended in October of 1984, when community radio decide I wasn't giving enough of my time.

If you are reading this and have any knowledge of the Internet you have a pretty good idea what I do with at least part of my time.  Aside from the computer and the Internet I find time to a few other things.

My music collection consists of thousands of old records (LPs and 45s), cassette tapes, CDs and mp3s.    I have compiled over 20,000 songs, from my collection, onto hard drive and still do some limited DJing for special occasions with "PCDJ" software instead of CD players or turntables.  The range of my collection is music from the early 1900's through the 2000's, with a main focus on Elvis Presley, R & B, Country and Oldies of the 40's through the 80's.

I still enjoy movies when I have time.  My all time favorites are: One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Used Cars, Heaven Can Wait and Sling Blade.  The greatest thing about new movies is listening to them on DVD in 5 to 1 Surround.  If you love old Rock 'N Roll and Digital Surround, see Roy Orbison's "Black & White Night."  It will knock you out!

Golfing is one of my outdoor hobbies and if you need to boost your morale you should call me to play.  I am available when it isn't raining and the temperature is from 65 to 85 degrees.

I have also converting my bike riding to the weird group, called "Bent Riders" and ride a Tour Easy by Easy Racers.
 
 

Karen Janes and I became engaged on August 3rd, 2000 and were married on September 29th, 2000.  We were married at the Christian Church of Lake Ozark, Missouri.  Kerry Presnell performed the ceremony at the outdoor chapel.  We returned home and I DJed the reunion of the "Class of 1960" Saturday the 30th  and I DJed for the "Old Wheels Car Club" in downtown Columbia on Sunday the 1st of October.  We took a little wedding celebration trip to the "Buddy Holly Tribute" in Clear Lake, Iowa in February of 2001.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Deborah Kay Burks Smith & I were engaged until she died.  Those of you that made it to the 1963 Class Reunion in 1998, remember seeing Debbie.  She was the sweet lady that was putting up with "Mr. Kewpie" doing all his Kewpie Stuff.  You guessed it, she was a Kewpie... Class of 1969.  When we found the time away from Kewpie Stuff, we went to movies, played golf and listened to lots of music, which, you know included... "Elvis" and visited my children and grandchildren.  We enjoyed visiting with Kewpies from all classes whenever they hit town and had the time to call.....

Debbie passed away May 6, 2000 at her home in Columbia.  The love she gave me will remain an inspiration to me the rest of my life.
 
 

1953Charles Taylor Blackmore II2005

I was born in Mexico, Missouri in the Audrain County Hospital early on a Saturday morning May 12, 1945 the day before Mother's Day, to Clela Elizabeth Hayes Blackmore and Taylor Benson Blackmore, while they resided in Martinsburg, Missouri.  My mother was born in Apache, Oklahoma and moved to Wellsville, Missouri as a young girl. She graduated from the Wellsville High School in 1931.  My dad grew up in the area around Rhineland, Missouri, with two brothers and two sisters.  His parents mostly farmed but his dad did teach school.  But my dad never graduated high school.  I was named after my dad's father, who died in January of 1945.  We moved to Wellsville, Missouri in 1946.  My brother Gary Hayes Blackmore was born on Monday, April 21, 1947.  My dad was a M. F. A. Exchange manager and was transferred to Perry, Missouri in 1948.  Eldon, Missouri was our next home, in late 1949, and in 1950 we moved to Shelbina, Missouri.

I started elementary school in Shelbina and where I walked almost a mile to school.  Louisiana, Missouri became our next home, in early 1952, and I finished the 1st grade at Field Elementary School, in Mrs. Gabriel's class.  I again went back to Field School for the 2nd grade with Mrs. Stevens as my teacher and had Mrs. Reid for the 3rd grade.  I remember the principal, Arnold Zaeske, actually paddled a boy in front of the whole class in 2nd grade.  We lived in a big red brick duplex on Georgia Street in Louisiana for about a year and Gerry Green and his family lived in the other side.  We then bought a house on Margaret Drive. Our neighbors were; the Grimmers, the Malys, the DeVergers, the Doors and the Longs.  My 4th grade year I attended the brand new Meriwether School, which was just north of the track at the Louisiana High School.  My early school years were a very meaningful time and I still cherish those old early childhood friends from Louisiana, Missouri.  Ever since I got a driver's license in 1961 I  have always enjoyed going back to Louisiana and visiting those old friends and have done just that every few years.  I put together a 40th Class Reunion for the Louisiana High School Class of 1963 which was held October 18, 2003.

My dad was promoted to District Manager with M. F. A.(Missouri Farmers Association) in 1955 and we moved to Columbia, Missouri.  Our home was 1205 West Broadway at the edge of the west city limits.  My brother and I started school at West Boulevard Elementary in September of 1955.  Our principal was Wesley Mayhew, a man who, many years ago, my mother had dated. It's A Small World!  My teachers in the 5th grade were Mrs. Richardson and Mrs. Watson and I had Mrs. Freeland for the 6th grade.  Back in those days, the biggest past time I recall was playing lots of baseball in the yard and where ever we could find the space.

September of 1957 through May of 1960 was spent at Jefferson Junior High School.  Mr. Clark, the principal, had served on the school board while in Montgomery County years ago with my dad.  It's A Small World!  I spent my summers mowing yards, playing baseball and riding my bicycle everywhere on the streets of Columbia.  I started school at David H. Hickman High School in September of 1960 and in February of 1961 I started work at Ward & Sublett Gulf at the corner of East Broadway and Business Hwy 63 South.  My fondest memories of high school, other than all my good friends were; Friday assemblies, James R. Chevalier, Helen D. Williams, speech class, going to all the football and basketball games, seeing the Kewpies win the State Basketball Championship in 1962, all the great parties we had and just listening to all the great music of the late 50's and 60's.  I graduated from Hickman High School on May 28th of 1963.

On June 25 of 1963 I got on a Greyhound Bus and headed to Fort Leonard Wood for basic training for the U. S. Army as did about 15 of my classmates of the Class of 1963.  I was at Fort Leonard Wood for 16 weeks, which included 8 weeks of basic training and 8 weeks of clerk school.  The last week of October I woke up in downtown St. Louis at the Warwick Hotel at 15th and Spruce and walked to the Mart Building on 12th to my job as a clerk typist.  I drove home to Columbia every Friday afternoon after dropping my roommate off at Union Station, and then picked him back up on my return to St. Louis on Sunday night.  John Kennedy was killed the same day I had an appendicitis attack, Friday November 22, 1963.  I drove home to Columbia and Anne Parker and my brother checked me into Boone County Hospital Saturday morning.  I stayed in Columbia for 15 days on convalescent leave after my appendectomy, then returned to St. Louis on December 9, 1963 and was discharged from active duty on December 24, 1963.  Richard Wilson, who had come down to visit, rode back home with me to Columbia on Christmas Eve.

After Christmas I went back to work for Ward & Sublett, which now had become Lake of the Woods Shell.  I continued to work for them part time through 1964 and 1965, while I attended two semesters at the University of Missouri.  My career as a student was short lived and on Saturday, June 5, 1965 I started work as a PTF Clerk for the United States Postal Service.  I was married in May of 1966 and my wife, Susan and I lived at 22 Walnut Hills Trailer Court in Columbia until after our son, Robert Shane, a 1986 Kewpie, was born on September 10, 1968. The next year we bought a house and on July 1, 1969 we moved to Valley View Gardens and 1708 Iris Drive became our new home.  July 21, 1972, Melissa Jean, a 1990 Kewpie, was born.

From the early 70's to the mid 80's I served in many different positions; President of Branch 763 of the NALC, Neighborhood Association President of Valley View Gardens Subdivision, PTA President of Fairview Elementary, city baseball coach, Assistant Scoutmaster and participated as a Mr. Legs contestant for MDA for three consecutive years receiving a 2nd, 3rd and finally a 1st place trophy.  Beginning in November of 1977 I started volunteering at KOPN, a non-comercial radio station in Columbia.  I hosted "CRAZY" CHARLEY'S MONDAY NIGHT LIVE and co-hosted, with my son, Rob and his best friend, Keith Clark, a Jeff Junior High School show called "In The Middle" and a Hickman High School show called "Rock And Roll High School."  Rob, Keith and I retired from community radio in August of 1984 after we returned from our trek at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico.

In the late 80's Susan and I divorced and I was married to Gaye Lynn Burton, Class of 1963, from 1991 until 1997.  I lived in Jefferson City while Gaye and I were together and sometimes made as many as 10 trips back and forth to Columbia per week.  After I had heart bypass surgery on December 31st of 1996, Gaye and I divorced and I moved back to Columbia.

I started dating Debbie Smith in 1997 and we became engaged.  Debbie died of breast cancer May 6, 2000.  I began work on www.kewpie.net in August of 1998 on a dare Debbie made.  I took her dare and I continue to work on it everyday in her memory.  "The dare was that I couldn't find everyone who ever went to Hickman High School."

In addition to working for the US Postal Service as a Clerk, Carrier, Vehicle Maintenance Assistant and Driver Instructor Examiner from June of 1965 to August of 2000, I operated a motor route for the Columbia Daily Tribune from November of 1967 through December of 1996.  I also started DJing as "CRAZY" CHARLEY in September of 1978.  I have retired from ALL FORMS OF WORK, except I can easily be persuaded to do an occasional DJ job.

Karen Janes, who I knew back in the 70's when I delivered her mail, and I started dating after an abrupt closure with Debbie's family after her death.  Karen and I were married on September 29, 2000 and live in southeast Columbia.  Karen and I celebrated our wedding by taking a honeymoon trip to Clear Lake, Iowa, in February of 2001, to the "Winter Dance Party" held annually in memory of Buddy Holly.  We celebrated our first anniversary in Ireland.  Karen broke up my little party at home by retiring, May of 2004.  Her mother is close by in a nursing home and Karen is with her every single day.  I do some volunteer DJing, maintain www.kewpie.net, cut grass, play golf, walk, bike, enjoy my retirement and have five grandchildren.  My job of choice now is being Reunion Chairperson for the Class of 1963 of Hickman High School and the Class of 1963 for Louisiana High School.  As you know, the 40th Reunions were held in Ocotber of 2003.  The Kewpie Reunion was October 9th - 12th, 2003 in Columbia and the Bulldog Reunion was October 17th - 19th, 2003 in Louisiana, Missouri.

Karen graduated from high school in 1964 in Piggott, Arkansas.  They had their 40th Reunion over 4th of July weekend 2004 in Piggott.

If you are a Kewpie and remember me, or just remember me, give me a call next time you are in or near "Kewpieland" and stop by for a visit!

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