|
CHARLEY BLACKMORE  Spare Time: Karen Blackmore - My Pictures - My Movies - Karen's Decorations - 2014 Disc Jockey: My Music - HERE's THE OLDIES! - Buddy Holly Dance Party - Elvis Stuff Motor Route Operator, Retired: The Columbia Daily Tribune Postal Employee, Retired: The Columbia Post Office Links to My Favorite Webpages - Reunion Slide Shows Poetry For Verse Speaking Choir - Scene Magazine Aug '83 Columbia Public Schools Foundation - Hall of Leaders, 2006 March 2014 was the beginning of, picsbycharley Mail: 2312 DEER CREEK CT COLUMBIA MO 65201-3564 Phone or Text: (573)808-5314 (Noon - Midnight) email: charley@kewpie.net or mrkewp@gmail.com Register for: The Hickman Kewpie Classmates Association "In Memory of Debbie Burks" "Mr. Kewpie" sketch by Wilson of JC, MO 1983 I appreciate your donation to the 'kewpie.net Scholarship'
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. specializing in class reunions & wedding receptions. I can still be persuaded to provide music occasionally for special Kewpies and friends. Give me a call if I can be of musical help at your Reunion, Wedding or Party! Back
to Top of This Page
Keeping Track of "The Class of 1963"  You
know a little about your reunion chairman, so there isn't a whole lot for
me to say about that. I do put considerable time into the job, but
have a great time at it. "I do manage to personally
contact almost every classmate at least every 5 years and try to get the
whole group relocated!" Putting a reunion
together would be such a simple task if everyone would let me know when
their address or email address changes. The Class of 1963
webpage contains a list of those I DO NOT
have addresses for and a list of the
deceased
class members. I maintain this entire webpage and I hope you
will derive some enjoyment from it. If you have any information about
members of our class please let me know.
e-mail to: charley@kewpie.net I have also put together a database of all those that have attended Columbia High School & David H. Hickman High School since it began in 1897. That database now contains 39,493 Kewpies. If you ever attended Hickman, please register or if you know someone who might have, send them to www.kewpie.net, too. Register for Classmates Association
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 80,000 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 was riding a
Tour
Easy by Easy
Racers, the weird group,
called "Bent
Riders" but gave it up in 2017 for a electric assist bike, the
Electra Townie Commute GO! 8i.
Debbie Burks & 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.....
I hope you enjoy them too! Check out Roy Orbison's "Black & White Night." It's on DVD, it will take you back and blow you away on a good surround sound system! It's still the best I have seen! You gotta check out "JACK" in "About Schmidt." It's a MUST SEE, if you're RETIRED! Jack Nicholson, as McMurphy and Louise Fletcher, as Nurse Ratched, in "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" is still my favorite movie of all time, see it if you haven't. If you have a movie question, please email it to me at: charley@kewpie.net Back to Top of This Page Back to Home Page
1953 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. I am now on the board as a consultant for the Louisiana High School Alumni & Friends Association. 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, 1963, the 67th graduating class from Columbia, Missouri and the 36th graduating class of Kewpies. 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-commercial 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 Burks 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 every day 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. 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 45th Reunions were held in October of 2008. The Kewpie Reunion was October 3rd - 5th, 2008 in Columbia and the Bulldog Reunion was canceled due to lack of interest but the "Annual Alumni Association Reunion" was held October 17th - 19th, 2008 in Louisiana, Missouri. Karen graduated from high school in 1964 in Piggott, Arkansas. We attended the 45th Reunion over 4th of July weekend 2009 in Piggott. We are both happily retired; me from the Tribune, since 1997 & the Post Office since 2000 and Karen from State Farm since 2004. In October of 2008 I started the 'kewpie.net Scholarship' and since my Hickman Kewpie Class of 1963 wanted a scholarship in my name, I am also managing the 'Charley Blackmore's Class of '63 Scholarship.' So in the five years since the start of the scholarships; I have raised over $52,000.00 for the 'kewpie.net Scholarship' and over $15,000.00 for the 'Charley Blackmore's Class of '63 Scholarship.' Thank you, thank you very much!!!!!!!! The great Class of '63 donated $5,000.00 to Hickman High School in 1998, when I kicked off www.kewpie.net and in 2005 the users of www.kewpie.net made donations in the amount of almost $8,000.00 which was used to add the audio/video electronics to the Commons which was dedicated in 2003, before my 40th Reunion.
Updated September, 2013; I still stay active with the scholarships and the
webpages for www.kewpie.net,
http://kewpie.net/iam/crazy.html,
http://www.kewpie.net/colgrdnclub/cgc.html,
http://www.kewpie.net/daylily/bloom.htm,
www.kewpie.net/piggott/mohawk64.html,
www.kewpie.net/PaxtonKeeley/paxtonkeeley2020.html,
www.kewpie.net/1963.html.
I also do a DJ job every other month at the
ARC for the City of
Columbia for the members of
Columbia Adapted Community Recreation. In September of 2011 when my best old
buddy Alan Fugit was a guardian for his father-in-law, Don Dugan on
Central Missouri Honor Flight
#16, I got started taking pictures at the Honor Flight send off and return.
I still take pictures but they now call me an
Honor Flight photographer. I accept the title and enjoy meeting all the
Veterans the real heroes of our country and get to ride on Honor Flight with
them, take their pictures, make them slideshows of their trip as well as provide
the music of their era on their bus ride to and from St. Louis. I have made two
trips to DC and plan to go on Honor Flights #25 & #26 in October and November of
2013. Also I enjoy
entertaining Kewpies of all ages anytime they have the time to stop by
Kewpie Headquarters.... we have
overnight Kewpies as well but I guess our favorite is
Russ Sloan and his
wife Peggy Fisher ('56 & '59 Kewpies). Russ was the assistant coach to
Coach McLeod and Coach Roark
while I was a junior at Hickman High School in
1961-1962. Whenever
Russ is in town we always get together will Russ & Peggy's buddies and ours;
Nancy Ginn and Bob Martin ('57 & '56 Kewpies) usually at Angelo's or Murray's.
Oh in case you are interested Russ and I have a mutual love for the great
Lonnie Donegan
and are hosts of a Facebook Page in memory of Lonnie.
My 50th reunion was a beast.... the bar was raised for Kewpie reunions.....we raised $7,430.00 for the Charley Blackmore's Class of '63 Scholarship, 1st three-day reunion held during the week and the 1st ever Kewpie reunion to have The Krazy Kats, I still can't believe I pulled that off, not a soul knew a thing except for Karen..... the wall was pushed back at the Courtyard Marriott Oct 9th, and there were The Krazy Kats, singing "Ol' Time Rock 'N Roll".......on a very sad note, it was also the last Kewpie reunion to have The Krazy Kats as they announced their retirement after our reunion to be October 18, 2014 and Lee passed away before they gave that final performance. FYI, Karen after having served and still serving as President of the Columbia Garden Club and the Central Missouri Daylily Club, she is now Second Vice-President of the Missouri State Garden Club. I occasionally get to follow her to these events to do the programs with pictures she and I have taken on their trips and at their events. We are now working on a project to get photographs of the seventy + Blue Star Memorials in the state placed by Garden Clubs in memory of all those who served in the military. Updated February 2014; I was honored to be the Central Missouri Honor Flight photographer on the last four flights of 2013; (23, 24, 25 & 26) and plan to continue as long as they want me to help and I am able to do so. This year will mark my 16th year as volunteer DJ for the "Seniors for Seniors Prom" at Hickman High School. As of 2014 the 'kewpie.net Scholarship' and the 'Charley Blackmore's Class of '63 Scholarship' are now endowed for a total of two, $1,000.00 and two $500.00 scholarships will be awarded annually. Karen is still involved with the Daylily, Iris and Columbia Garden clubs and is Second Vice President of the State Garden Club, so she will have a busy 2014. I will be assisting Kewpie classes with their reunions this year as usual; specifically the classes of 1954, 1959, 1964 and 1974. Karen will also have a reunion this year; the 50th Reunion of the Piggott Mohawk, Class of '64. Updated December 2014; Oh well, we started off in March attending 'The Ledendary Piano Play-Off' at Boone County Historical Society, yep I got a few pics and some video.....also in March I took some engagement pictures for Rachel Hayden and Chris our dear friends Susan & Richard Hayden's daughter. Also shot some pictures of Lisa Wayland and her horse, Nicki Minaj. I still DJ for my pals at the ARC every other month, the Columbia Community Adapted Recreation group and in May did a 5-Year in Review slideshow for them of my five years DJing for them! Honor Flight #27 was May 13th and I was again the photographer for the trip, this my last Honor Flight as I couldn't make #28 on June 9th as Karen & I were on the Annual Garden Club trip to Mackinac Island. I got to take lots of pics at the wedding of Rachel and Chris on June 14th and they are expecting this May. In July we headed to Piggott, Arkansas over the 4th for Karen's 50th reunion of the '64 Piggott Mohawks (I got to do slideshows, a memorial and the music IMAGINE THAT...and take pictures!!!!) and Karen's nephew, Travis (Shannon, Molly & Maggie) hosted the 1st Annual Aunt Karen 4th of July Fish Fry..... and Karen out shot all comers when the skeet started to fall!!!!!!! Two weeks after returning from Piggott we drove to Panama City Beach, Florida..... and spent a WHOLE WEEK in the beach house we rented.... just 14 of us.... Karen & me, Rob and Rachel, Jacob, Hannah, Maggie, Sam, Tuna & Lil, Melissa and Kevin, Tyler & Zachary.... would have been 18 but Travis, Shannon, Molly and Maggie couldn't come.... we returned alive, still love each and still talk to each other..... Man I don't know how the Griswold's did it so many times...! Then in September went to the Veteran's Hospital in Mexico, Missouri for the dedication of another Blue Star Memorial Marker and a few days later I drove to Louisville, Kentucky and surprised Melissa, Kevin and Zachary at their Taekwondo Tournament... and got to see where they make the Louisville Slugger baseball bats! Gave Melissa, Zachary, Rob, Rachel, Jacob & Sam early Christmas present and got them tickets for Cardinal playoff games! Got to see Jacob graduate from Rock Bridge and receive the Advanced Electronics & Robotics Award in May. Hannah was inducted to National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta and was crowned the 1st Homecoming Queen for Battle High School, (Homecoming Dance) wow and she's only halfway through her senior year....! On Veteran's Day, another Blue Star Memorial Marker, this one dedicated by the Columbia Garden Club and at the University of Missouri. And November 26th Karen's Uncle Laverne's funeral in Poplar Bluff and dinner with Travis, Shannon, Molly and Maggie and right back home for Thanksgiving dinner with Rob, Rachel, Sam, Susan and Karen & me!
Sure can't forget all the
great "Wednesday
Nite Blackmore Suppers" with Jacob,
Hannah, Maggie and sometimes some of their friends...; girlfriends,
boyfriends,etc., all the great Kewpie friends that stop to visit through the
year, like 'The Fuzz & Piggy'
true Hickman High Heroe of my Kewpie Decade and all those great Kewpie reunions
I was a part of, Kewpie Classes (1954,
1959, 1964, 1974, 1979 and 1984)! Whew....
and there is still a month left!!!!!!! March marked a year since I started; "picsbycharley" and switched to the new Sony mirrorless technology in cameras! My granddaughter Hannah got three scholarships at the Battle High School awards ceremony May 18th... Got to help my oldest grandson celebrate his 22nd birthday at G & D, he flew home from NC with his mother to watch his cousin Hannah graduate in the 1st class of Battle High School.. Hannah had a 3.97 accumulative, takes after her grandpa, NOT! DJed for Paxton Keeley Elementary 5th Grade Graduation Party, 7th consecutive year and my brother 'GB' put together a great Vietnam Memorial for his classmates who died in Vietnam at the 50th Reunion of the Class of '65, Memorial Day Weekend and I helped by taking pictures... a great thing, chalk on up for GB, GreaT Job! Then we had a great graduation party for Hannah, Caitlynn (Hannah's bestie) and Harleigh, (Jacob's girlfriend) who also graduated Batttle High. Then last of May we went on the Federated Garden Club bus trip to Arkansas Gardens.... which included a visit to P. Allen's Smith and more.... had a pizza lunch at Shakespeare's West for the scholarship recipients for the Class of 2015 Kewpies..... then July 2nd we celebrated my our youngest grandchild Maggie's Sweet 16 Birthday at Red Lobster! Karen and I went to the Blue Star Memorial Dedication in Windsor MO on July 3rd and got to have a great supper at Charley's Buffett, close to Versailles MO with an old friend and his wife (Rural Carrier in Versailles).... Had our dear friends Jay & Pat Spangler here and Jay fixed his specialty shrimp dinner New Orleans style... I am still full! Daughter, Melissa and grandson Zachary were here for two weeks, during Melissa's birthday July 21 and we all got to go to Kirksville with Hannah to check out Truman State where she starts in August! Great time with Melissa and they rushed back home to take a cruise! We spent August 15th helping Hannah get moved to Kirksville.... and just last week Maggie get her driver's license and her first car.... everybody's back to school and summer is rolling on... Karen heads out August 25th for her "Bar Harbor & the Canadian Maritime Provinces trip with her besties, Fern and LaVerne..... I agreed to this when Karen and I got married which we will be celebrating our 15th anniversary at another Blue Star Memorial Dedication in Columbia on September 29, 2015...... Hey you are truly up to date with my life..... Life goes on, thanks to all those who have shown continued support to me and to kewpie.net (the scholarships and fund raisers)! Go Kewpies!
Updated from October of 2015, done on Apirl 20, 2016 Karen and I went to Powell Gardens on Tuesday October 27, 2015 and after walking about a mile and a half in the rain with an umbrella trying to take pictures, I decided at that moment it was time for a new left knee! I made an appointment with Dave Hockman of the Columbia Orthopaedic Group on November 30th and set up knee replacement surgery for February 11th of 2016. Now I began to worry about a stress test before surgery, since I hadn't had one for several years and my by-pass surgery was almost 20 years ago.... I anticipated maybe there would be a problem and then I passed the stress test in December and had to wait till Feb11th for my surgery date.... it will be 10 weeks tomorrow and tomorrow also is my last day of PT at the new Nifong Boone Hospital Center.... a great place and great physical therapists; especially Denice and Robin, love those gals!!!! On November 11th we had another Blue Star Memorial Dedication in Jeff City and I got to take pictures.... Throughout November, December and January of 2016 I continued to take pictures for my good friend, Danyale Williams and her girls at Stephens College and Battle High School; the Stephens Starlets and the Spartan Sparklers of Battle. Also did the photograhy for the Women's Symphony League Holiday Home Tour in Columbia again! On January 17th I won the live auction at "The Last Kewpie Standing." I did dances again for my good friends at the ARC of the Columbia Recreational Adapted Citizens Group in November and January.... and five weeks after my knee replacement will a little help I was back at the ARC on March 18, 2016. On March 20th I got to take pictures at the 2016 Art In Bloom and the Columbia Garden Club received another award. April 14th I took my 1st short trail ride on the new Grindstone trail which runs from Grindstone Park to Maguire Blvd.... Also in March and April I did some work with my buddy Tom Baker of Baker HD for a Landmark Bank video, etc. April 16th Karen and I went to another Blue Star Memorial Dedication in Moberly MO and again I got to take more pictures! It's April 20, 2016, my little brother will be having his last 60th birthday tomorrow and you are up to date!
Updated done on August 12, 2017 *A big surprise; Kevin Morrison, my son-in-law lost his job at Lowe's in Mooresville, NC, and WHAT A GREAT THING THAT WAS, this summer they returned to Missouri, how great is that! Kevin is now with Helzburg Diamonds of North Kansas City, loving it and is now a Home Depot shopper! They are living in KCMO, Tyler has moved back to COMO and is a mechanic at Bob McCosh Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, GM and Zachary is going to Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville!
Karen
recently returned from Charleston, WV where she attended the Miss Teen
International Pageant where her great-niece,
Maggie Williams, Arkansas Miss Teen International took 4th runner-up,
Way To Go MAG! Right now I await doing a Memorial Program for the 60th Reunion of the Kewpies of the Class of 1957 and Karen will get back from a short trip to Arkansas with her best buddies LaVerne & Fern, as LaVerne flew in from Florida to celebrate a *Big" birthday with Karen & Fern...... and life goes on, Praise the Lord!
August 21, we had a great view from
our back yard of the “Great American Eclipse” as dubbed by the news media, a
total solar eclipse. We also made a trip to Northwest Missouri State at
Maryville to help get grandson, Zachary moved in to start college and the end of
August we spent a day at the lake with our dear friends for over 60s yeas Alan &
Diane Fugit. Karen has continued to stay busy with being State President of the Garden Club and they continue to add Blue Star Memorials and added to Gold Star Memorials; the 1st in Lathrop MO and the 2nd at the State Capitol. I continued to take pictures of my good Kewpie buddies the Hickman Cheerleaders and DJ for my good friends at the Columbia Adapted Community Recreation at the ARC. The Kewpie Cheerleaders won the 1st ever State Championship and Kewpie Alumni raised the money through kewpie.net to buy them Championship Rings!
After Thanksgiving we started what
turned out to be about a 10-month process of enclosing and our Gazebo, Karen’s
She-Shack. We spent Christmas with family in Columbia early and we’re in Piggott
AR for Christmas eve and Christmas with Karen’s nephew Travis and all his
family…! 2018 We had a house guest, Linda Plott, ’64 Kewpie spent a week with us as she started recovery from her knee replacement. In March we went to Art In Bloom in St Louis, it was certainly a huge show compared to our local Art In Bloom in Columbia. Throughout the year I continued to do pictures for the Kewpie Cheerleaders and do my monthly DJ gig at the ARC. In May we attended High School Graduations for two of Karen’s great nieces in Arkansas. In late May the Garden Club’s Bloomin’ Bus Tour went without me this year…, they toured Kentucky and Ohio. In June Karen attended the Garden Club National Convention in Philadelphia and went to Panama City, Panama in August to judge a flower show…Florida and Michigan in September and October for garden club events, and people say I’m busy????? Dan Judy, Hickman Wrestling Coach of the 60s was honored at Hickman in November. We had a fabulous Thanksgiving at the Iron Skillet at the Midway Truck Stop after we returned from our Danube River Cruise on Viking earlier in November. This was my 5th year as the Missouri Symphony League’s Holiday Home Tour and we had Christmas Eve at our house for a dozen of us and then the whole gang of two dozen for Christmas! 2018 was a good year and we are truly blessed and look forward to another year, still married in our 19th year, whodathoughtit! 2019 😊spent an "exciting" New Year's Eve, not... Ha, Ha..... Jim & Pam Biddle, our good friends were here for awhile and then we spent New Year's Day with our good friend, Carolyn Wilson for "Hoppin' John's"! But now looking back, they didn't work worth a damn!!!!!!! Also got to see Kevin's mom and Mike were over NYs and Maggie & Molly, Karen's great nieces, were here from Arkansas. Had a snow in eary mid January and GB got a new left knee! And another year of DJing at the ARC for the Columbia Adapted Community Recreation. March 2019, got to spend another evening with Terry & Glenda Sapp, celebration something... :) ? but it was as always "a good time"! Shakespeare's Pizza party for Heather & Jessie's boy's 1st BD party, Happy BDay, Owen. Peoples' Choice 2019 Award at "Art In Bloom" for the Columbia Garden Club. State of Missouri Garden Club install a Blue Star Memorial in Veterans' Cemetery Springfield. Karen went to NYC with Shannon and Maggie & Molly in March.....and Russ Sloan was here with us for MU Spring Football and making plans for Peggy's 60th reunion of the Class of '59 in June and I did their Memorial Program. They were back again in July as the Class of '56 had another reunion..... while they still had enough able-bodied Kewpies to make it! July 26th was the BIG EVENT of 2019, the birth of our 1st Great Grandson, Maverick Morrison! My best buddy Melvin Burnett's daughter and granddaughter, Carla & Jessica were her in August as Jessica has decided to go to MU, how sweet it was but one semester and she headed to Michigan.... :( Well from August it was the downhill slump........ left shoulder replacement and it had to be redone in September as the thought they saw some possible infection but after two weeks of antibiotics, no infection and we did it over..... then therapy and wait four months for January right shoulder replacement.... those four months were interuppted by Karen's left knee replacement in November at which time my right knee went out, thanks for special angels, she wound up mostly taking care of me, I am a LUCKY MAN!!!! Spent most of our time the rest of 2019 looking forward to weekend faithful visits from our Great Grandson Maverick and mom & dad..... spent a little time with my cheerleaders and Karen stayed busy as usual. We did get to see Cousin Barry from NY in October and I did my last DJ job for the Columbia Adapted Community Recreation group at the ARC on October 25th after working for them since 2009..... eleven years of great fun and great people!!!! Took it pretty easy through the rest of the year but did manage to take Christmas pictures for Heather & Jessie and Molly and John, the Lyman family......and had a BIG family Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve dinners at the Union Hall with all our families....it was a winner a good time and fun time was had by all!!!! 2020What can anybody say about our future from here forward or even make the slightest prediction of the outcome for any of us! China Virus, I agree with Trump, it is and will always be the China Virus! March 19th we had our 1st "Social Distancing Driveway Party" and continued thru 12 consecutive weeks, until it got too hot to sit out! Fun while it lasted and no one got the flu! Our granddaughter Hannah, graduated from Truman State Nursing School in May and is at work now at Kansas University Hospital... Kudos, Hannah!!!!! Karen has continued to stay her busy self, with all of her flower garden and taking care of me in my worst year..... only getting a sample of what my brother has been putting up with for years of the pain of joints wearing out and our inherited arthritis! I sold my E-bike and all of my Gas powered yard tools..... bought a new Toro battery trimming mower, a Ryobi, zero turn, battery powered rider and all new battery tools (blower, trimmer and edger)...... Karen and I tag team the yard and it still looks great with the help of Sam Collins, a Kewpie who has done my yard treatments for many years. I postponed my schedule knee replacement surgery from June to October, the week after Tyler and Crystal's wedding, which I will try to DJ, virus and all........ Update as of October 10, 2020 Tyler & Crystal were married and I DJed at Crystal's parents home east of Columbia. October 15th Doc Dave Hockman replaced my right knee and all was well in no time! Got good news to start off 2021, after Doc Katie Murray had me do a Pelvic T2 MRI and found out on April 2nd I had NO CANCER! But April 30th after having some breathing issues Doc Spaedy did a heart cath and found I need a heart valve and June 17th Doc Richard Mellitt did an aortic valve replacement. Our good friend Russ Sloan reserved our guest suite for September 26 through October 3rd and arrived Sunday the 26th feeling very poorly after attending his Truman State Football Reunion in St Charles. We spent his week through Sunday, October the 2nd with him back to Boone Hospital for the 3rd time with COVID 19..... he was in Boone until his son flew in from Oregon and flew Russ back to Leesburg FL on Friday, October 8th while Karen and I were getting tested "positive" for COVID....... Karen didn't feel too bad throughout but I went to the hospital for infusion treatment and felt pretty crappy through November, then in December I got results back from my ECHO and was back in the Boone December 16th for Doc Spaedy to install a defibrillator...... well that's been just over 6 months and I am still trying to recover from that and the valve replacement.....tired, not much strength and sleep A LOT!!!!!!!! So basically I started off 2022 with a new heart valve and defibrillator and we started back up in the spring with our "Social Distancing Driveway Party" routine and hope to continue that throughout the summer and fall when we have a Sunday forecast of no rain and 70 - 80 degree temp! Karen and I have been staying pretty close to home except where Garden Club & flower clubs take her like, St Joe for State Garden Club Convention and Orlando for National Garden Club Convention and I get to stay home and take care of the pets (NOT) (NONE of THEM)! Ha..... Karen and I are blessed to have three healthy great grandbabies! Tyler has Maverick almost three and Raelynn, almost one and Zachary has Marley just past one!  Raelynn - Marley - my daughter Melissa - Maverick Only bad news, recently my 2008 Honda Ridgeline (that was going to last me the rest of my life) got a little hit that State Farm said was too much, so now my last truck is a 2022 Honda Ridgeline Black Edition and I think I am gonna love it as much as his granddad! *And would you believe, transferred my Lifetime Subscription to SiriusXM! Thank You Sirius!  So summing things up from here, thanks to Karen, who without, I wouldn't probably be here!!!! She has taken over for almost everything I used to do and taken care of me through seven trips to Boone Hospital..... best nurse around and I am a lucky man to have her! I hope to get back a little closer to normal and be able to do a few things I was doing before the Grim Reaper started trying to sneak up on me! With COVID I am a little behind on the Cresset on my webpage as I am still waiting on the 2021 edition images and hope to have it and 2022 before long... Well it will soon be time to start putting something together for a 60th Reunion of the Class of 1963 Kewpies of Hickman High School..... Come back for a final update for 2022 and see what's happenin' in 2023! Kewpie Love & Hugs...! December 30, 2022 Well here it is time to celebrate 2022, celebrate that it's finally over! Got started with preparations for a 60th Reunion of the Hickman Kewpie Class of '63 and will finalize plans by spring. I guess I left off with the purchase of my new 2022 Honda Ridgeline Black Edition..... and that was Mid July of 2022...... July 21st my daughter, Melissa celebrated her 50th.... and has three grandbabies. August, we celebrated Raelynn's 1st birthday. In September I made a slideshow for Jay & Pat Spangler for their 50th Wedding Anniversary we attended at their home in Ballwin, MO. October 22nd we flew to Alubuquerque to see Pam & Jim Biddle and had lunch with '64 Kewpie, Dale Belcher and Fran before we flew back the 25th. November, on the 5th I DJed for Chris Brinker, a Target employees of the 80s reunion and on the 18th we went to Kansas City and got to see grandson, Zachary graduate from the Kansas City Police Academy and he will soon start to work for the Police Department of Liberty, MO. Then we enjoyed Thanksgiving with all our family (Blackmore's and Morrison's) at the Branch 763 Union Hall, hosted by Rob & Rachel! I started off the last day of November by taking pictures for my nineth year with the Missouri Symphony League Holiday Home Tour, which was December 2 - 4, 2022. I also took pictures of our home decorations and three other homes for the Columbia Garden Club, 1st Holiday Home Tour and took pictures of Donna Breedloves home as a gift to her for Christmas. We again celebrated Christmas Eve at our annual (Blackmore and Morrison) party at the Branch 763 Union Hall, hosted by Rob & Rachel! We had Christmas dinner at our house Christmas day for any all the family and this year we let Hy-Vee do the cooking except for a few extras by Karen. We'll spend a quiet NYE at home with our friend Carolyn Wilson for dinner and light celebration! Welcome 2023, we'll give it a try! Got one DJ job booked for March....! Go Tigers, Go Kewpies! SEE YA NEXT YEAR! January 2023 The main thing that entertains Karen and me now is spending time with our grandkids children, that's right three great grands.... Tyler and Crystal's, Maverick will be four in August and Raelynn will be two in July and Zachary and Dakota's, Marley will be two in June. January 7, 2023, Columbia Public School Board celebrated its 150 year... I did an interview for part of the ceremonial video. https://www.kewpie.net/CPS/150withCTB.mp4 On March 18, 2023 I DJed a 50th Anniversary for '70 Kewpie, Donna Fenton Russel and her husband. Karen's good friend, Laverne was here for two weeks to help Fern celebtrate her 90th Birthday Party, which didn't happen becasue Fern and Karen had COVID.... :( https://www.kewpie.net/fern/Fern90th.mp4 We also had a nice hail storm in March and will get to have a new roof put on in August along with some other damage. Also finished up a Memorial Slideshow for Chirs Veley "The Country Cowboy" who died December 16, 2022 at his home in Florida. Chris was a good friend back in my early years and we both were DJs, he was the Country DJ on KTGR AM radio and at Maxi's. His wife was Randy Mueller's daughter Kim and I have known her since the late 60s. https://www.kewpie.net/ChrisV/ChrisV.mp4 In April my brother did a program at Hickman in the Commons to dedicate the highway signs that were erected on Providence Road in memory of his four classmates, LARRY HAROLD COLEMAN, DANIEL JOSEPH HEIBEL, STEPHEN LEE IRVIN and DALE RAYMOND JACKSON. https://www.kewpie.net/gbstuff/April23Vets65.mp4 Our granddaughter Lilly, who is a freshman at Hickman on the Varsity Soccer Team had a soccer game we attended and I shot some pictures of her! https://www.kewpie.net/lilly/LillySoccer01.mp4 We celebrated Easter at Robbie's house this year with him and Rachel and the grands and more. I also got out in April, before hot weather kicked in and Robbie and I played 54 holes of golf at Lake of the Woods, in five days.... this old man was tired after that.... now that I can play I don't have any old golfing buddies left or able to play.... :( Towards the end of April I attended a family reunion of Charlie Willard, 98 year old, '43 Kewpie in Ashland. His classmate and good friend, Joe Forsee, also 98 year old '43 Kewpie was there.... now that doesn't happen everyday! :) https://www.kewpie.net/Class43/Charlie98.mp4 May 14th we had our 1st 2023 Driveway Party which was our third year celebration of our 1st Driveway Party in 2020. https://www.kewpie.net/party/DWparty.mp4 Also before our Driveway Party, Robbie & Rachel hosted a Mother's Day Celebration dinner at their house. The big celebration in May was Tyler Morrison's surprise 30th birthday party..... https://www.kewpie.net/tyler/Tyler30b.mp4 - https://www.kewpie.net/tyler/2TylerByPawPaw1080.mp4 - https://www.kewpie.net/tyler/tylerBDay30.mp4 His party was a surprise for sure.... and it went well. His grandparents, Lyndia and Mike were here from Kentucky and Zachary got off work and he and Dakota and Marley were there, as well and us, GB & Connie and cousin and lots of Tyler's friends... Got to take pictures again at the Columbia Garden Club Annual Flower Show at the Columbia Public Library. https://mrkewpie.zenfolio.com/p1005362163 And on May 25th we honored the '65 Kewpies who gave their all.... Larry, Danny, Steve and Dale. Pictures: https://mrkewpie.zenfolio.com/p179952712 Video: https://www.kewpie.net/MemorialDay/2023Memorial65.mp4 Slideshow: https://www.kewpie.net/MemorialDay/2023Memorial65ss.mp4 As of today, May 30, 2023, come back later for an update for the rest of the year! September 10, 2023 Started out the month of by adding a couple of new toys to my collection.... an Insta360 X3 camera and a new GoPro HeroBlack 11, even though I still haven't flown my Mavic Pro2 drone... oh new toys keeps me young, NOT. Speaking of toys, I had to relearn how to set up my Freedom Par Tri 6, lights for DJing it had been so long since I'd used, before my shoulder replacements back in 2019 before COVID hit. June 10, 2023 I had the biggest DJ job since I ended my monthly DJ jobs at the ARC for Columbia Adapted Community Recreation. The June 10th DJ job was for the 50th Reunion of the Class of 1973, the largest class of Kewpies (753) to graduate from Hickman HS. I was their DJ, I took picture Fri & Sat nights a two locations, Hampton Inn and Shiloh, ran slideshows throughout the evening Sat night, took the Class picture outside in the rain from a 6-foot step ladder and did the Memorial Slideshow for their 91 deceased classmates. And yep, the Freedom Par Tri 6, Flaircon lights worked! Our deceased classmate, Roy Lee Clayborne's brother, Bub, who I worked with for 30+ years and bowled with for 15 years or more, passed away June 12th. And on Friday June 16th Karen & I went to visit our dear friends, Jerry & Claire Robinson in Hannibal. Jerry and I went to elementary school together from 1st thru 4th grades and I am the reunion chairman for the Class of 63 or Louisiana HS and helped them get their Alumni & Friends Association setup in 2003. The last weekend of June we had our Kewpie, step-granddaughter, Lilly Fei spent almost two weeks with us while Rob & Rachel went to London/Paris to take in Cubs/Cardinals game in London and sightseeing. Lilly had a couple more Kewpies spend the night.... Ouch, not uneventful!!!!! My brother, Gary, aka.GB, had some upper back/neck surgery and came home will a feeding tube in late June for six weeks and is getting by now, but expecting another back surgery in October.... prayers for sure for GB. Bought a new Dell XPS 8950 and all the accessories and getting ready to do the switch after the early October 60th reunion I have been working on since August of 2022. We spent the 4th of July at our house with grandson, Tyler & Crystal, Maverick & Raelynn... our neighbors put on a great fireworks display... we enjoyed from lawn chairs in our driveway. And then we went to my son's house for a Father's Day BBQ. Weekend of June 29th we celebrated Maverick's 4th birthday and Raelynn's 2nd birthday... You think "grandkids" are fun, wait till you have "great grandkids", it just keeps gettin' better and better! One of Karen's very best friends, LaVerne was here from Cape for a week and then she and Karen went to Piggott AR for a couple of days and Karen attended her Aunt Lou's funeral in Scott City on the way home..... OK things are getting in high-gear for my 60th Reunion, Oct 3-5, 2023. Have 61 planning attend, it all pans out. Karen has spent almost all of this month with terrible back pain and is suffering mainly because she can't work in her massive flower beds and I don't do FLOWER BEDS! So far for most of Aug and Sept will be spent finalizing all details, in hopes of having a successful 60th reunion, visiting with the 61 living, who say they will be here and paying our respects to our 110 deceased classmate and praying for those who aren't able to join us! Stayed tuned, falls around the corner and winter's coming soon! November 14, 2023 OK, October, Fall Season of 2023 starts off with the 60th Reunion of the Hickman Kewpie Class of 1963! Oct 3 - 5, 2023 @ The University Hampton Inn, in Columbia MO. Pictures & Slideshow & Webpage The biggest news at my house right now since I got heeled from all of my surgeries, between August 2019 and December 2021, of two shoulders replaced, left knee replaced, heart valve replaced and then a defibrillator installed, now Karen has had issues in her back and legs. She has been to the Orthopedic Group, to two chiropractors and now starting 6 weeks of physical therapy, but we still don't know what's wrong other than she has terrible pain most all the time. Got my book, "That's My Story And I'm Stickin' To It" finished and Anne Parker, '62 Kewpie proofed it for me and it's ready to be printed. I wrote it through the online service called Storyworth, which was my Christmas gift last year from Robbie, Melissa, Tyler, Jacob, Hannah, Zachary and Maggie. I did it in printed copy (hardback), html (webpage) and as an audiobook through the webpage edition. Thanksgiving is sneaking up on us in barely two weeks and Saturday we have a baby shower in Kearney MO at Melissa's house for Zachary & Dakota's new baby girl who will be with us in January 2024. As soon as Turkey Day is over, I will start shooting pictures for my tenth year as the "Volunteer Photographer" for the Women's Symphony League, Holiday Home Tour. Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve dinners, will again be hosted by Robbie & Rachel Blackmore at the NALC Union Hall, same as we have been doing for the last several years. We just became too big of a family to fit into anyone's house. Wishing all family, friends and Kewpie classmates who we won't be able to see over the holidays a Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry, Merry Christmas. Remember "CHRIST"mas, it's the reason for the season! Best wishes for a Healthy & Happy New Year for 2024. Thanks to everyone for supporting me the last 25 years! I started my 26th year as Kewpie webmaster in October of 2023 of "The Kewpie Gathering Place." www.kewpie.net If you are a Kewpie, a Mohawk or a Bulldog or just remember either of us, give us a call next time you are in or near "Kewpietown" and stop by for a visit! We'd love to see you anytime, you're always welcome!!!!
Charley & Karen
Blackmore
2312 Deer Creek Ct Columbia MO 65201-3564 Call (noon - midnight) 573-808-5314 or Text charley@kewpie.net karen@kewpie.net I have been taking pictures at reunions for several years. I also create slideshows, provide Memorial Slideshows for class reunions and produce Reunion Slideshows of the reunions after they take place. If you would like some pictures taken at your Kewpie Class Reunion, a slideshow or memorial, let me know, I'll try to help! Or if you'd just like some pictures taken..... Call or email.... Go to: picsbycharley Back to Home Page
 
Back to Bio - Back to Top of This Page Back to Home Page Annie Oakley as Aunt Karen is now called in Piggott..... 7 direct hits out of 8 shots!  The Fuzz and Piggy 
or Back to Home Page |
Charles
Taylor Blackmore II, aka. "Mr. Kewpie"
2022