Remember the Go-Kart Races, Rasslin' at the Fairgrounds?

     Dan McMullan wrote, "Do you remember back in the early 60's (I think) when some of the locals raced go-karts at the Boone County Fairgrounds? It was quite a fad for a short period. I don't think it was sanctioned by any racing authority. I do remember one or two decent donnybrooks between the racers. This was shortly before the racetrack came to town. Perhaps some of your readers can shed some light on my hazy memory. I enjoy your work."
     Extra-curricular activities the Kornerman remembers from the Fairgrounds in those days and earlier was the professional wrestling that was pretty popular, probably due to the fact it was a big event on television. I'm talking about the time way before this currently popular WWE.........back when wrestling direct from Chicago was a big deal in the early days of TV.  Some of those older TV wrestling stars came right to little old Boone on occasion to perform, usually at the Fairgrounds.. I'm sure Verne Gagne was here and who was the real big guy that was so popular? I just remembered it........Yukon Eric.Was handsome Harley Race ever here? How about Antonio Rocca?
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     Adding to some recent talk: Larry Kelley and Bernie Lewiston, a pair of old KWBG teammates of mine, both wrote the Korner a week ago. Refer to the last edition for their original thoughts.
     I replied to Larry and asked him for an update on his talented son, Jamie Aaron Kelley. Here was the info Larry provided. "Just released his first album of all original songs which they sell at Eckstein's. At Christmas time if you go to Lowes in Ames and see the Elvis Christmas items and hear them either sing or talk, that's Jamie. He's done that sort of thing (voiceovers) for several different companies for five years or so now. We're working on a new music show that includes his backup singers doing out front songs and members of his band doing some too. Bringing back some of the great songs of the past and the artists who made them famous. It will include his original songs as well. Did you know he has written five new Christmas songs? Also working on doing more shows in Iowa and surrounding states than we've done in the past. He would like to do two shows a year in Boone to help raise money for either a charity or the Boone High School music department. He now has his own recording studio with sound proof booth and can record people wanting to make a CD or album for family presents. So there's a lot going on with him. He's in Chicago this weekend."
     Bernie, meantime, said he and wife, Evelyn, are doing well in West Bend. "Evelyn is still pastor at West Bend United Methodist Church and Mallard United Methodist Church. We have power point presentations during the services and I do the computer and sound thing at both churches. Also spend a bit of time on my amateur radio station. I am now 71, headed for 72 this summer."
     Great to hear from those guys and relive memories of our KWBG days together.
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     Until I told him later, Tony Crandell had no idea that the late Ray Morris was my mother's brother, my uncle.
     So, it was a surprise to the Kornerman when Tony paid tribute to Ray via a note to the Korner. He wrote, "I was sorting out some 60-year old memorabilia when I ran across a campaign poster for Ray Morris for Boone County Sheriff. I remember when Ray tried his best to make a Babe Ruth centerfielder out of me but, alas, I was always one step short of being in the right place at the right time. Ray finally had to break the news to me.......I was never going to make the team. Then, Ray started a Woodman of the World youth club and one night he got the boxing gloves out to see if there was a nucleus for a Golden Gloves Boxing Club. Classmate Brian Knezevich proved to me again that I should take up an activity that required less hand and brain coordination. He would punch me three times while I was just thinking about hitting him.  In short, sports were not to be my forte. Ray was a perennial candidate for Sheriff. It wasn't that he disapproved of the job Steve Beaulieu was doing, he just didn't like to see an election with only one candidate. Steve did such a good job, no one would run against him except Ray and actually, the two were good friends. Ray spent hours and hours involved with the youth of Boone. He was never flashy, but always in the background, always there, and always willing to donate whatever time it took to promote Boone's youth whether it was baseball, camping or scouts.Its folks like Ray and others than you mention on occasion that cause all of us to look back with pride at our Boone heritage."
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     Boone Area Deaths: Lucille Turner, 88, Boone. Ogden High-44. Worked at Bourns and had a ceramic shop in West Boone. Boone area survivors are her son Randy Ahrens, daughters Amanda McCullough and Leann Freel and longtime friend Howard Roberts of Boone.............Wendell Carlson, 99, Boone. Born on a farm near Stratford and worked that farm. Moved to Boone in 1995................Elsie Youngren, 87, Ogden..........Harold Jagerson, 94, Madrid. Luther High-37. Farmed his entire life. Boone area survivors include his wife, Mary, daughters Shona Ringgenberg and Vicki Carlson, sister Beulah Duling, sister-in-law Helen Jagerson all of Madrid..........Geraldine Murray, 73, Nebraska. Formerly of Boone. Was a cook at Iowa State University.
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