KEITH NEELY AND ME

Each week, I find myself waiting with childlike anticipation for my copy of my hometown newspaper called The South County News. Upon its arrival, I eagerly read through it feeding on the local community news, various stories and searching the photographs for familiar names or faces. Frequently, I read in the contents of the paper an article that reminds me of something that happened to me when I lived in Senath back in the fifties. As I went through last weeks issue, I laughed aloud at the story about Willy Dee and Milton Ballinger and the “wasps in the cockpit” of their airplane. In that same issue were “old” photos. Several photos in that issue showed both Donna and Jimmy Crites during Christmas time in the fifties. Those photos reminded me of an event that happened to me on Christmas Day 1951.

Many of you still living in Senath will no doubt remember Keith Neely as a schoolmate. Keith lived in the OLD NEELY place located on Hwy. 25 about half way to Midway. The old (Neely) house is still there as is the old red bard adjacent to it.

The next time you are leaving Kampus Corner on Hwy. 412 (headed toward Kennett) you will take a closer look at that Old “Red” Barn as you recall this story. Watch for the old fence line running from behind that barn towards where Tommy Joe and Melba Harris now live on 412. See if you can make out the fence on the far end of that same field. In December 1951 that field was a hog pasture. The following story is about events that happened in that field on Christmas Day, over fifty years ago.

As soon as my brother Charles and I woke up (on Christmas morning 1951) and had opened our Christmas gifts we headed down the road toward town to Keith's house. We had to see what he had gotten for Christmas.

I remember Keith coming to the door showing us a brand new Remington 22 caliber rifle “Santa” had brought him. The rifle had mounted on it a “BIG” scope. To me it seemed as if that rifle and the scope were shining as if they were made of glass.

Keith and my brother were about the same age. Keith around fourteen or fifteen, my brother thirteen or fourteen and I was going to be twelve the coming February of 52. Our old house would burn down in the late fall of 52.

Together, we three quickly departed the house and headed out to that “old red barn”. We were going to be the first to not only see but to “try out” Keith's new rifle. I remember seeing (for the first time in my life), a box filled full of “Extra” Long 22 caliber bullets. Keith began to tell us about the firepower of that rifle when shooting one of those “Extra” Long bullets.

As we looked out from the back of the barn towards town, I can still remember Keith Neely telling us, “ This rifle will shoot this here bullet STRIEGHT TO THE SENATH TOWN WATER TANK.” He went on to add to that remark that the “Extra” long rifle bullet ---“ will not drop one inch in a mile.” Now I may have only been ten at the time but I had at least two good things going for me. First, I was from Missouri, and he was certainly going to have to show me. I let him know that I was not stupid and challenged him to prove the bullets fire power. As the story goes on you will see that, he did just that.

Together, the three of us walked from the “old red barn” towards where Tommy Joe and Melba Harris live today. We were walking along that “old” fence line. We were inside the pasture looking in the direction of where “Midway” cafe used to be beyond the far end of the pasture. The distance to the other end of that pasture was a full quarter mile. Some how it seems as if it is not as great a distance when I look across it today.

At that other end stood a bunch of hogs owned by Mr. Neely. Upon seeing those hogs, I said to Keith, “bet you it will not shoot from here to the hogs without us seeing that “Extra” long rifle bullet dropping into the dirt.” Now the bet was on - and here comes the “bad” stretch. Keith quickly dropped to the ground and beckoned my brother and I to look at the hogs through that bright and shinny “scope”. As I looked at the hogs and handed the rifle back I said, “It still will not shoot that far without dropping into the dirt”.

Keith braced himself on his elbows and peered through the scope. My brother and I looked on with anticipation as “if” something were about to happen. We were lying there looking back and forth at Keith and that bunch of hogs standing at the other end of that pasture. I do not remember ever having asked Keith if he really intended to pull that trigger and shoot that rifle or not. However, I do remember that I was looking at a big hog that he had pointed out. He obviously did pull that trigger. I heard that rifle shot “exploded” in my ear. At precisely the same time I heard the rifle explode with a loud “BANG”, I saw that previously pointed out hog drop. It looked to me as if the hog had just decided to rest a while, at the same instant to gun fired.

Keith jumped up and yelled at me, “I told you it would shoot that far and not drop”. I remember wondering if just maybe that hog had decided to rest at the same time he shot that rifle. The only thing I had seen drop was that big hog. I could not help thinking that the hog belonged to Keith's Dad and that it better be “resting”. I remember questioning Keith regarding my theory that the hog had just decided to lie down. I was not going to buy into his story that the rifle had really shot that distance. Together we started to the other end of the field.

To all of our surprise we found ourselves looking down at a hog that had been shot directly behind the ear early on Christmas Day. Right behind the ear where Keith said he had aimed. The hog was, to say the least “D.E.A.D”. That situation in itself appeared to all of us to be a (potential) “big” problem. We had to get a shovel and bury that dead hog quick. We knew we had to get it in the ground before Mr. Neely found out what we had done.

Together we all three ran back to the barn, got the shovel and hastened back to the dead hog site. Together the three of us quickly dug a hole and (I distinctly remember someone later using these exact words - over and over again) “buried it”.

We were now on our way back to the barn with Keith carrying his rifle and me carrying the shovel as if it were also a rifle. We were walking the fence line closest to where Tommy and Melba now live. To our surprise Mr. Neely was out driving the fields on a tractor while Mrs. Neely was still in the kitchen cooking their Christmas meal. Before we knew it Mr. Neely was sitting on the tractor right beside us. He asked a question that at the time I thought was really rather difficult to answer. He asked. “ What you boys doing with that shovel. We all chimed in at the same time with the same stupid answer. Together we said, “NOTHING”.

As I look back I must assume it was the look on all three of our faces that gave us away. Mr. Neely drove off and we continued to the barn with the shovel. Before we got to the barn Mr. Neely returned along side us and asked, “ What you boys bury back there? Same stupid answer came from all three again at the same time, “NOTHING”.

I do not think I will ever forget Mr. Neely making us go back to that mound of dirt and telling us to start digging up “nothing”. We did as instructed. We dug up that D.E.A.D. hog. Now Mr. Neely (at least to me) had always been a sort of “lay back individual.” I obviously was not a great judge of character. The site of that dead hog in that dirt hole was more than the man could take. I will certainly never forget his mannerisms quickly changing as we uncovered the hog and he discovered what we had done. I mean what we had done on the early morning of Christmas Day 1951. WE HAD KILLED HIS HOG!!!, and then we just (as he said ) “ buried it”.

Mr. Neely suggested that my brother Charles and I go home. I would later find out that Mr. Neely had to miss his Christmas meal and get some hired hands living next to his orchard to boil water and dress out that hog that day.


	Senath Mo.Class of '58 Back to Stories Page KEITH NEELY AND ME CHRISTMAS DAY 1951 Written by Bob Corley Littleton, Colorado Each week, I find myself waiting with childlike anticipation for my copy of my hometown newspaper called The South County News. Upon its arrival, I eagerly read through it feeding on the local community news, various stories and searching the photographs for familiar names or faces. Frequently, I read in the contents of the paper an article that reminds me of something that happened to me when I lived in Senath back in the fifties. As I went through last weeks issue, I laughed aloud at the story about Willy Dee and Milton Ballinger and the “wasps in the cockpit” of their airplane. In that same issue were “old” photos. Several photos in that issue showed both Donna and Jimmy Crites during Christmas time in the fifties. Those photos reminded me of an event that happened to me on Christmas Day 1951. Many of you still living in Senath will no doubt remember Keith Neely as a schoolmate. Keith lived in the OLD NEELY place located on Hwy. 25 about half way to Midway. The old (Neely) house is still there as is the old red bard adjacent to it. Some may remember it as being located across from where the old metal Quonset hut and race track used to be. The next time you are leaving Kampus Corner on Hwy. 412 (headed toward Kennett) you will take a closer look at that Old “Red” Barn as you recall this story. Watch for the old fence line running from behind that barn towards where Tommy Joe and Melba Harris now live on 412. See if you can make out the fence on the far end of that same field. In December 1951 that field was a hog pasture. The following story is about events that happened in that field on Christmas Day, over fifty years ago. My brother Charles and I lived across the road (Hwy. 25) and about half the distance from the Neely's to the “Midway” curve. As soon as my brother Charles and I woke up (on Christmas morning 1951) and had opened our Christmas gifts we headed down the road toward town to Keith's house. We had to see what he had gotten for Christmas. I remember Keith coming to the door showing us a brand new Remington 22 caliber rifle “Santa” had brought him. The rifle had mounted on it a “BIG” scope. To me it seemed as if that rifle and the scope were shining as if they were made of glass. Keith and my brother were about the same age. Keith around fourteen or fifteen, my brother thirteen or fourteen and I was going to be twelve the coming February of 52. Our old house would burn down in the late fall of 52. Together, we three quickly departed the house and headed out to that “old red barn”. We were going to be the first to not only see but to “try out” Keith's new rifle. I remember seeing (for the first time in my life), a box filled full of “Extra” Long 22 caliber bullets. Keith began to tell us about the firepower of that rifle when shooting one of those “Extra” Long bullets. As we looked out from the back of the barn towards town, I can still remember Keith Neely telling us, “ This rifle will shoot this here bullet STRIEGHT TO THE SENATH TOWN WATER TANK.” He went on to add to that remark that the “Extra” long rifle bullet ---“ will not drop one inch in a mile.” Now I may have only been ten at the time but I had at least two good things going for me. First, I was from Missouri, and he was certainly going to have to show me. I let him know that I was not stupid and challenged him to prove the bullets fire power. As the story goes on you will see that, he did just that. Together, the three of us walked from the “old red barn” towards where Tommy Joe and Melba Harris live today. We were walking along that “old” fence line. We were inside the pasture looking in the direction of where “Midway” cafe used to be beyond the far end of the pasture. The distance to the other end of that pasture was a full quarter mile. Some how it seems as if it is not as great a distance when I look across it today. At that other end stood a bunch of hogs owned by Mr. Neely. Upon seeing those hogs, I said to Keith, “bet you it will not shoot from here to the hogs without us seeing that “Extra” long rifle bullet dropping into the dirt.” Now the bet was on - and here comes the “bad” stretch. Keith quickly dropped to the ground and beckoned my brother and I to look at the hogs through that bright and shinny “scope”. As I looked at the hogs and handed the rifle back I said, “It still will not shoot that far without dropping into the dirt”. Keith braced himself on his elbows and peered through the scope. My brother and I looked on with anticipation as “if” something were about to happen. We were lying there looking back and forth at Keith and that bunch of hogs standing at the other end of that pasture. I do not remember ever having asked Keith if he really intended to pull that trigger and shoot that rifle or not. However, I do remember that I was looking at a big hog that he had pointed out. He obviously did pull that trigger. I heard that rifle shot “exploded” in my ear. At precisely the same time I heard the rifle explode with a loud “BANG”, I saw that previously pointed out hog drop. It looked to me as if the hog had just decided to rest a while, at the same instant to gun fired. Keith jumped up and yelled at me, “I told you it would shoot that far and not drop”. I remember wondering if just maybe that hog had decided to rest at the same time he shot that rifle. The only thing I had seen drop was that big hog. I could not help thinking that the hog belonged to Keith's Dad and that it better be “resting”. I remember questioning Keith regarding my theory that the hog had just decided to lie down. I was not going to buy into his story that the rifle had really shot that distance. Together we started to the other end of the field. To all of our surprise we found ourselves looking down at a hog that had been shot directly behind the ear early on Christmas Day. Right behind the ear where Keith said he had aimed. The hog was, to say the least “D.E.A.D”. That situation in itself appeared to all of us to be a (potential) “big” problem. We had to get a shovel and bury that dead hog quick. We knew we had to get it in the ground before Mr. Neely found out what we had done. Together we all three ran back to the barn, got the shovel and hastened back to the dead hog site. Together the three of us quickly dug a hole and (I distinctly remember someone later using these exact words - over and over again) “buried it”. Problem solved. We were now on our way back to the barn with Keith carrying his rifle and me carrying the shovel as if it were also a rifle. We were walking the fence line closest to where Tommy and Melba now live. To our surprise Mr. Neely was out driving the fields on a tractor while Mrs. Neely was still in the kitchen cooking their Christmas meal. Before we knew it Mr. Neely was sitting on the tractor right beside us. He asked a question that at the time I thought was really rather difficult to answer. He asked. “ What you boys doing with that shovel. We all chimed in at the same time with the same stupid answer. Together we said, “NOTHING”. As I look back I must assume it was the look on all three of our faces that gave us away. Mr. Neely drove off and we continued to the barn with the shovel. Before we got to the barn Mr. Neely returned along side us and asked, “ What you boys bury back there? Same stupid answer came from all three again at the same time, “NOTHING”. I do not think I will ever forget Mr. Neely making us go back to that mound of dirt and telling us to start digging up “nothing”. We did as instructed. We dug up that D.E.A.D. hog. Now Mr. Neely (at least to me) had always been a sort of “lay back individual.” I obviously was not a great judge of character. The site of that dead hog in that dirt hole was more than the man could take. I will certainly never forget his mannerisms quickly changing as we uncovered the hog and he discovered what we had done. I mean what we had done on the early morning of Christmas Day 1951. WE HAD KILLED HIS HOG!!!, and then we just (as he said ) “ buried it”. Mr. Neely suggested that my brother Charles and I go home. I would later find out that Mr. Neely had to miss his Christmas meal and get some hired hands living next to his orchard to boil water and dress out that hog that day. Although, I still cannot remember ever going back to Keith's house or seeing Mr. Neely again, I feel confident that I eventually did both. After all, back then it was supposed to have been a “kinder and more gentler place” to live.