Reading about Earl Vore brought back many memories! As Wayne said, "he was a man of many talents!" So true. Here are some memories of "Earl, The Vore!"
I was just a young lad, when Earl came home from the World War II. One day, he stopped by the lumber yard and gave me a light, that fastened on my head! I was fascinated with it! Wore it at night, ferreting out unsuspecting Germans lurking in the corners of our closets! I, frankly, do not remember what it was actually used for, but it being "part of the war" was enough for me!
And, yes, Earl was a carpenter/builder, par excellance!!!! If memory serves me the way it should, he built and supervised the building of Dr. Hayes house, east of town. He often talked to my Dad, blueprints in hand, about the House that Hays built! I had never seen such a house and to know that my "hero" was the builder only heightened my idolization of him!
He was the kind of guy whose clothes were neat, and even his slicked-back hair seemed un-mussed, even when "building!" I always called him "Mr. Vore." Anything less was not befitting of this "man's man!"
One last anecdote! Earl was also a fantastic basketball player on Cedar Vale's Town Team! Quick? Oh, yeah.... quicker than a Caney River flood! Fast on his feet and fast with the pass! You never knew the "where or when" of his passes! You had to be "always at the ready!"
And, this last, last recollection is imbedded in my mind forever! Earl (The Real Pearl!), was being "over-guarded" by an agressive opponent. With the opponent's hand in his face, he looked this way and that! No opening! And then, in a sheer stroke of genius, he passed the ball between the legs of his astonished opponent! The crowd erupted! His teammate caught the ball, laid it up for "two!," and Earl's expression never changed.....
He was a man ahead of his times, with enough thoughtfulness, to give a little kid a "light" that is remember to this day! Thank you, Mr. Vore!!
P.S. Anyone remember the "Town Team" that Cedar Vale had? The players? Their
exploits! Let the "iron screens" of the C.V. gym, rattle with your tales!
3 comments:
....sorry, "aggressive" has two g's! (Thank you, Mrs. Montgomery!)
I don't remember anything about the town team, but I wonder whether CVHS had a baseball team back in the '30s or '40s?? Who were the players?. Why did it discontinue?
I remember my dad, Grant Utt talking about the town team. I know Art Alexander was also on the team. One story I remember hearing was that one night when they played Chilocco Daddy drew a foul because a player stopped in front of him for a block and Daddy lowered his shoulder and sent the player halfway across the court as told by my Mother. Also someone one the team went from the old gym to get something from the dressing room and tried to jump down the stairs and hit the roof over the stairs and knocked himself out
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