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Found my baby book . . . some Kenny Dick stuff . . . 
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Dad's Message to Me I hope my son Kenneth will grow to be an upright, honest man, honoring his father and mother, and trusting
in the Lord. May he be healthy & happy for the rest of his natural life. Daddy
Mom's Message to Me May your life be filled with happiness and success; with God as your guide and protector. Mother
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My Mommy wrote of my personal characteristics,
that I was of a "very sweet disposition and even temperament." HA! 
The bedtime prayer my parents taught me
. . . Now I lay
me . . . down to sleep I
pray the Lord . . . my soul to keep If
I should die . . . before I wake I
pray the Lord . . . my soul to take God
bless Mommy and Daddy . . . God bless everybody Amen
| Kenny Dick Baptism |
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| 2 May 1943 EUB Lock Haven |
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I was baptized Kenneth Richard Poorman on 3 May 1942 at the Lock Haven Evalgelical
United Brethern (EUB) Church at 44 West Main Street in Lock Haven, PA, the Covenant United Methodist now, by the Pastor, Rev. Dr. Alfred J. Thomas. I was Christened after my Father, and Grandfather Hall.  Rev. Thomas' sister-in-law, Jerri Winklebleck Thomas, was a good friend of my Mom's. Bob & Jerri had
two boys older than me (Bob and Dick I think), and they lived in Newberry, then later bought the Heleca Dairy Farm up
Lycoming Creek Road. Subsequently they built and opened a Motel there. Bob Thomas also owned and operated
a tavern at 12 West Fourth Street in Williamsport, called Franco's Lounge now. I remember the round wondow in front. When I was in my 20's, Dad and I went there to watch the
first big Casius Clay championship fight. My Baptism Sponsorors were Great Aunt Hazel and William P. Stoddart.
They owned the Town Tavern in Lock Haven, first on Mill Street, then later at 51 Bellefonte Avenue. Guests present
were my Mom's sister, Aunt Belle Hall; Great Aunt Mary & Earl McNerney, Dad's Aunt; Frances Poorman Smith & Harry
Lee Smith, Dad's Sister, who owned Smitty's Tavern and the Pool Room in Jersey Shore PA; Katharine Poorman & George Moon, Dad's
sister; and Jerry & Bob Thomas & Sons. They all called me Kenny Dick. |
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| 4 Months |
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| 6 Months |
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| 10 Months |
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| 1 Year 3 Months |
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I got baby gifts
from my Great Aunt Pearl Downs Neilson, Mom's aunt; Elizabeth Stearns, friend of Mom's mother; Great Aunt Hazel
Stoddart, Dad's aunt; Florine Brown, Dad's cousin; Great Aunt Mary McNerney, Dad's aunt; Kate Hamburger, our next door neighbor;
Aunt Francie Smith, Dad's sister; Aunt Katharine & Uncle George Moom, Dad's sister; Great Uncle Charlie Ryan, Dad's uncle;
Marie DeVeau, friend of Mom's mother; Nellie Chisholm, froend of Mom's mother; Great Aunts Mary & Ruth Poorman,
Dad's aunts who lived out back across the Run; Dora Koller, friend of Mom's mother; Jerry Thomas, friend of Mom's mother;
Fran Bender, friend of Mom's mother; Aunt Belle Hall, Mom's sister; Aunt Emma Hammond, Mom's sister; Grammy Poorman, Dad's
mom; another gift from Great Aunt Hazel Stoddart; Great Grandmother Ryan, Dad's Gram; Dot Fredericks & children, friends
across the street; Charlie & Ethel Hanes, Dad's best friend; Margie Fromm, Dad's & Mom's friend; another from Great
Aunt Hazel; my Mom & Dad; another from Great Uncle Charlie; another from Great Aunt Hazel; another from Grammy Poorman;
another from Great Aunt Mary & Unvle Mick McNerney; another from Aunt Katharine & Uncle George; thanks for my baby
gifts everyone. I'm sorry you're all dead.  . . . Kenny Dick
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| 1 Year 8 Months |
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| 2 Years 2 Months |
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| Age 6 Second Grade |
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| 7 Yrs 6 Mo Second Grade |
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This was my first and only home, 15
East Brown Street in Castanea Pa. Dad & Mom never moved from here, until the day they died. I wish I could
go in it one more time. I'd like to show it to my granddaughters. Steve told me once recently, that he wishes
he had not sold it. I have not been in it since they died, 35 years ago. But I drive past every time I go to Lock
Haven to visit Steve and his family. Believe it or not, I remember that old blue Ford of Dad's in this photo.
And I think of Nellie laying on that fromt step every day when I came home from school. And I think of one of my pet
ducks, Drake, that used to chase Mom around when she came out to tend her flowers. She had to carry a broom when she
went outside. Ha. I stopped in the Church next door one day a few years ago, and Peggy Ziegler showed me around.
That was nice.
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| 15 East Brown Street |
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| Castanea PA in April 1943 |
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I found a gift card
in my baby book from Mary Mitcheltree, one of my Sunday School teachers. She wrote, "Just a little gift,
To tell you that
You came to Sunday School
More Sundays than the
Other boys in your class. May
this little gift,
Be a reminder to
Continue your little visits
and co-operation with your
favorite church. From
Mary Mitcheltree"
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Well, I went by the house in 2011, as I do every time
I visit Castanea, and the owners were out front. I stopped and talked with them briefly. They invited me in to
look around, but I declined. I guess I can't go back. It was very nice of them to offer though.
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A
few other notes in my baby book and other stuff: Age 2 - "Feb 1944: Kenny & Daddy were riding in car & baby fell against dash board of car cutting
his upper lip. Nothing serious." I can't remember that. (But now I know how Dad felt. When I
had a little "Kenny", he was standing on the front seat when I had to hit the brakes, and he fell against the dash
board, blood everywhere. I will never forget how I felt. I have a knot in my stomach now just remembering it.
I wonder if Kenny remembers it.) Age 4, Pre-K, 1947 - Lock
Haven Teachers College. Great Aunt Ruth drove me, and I remember her black, flat roofed car with running boards. I
remember liking a little curly haired blond girl, and building a block house - big enough to walk into. I had my tonsils
and adenoids removed on November 13, 1946 by Dr. Thomas at the Lock Haven Hospital on Susquehanna Avenue. (I remember
them making a big deal about getting ice cream after the surgery, but I don't remember being very happy about it.) Age 5, Kindergarten, 1948 Penn School, my Dad's elementary school. Mom drove
me, and I think she only had her license for this one year, and never drove again. I remember climbing into a cot with
a little girl for our naptime, after cookies and milk, and Miss Mervine made me stand in the corner. I remember
peeking out from behind the flag in the corner. I didn't do that again. Age 6 - First grade, Miss Harvey - Measles May 1948. Age 7 - Second Grade - Miss Brown - Chicken Pox 1949. Age 8 - Third Grade - Miss Long - Mumps 1950 - Jan 1951 - I
started taking piano lessons from Earle Kenneth Mayes. Age
9 - Fourth Grade - Miss Shaffer - 1951-52 - still taking piano lessons Age 10 - Fifth Grade - Mrs. Poorman - 1952-53 - My Ambitions, Age 10 Years, I wanted to be a musician. Age 11 - Sixth Grade - Mrs. Poorman - 1954 - still taking piano lessons Age 12 - Seventh Grade - Mr. Evers - 1955 - started playing with a band (two
bands), at the American Legion, and at the Moose. Age 13
- Eighth Grade - Mr. Evers - 1956 - playing steady (weekly) with several bands. Age 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - LHHS - the pitts. Playing in bands a lot, worked at Doebler's Farms, Town
Tavern, Sputnic Shop and Mangan's Bake Shop. Played basketball in Church League at the Y. Enjoyed ridin'
my Triumph around. Couldn't wait to get out of town. Went into the Navy right after graduation.
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| Castanea School Commencement 1956 |
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Now this is pretty funny. I just
found my baby book, and it has a bunch of old clippings and stuff that my Mom saved. This is my Eighth Grade Commencement
Exercises at Castanea Elementary School. I remember Rev. Charles Bomboy, who was Pastor of the EUB church next door.
And of course Mr. Rowland Evers, our Principal, and my Eighth Grade teacher. I see that I was on the Program, a piano
solo. I sure don't remember that. And a list of our graduates. I don't even remember having a Commencement.  Ha.
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Castanea Elementery School - Class of 1956 Larry Adams, Charlie Clukey, Albert Emel, Steve Eyer, Jay Frazier, Rex Haines,
Zane Houser, Paul Jacobs, Wayne Long, Kenny Poorman, Butch Quiggle, Dick Stabley, Jake Brumgard, Patty Bauman, Peggy Conklin,
Shirley Conklin, Ann DeGarmo, Pat Foringer, Lucy Haines, Sharon Hale, Patty Leitch, Deanna McCloskey, Pearl McKeague, Helen
Nonemaker, Dorothy Straub, Sandy Workman.
| 1957 First Church of Christ |
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Now if you read my Lock Haven Page, you may already know that my four years at Lock Haven High School are considered the worst years of my life! No
exaggeration! Well let me tell you, that palls in my opinion of the Purple Whirl! If you
have copies of the old programs, you will see my name in them, but I disliked performing in the Purple Whirl more than I disliked
LHHS itself. Although the Purple Whirl was a big hit with the town, if I had to do it again, I would tell them to shove
it.
The only time I enjoyed performing at
LHHS was for our Senior Class Day program. The entire school was present, and four or five of us played a little rock
number - which brought down the house - and we all got expelled from school for our performance. HA HA HA!
Maybe it was the diaper and the baby bottle sticking out of the Alto Sax - - - or no, maybe THE BIG BROWN SPOT on the rear
of the diaper - HA - HA - HA! The principal ran from the back of the auditorium to the stage to chastise us for our
performance, and our parents had to go to a School Board meeting and raise hell to get us our diplomas. I'm laughing
so hard now I can't even finish this story! HA HA HA! LOL! Thank you Mrs. Miller for the funniest day of my high
school life! 
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