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- Tags: Kenneth Landon's Childhood 1868-1943
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Kenneth's Dad Would Steal His Sons' Money
Kenneth and brother Bradley would hide from their father the money they earned. Their father would take it if he knew where to find it, and actually searched for it. The boys would hide their money inside the newel post on the stairs and dad couldn't…
Kenneth's Early Work on The Railroad
Kenneth took a job at Erie Railroad at about age fourteen. His could have been turned down because of his weak physical appearance, but because Brad was his father the foreman took him on. Kenneth recalls working in the storehouse, driving truck.
Kenneth's Family Moved to Baldwin Street by Jean Kitchen
The Landons move to Baldwin St., where at age 6 or 7 Kenneth met a girl named Jean Kitchen, whom he refers to as his first great female love, and was pleased to play with her.
Kenneth's Family Moved to Randolph Street
The Landons' moved to Randolph St. when Kenneth was about seven and a half years old. He was playing baseball and later began to run into gang battles.
Kenneth's Father Took the Family to Bible Camp
After the death of brother Bradley, father Brad began taking the family to Gull Lake for Bible conferences. The deal was that he would take them there and give them a vacation if they would agree to attend one of the services. Kenneth always attended…
Kenneth's Father's Cars
Kenneth recalls his father's first car, how his father started driving before being told how to stop the car and had to drive round and round for hours until he ran out of gas. He eventually learned to drive and fell in the practice of buying a new…
Kenneth's First Encounter With Corruption
Kenneth on his first encounter with graft and corruption. He was about 11 years old and went with Jimmy, a 15 years old, to a movie. The girl that was selling the tickets liked Jimmy and so gave them two tickets before she turned around to take them…
Kenneth's First Experience with the Dentist
Kenneth recalls his first visit to the dentist. It was for an extensive work including multiple teeth removal and filings. The dentist wouldn't tell Kenneth, who was 7 or 8 at the time, what he was going to do, so Kenneth refused to cooperate. They…
Kenneth's First Job
Kenneth tells the story of his brother, Bradley, starting his "business" manufacturing ATV and hiring Kenneth (who thus got his first job) to do advertising work for him. Kenneth addressed up to 10,000 circulars while working from a phonebook. He…
Kenneth's Irish Nurse Put Whiskey in His Milk
Kenneth tells about his infancy, how his Irish nurse would put whiskey in his milk to help him digest what he believes he could not disgest otherwise, and how his mother, on learning this, promptly fired the nurse.
Kenneth's Musical Side
Kenneth bought an old flute, repaired it and learned to play on his own. He went on to learn to play several other musical instruments and later on bought a new flute, which he had to sell during his unemployment years in the 1930s. He never went…
Kenneth's Success in High School and His Humility
Kenneth can't remember ever taking a book home in high school. His memory was that his grades in High School were not good, but going through his records he was surprised to discover that he had excellent grades. He also tells about him learning to…
Kenneth's Tonsils Dissolved
Kenneth interjects to explains that he is one of few people whose tonsils simply dissolved. The doctor had told him that he needed to have them removed, which Kenneth didn't want to do, and fortunately at a later visit the tonsils were nowhere to be…
Kenneth's Wayward Youth
Kenneth recalls his father's advice against movies, cigarettes, drinking, and bad girls, and how at an early age he discovered that "all these things are probably delightful." He tells about how he began buying his own clothes at the age of fourteen…
Landon Boys Got Into Fights So They Moved
Kenneth started to get into fights with a number of kids and enjoyed playing with his friend Juddy. He and his brother's behavior draws criticism from neighboring families and the Landons eventually moved away to live at the edge of the town
Landons Lived in a Warehouse Before Walnut Street
While waiting for their new home to be built, the Landon family lived in a warehouse for almost a year, with no proper bathroom or central heating.
Mae Landon
Mae Landon was a very elegant woman, always properly dressed, walked elegantly, with flashing brown eyes. She was not the kind of person who would bother to explain things to people (like in the stout story). She would sit very elegantly and never…
Mae Landon's Conversation with Kenneth's Principal
Kenneth's mother spoke with his high school principal, Miss Haxton, five years after his graduation. The principal was quite surprised to hear that Kenneth was studying to become a minister--she never though that he would come to any good.
Miss McCabe Kenneth's Sunday School Teacher
Miss McCabe, Kenneth's Sunday School teacher, wanted all her boys to become preachers. One day she announced that Theodore Borrel was going to become a minister and asked Kenneth why he didn't want to become one. Shortly after, two of Theodore's…
Mrs. D'Armant Minium
Kenneth remembers Mrs. D'Armant Minium, a very buxom woman with plump arms and a voice like cream. At age sixteen she became curious about having a baby, and so she had one, and then she disposed it somehow. Mae never forgave her for the baby,…
Ray Pooks Astounded Kenneth at a High School Track Meet
Kenneth remembers Ray Pooks imposing his will at a high school track meet. He would require that the events be rescheduled so that he could participate in them all. Kenneth was amazed at this man doing everything just as he had said despite the fact…
Social Life During Kenneth's Youth
Kenneth talks about his friendship with the kids of the people on the Landons' side of the street and how he became a graceful dancer. He tells of dance parties they held at each other's houses and the lasting friendship that ensued. Kenneth…
Stinky Altenburg
One of Kenneth's friends was Stinky Altenburg. His sister became one of the prostitutes in the town, but the other sisters were very proper. Kenneth and Stinky and other friends would hang out in town very often. Stinky became a successful lawyer.
Sunday Afternoon Walks
Sunday afternoon walks were an institution. After church you would have a heavy dinner and go for a walk as a family and call on somebody. Children were not allowed games or anything like that. In the evening you would go again at church.
The Follow up To The Stout Story
Following Kenneth's misadventure with the stout spilling everywhere in the house, some older women from the church came to visit Mae, who never gave any explanation to the visitors about the smell of alcohol in the house. As soon as the women entered…