There are two years difference in John and Jack Keck's ages so it was at Oglesby
where John and I first met. Dee Coffee, John and I played together on the train tracks
behind our houses many times when I lived at 414 W. Ave. G. in Hope. John Keck
had a big dog that he would bring with him.
The Coffee home was the last house on the right before you got to the George Peck
barn and farm. There were a lot of kids in that neighborhood back then including Ann
Bar, MarSue McFadden, Frank Hill, Charles Ellis, Lyle Moore. and some others I
may have forgotten. MarSue moved to Little Rock during the 4th grade which was
about that same period of time. John, Ellis Rothwell, Kenneth Stone, Dee Coffee and
many others had some great times at Oglesby where they separated the girls from the
boys on the playground.
I remember John Keck’s playing on both the junior high football and basketball team.
These are featured on the Sports section of our web page. I also remember that John
was an outdoorsman while in high school One day while we were having lunch, I saw
John eating something which looked like fried chicken; he offered me a piece. He
then said it was rattlesnake steak so I said, "No thank you, Grover!"
John Keck was not a big guy but he had a big heart and always gave a 100% effort in
playing any sports. He was a two-year letterman on the Bobcat Varsity football team
and the starting center for us his senior year. I don't remember the ladies John K.
dated but he did run around with Edward Key and Ronald Richards who always had
lady friends. I am sure he dated many --as did all of us in those days. Many of the
girls were from the Prescott area but some of us dated Hope girls too.
In Jack Keck's Memory of his and John’s childhood, I remember they lived next door
to Carolyn Long (whom I was dating when I went into the Army in 1955.) Clifton
Carol Booth aka CC also lived in that same neighborhood not far from the Judge
Luck home and very near our 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Hatch, who ran a motel not far
now from Meyers Bakery.
Almost as soon as John Keck, Richard Chism, Jesse Duke, and Ellis Rothwell
finished Hope High they all decided to join The U.S. Marines and all got to go to
Korea at the end of that Police Action in 1953. Later on Phillip Gilbert and Donald
Lauterback joined them in the Marines.
John Keck and Jesse Duke liked the California area a lot and spent most of their
working lives in the Los Angeles,. CA area. John met Lynda Carolyn Keck while in
the Marines and Jesse was his best man. (met his wives there ,too) They had over
fifty years together (See Anniversary Page about them and reared two sons and
grandchildren. See photos of family under John‘s obituary)
I attended several reunions with John beginning in 1983 but do not ever remember
meeting his lovely bride. He was in attendance at our 50th reunion and again in 2007.
There are pictures of John with his marine buddies, Ellis, Jesse, Chism and Grover on
the web site.
Richard Chism and Grover are now with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and are
greatly missed by their teammates and HHS friends and his loving family.
Jack Keck sent me a nice family photo which is posted on the web site as well.
Clyde Arnold
4-30-09
John Grover Keck
September 12, 1935 April 25, 2009
John and Jack
last known photo
10/14/08
We invite you to write your memories of John in an email and send to
bburke4034@bellsouth.net for adding below the obituary on John's Memorial Page.
Jack Doris John
Lorrie-Eric-Lynda-David
Those on my side are cousins. Starting with the two women in
line (with Lynda, John's wife, in front) is John's family with
the young girl by Lynda being Eric's daughter, Stephanie. The
woman by me is my wife Penny.
(sent by Jack Keck)
Memories
1952 Football Team US Marines
This was John's favorite song sung by Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion "My Prayer."
by: Jack Keck (brother)
by: Clyde Arnold (friend)
web tv
Thanks to the CLASS OF 1953
by: Bonnie Wren (friend)
By Jack Keck (brother)
John Grover Keck was born on September 12, 1935, in Prairie Grove, Arkansas, to Mary Jean
DeRoulhac Keck and John Virgil Keck. His mother cared for John and his younger brother,
Jack, in Rogers, Arkansas, when their father went to Europe as an officer with the U.S. Army
Air Corps during World War II.
After the war, the family moved to Hope, Arkansas, where John made friendships that would
last a lifetime. He was considered a thoughtful and earnest young man, quiet and somewhat shy.
He spent much of his free time hunting and fishing, often by himself, and became an accomplished
outdoorsman. John played football at Hope High School and, after graduating in 1953, joined
the Marine Corps and served in Korea. He returned to Camp Pendleton, near San Diego,
California, where he was assigned to the First Engineering Battalion of the First Marine
Division.
On weekend leave with a Marine Corps buddy to the mountain town of Big Bear, California, he
met the love of his life, Lynda Carolyn Mabe, whom he wed on Feb. 9, 1957. They faced much
joy and heartbreak together through 52 years of marriage, and were rarely apart. She learned to
share his love for the outdoors, taking on everything from quick weekend camping trips to long
backpacking excursions deep into the forests of John’s beloved Sierra Nevada of California.
Meanwhile, he learned to share her affection for animals and in making their home a sanctuary
for God’s creatures that would otherwise have none.
John attended the University of Arkansas before moving his young family to Los Angeles where
he took a job at Bekins Moving and Storage. In his 36-year career at Bekins he rose from
working long hours on the loading docks to becoming an operations manager for the company’s
Pacific Region. He was active in the community and in organizations, becoming president of
the North Valley YMCA and raising champion Old English Sheepdogs with Lynda. But his
greatest passion was for his family. He raised two sons, David and Eric, before retiring from
Bekins in 1997.
John and Lynda traveled some, then moved to Alton, Missouri, where Lynda’s father once
lived. For the first time after leaving Arkansas five decades before, John felt he had truly found
home. He took pride in his community and among other activities was elected to the board of
BB Rd. Volunteer Fire Department. He purchased a bakery with Lynda and Eric, but mostly
relaxed and mused about the mysteries of life. He enjoyed the birds, the trees and the squirrels
of southern Missouri. He liked fishing with his sons and watching the Eleven Points River flow
by. Most of all he loved the people of Alton, their values and beliefs. He felt privileged to be
called their neighbor.
John died peacefully in Springfield, Missouri, on April 25, 2009. He was preceded in death by
his parents, one toddler son and two infant sons. He is survived by his wife Lynda of Alton,
sons Eric of Alton and David of Wrightwood, California, and David’s wife, Lori, grand-
daughter Stephanie of Aurora, Colorado, and his brother Jack of Alabama.
A memorial service was held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 29, 2009, at the Oak Hill
Missionary Baptist Church, with Bro. Edward Casey officiating. Arrangements were
under the direction of the Clary Funeral Home of Alton, MO.
|
|
MEMORIES OF JOHN
by: Lynda Keck (Wife)
John certainly had a good childhood in Hope and I remember nothing but good comments.
Although he lived in several other places, Hope was home to John and his friends there were
considered extended family. I was privileged to meet and become friends with a few.
It is wonderful to share memories when he lived there, but much of that might already be known
to you. I want you to know about John and his life away from Hope. I cannot account for the
time he spent in Korea because I did not know John at that time. I do know that he had a very
sad experience while there because Carolyn Sprague, his special "girl" at the time, sent him a
"Dear John" letter. John was crushed. She was suppose to wait for him. Girls will be girls. I
know because I did the same thing to another guy when I met John! Life goes on...
John's life was so much more than a boy from Hope; it helped mold him into being what he
became, a man of integrity and character. He had a love/hate relationship with California. To
mention a few, he hated the traffic that he faced every day going to work to provide for his
family. He hated the large crowds that were everywhere on family outings, but this did not keep
John from being the very best husband and father that he knew how to be. He tolerated the
beach, but loved the High Sierra Mountains where we spent much time when our boys were
small. As the boys grew, we would take long back-packing trips into the back country. Later,
when John and I got older, it was on horse back with pack mules. John went deer hunting in the
Sierra's almost every year with work buddies. One was from New York and had never shot a
gun, let alone hunt. John helped Art pick out a good rifle and taught him how to shoot before
their first trip together. These buddies and John became good life-long friends. Art always
looked up to "Johnny," as he called him, as any younger brother would. John took his own boys
on hunting trips; Eric always enjoyed "the trip," but the hunting part never appealed to him. It
took David a few years, but he enjoys a good, successful quail hunt now.
John was a dedicated worker, working for the same company for over thirty-five years. He
worked hard for his advancements and earned the title of General Manager-Director of
Operations Pacific Region Dispatch, making him responsible for all moves taking place in AZ,
CA, OR and WA. He had a full department staff, plus all contract drives under his control. He
earned the full respect of his staff and drivers and many have remained good friends.
John was very active in the North Valley YMCA where he and his boys belonged to the Y
Indian Guides. If I remember correctly, they were the Fox Tribe--David being "Yellow Sun"
and Eric was "Little Beaver." If John had a name, it escapes me.
He was very active with me in breeding top-quality, Old English Sheepdogs, and at one time we
had the #19 ranked OES in the country. Melissa and our other OES did beautifully--winning at
such shows as Beverly Hills Kennel Club. John created The Golden State Old English
Sheepdog Club and served as it's first president. The mission of this club was to educate
owners about their new puppies and we held classes on showing and training. He was also a
member of the Old English Sheepdog Club of America for many years, where he served on the
board more than once. John had that ability to get things done, and to make others want to help.
When our only grandchild, a granddaughter, was born in November 1992, John immediately
went and purchased a movie camera. A star was born! From that day forward, Stephanie had a
camera in her face on every visit to our home. By that time, we had moved from the San
Fernando Valley to Acton, CA where we had purchased five acres and built a home. John
drew the plans himself and did a beautiful job. We lived there until retirement and the
beginnings of our travels. My illness prevented us from traveling in recent years, but we had
some great times and met some wonderful people.
Years later when talking about when and where we first met, John said when he first saw me, he
told himself "That is the girl I am going to marry." My thoughts were, "Blond hair and blue
eyes--he's cute." It's been quite a journey, and he'll always be "my guy."
Lynda
|
|
By Susie Mitchell Todd (cousin)
This is for Mr. John.
That’s how I knew him. He was always “Mr. John” and Lynda Keck was always “Miss
Lynda.” Both of them appear in most of my earliest memories; because to my sister, brother
and me, they were like a second set of parents.
We met them 1963 or so, when my family moved into a house in a cul-de-sac in the San
Fernando Valley, right across the street from the Kecks. We hit it off right away with their boys,
David and Eric, and soon all of us kids were bouncing around at either our house or theirs.
Miss Lynda was awfully cute, brunette and petite. Mr. John was tall, handsome and blonde.
He sounded just like all the cowboys on TV! For the longest time I thought he was the
Marlboro Man.
Soon our families were doing carpools together and going to each other's vacation Bible
schools. The Kecks raised Old English Sheepdogs and we raised Borzoi, so we went to dog
shows together, too.
Mr. John was a hard-working guy; but, when he was home, he was really good with us kids. He
was always so calm and laid back--but he could quiet you down with a word. In fact, when he
talked to you, you went "whoa!" You shut up and listened to everything he said--mainly
because he never seemed to say anything unless it was important. (As a parent, I never
mastered this skill, but somehow Mr. John made it look easy.)
Mr. John also outshone all the other dads when it came to backyard playground design. Where
most of us had metal swing sets from Monkey Wards or Sears, Mr. John built his boys a two-
story fort. Nobody else had seen anything like it and boy, was it ever fun! Mostly we kids
used it as a backdrop for reenactments of the old World War II movies we watched endlessly
on TV. I think we threw at least a million grenades in that back yard fort--maybe more.
Mr. John was also known in the neighborhood for being a hunter, which added to his coolness
factor. Whenever he came home from a hunting trip, David and Eric would brag about eating
“game” for dinner. I was really jealous because I wanted to eat some game, too. I remember
the first time I got to do it, when the Kecks invited us over for venison one evening. I was
about 8 or 9, eager to finally chow down on some game, when Mr. John spoke to me. My fork
halted on its way to my mouth because--like I said--when Mr. John talked to you, you stopped
and listened. He warned me that I shouldn’t expect venison to taste like hamburger. Then he
said he was interested in hearing what I thought of venison. At that moment I decided that even
if it tasted like cardboard I was going to love it, just so Mr. John and I could discuss it like
grownups. Lucky for me it turned out to be really good, and we had a little discussion on the
merits of different kinds of game.
My family moved away from the cul-de-sac in the late sixties but kept in touch with the Kecks.
When I was in college I dropped in for dinner one evening and Mr. John told me to go ahead
and call him “John.” For the life of me, I couldn’t do it without putting the “Mister” in there,
too. I guess he’ll always be Mr. John to me. (And Miss Lynda will always be “Miss” Lynda.
Both of you will always be in my heart.)
My dad passed away in 1991, and I miss him very much. I regret that David and Eric know this
grief now, too. No matter how old you get, your dad is your dad, and how awful it is to lose a
great one like Mr. John.
Bonnie Wren
8/19/09
|
|
First, let me thank you for all your work on John's memorial on the Class of '53 website. It is
good to know John had you all as friends for all these years.
As far as memories of our days together at Hope, there are many but fragmented. 'twas so long
ago and my mind is like a CRT, it needs refreshing many times in order to retain anything.
The time and the distance have come between me and refreshers--people like you, your classmates,
and mine.
But I can recall a couple of "girlfriend" incidents. One of John's "crushes" that I was aware of
was Jan Moses (HHS '53). And what I remember is John being crushed because she would
not date him because he didn't have a car. I hope Jan will find this amusing, I think John would
smile about it now.
John also went with Carolyn Strong during his days before going West. I think they liked each
other a lot but distance got in their way.
I also remember that John was a charter member of the Buzzard Club. Dedicated to the hunting
of buzzards, the members were Bobby and Arthur Jones, Frankie McDowell, and me (there may
have been others). We held meeting in an old garage behind the Jones' house which was across
the street from Eulas's Grocery on S. Main St. Don't remember ever killing a buzzard!
As to what kind of brother John was: we had a few fights over the years, but as he told one lady
who tried to stop one such fight, John said "It's ok, we're brothers!"
When I had my first date with Ginny Herndon, John was to drive us. We arrived at Ginny's
grandmother's house on time only to find that Ginny was not there. She was at the swimming
pool. I was crushed and wanted to leave but John said, "Let's wait!" Ginny showed up about
30 minutes later, got ready, and John took us to the movies. John was always supportive.
Clyde, website promoter, requested that Jack tell where in Hope the Kecks lived.
Jack wrote: I'll do the best I can. 'twas a loooong time ago.
We moved to Hope in 1946 when John was 11. We moved into a duplex (which is no longer
there) not too far north of the under pass. Mother started a Cub Scout Wolf Pack to which we
both belonged. I attended Paisley and I presume John did too.
We then moved to 4th Street near the courthouse where Daddy worked. Steve Marlar lived
close by.
We then moved to S. Elm where we had some land in the back to have a cow. We drank a lot
of milk. Gail Hicks lived across the street and we played basketball in her back yard. Jimmy
Baber lived a little further south.
We then moved to 16th Street near Springhill Rd. Marilyn Ortin(sp) lived across the way and
there were very few houses out there then.
We then moved to a house just beyond Tol-E-Tex and White's Drive Inn. Carolyn Long lived
just down the highway. I think we lived there when John graduated from HHS in 1953. I
remember that John had an old yellow Jeep with the Confederate flag painted on the hood.
We then moved to 18th St. across from HHS. There I graduated and left for Vanderbilt. Mother
and Daddy then moved to Ashdown where both passed away about 10 years apart.
I think we both had a good growing-up life experience in Hope and we called it home always.
We were both Bobcats and were both centers on the football team.
Jack
|
|
It has been many years since I have seen John and Linda but I have very fond memories of years
past. John was a very fine man much like his father John Virgil. I visit the family cemetery every
decoration day and decorate the graves of his mon and dad as well as his children who have gone
on to heaven and I know he is with them even now. My prayers are with Linda, the boys, and the
grandkids. I'm am sorry that I was unable to attend the funeral but lost a very close friend to
suicide that week and had out-of-town family staying in my home for the funeral. Linda, I would
like to hear from you and pray God's peace gives you comfort.
With love, Susie Mitchell Todd (May 7, 2009)
|
|
