My Other Brother

Gary Gene Campbell was born December 14, 1959 in Hutchinson, Kansas. I'm not sure if he was born on a sunday or monday. I do remember on that sunday night Dad introduced us to the "Wizard of Oz". It was broadcast on television and I remember how excited Dad was for us to watch it; in black and white of course. I also remember waking later in the middle of the night and hearing the wind blow outside. In the morning Dad announced that Gregg and I had a new brother.
Gary lived a little more than 7 1/2 years. This year would be his 50th birthday. How fitting with Gary's birthday near Christmas that some of my memories of him revolve around this time. On Gary's first Christmas Mom and Dad gave Gregg, Gary and I candy cane pajamas; shirt, pants, stocking cap all packed neatly in a candy cane stocking. Don't we look cute in the picture?
The next Christmas we lived in Springfield, Illinois and Gary would have been about two years old. He had the habit of wanting to take his clothes off. He could get everything off except his white shoes and socks. The house we lived in was big, old and not very warm, especially during that winter. It may have been Christmas night that we were in the living room watching "Sing Along with Mitch" (?) When what to our wondering eyes should appear....but Gary, riding a toy jeep, pulling a duck that he had got for Christmas. You guessed it, he did not have any clothes on except for his white shoes and socks.
One Chrismas Eve in Lebanon, Mom and Dad went to some friends Christmas party and left me to watch my brothers Gregg, Gary, Scott and Mark. They would not be gone long, but asked me to put my brothers to bed. For some reason I put us all to bed in our two twin beds. As we were laying in bed Gary asked if there was really a Santa Claus. "Of course", I said. Gary replied, "Then Santa is almost here cause you can see Rudolph's nose". Sure enough when I looked out the window there was a red glow in the dark sky.
"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night." -30-

Magic Man

"Hocus pocus, ala-kazaam, wham-bam, candy bar for Jimbo on the divan!" With those words I would run from my bedroom into the living room and look on the divan for THE candy bar. Sometimes one was there and sometimes Dad would have to try again. Dad would come home from "chasing" about the time I was going to bed and most of the time he would perform his magic routine. Sometimes the first attempt was a "fake" to get me out of the bedroom so his second try could be, "Hocus pocus mala-ka-fred, candy bar for Jimbo, under his bed" Sure enough, there it would be. I was pretty gullible at that age (4-5) and thought a little man lived in the walls moving candy bars around. Most of the time the "Magic" act would involve candy, but one time Dad made a puppy appear in the furnace room.
As part of Dad's job with Public Finance he had the responsibility at the end of the month to go "Chasing". That was his word for collecting delinquent payments. It was in the evenings or sometimes on saturdays. In Joplin he and Jack Watkins would go together. In later years (and other towns) Dad took me along for some Saturday excursions. And believe me, they really were "chases". Dad would go to the home of the customer and if they weren't there he'd sometime wait until they returned, go back later or leave to find them wherever they might be.
When Dad and Jack went "chasing" together in Joplin, Mom, Gregg and I would go over to the Watkins house or Donna and the Watkins girls would come to our house. On one occassion we were at the Watkins house. Donna and Mom were changing Gregg and Karens diaper on one of the beds. All of a sudden a big furry spider came out from under the bed. Much screaming, jumping back, leaving naked baby bottoms on the bed. When things settled down somewhat, the baby's were picked up and we all hurried to our house which was about a block away. When Dad and Jack returned home they killed the spider. No candy bar that night.