The Old Rugged Cross-Eyed Bear

About the Book

The book starts on a May day in 1939 as several twelve-year-old friends are headed to their favorite swimming hole on the Solomon River near the town of Downs, Kansas. A problem develops for them as they seem to cross swords with a W.W.1 wounded veteran tending his goats.

The story continues and they find various ways to earn money by catching crawdads, and they observe a "raid" by the State officials on a bootlegger's house.

They have a meeting with the "restless spirit" of a disturbed Indian warrior. These kids don't realize that they are in a "depression," because almost everybody they know is in the same situation except for a few people who "have money."

Quite a lot of the book is devoted to their school experience with outstanding and devoted teachers, and T.Y.S. (Twelve Year Syndrome) begins to affect them. These kids mostly have a happy time, but are awakened to grief with the loss of a good friend.

The end of the story has these same kids going down the same road a year later. They have learned a lot in one year, and they are saddened when "Billy Goat" is not there anymore. They had found out that he was a friend.

About the Author

Born January 24th, 1928 in Kansas and lived in Kansas until I was five years old when we moved to Colorado. We moved back to Kansas in 1938 when I was ten years old. I attended Downs, Kansas's schools and joined the U.S. Navy after graduation. Served in the end of WW II in a Battleship and Heavy Cruisers. I attended Fort Hays for two years, and reenlisted in the Navy in the Korean War. I served five years mostly on aircraft carriers. I married Carolyn Junk on July 2, 1951. I received a B.S. Degree at Fort Hays in 1957, and a M.A Degree at Kearney State (Nebraska) in 1985. Taught school in Kansas, California and Nebraska for thirty-three years, and coached football and wrestling. Retired from teaching and the Nebraska National Guard in 1990. I have fourteen grandchildren.