November 20, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Don Kerr.

Don Kerr is a name from my past. But now he has died. I have not spoken to him for years but I have always thought of him with a smile. Don lived and grew up in Vancouver at the same time as we did. And we attended the same Salvation Army Corps so we all did everything together. His parents were Salvation Army officers and had 5 boys. Mrs. Kerr was a friendly, energetic lady while Major Kerr was not one a young person ever wanted to deal with. He seemed fierce. One amusing story I recall was that the family put 5 clothespins on the line. As each boy returned home, a clothes pin was put in the basket. When the last pin was in the basket, the door was locked. Don was older than me but one day I convinced him to help me put the wood into the basement. We heated with a wood burning furnace. For two days one week, Don came over after school to help with the wood. The wood had been delivered in a pile adjacent to the house. My task was the open the basement window and throw the wood inside. Doing that task by yourself is boring but with a friends, it was great sport. I still remember us throwing the wood through the window from a distance. And we kept track of the score. We had a blast. And that was the last time I was ever with Don. As a young man, he was serious and blushed easily which of course we teased him about. But he became a Salvation Army and rose to the highest position in Canada, the Commissioner. Now he has died, another friend from long ago. Three years ago, my friend Kitty was talking to Don at Sunday morning service. She mentioned to Don that she had received an e mail from me. And she asked him if he remembered me from Vancouver. He said,"Yes. I remember her well. She was a lovely girl". When Kitty told me I hooted with glee and I told Kitty to tell Don that I was never a lovely girl. I may have been energetic and fun but never lovely. When Kitty told Don what I said, he blushed and laughed. He had not changed a bit.