komleague
KOM League Flash Report for June 5 -11, 2016
The KOM League
Flash Report
For
Week of June 5—11, 2016
Note: The person in the photo of the 1946 pitching staff as Bob White was actually William Denzil White.
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A word of advice:
The appeal of this report will only affect those who have heard of the following: Iola, KS, Ban Johnson baseball, John Handzo, Kenneth Johnson, Al Reitz, Walter Johnson, Babe Ruth, Al Kluttz, Claude and Keith Willoughby, Harold Liell, Fred Kipp, Bill Essick, Dutch Zwilling and a few other names added as filler material.
This author strongly suggests that the reader limit his/her consumption of this material to 1.4 pages per day. That will give you something to read until the next edition of this publication most likely will be shared.
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Death of former Carthage Cub pitcher
www.lehrergibilisco.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=1576926
John G. Handzo Jr. 81, died Sunday, May 3, 2015 at home. Mr. Handzo was born in Elizabeth and lived in Linden for 65 years and in Rome PA., for the past 20 years. John worked for DuPont Corp in Linden for 25 years retiring in 1984. Mr. Handzo was a U.S. Marine Corp during Korean conflict. He was a graduate of Linden High School in 1951. He was an avid fisherman, hunter and loved gardening. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather and friend and will be missed by all.
Mr. Handzo is predeceased by his wife Catherine who passed away in 2014. They were married in Hawaii in 1954.He is survived by his daughters: Kathy McKeever and her husband Mike, and Marylou Calaman and her husband Mark and one son John G III. Also survived by 7 grandchildren: Jacquelyn, Jessica, Caitlin, Michael, Cassandra, Megan, and Matthew and also six great grandchildren.
Memorial Mass will take place on Saturday May 9, 2015 at 10:00 am at St. Elizabeth RC Church Linden. Burial of cremains will be at St. Gertrude Cemetery Colonia. Arrangements under the Lehrer-Gibilisco Funeral Home, 275 West Milton Avenue, Rahway NJ 07065. www.lehrergibilisco.com
Ed comment:
There were two guys around the Carthage Cub ballpark, in 1951, with the initials of “JGH.” One was a late season pitcher for the team and the other was the team’s batboy. Gee, I should know that guy’s name. Can anyone help me out with that?
Handzo wasn’t quite 18 when he showed up in Carthage and for a youngster he did reasonably well posting a 2-3 record and playing on the only playoff championship team in Carthage Cub history.
There aren’t too many of the 1951 Carthage Cubs still living and even fewer who receive the Flash Reports. Hoping to get a quote from one of Handzo’s teammates, I shared the obituary and photo with Walt Babcock. He replied “John, thank you. I would never have recognized him.”
Just to make sure this article was correct I asked Babcock if he recalled if Handzo was right or left handed and that precipitated a shareable quote. “Why are you asking me? I can’t remember which way I threw. For some reason I think, right.”
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Honoring the memory of a former manager of Carthage Cardinals
Forgive me if you’ve seen (and written in your Flash Reports about) this but thought you’d be interested in the three-part series on Alvin Kluttz.
www.salisburypost.com/2016/05/27/alvin-kluttz-rowan-hero-...
www.salisburypost.com/2016/05/28/203325/
m.salisburypost.com/2016/05/29/kluttz/
That note was sent to me by baseball necrologist, Jack Morris, mere moments prior to finishing this report.
Alvin Clifton Kluttz managed the Carthage Cardinals for all or parts of two seasons in 1947-48. I have written about him in the past and he made it into my first book. Over the Memorial Day weekend he was remembered in his hometown newspaper Look them up if interested. I have proofread the stories and found only one glaring error. Kluttz played for Springfield, MO in 1941 and not Springfield, Illinois. He was the reason future KOM leaguer Oscar “Pappy” Walterman was released that year. In reading the stories found on the URL’s it will explain how Kluttz received the wounds that received many comments from the former Carthage Cardinals who saw him without wearing a shirt. They said his torso looked like hamburger. To find out how that happened you will have to refer to those links.
One of the regrets I have had in the search for former KOM leaguers is that I didn’t find Kluttz in time to interview him. He died in May of 1995.
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1946 Iola, Kansas Cubs
In a recent Flash Report finding Russell Austin White of the 1946 Iola Cubs was highlighted. That drove me to look closer at the remaining members of that team that I never located. Immediately, after this article, the saga of searching for Kenneth Carstensen Johnson is shared.
However, I want to go back to the Iola Cubs photo in the previous report. The photo is available at: www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/26683806133/. Also in that photo was a guy who knew Babe Ruth and another who was the uncle of future Minnesota Twins player, Rich Reece. Don’t have room to address those items in this report
It is my guess that the person drawing the least interest in that old photo would have been the fellow in the back row wearing a straw hat and identified as Lloyd Ayers. To many people he was known as “Rabbit.” He was born in 1888 in Erie, Kansas, which is about 38 miles south of Iola. Prior to 1900 Rabbit’s father passed away and he was adopted by Caleb Fowler and his wife Susan who lived in Big Bear Township, in Neosho County, which was and still is located east of Chanute, Kansas.
Prior to going further with this story I wanted to get in touch with someone who remembered Rabbit Ayers. I sent a note to a former Iola catcher who now resides in Arizona and here was the response from Buck Walz. “Rabbit. I really liked him. He was a lot of fun to be around. Al Reitz was always picking on him. I was glad to get the story of his life.” So, I continue with some of the information shared with Walz.
Caleb Fowler passed away in 1901 and his wife Susan did likewise three years later. Thus, their step-son, Lloyd was basically on his own at age 16. He learned the cattle business and was a stockman and cattle trader most of his working life. Only one thing got in the way of work and that was baseball. There are details of Ayers playing and later managing amateur teams in Iola from the early part of the 20th century up to the time he joined the Iola Baseball Assn. as their business manager.
In the early 1900’s in order to play baseball in that area the teams were basically comprised of towns such as Humboldt, Iola and Chanute. Later, with better transportation the teams on which Ayers played and managed went as far as Lawson which is in the Kansas City Metro area.
In his teen years Ayers played against Humboldt, Kansas which featured a pitcher that was 6’ 1” and weighed around 200 pounds. Comparatively, Ayers was 5’ 6” and weighed in at 130. The Humboldt pitcher was future Hall of Famer, Walter Johnson. The age differential in the two country boys from Kansas was one year. Each went their own way in life with Johnson racking up 21 seasons in the big leagues and Ayers playing and managing the Iola Gassers and later a Ban Johnson league team for more years than Johnson played in the big leagues.
In 1934 Ayers was equal to Johnson, they were both managers. Ayers was managing the Iola Ban Johnson Cubs and his old friend was doing the same job with the Cleveland Indians.
To start the 1941 season Iola and Independence, Kans. were slated to play at Independence, Kansas. Since Independence had been the site of the first night game played under the lights Ayers was involved in attempting to draw a huge crowd. He and his friends in the area decided to ask Johnson and one of his baseball buddies to attend that contest. Johnson’s buddy was Babe Ruth. But, as with most dreams of that nature, it never came to fruition. .
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8/11/1925
The Iola Gassers scored three in their first turn at bat when "Rabbit" Ayers walked. Burns flied to Moore. Scott singled after Ayers stole second and both runners eventually scored.
6/15/1934
The Iola Cubs, down in seventh and last place in. the Eastern Kansas league, have the league leading Fredonia club to entertain here Sunday in attempting to stage' a comeback In the race. Humboldt handed the Cubs their second loss in a row and their third of the season last Sunday to shove the local entry down into the league cellar. Iola, the largest town in the league, doesn't appreciate the cool temperatures of the basement and the Cubs are intent on climbing out Sunday, despite the fact they will have to knock over the pace-setters to do the climbing act. Manager Lloyd Ayers of the Cubs announces he expects to have no new additions Sunday. Pat Patterson who was out last week with an injured shoulder, will be ready to play,
July 4, 1935
In 1939 Rabbit Ayers declared that he had recommended to Bill Essick of the Yankees that one of his pitchers was ready for big league ball. Ayers declared that either the Yankees or Detroit Tiger would sign Harold Liell. In looking around the Internet I found a reference that occurred four years earlier. Here is the site: Harold Liell-
nationalpastime.com/site/index.php?action=baseball_team_s...
For those without access to the site here is the full quote: “Due to his 'wandering' ball, Iola hurler Harold Liell, a 5' 6 1/2", 155-pounder with pigeon-toed feet, is called up for a tryout with the Kansas City Blues. The K.C. manager Dutch Zwilling is impressed with the young southpaw's performance, but advises the Greeley, Kansas lad to get more experience, suggesting he suggests he play in the Ban Johnson League.
May 12, 1939
The first "home" game of the lola Ban Johnson team will be played away from home. Manager Lloyd “Rabbit" Ayers said today. In the absence of a suitable playing field here, Ayers' athletes will Journey to Humboldt Sunday, where they will meet the Chanute club on the neutral Walter Johnson field. On the basis of comparative scores, it looks {like a bad day Sunday for the lola club.
Play Has Improved--- Ayers, however, points-to the 11-8 victory of his club 'over Parsons last Sunday as an indication that the boys' play has improved immensely, and although he was reticent about predicting a victory, he would admit that it will be a close ball game. Willoughby, the son of the former big-leaguer, Claude Willoughby, who has, been, burning up the semi-pro ball games in this part of the state, will hurl for Chanute Sunday. (Ed note: Willoughby came along seven years later as a first baseman for the Bartlesville Oiler of the KOM league which his dad managed.)
There are many events in the life of Rabbit Ayers that made it into the newspaper and here is the one from May 7, 1941.
To observe Night Ball's Birthday lola Ban Johnson team To Help Independence B-J’s At Celebration There Next Tuesday Night.
Iola's baseball team will take part in a game of national significance at Independence next Tuesday night. The regularly scheduled home opener for the Independence Ban Johnson league team falls on that date, with Iola as the opposition, and the host club is planning to make It a celebration of the eleventh anniversary of the first game of organized night baseball in the world. Independence, along with another city or two, claims to have held the first night contest played by an organized professional team. The date was April 28, 1930. Despite the Des Moines claim that they have long asserted, the right to the distinction and has been credited in most quarters with playing the first game under lights, but Independence baseball men contend that the Des Moines game was played a week later than the April 28 date. Pre-game ceremonies are being arranged for Tuesday night and members of the Independence team of 1930 and notables of baseball are being invited to take part.
Among those extended invitations are Walter Johnson and Babe Ruth.
Invites lolans-- A letter from Lawrence Ferrell, Secretary of the Independence Baseball Association, extends a special invitation to lola fans to attend the game and accompanying festivities. "We would like to see a large crowd of lola fans here," he says. Meanwhile lola's club is preparing for its own home opener here Sunday against Parsons.
APRIL 12. 1941.
Seeking Players For Ban Johnson Ayers to Build Club Around Three Vets And Possibly a Few Imported Players
Executives of the new Iola Baseball association got down to balls, and strikes, and singles in a meeting last night, reviewing the player situation in a lengthy confab. "They finally filtered the subject down to a decision that the club will be able to pay for the importation of possibly four tried and proven athletes, and that boys already here will be counted upon to fill the bill for additional talent. Last year's edition has been riddled by "graduation" and the defense program….The board members were in agreement last night that at least two pitchers of class must be found in a hurry and also a catcher. They have a string on one able hurler. Jim Smith, the Illinois boy who hurled for Humboldt last season. He pleased highly there. With Humboldt out of the league this time, Smith has made known a desire to come here. Manager Lloyd Ayers, who, incidentally, was hired officially last night, is counting at present on "Red" Williams to handle first base. Ayers plans a practice session tomorrow and an invitation is extended to boys of the surrounding com- munity to take part. The club voted to place Ayers on salary this season. With the schedule doubled, the work will be intensive. Some other clubs have been paying their managers in the past.
There are many events in the life of Rabbit Ayers that made it into the newspaper and here is the one from May 7, 1941.
To observe Night Ball's Birthday lola Ban Johnson team To Help Independence B-J’s At Celebration There Next Tuesday Night.
Iola's baseball team will take part in a game of national significance at Independence next Tuesday night. The regularly scheduled home opener for the Independence Ban Johnson league team falls on that date, with Iola as the opposition, and the host club is planning to make It a celebration of the eleventh anniversary of the first game of organized night baseball in the world. Independence, along with another city or two, claims to have held the first night contest played by an organized professional team. The date was April 28, 1930. Despite the Des Moines claim that they have long asserted, the right to the distinction and has been credited in most quarters with playing the first game under lights, but Independence baseball men contend that the Des Moines game was played a week later than the April 28 date. Pre-game ceremonies are being arranged for Tuesday night and members of the Independence team of 1930 and notables of baseball are being invited to take part.
Among those extended invitations are Walter Johnson and Babe Ruth.
Invites lolans-- A letter from Lawrence Ferrell, Secretary of the Independence Baseball Association, extends a special invitation to lola fans to attend the game and accompanying festivities. "We would like to see a large crowd of lola fans here," he says. Meanwhile lola's club is preparing for its own home opener here Sunday against Parsons.
September 22, 1946
Sandlot Stars In Sunday Ayers to Boss Cubs, Reitz to Manage Visitors in Try-Out Camp Game Here The K-O-M league baseball season now being history, the long- awaited appearance of sandlot stars against the Cubs is near—scheduled Sunday afternoon. A few of the Cubs—Al Etie, Walter Dunkovich, and Buck Walz— have departed for their homes, but club officials gave assurance today that a sufficient number will be on hand for the Sunday exhibition game. Reitz to Maneuver Visitors Remuneration for the visiting players will be confined to an opportunity of being under the experienced eye of Manager Al Reitz of the Cubs," who will turn the K-O-M team over to Lloyd Ayers while skippering the sand-lotters himself. Response from teams having promising young prospects has been gratifying. Ayers said this morning. Many replies came in to the 69 invitations sent out a month ago presenting the tryout plan to managers in towns within a radius of 60 miles of Iola. Intra-Squad Game The number of young players appearing cannot be determined but has been estimated all the way from 20 to 100. They will begin arriving early In the morning and Reitz and Ayers work with them from 8 a. m. until about 11:00. A recess will be called, it was stated this morning, until about 12:30, when workouts will be resumed and may include an intra-squad practice game. From that contest, a starting lineup will be selected to face the Cubs about 3 p. m. Gates to the park will be opened at 12:30. Ayers .said today, he plans to use most of the Cub pitchers in brief turns. Bob Burris will come from Tulsa, where he has enrolled in college, and will fill in at second base, vacated by Etie. The try-out idea, with accompanying exhibition game, was originally suggested by John Yowell of Geneva, a loyal Cub fan who has assisted in organizing the event.
Bonus earnings of the players participating in the Chanute and lola baseball play-off series are being figured now and are not yet known. Fans curious to know the value of the series to the players may meanwhile toy with the figures themselves to gain a rough idea. Players shared in receipts of the first four games only. Tax was the first "take" from the total. Next went a ten per cent sum to the league for administrative expenses. Expenses of the games—balls, umpires, lights, ticket sellers, and other items—were covered next. The winning team in the first four games received 60 per cent of the receipts, the loser 40. (The teams broke even in the first four.) Players will receive half the team shares. Their regular salaries carry on,
Sept. 20. 1946
Sandlot Stars In Sunday-- Ayers to Boss Cubs, Reitz to Manage Visitors in Try-Out Camp Game Here The K-O-M league baseball season now being history, the long- awaited appearance of sandlot stars against the Cubs is near—scheduled Sunday afternoon. A few of the Cubs—Al Etie, Walter Dunkovich, and Buck Walz— have departed for their homes, but club officials gave assurance today that a sufficient number will be on hand for the Sunday exhibition game.
Reitz to Maneuver Visitors --Remuneration for the visiting players will be confined to an opportunity of being under the experienced eye of Manager Al Reitz of the Cubs, who will turn the K-O-M team over to Lloyd Ayers while skippering the sand-lotters himself. Response from teams having promising young prospects has been gratifying. Ayers said this morning. Many replies came in to the 69 invitations sent out a month ago presenting the tryout plan to managers in towns within a radius of 60 miles of Iola.
Intra-Squad Game-- The number of young players appearing cannot be determined but has been estimated all the way from 20 to 100. They will begin arriving early in the morning and Reitz and Ayers work with them from 8 a. m. until about 11:00. A recess will be called, it was stated this morning, until about 1230, when workouts will be resumed and may include an intra-squad practice game. From that contest, a starting lineup will be selected to face the Cubs about 3 p. m. Gates to the park will be opened at 12:30. Ayers .said today he plans to use most of the Cub pitchers in brief turns. Bob Burris will come from Tulsa, where he has enrolled in college, and will fill in at second base, vacated by Etie. The try-out idea, with accompanying exhibition game, was originally suggested by John Yowell of Geneva, a loyal Cub fan. who has assisted in organizing regular salaries carry on,
An unlikely outcome to sand-lotters vs. Iola Cubs.. Truly a “Gone With the Wind” event.
Sept. 23, 1946
Baseball Try-Out Attracts 80 About 40 Towns Are Represented in Squad;--Storm Forces Cancellation of Game --More than 80 young baseball prospects from about 40 towns, some as far away as Missouri, were at Riverside park yesterday for the Cubs' try-out camp and exhibition game that was halted in mli-afternoon by the storm. The wind and rain that scattered the crowd at the park came just as the batter's box was being marked off at home plate for the start of the exhibition contest, climax of the all-day program. Earlier, 12 innings of practice baseball had been played with about all the candidates present getting a chance to take a turn on the field at least a few minutes. Lineups were changed completely each three innings.
Many arrived early Manager Al Reltz of the Cubs sat on the sidelines and noted his selections for the afternoon game with the lola K-O-M league team, aided by Lloyd Ayers, business manager of the Cubs, and other officials of the team. Twenty-five players were on hand at 8 a. m. when organizers of the try-out camp appeared at the park to open the gates. A successful day had been expected by Cub officials but the number and quality of the candidates amazed some of those having connection with sponsoring it. . It Is believed that a few of the players may be signed to contracts with the lola team next spring, as a result of the inspection given by Reitz.
List Is Blown Away-- The storm not only wiped out the exhibition game, but also blew away a paper bearing a list of the visiting players that the lola officials had compiled. It had been placed on the top of the dugout just before the wind suddenly swept in. "It might be in LaCygne today," Clair Morgan, who helped organize the players, commented this morning. Reitz had posted the following lineup for the start of the game: Krepps, Buffalo. 2b; W. Prazell, lola, ss; J. Shlnn, Bronson, cf; Beaman, Uniontown, c;.Dimlop,, Neosho Falls, 3b; Bacon, Moran, lb; Frischenmeyer, Neosho Palls, Kipp, Piqua, rf; Westhoff, Parsons, p. About' two dozen additional players were to be used in later innings. Manager Ayers of the Cubs planned to start with the following lineup: Bubnak ss. Wood rf. B. Burris 2b, Singleton cf, Aubrey 3b. Giebel lb, Alivojvodic rf, Phillips c, Plvorunas p. Among towns reported as being represented by players trying out were the following: LaCygne, Pleasanton. Uniontown, Fort Scott, Nevada. Mo.. Burlington, Buffalo, Yates Center, Ottawa, Princeton, Neosho Falls, LeRoy, Westphalia, Colony, Wellsville, Welda, Sarcoxie, Mo.. Gamett, Kincaid. Moran, Bronson, Chanute, Mound City, Blue Mound, Stark, Savonburg, Elsmore, Walnut, Toronto, Waverly, Geneva, Carlyle, Gridley and Greeley.
Editorial comment:
Seventy years after Al Reitz’s list of candidates blew away I regret it happened. I would love to have known the names of the other young men at that tryout. I can assure the readers that Beaman of Uniontown and Westhoff of Parsons wound up in the KOM league the following year/ It was Gerald Nate Beaman who caught for the Pittsburg, KS Browns and Lloyd “Curley” Westhoff pitched for the Chanute Athletics. (Ed note: Beaman still lives in Uniontown and turns 92 in August. Westhoff died in a Pittsburg, KS nursing home in 1996 although his home was still Parsons. Won’t go very far into the story here but one of the most moving events I ever witnessed occurred while Westhoff was in a semi-comatose state. I accompanied a couple of this Chanute teammates to the nursing home and he looked at Bernie Tye and uttered “Bernie Tye 6’ 7” and lapsed back to his previous condition. He died shortly thereafter.)
On Reitz’s lineup card that day was a 15-year old from Piqua, KS (sounds like Pickway) who he had slotted to play right field. Seven years late Kipp had graduated from Emporia State and signed a professional contract. Eleven years after that tryout the big kid was no longer an outfielder but pitching in the big leagues with Brooklyn in their last year and then at Los Angeles the next season. Yes, that young man was Fred Leo Kipp. www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.cgi?id=kipp--0...
A real gum shoe effort in attempting to locate former Iola/Chanute pitcher
When a particular team is mentioned in a Flash Report I usually pause a few days later to see who I have and haven’t located or determined their fate. Buoyed by the recent locating of Russell Austin White of the 1946 Iola Cubs I headed out once again to determine the fate of Kenneth Johnson.
In the very early days of writing about the KOM league Bernie Tye furnished me with a number of photos of the 1946 Chanute, Kansas Owls. If your turn in your KOM hymnal to page 18, (The KOM League Remembered published by Arcadia), there is a photo of the 1946 pitching staff of the Owls. www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/27105962820/
One of those guys was Kenneth “Crow” Johnson. How he got from Iola to Chanute was mentioned in the July 3, 1946 edition of the Iola Register. “Cubs Release Johnson; Hoffman to Rejoin (team).. Kenneth Johnson, right-handed pitcher whose home is at Exira, Iowa, was released yesterday by the Iola baseball club. Johnson was one of the members of the original squad reporting here in the spring from Hutchinson Since then he pitched five victories for the Cuba and lost the same number of games. Club officials reported today that Lou Hoffman, first baseman, will be available for the Chanute games here tomorrow. He has/been out three days because of illness.”
After joining the Chanute pitching staff, Johnson won and lost three to make his KOM record eight wins and eight losses.
For the past 22 years I searched high and low for Mr. Johnson. He was listed in some reports as being from Elk Horn, (not to be confused with Elkhorn) Iowa. Search after search turned up a big fat zero in looking through all manner of data sources. Over the Memorial Day weekend I determined that I would find what became of Johnson or I’d eat myself into a stupor.
Going back to the July 3, 1946 newspaper reference I looked for any Johnson in Exira, Iowa and found a reference that a person by the name of Johnson might know a family by the name of Lacanne. With nothing to lose I called the Lacanne number but the person answering didn’t have that name. Now, with no way to turn I asked the “old guy” who answered if he ever heard of Kenneth Johnson who once played baseball. He had heard of him but said his father went to school with him and would know more about him. The fellow said I could speak with his father but he was pretty hard of hearing. Again, I thought to myself, I have nothing to lose. So, a 90-year-old friend of Johnson got on the line and identified himself as Paul Hansen. I asked Hansen what he recalled about Johnson and it turned out to be they went to school together and Johnson turned out to be a farmer and “died a long time ago.”
Prior to hanging up I inquired of Mr. Hansen if he knew where Johnson’s final resting place was and he said “up in the cemetery in Elk Horn.”. Well, the best or worst part of the next hour was spent going through threw the names all those listed on cemetery rolls located in Shelby County. Guess what? You got it, no Kenneth Johnson.
Now, becoming a bit frustrated, I decided to insert Kenneth Johnson into a search engine and add “Shelby County” instead of Exira or Elk Horn, Iowa. Those towns are only 12 miles apart and it was possible that the Johnson family lived in neither of those places but somewhere in between.
Did the 22-year wait to find a clue on the whereabouts of Kenneth Johnson pay off or did I go down another blind alley? When I inserted ‘Johnson in Shelby County’ I found a Nels Johnson who was from Norway who had “fled” to South Dakota and then into Iowa. It showed he had five children by 1940 with the oldest being 33 and the youngest, 16. The 16-year old was named…you guessed it, Kenneth.
Usually, when having that much information, you are on a roll and the capture of the person you are seeking is well-nigh accomplished. But, as the last 22-years has proven, finding Kenneth Johnson isn’t easy. I then decided to see if I could track the two brothers of Kenneth. His oldest brother, Folmer died at age 91 and I was sure with those facts I could do some tracking through cemetery records. Guess what? You’re right, there was no reference to Folmer’s final resting place.
So, what next? I dug into the obituary of Levi Johnson who died in Elk Horn in 1986. It mentioned he had a brother by the name of Kenneth who had a wife by the name of Betty and that they lived in Omaha, Nebraska.
A run through Betty and Kenneth Johnson, in Omaha, turned up an obituary of Betty who passed away in 2011 and she had been preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth. I scoured her obituary and found her date of birth would have made her about Kenneth’s age. So, I pounded on the computer keys a while longer looking for any sign of a Kenneth Johnson, in Omaha. Then, a partial obituary was found with the notation that the Omaha Journal World obituaries were no longer available at the site I was using. However, with a bit of skullduggery I found this; “Kenneth Carstensen Johnson, age 84 passed away 2/8/2008, loving husband of Betty J. for 63 years. Graduated from Iowa State University in Animal Husbandry.” And, that is all the site would allow me to see.
With that bit of information contact was made with baseball necrologist, Jack Morris, and he will search on the source material he can access to determine if there is more to learn about Johnson With the information found I know that “Crow” was a nickname and that while at Iola and Chanute he wasn’t running around after ball games since he was a newly-married man or on the verge of being so. I suspect, when all is learned about him there will be an account of him serving during WW II for at least two years.
A few hours later Jack Morris came through with the following obituary.
JOHNSON- Kenneth Carstensen, age 84. Passed away in Omaha on February 8th. Born in rural Shelby County, IA. Loving husband to Betty J. for 63 years. Father of two sons, Courtney D. and M. Kyle, Grand father of three and Great-Grand father of one. Graduate of Iowa State University in Animal Husbandry. Head Swine-herdsman at Boystown and long-time cattle salesman in the Omaha Stockyards.
Memorial Service, 11 AM, Feb. 21, 2009 at Elk Horn Lutheran Church, 4313 Main St, Elk Horn IA. Memorials suggested to family's wishes.
THE ARBOR SOCIETY --2819 S 125th Ave · Omaha NE 68144
Omaha World-Herald (NE) - Sunday, February 15, 2009
Ed comment:
After compiling the material on Johnson some additional time was spent looking for more information. Knowing that there couldn’t be many, if any more guys with that name I inserted first middle and last name into the computer and up came another name. I looked at it and said to myself “There ain’t no way that is possible.” The search engine located that three name combination and attributed it to a Kenneth Johnson who was born in Topeka, Kansas in 1923 and made it all the way to the big leagues with the Cardinals and Phillies by early 1950. Here is the site which needs to be updated to get the Kenneth Johnson, who made it to the big leagues lined up with his real middle name of Wandersee. www.baseballhistorian.com/trade_details.cfm?first_name=Ke...
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I’m done.
If there are any questions regarding this report I probably couldn’t answer them but you can still give it try.
KOM League Flash Report for June 5 -11, 2016
The KOM League
Flash Report
For
Week of June 5—11, 2016
Note: The person in the photo of the 1946 pitching staff as Bob White was actually William Denzil White.
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A word of advice:
The appeal of this report will only affect those who have heard of the following: Iola, KS, Ban Johnson baseball, John Handzo, Kenneth Johnson, Al Reitz, Walter Johnson, Babe Ruth, Al Kluttz, Claude and Keith Willoughby, Harold Liell, Fred Kipp, Bill Essick, Dutch Zwilling and a few other names added as filler material.
This author strongly suggests that the reader limit his/her consumption of this material to 1.4 pages per day. That will give you something to read until the next edition of this publication most likely will be shared.
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Death of former Carthage Cub pitcher
www.lehrergibilisco.com/memsol.cgi?user_id=1576926
John G. Handzo Jr. 81, died Sunday, May 3, 2015 at home. Mr. Handzo was born in Elizabeth and lived in Linden for 65 years and in Rome PA., for the past 20 years. John worked for DuPont Corp in Linden for 25 years retiring in 1984. Mr. Handzo was a U.S. Marine Corp during Korean conflict. He was a graduate of Linden High School in 1951. He was an avid fisherman, hunter and loved gardening. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather and friend and will be missed by all.
Mr. Handzo is predeceased by his wife Catherine who passed away in 2014. They were married in Hawaii in 1954.He is survived by his daughters: Kathy McKeever and her husband Mike, and Marylou Calaman and her husband Mark and one son John G III. Also survived by 7 grandchildren: Jacquelyn, Jessica, Caitlin, Michael, Cassandra, Megan, and Matthew and also six great grandchildren.
Memorial Mass will take place on Saturday May 9, 2015 at 10:00 am at St. Elizabeth RC Church Linden. Burial of cremains will be at St. Gertrude Cemetery Colonia. Arrangements under the Lehrer-Gibilisco Funeral Home, 275 West Milton Avenue, Rahway NJ 07065. www.lehrergibilisco.com
Ed comment:
There were two guys around the Carthage Cub ballpark, in 1951, with the initials of “JGH.” One was a late season pitcher for the team and the other was the team’s batboy. Gee, I should know that guy’s name. Can anyone help me out with that?
Handzo wasn’t quite 18 when he showed up in Carthage and for a youngster he did reasonably well posting a 2-3 record and playing on the only playoff championship team in Carthage Cub history.
There aren’t too many of the 1951 Carthage Cubs still living and even fewer who receive the Flash Reports. Hoping to get a quote from one of Handzo’s teammates, I shared the obituary and photo with Walt Babcock. He replied “John, thank you. I would never have recognized him.”
Just to make sure this article was correct I asked Babcock if he recalled if Handzo was right or left handed and that precipitated a shareable quote. “Why are you asking me? I can’t remember which way I threw. For some reason I think, right.”
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Honoring the memory of a former manager of Carthage Cardinals
Forgive me if you’ve seen (and written in your Flash Reports about) this but thought you’d be interested in the three-part series on Alvin Kluttz.
www.salisburypost.com/2016/05/27/alvin-kluttz-rowan-hero-...
www.salisburypost.com/2016/05/28/203325/
m.salisburypost.com/2016/05/29/kluttz/
That note was sent to me by baseball necrologist, Jack Morris, mere moments prior to finishing this report.
Alvin Clifton Kluttz managed the Carthage Cardinals for all or parts of two seasons in 1947-48. I have written about him in the past and he made it into my first book. Over the Memorial Day weekend he was remembered in his hometown newspaper Look them up if interested. I have proofread the stories and found only one glaring error. Kluttz played for Springfield, MO in 1941 and not Springfield, Illinois. He was the reason future KOM leaguer Oscar “Pappy” Walterman was released that year. In reading the stories found on the URL’s it will explain how Kluttz received the wounds that received many comments from the former Carthage Cardinals who saw him without wearing a shirt. They said his torso looked like hamburger. To find out how that happened you will have to refer to those links.
One of the regrets I have had in the search for former KOM leaguers is that I didn’t find Kluttz in time to interview him. He died in May of 1995.
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1946 Iola, Kansas Cubs
In a recent Flash Report finding Russell Austin White of the 1946 Iola Cubs was highlighted. That drove me to look closer at the remaining members of that team that I never located. Immediately, after this article, the saga of searching for Kenneth Carstensen Johnson is shared.
However, I want to go back to the Iola Cubs photo in the previous report. The photo is available at: www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/26683806133/. Also in that photo was a guy who knew Babe Ruth and another who was the uncle of future Minnesota Twins player, Rich Reece. Don’t have room to address those items in this report
It is my guess that the person drawing the least interest in that old photo would have been the fellow in the back row wearing a straw hat and identified as Lloyd Ayers. To many people he was known as “Rabbit.” He was born in 1888 in Erie, Kansas, which is about 38 miles south of Iola. Prior to 1900 Rabbit’s father passed away and he was adopted by Caleb Fowler and his wife Susan who lived in Big Bear Township, in Neosho County, which was and still is located east of Chanute, Kansas.
Prior to going further with this story I wanted to get in touch with someone who remembered Rabbit Ayers. I sent a note to a former Iola catcher who now resides in Arizona and here was the response from Buck Walz. “Rabbit. I really liked him. He was a lot of fun to be around. Al Reitz was always picking on him. I was glad to get the story of his life.” So, I continue with some of the information shared with Walz.
Caleb Fowler passed away in 1901 and his wife Susan did likewise three years later. Thus, their step-son, Lloyd was basically on his own at age 16. He learned the cattle business and was a stockman and cattle trader most of his working life. Only one thing got in the way of work and that was baseball. There are details of Ayers playing and later managing amateur teams in Iola from the early part of the 20th century up to the time he joined the Iola Baseball Assn. as their business manager.
In the early 1900’s in order to play baseball in that area the teams were basically comprised of towns such as Humboldt, Iola and Chanute. Later, with better transportation the teams on which Ayers played and managed went as far as Lawson which is in the Kansas City Metro area.
In his teen years Ayers played against Humboldt, Kansas which featured a pitcher that was 6’ 1” and weighed around 200 pounds. Comparatively, Ayers was 5’ 6” and weighed in at 130. The Humboldt pitcher was future Hall of Famer, Walter Johnson. The age differential in the two country boys from Kansas was one year. Each went their own way in life with Johnson racking up 21 seasons in the big leagues and Ayers playing and managing the Iola Gassers and later a Ban Johnson league team for more years than Johnson played in the big leagues.
In 1934 Ayers was equal to Johnson, they were both managers. Ayers was managing the Iola Ban Johnson Cubs and his old friend was doing the same job with the Cleveland Indians.
To start the 1941 season Iola and Independence, Kans. were slated to play at Independence, Kansas. Since Independence had been the site of the first night game played under the lights Ayers was involved in attempting to draw a huge crowd. He and his friends in the area decided to ask Johnson and one of his baseball buddies to attend that contest. Johnson’s buddy was Babe Ruth. But, as with most dreams of that nature, it never came to fruition. .
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8/11/1925
The Iola Gassers scored three in their first turn at bat when "Rabbit" Ayers walked. Burns flied to Moore. Scott singled after Ayers stole second and both runners eventually scored.
6/15/1934
The Iola Cubs, down in seventh and last place in. the Eastern Kansas league, have the league leading Fredonia club to entertain here Sunday in attempting to stage' a comeback In the race. Humboldt handed the Cubs their second loss in a row and their third of the season last Sunday to shove the local entry down into the league cellar. Iola, the largest town in the league, doesn't appreciate the cool temperatures of the basement and the Cubs are intent on climbing out Sunday, despite the fact they will have to knock over the pace-setters to do the climbing act. Manager Lloyd Ayers of the Cubs announces he expects to have no new additions Sunday. Pat Patterson who was out last week with an injured shoulder, will be ready to play,
July 4, 1935
In 1939 Rabbit Ayers declared that he had recommended to Bill Essick of the Yankees that one of his pitchers was ready for big league ball. Ayers declared that either the Yankees or Detroit Tiger would sign Harold Liell. In looking around the Internet I found a reference that occurred four years earlier. Here is the site: Harold Liell-
nationalpastime.com/site/index.php?action=baseball_team_s...
For those without access to the site here is the full quote: “Due to his 'wandering' ball, Iola hurler Harold Liell, a 5' 6 1/2", 155-pounder with pigeon-toed feet, is called up for a tryout with the Kansas City Blues. The K.C. manager Dutch Zwilling is impressed with the young southpaw's performance, but advises the Greeley, Kansas lad to get more experience, suggesting he suggests he play in the Ban Johnson League.
May 12, 1939
The first "home" game of the lola Ban Johnson team will be played away from home. Manager Lloyd “Rabbit" Ayers said today. In the absence of a suitable playing field here, Ayers' athletes will Journey to Humboldt Sunday, where they will meet the Chanute club on the neutral Walter Johnson field. On the basis of comparative scores, it looks {like a bad day Sunday for the lola club.
Play Has Improved--- Ayers, however, points-to the 11-8 victory of his club 'over Parsons last Sunday as an indication that the boys' play has improved immensely, and although he was reticent about predicting a victory, he would admit that it will be a close ball game. Willoughby, the son of the former big-leaguer, Claude Willoughby, who has, been, burning up the semi-pro ball games in this part of the state, will hurl for Chanute Sunday. (Ed note: Willoughby came along seven years later as a first baseman for the Bartlesville Oiler of the KOM league which his dad managed.)
There are many events in the life of Rabbit Ayers that made it into the newspaper and here is the one from May 7, 1941.
To observe Night Ball's Birthday lola Ban Johnson team To Help Independence B-J’s At Celebration There Next Tuesday Night.
Iola's baseball team will take part in a game of national significance at Independence next Tuesday night. The regularly scheduled home opener for the Independence Ban Johnson league team falls on that date, with Iola as the opposition, and the host club is planning to make It a celebration of the eleventh anniversary of the first game of organized night baseball in the world. Independence, along with another city or two, claims to have held the first night contest played by an organized professional team. The date was April 28, 1930. Despite the Des Moines claim that they have long asserted, the right to the distinction and has been credited in most quarters with playing the first game under lights, but Independence baseball men contend that the Des Moines game was played a week later than the April 28 date. Pre-game ceremonies are being arranged for Tuesday night and members of the Independence team of 1930 and notables of baseball are being invited to take part.
Among those extended invitations are Walter Johnson and Babe Ruth.
Invites lolans-- A letter from Lawrence Ferrell, Secretary of the Independence Baseball Association, extends a special invitation to lola fans to attend the game and accompanying festivities. "We would like to see a large crowd of lola fans here," he says. Meanwhile lola's club is preparing for its own home opener here Sunday against Parsons.
APRIL 12. 1941.
Seeking Players For Ban Johnson Ayers to Build Club Around Three Vets And Possibly a Few Imported Players
Executives of the new Iola Baseball association got down to balls, and strikes, and singles in a meeting last night, reviewing the player situation in a lengthy confab. "They finally filtered the subject down to a decision that the club will be able to pay for the importation of possibly four tried and proven athletes, and that boys already here will be counted upon to fill the bill for additional talent. Last year's edition has been riddled by "graduation" and the defense program….The board members were in agreement last night that at least two pitchers of class must be found in a hurry and also a catcher. They have a string on one able hurler. Jim Smith, the Illinois boy who hurled for Humboldt last season. He pleased highly there. With Humboldt out of the league this time, Smith has made known a desire to come here. Manager Lloyd Ayers, who, incidentally, was hired officially last night, is counting at present on "Red" Williams to handle first base. Ayers plans a practice session tomorrow and an invitation is extended to boys of the surrounding com- munity to take part. The club voted to place Ayers on salary this season. With the schedule doubled, the work will be intensive. Some other clubs have been paying their managers in the past.
There are many events in the life of Rabbit Ayers that made it into the newspaper and here is the one from May 7, 1941.
To observe Night Ball's Birthday lola Ban Johnson team To Help Independence B-J’s At Celebration There Next Tuesday Night.
Iola's baseball team will take part in a game of national significance at Independence next Tuesday night. The regularly scheduled home opener for the Independence Ban Johnson league team falls on that date, with Iola as the opposition, and the host club is planning to make It a celebration of the eleventh anniversary of the first game of organized night baseball in the world. Independence, along with another city or two, claims to have held the first night contest played by an organized professional team. The date was April 28, 1930. Despite the Des Moines claim that they have long asserted, the right to the distinction and has been credited in most quarters with playing the first game under lights, but Independence baseball men contend that the Des Moines game was played a week later than the April 28 date. Pre-game ceremonies are being arranged for Tuesday night and members of the Independence team of 1930 and notables of baseball are being invited to take part.
Among those extended invitations are Walter Johnson and Babe Ruth.
Invites lolans-- A letter from Lawrence Ferrell, Secretary of the Independence Baseball Association, extends a special invitation to lola fans to attend the game and accompanying festivities. "We would like to see a large crowd of lola fans here," he says. Meanwhile lola's club is preparing for its own home opener here Sunday against Parsons.
September 22, 1946
Sandlot Stars In Sunday Ayers to Boss Cubs, Reitz to Manage Visitors in Try-Out Camp Game Here The K-O-M league baseball season now being history, the long- awaited appearance of sandlot stars against the Cubs is near—scheduled Sunday afternoon. A few of the Cubs—Al Etie, Walter Dunkovich, and Buck Walz— have departed for their homes, but club officials gave assurance today that a sufficient number will be on hand for the Sunday exhibition game. Reitz to Maneuver Visitors Remuneration for the visiting players will be confined to an opportunity of being under the experienced eye of Manager Al Reitz of the Cubs," who will turn the K-O-M team over to Lloyd Ayers while skippering the sand-lotters himself. Response from teams having promising young prospects has been gratifying. Ayers said this morning. Many replies came in to the 69 invitations sent out a month ago presenting the tryout plan to managers in towns within a radius of 60 miles of Iola. Intra-Squad Game The number of young players appearing cannot be determined but has been estimated all the way from 20 to 100. They will begin arriving early In the morning and Reitz and Ayers work with them from 8 a. m. until about 11:00. A recess will be called, it was stated this morning, until about 12:30, when workouts will be resumed and may include an intra-squad practice game. From that contest, a starting lineup will be selected to face the Cubs about 3 p. m. Gates to the park will be opened at 12:30. Ayers .said today, he plans to use most of the Cub pitchers in brief turns. Bob Burris will come from Tulsa, where he has enrolled in college, and will fill in at second base, vacated by Etie. The try-out idea, with accompanying exhibition game, was originally suggested by John Yowell of Geneva, a loyal Cub fan who has assisted in organizing the event.
Bonus earnings of the players participating in the Chanute and lola baseball play-off series are being figured now and are not yet known. Fans curious to know the value of the series to the players may meanwhile toy with the figures themselves to gain a rough idea. Players shared in receipts of the first four games only. Tax was the first "take" from the total. Next went a ten per cent sum to the league for administrative expenses. Expenses of the games—balls, umpires, lights, ticket sellers, and other items—were covered next. The winning team in the first four games received 60 per cent of the receipts, the loser 40. (The teams broke even in the first four.) Players will receive half the team shares. Their regular salaries carry on,
Sept. 20. 1946
Sandlot Stars In Sunday-- Ayers to Boss Cubs, Reitz to Manage Visitors in Try-Out Camp Game Here The K-O-M league baseball season now being history, the long- awaited appearance of sandlot stars against the Cubs is near—scheduled Sunday afternoon. A few of the Cubs—Al Etie, Walter Dunkovich, and Buck Walz— have departed for their homes, but club officials gave assurance today that a sufficient number will be on hand for the Sunday exhibition game.
Reitz to Maneuver Visitors --Remuneration for the visiting players will be confined to an opportunity of being under the experienced eye of Manager Al Reitz of the Cubs, who will turn the K-O-M team over to Lloyd Ayers while skippering the sand-lotters himself. Response from teams having promising young prospects has been gratifying. Ayers said this morning. Many replies came in to the 69 invitations sent out a month ago presenting the tryout plan to managers in towns within a radius of 60 miles of Iola.
Intra-Squad Game-- The number of young players appearing cannot be determined but has been estimated all the way from 20 to 100. They will begin arriving early in the morning and Reitz and Ayers work with them from 8 a. m. until about 11:00. A recess will be called, it was stated this morning, until about 1230, when workouts will be resumed and may include an intra-squad practice game. From that contest, a starting lineup will be selected to face the Cubs about 3 p. m. Gates to the park will be opened at 12:30. Ayers .said today he plans to use most of the Cub pitchers in brief turns. Bob Burris will come from Tulsa, where he has enrolled in college, and will fill in at second base, vacated by Etie. The try-out idea, with accompanying exhibition game, was originally suggested by John Yowell of Geneva, a loyal Cub fan. who has assisted in organizing regular salaries carry on,
An unlikely outcome to sand-lotters vs. Iola Cubs.. Truly a “Gone With the Wind” event.
Sept. 23, 1946
Baseball Try-Out Attracts 80 About 40 Towns Are Represented in Squad;--Storm Forces Cancellation of Game --More than 80 young baseball prospects from about 40 towns, some as far away as Missouri, were at Riverside park yesterday for the Cubs' try-out camp and exhibition game that was halted in mli-afternoon by the storm. The wind and rain that scattered the crowd at the park came just as the batter's box was being marked off at home plate for the start of the exhibition contest, climax of the all-day program. Earlier, 12 innings of practice baseball had been played with about all the candidates present getting a chance to take a turn on the field at least a few minutes. Lineups were changed completely each three innings.
Many arrived early Manager Al Reltz of the Cubs sat on the sidelines and noted his selections for the afternoon game with the lola K-O-M league team, aided by Lloyd Ayers, business manager of the Cubs, and other officials of the team. Twenty-five players were on hand at 8 a. m. when organizers of the try-out camp appeared at the park to open the gates. A successful day had been expected by Cub officials but the number and quality of the candidates amazed some of those having connection with sponsoring it. . It Is believed that a few of the players may be signed to contracts with the lola team next spring, as a result of the inspection given by Reitz.
List Is Blown Away-- The storm not only wiped out the exhibition game, but also blew away a paper bearing a list of the visiting players that the lola officials had compiled. It had been placed on the top of the dugout just before the wind suddenly swept in. "It might be in LaCygne today," Clair Morgan, who helped organize the players, commented this morning. Reitz had posted the following lineup for the start of the game: Krepps, Buffalo. 2b; W. Prazell, lola, ss; J. Shlnn, Bronson, cf; Beaman, Uniontown, c;.Dimlop,, Neosho Falls, 3b; Bacon, Moran, lb; Frischenmeyer, Neosho Palls, Kipp, Piqua, rf; Westhoff, Parsons, p. About' two dozen additional players were to be used in later innings. Manager Ayers of the Cubs planned to start with the following lineup: Bubnak ss. Wood rf. B. Burris 2b, Singleton cf, Aubrey 3b. Giebel lb, Alivojvodic rf, Phillips c, Plvorunas p. Among towns reported as being represented by players trying out were the following: LaCygne, Pleasanton. Uniontown, Fort Scott, Nevada. Mo.. Burlington, Buffalo, Yates Center, Ottawa, Princeton, Neosho Falls, LeRoy, Westphalia, Colony, Wellsville, Welda, Sarcoxie, Mo.. Gamett, Kincaid. Moran, Bronson, Chanute, Mound City, Blue Mound, Stark, Savonburg, Elsmore, Walnut, Toronto, Waverly, Geneva, Carlyle, Gridley and Greeley.
Editorial comment:
Seventy years after Al Reitz’s list of candidates blew away I regret it happened. I would love to have known the names of the other young men at that tryout. I can assure the readers that Beaman of Uniontown and Westhoff of Parsons wound up in the KOM league the following year/ It was Gerald Nate Beaman who caught for the Pittsburg, KS Browns and Lloyd “Curley” Westhoff pitched for the Chanute Athletics. (Ed note: Beaman still lives in Uniontown and turns 92 in August. Westhoff died in a Pittsburg, KS nursing home in 1996 although his home was still Parsons. Won’t go very far into the story here but one of the most moving events I ever witnessed occurred while Westhoff was in a semi-comatose state. I accompanied a couple of this Chanute teammates to the nursing home and he looked at Bernie Tye and uttered “Bernie Tye 6’ 7” and lapsed back to his previous condition. He died shortly thereafter.)
On Reitz’s lineup card that day was a 15-year old from Piqua, KS (sounds like Pickway) who he had slotted to play right field. Seven years late Kipp had graduated from Emporia State and signed a professional contract. Eleven years after that tryout the big kid was no longer an outfielder but pitching in the big leagues with Brooklyn in their last year and then at Los Angeles the next season. Yes, that young man was Fred Leo Kipp. www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.cgi?id=kipp--0...
A real gum shoe effort in attempting to locate former Iola/Chanute pitcher
When a particular team is mentioned in a Flash Report I usually pause a few days later to see who I have and haven’t located or determined their fate. Buoyed by the recent locating of Russell Austin White of the 1946 Iola Cubs I headed out once again to determine the fate of Kenneth Johnson.
In the very early days of writing about the KOM league Bernie Tye furnished me with a number of photos of the 1946 Chanute, Kansas Owls. If your turn in your KOM hymnal to page 18, (The KOM League Remembered published by Arcadia), there is a photo of the 1946 pitching staff of the Owls. www.flickr.com/photos/60428361@N07/27105962820/
One of those guys was Kenneth “Crow” Johnson. How he got from Iola to Chanute was mentioned in the July 3, 1946 edition of the Iola Register. “Cubs Release Johnson; Hoffman to Rejoin (team).. Kenneth Johnson, right-handed pitcher whose home is at Exira, Iowa, was released yesterday by the Iola baseball club. Johnson was one of the members of the original squad reporting here in the spring from Hutchinson Since then he pitched five victories for the Cuba and lost the same number of games. Club officials reported today that Lou Hoffman, first baseman, will be available for the Chanute games here tomorrow. He has/been out three days because of illness.”
After joining the Chanute pitching staff, Johnson won and lost three to make his KOM record eight wins and eight losses.
For the past 22 years I searched high and low for Mr. Johnson. He was listed in some reports as being from Elk Horn, (not to be confused with Elkhorn) Iowa. Search after search turned up a big fat zero in looking through all manner of data sources. Over the Memorial Day weekend I determined that I would find what became of Johnson or I’d eat myself into a stupor.
Going back to the July 3, 1946 newspaper reference I looked for any Johnson in Exira, Iowa and found a reference that a person by the name of Johnson might know a family by the name of Lacanne. With nothing to lose I called the Lacanne number but the person answering didn’t have that name. Now, with no way to turn I asked the “old guy” who answered if he ever heard of Kenneth Johnson who once played baseball. He had heard of him but said his father went to school with him and would know more about him. The fellow said I could speak with his father but he was pretty hard of hearing. Again, I thought to myself, I have nothing to lose. So, a 90-year-old friend of Johnson got on the line and identified himself as Paul Hansen. I asked Hansen what he recalled about Johnson and it turned out to be they went to school together and Johnson turned out to be a farmer and “died a long time ago.”
Prior to hanging up I inquired of Mr. Hansen if he knew where Johnson’s final resting place was and he said “up in the cemetery in Elk Horn.”. Well, the best or worst part of the next hour was spent going through threw the names all those listed on cemetery rolls located in Shelby County. Guess what? You got it, no Kenneth Johnson.
Now, becoming a bit frustrated, I decided to insert Kenneth Johnson into a search engine and add “Shelby County” instead of Exira or Elk Horn, Iowa. Those towns are only 12 miles apart and it was possible that the Johnson family lived in neither of those places but somewhere in between.
Did the 22-year wait to find a clue on the whereabouts of Kenneth Johnson pay off or did I go down another blind alley? When I inserted ‘Johnson in Shelby County’ I found a Nels Johnson who was from Norway who had “fled” to South Dakota and then into Iowa. It showed he had five children by 1940 with the oldest being 33 and the youngest, 16. The 16-year old was named…you guessed it, Kenneth.
Usually, when having that much information, you are on a roll and the capture of the person you are seeking is well-nigh accomplished. But, as the last 22-years has proven, finding Kenneth Johnson isn’t easy. I then decided to see if I could track the two brothers of Kenneth. His oldest brother, Folmer died at age 91 and I was sure with those facts I could do some tracking through cemetery records. Guess what? You’re right, there was no reference to Folmer’s final resting place.
So, what next? I dug into the obituary of Levi Johnson who died in Elk Horn in 1986. It mentioned he had a brother by the name of Kenneth who had a wife by the name of Betty and that they lived in Omaha, Nebraska.
A run through Betty and Kenneth Johnson, in Omaha, turned up an obituary of Betty who passed away in 2011 and she had been preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth. I scoured her obituary and found her date of birth would have made her about Kenneth’s age. So, I pounded on the computer keys a while longer looking for any sign of a Kenneth Johnson, in Omaha. Then, a partial obituary was found with the notation that the Omaha Journal World obituaries were no longer available at the site I was using. However, with a bit of skullduggery I found this; “Kenneth Carstensen Johnson, age 84 passed away 2/8/2008, loving husband of Betty J. for 63 years. Graduated from Iowa State University in Animal Husbandry.” And, that is all the site would allow me to see.
With that bit of information contact was made with baseball necrologist, Jack Morris, and he will search on the source material he can access to determine if there is more to learn about Johnson With the information found I know that “Crow” was a nickname and that while at Iola and Chanute he wasn’t running around after ball games since he was a newly-married man or on the verge of being so. I suspect, when all is learned about him there will be an account of him serving during WW II for at least two years.
A few hours later Jack Morris came through with the following obituary.
JOHNSON- Kenneth Carstensen, age 84. Passed away in Omaha on February 8th. Born in rural Shelby County, IA. Loving husband to Betty J. for 63 years. Father of two sons, Courtney D. and M. Kyle, Grand father of three and Great-Grand father of one. Graduate of Iowa State University in Animal Husbandry. Head Swine-herdsman at Boystown and long-time cattle salesman in the Omaha Stockyards.
Memorial Service, 11 AM, Feb. 21, 2009 at Elk Horn Lutheran Church, 4313 Main St, Elk Horn IA. Memorials suggested to family's wishes.
THE ARBOR SOCIETY --2819 S 125th Ave · Omaha NE 68144
Omaha World-Herald (NE) - Sunday, February 15, 2009
Ed comment:
After compiling the material on Johnson some additional time was spent looking for more information. Knowing that there couldn’t be many, if any more guys with that name I inserted first middle and last name into the computer and up came another name. I looked at it and said to myself “There ain’t no way that is possible.” The search engine located that three name combination and attributed it to a Kenneth Johnson who was born in Topeka, Kansas in 1923 and made it all the way to the big leagues with the Cardinals and Phillies by early 1950. Here is the site which needs to be updated to get the Kenneth Johnson, who made it to the big leagues lined up with his real middle name of Wandersee. www.baseballhistorian.com/trade_details.cfm?first_name=Ke...
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I’m done.
If there are any questions regarding this report I probably couldn’t answer them but you can still give it try.