Well, I am baaaack!
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Dear Editor:
Well, I am baaaack! No, I am no Arnold, I am Ed Berry. Way back in July of 1939, I was born in DeSoto, Missouri. At the ripe old age of six weeks, my Father came down and took my Mother and me to 119 Water Street, Chester, Illinois. I spent the next 21 years in Chester, growing up, going to school, and otherwise being an obnoxious, not-nosed kid. In 1960, my Father having died, we moved to Carbondale. Later we moved to Carterville, then still later to St. Louis at various addresses. Then in 1982, I moved to Cahokia, Illinois, and there I lived for 15 years until January of this year.
Over the years, I have done a number of things starting with a 40 day trip on a river boat, then I worked my way through SIUC as a student janitor. After graduating with a major in zoology, I got a job in St. Louis as an advertising copywriter for the A.S.Aloe Company, a medical and scientific supply house.
After I left there, I tried to get a job in Souther Illinois, to no avail. I tried several things over the years, including skip tracer, loan clerk, a taxi driver, a driving instructor, an armored car driver, insurance salesman, and I was even a Fuller Brush Man for a short time.
In 1974, I went to work for a burglar alarm company. For the next 30 years, I worked for 4 different alarm companies I am proud of the fact that twice I was hired a second time by a boss I had worked for before. For the last seven years i have been a security guard.
I went to the Missouri Auction School and learned how to auctioneer. Most of my auctions were for charity. For many years I was on the auction committee for the Missouri Equine Council. I volunteered as a horse show announcer for a horse riding club in Jefferson County, Missouri, I also announced for 4-H shows. I even did one for Cowboys for Christ.
I was a 4-H leader for 12 years, teaching horsemanship to the youngsters. I really enjoyed that. I have been active in church over the years.
Now, that I am back in Chester I have rejoined the First Baptist Church where I was baptized about 61 years ago.
Arthritis is a real pain in the neck. In fact, it is a pain in every joint and muscle in your body. It has made my legs unreliable. I fell three times in January. So it has been decided that I can no longer live alone. Therefore, I have moved into the Manor at Craig Farm. This is not an "old folk's home". True enough, we are old, we are folks, and it is a home. However it is full of lively interesting people. Come by and see it. It is a wonderful place to live. In fact, it is so wonderful thing I am planning on living here for a long time. I would like it to be at least another 21 years. I am planning on becoming an obnoxious snot-nosed old-timer. Come see me sometime.
Until next time,
Ed Berry
Chester