A tribute to my neighbor

To the Editor:

I do hope you put this letter in the paper. It is a tribute to my neighbor Carl Strenful. Who we have just told good bye. His obituary only told, where he came from, and who his kin were. Now I shall tell you what he was.

Carl was not a formally educated man. But he was educated in the ways of life. One of Butler County outstanding people. And he shall be missed greatly by many people. Carl had a "pig valve" in his heart for years and years. But that didn't slow him down much. But a stroke did him in.

A few years ago, and for a lot of years he and and his wife Eva grew sweet corn. Acres and acres!! I am sure Eva has written down how many hundred dozen they sold every year. Employed many of the local young people to pick the corn. Then learned much about life and what it took to put food on the table. The young people would be in the field at the crack of dawn. One wouldn't think you would be cold at this time of the year. But after a few hours of picking corn, you were cold and wet!! My grandsons Mike and Corey were living with me then and they picked corn for Carl. They would come in and say, "Show me the hot shower" . . .

People would wait in line for hours to buy sweet corn. They came from Piedmont, Doniphan, Ellsinore. And heaven knows where else they came from!! Everyone would say, "Strenful corn was the best ever" I agree. Carl and Eva don't plant much anymore. I would tease them and say, "Plant enough for me to have a few dozen. Or I shall put a hex on you." And I have gotten a few dozen every year from him and Eva. Yes Carl will be missed by many people in this area. He was a good example of what a good many person should be. This is written by a neighbor, the way I have seen him over the years.

Irma Houts Epps

Poplar Bluff, Mo.