Larry Ball from OKC who I introduced to archery in 1964 and my brother-in-law, Curtis Austin.
Larry, who enjoyed a rack of HH and Jerry Hill bows, became Pres. of the Oklahoma Longbowmen at one time before he had to quit shooting due to arthritis. A real people magnet. The son of a professional caddy, he grew up poor and we made friends when I worked in a golf shop. We started deer hunting together in 1964 camping in a pup tent, driving up lod rocky log roads in my '57 Ford, and eating greens and beans. When we went to town to get something good to eat, I found a piece of german choclate cake that saved me from those old beans and turnip greens. Since that day the cake helped me through those poorly cooked camp vitals, german chocolate cake has become a favorite. Years later Larry would come up with deer camps full of rough old cowboys characters, and wow, were those fun. Larry passed, but I've never known someone with a better appreciation of life.
Curtis, my brother-in-law, who joined us in those deer camps lived with my wife and I when he was a teenager. He coon hunted with hounds and mules then with one of his uncles, so knew his way around the woods, so he was a natural for bow hunting. On one of our first hunting trips when he was young, we argued about which way to the car. Thought, what does this young greenhorne know, but his directions were right on. After that, my wife always ask Curtis to make sure I got home. He sure knew his way around from all that coon hunting. Curtis went on to managed a duck camp in SE Texas in his younger years and later, passed when working as a foreman, traveling, and cleaning those oil refineries. Curtis was plum crazy and loved to embarrass his sister and grand-ones, so he was a double character and well loved. One of his sons went on to be a good sportsman nd was once on Forged With Fire.