Life at Lake X in the '60s

[BobbyR]

Help,
Callling on all the ole marthoners out there... Lee Richter 92 years young - ran all the big marthons in the mid west and maybe a few in the east. The old ship channel derby and other local races (Texas that is). He came to the Lake on a couple of ocasions and knew Odell, Johnny, Roy, Bill and a lot of the others. His mine is still sharp and remembers everything... I know he would love to hear from you.
His daughters e-mail address is "Ken & Leah Griffin" <leah@tigrett.com> Little Joe you're on - do a fill in of some of his history and shake the bushes.

Thanks he is a good friend of mine,
Bobby

[digital_jeff]

Hi all,
I'll be getting back to my postings soon - been pretty busy here.

Very sad to hear about Jim, he was always a big help to me.

jeff

[nianticgary]

Enjoy all your photos. How was the Oskosh EAA convention?
Gary Larson

[jackie wilson]

Hiya Bobby, Remember you got posted to Como along with your family, My kids and yours would play for hours in the water. My daughter Tracy [ Boo ] and your boy got into a tussle outside the molinari factory, Just as the blood was beginning to flow Angelo came out and spoiled the fun. Boo was coming up all of ten years old. That had to be around 1969/70. Garbrecht posted brother Roy as head watcher over Renato, which as we all knew was a hopeless and thankless impossible task. Didn't you all live in that wonderful villa next door to the factory. ? We had some great times down by the seaplane hangers in Como town, Como Clara and Lilo Lil----------enough of all that stuff Wilson , get off the puter and give 'em all a break---- THIS ISSSSSS THE LAKE X WEBSITE. SORRY FOLKS. I'LL TRY TO BEHAVE.

[seeroy]

Hiya Bobby, Remember you got posted to Como along with your family, My kids and yours would play for hours in the water. My daughter Tracy [ Boo ] and your boy got into a tussle outside the molinari factory, Just as the blood was beginning to flow Angelo came out and spoiled the fun. Boo was coming up all of ten years old. That had to be around 1969/70. Garbrecht posted brother Roy as head watcher over Renato, which as we all knew was a hopeless and thankless impossible task. Didn't you all live in that wonderful villa next door to the factory. ? We had some great times down by the seaplane hangers in Como town, Como Clara and Lilo Lil----------enough of all that stuff Wilson , get off the puter and give 'em all a break---- THIS ISSSSSS THE LAKE X WEBSITE. SORRY FOLKS. I'LL TRY TO BEHAVE.

Hi Jackie - Your witticism is appreciatied....and since I started this thread with little understanding where it would go, evreyone has been welcome....even you. How's that for a witty shot? Truthfully...you are welcome to talk about other than Lake X on this thread and I have always enjoyed your "comments" on other threads. Best Regards - Steve Sirois

[jackie wilson]

Steve, I don't know if i ever did meet you, or if that wicked old bastard with the hood and the scythe has affected the MEMOIRE glands. [ i do reside in France ]. But me and the dubious old git keep crossing paths and i keep telling him to "clutter off", i told him --when i need you, i'll call. Back to --you--me--and a bro called Bill----and a thing called Pruett. Don got well pissed with me when i called my dog Pruett, he should have been well pleased as he was a pure bred yellow labrador and lived for 15 years on the farm , his last act on the day he died was to put next doors Afghan hound up the spout, causing untold trouble after he was gone. [DOES THE TALE REMIND YOU OF ANYONE]. B.D.P. Flew to Lake X on one of these occasions [ -72/3 ] after his Havasu antics and the replacement hip, but they couldn't do a damn thing about his head, said there was negative equity or something ----------- and they didn't mean his wallet. !!!!!!! Well, he somehow put the machine down at the third attempt and he took me on a grand tour of 'the lake'. The amazing thing was, he knew everyone, and their kids and their mom and dad. and the cousin down in Wichitaw who ran off with Gerry Gilbraiths stepmother, and they all seemed to like him. WHY ????? What in Gods name in heaven was there to LIKE about Pruett. I told him at the time he was not fit for human consumption, so why did i keep going back for more. 77 yrs young and i still haven't figured it out, except ,some of the best memories of my life concern that S.O.B. PRUETT. SIROIS!!!!!!!!!!!! I first met Bill at Phil Rolla's house on lake Lugano. he was with a girl named Carol at the time that would be 68/69 and we talked boats,props, food , people until 5 am. Rolla had a cellar built into the side of a mountain, and would lean back on his chair, open the cellar door and grab ANOTHER bottle of Barbera, and then carve huge chunks of Italian sausage and slice tomatoes until the body yelled enough Rolla and i became good friends and remain so to this day, Bill and i stayed friends and i visited him and his wife on a couple of occasions, with THE THANG . I still have the original press release photos of the full Mercury race team A very happy smiling Bill Sirois, Peacock, Petty. Seebold, Stickle, Hering. Downard, Sherrer, `Merton, Molinari. and me somewhere amongst it all. I keep promising to send the whole shebang to Willabee, but it's a hell of a walk to the Poste. [every bit of 250metres].
Maybe you weren't at the lake the day i arrived, but it is great to be able to turn round when anyone mentions Lake X and to say with great pride, I WAS THERE !!!!!

[BobbyR]

Hellooo Jackie,
Good hearing from you. Roy and his family lived in the Villa, my son and I lioved at a hotel in a small towne northeast of the Molinari shop.
My memory goes back to the time you picked me up at the London Airport and drove me to Horsham. On that trip you taught me all about "Bird Watching".
I enjoyed my time in Eroupe. We had a good family of works drivers there.
I have a picture of the Milan three hour when Renato's pit crew jumped on the boat to refuel and sunk the boat in the pits. When I learn how to post pictures I will start going over the few I have left and share them with you.
thanks Steve this is kinda, sorta Lake "X" since we came from there.

BobbyR

[powerabout]

Marko
Great videos, but tell me could a 75H do 10,000 rpm as the voiceover stated?
Powerabout

[Mark75H]

No, only about 7,000

[GrewuponLakeX]

Hi Steve,
I do enjoy your thread. Don’t know if this is what you’re looking for in stories but as the name implies, I grew up on <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comLake</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">X. </st1:PlaceName>I am the second son of the late Roy A. Ridgell Jr. and my Uncle is Robert Ridgell (aka BobbyR). My dad was hired in the summer of ‘59 (six months after I was born) by Mr Kiekhaefer. We initially went to <st1:City w:st="on">Sarasota</st1:City> and then to <ST1L<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">ake</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">X</st1:PlaceName> in 1960. Living on the <ST1lake was fantastic. We were the third trailer from the Goose’s pad.
I remember:<O</O
- Mr Bill Sirois and many others<O</O
- Izzy and the Goose <O</O
- Santa getting off the plane and handing me an Etch-A-Sketch, and I sat right down and started playing with it.<O</O
- I loved watching all the activity around the shop.<O</O
- The fire in the slip.<O</O
- Our dog was swimming in and around us kids and the alligator grabbing her and killing her and my dad finding the alligator and killing it under the floating boat slips.<O</O
- Robin Bakos, daughter of Johnny Bakos<O</O
- Rosie was our babysitter<O</O
- My Granddaddy Kinard catching the biggest bass on the lake.<O</O
- Mr K and his Chryslers. My dad took me to <st1:City w:st="on">Orlando </st1:City>and we picked up a Barracuda for Mr K.
- <ST1<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">St. Cloud</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Hospital</st1:PlaceType> was built by Mr. K to ensure his drivers got first rate attention. My dad and I went and got semi trailer load of sod for the Hospital grounds.
- Learned how to swim, fish, drive a boat and ski on <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Lake</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">X</st1:PlaceName> (for most of my years – I thought everyone’s childhood consisted of what I got to do at the lake.
- Being the last family to move off the lake, to a 3 acre corner of Mr K’s property, living next to Odell Lewis’ family.<O</O
My mother tells of the time I was playing with a bunch of kids and we were all muddy when Mr K. pulled up and asked me if I wanted a ride (we were about 100 yards from our trailer). I got in the car and then I asked Mr K. if the others could come too. Mr K. piled us all in and when my mother saw how dirty I was, she was embarrassed.
Just wanted to introduce myself.

[seeroy]

Grewup - Your user name infers that you did. With a childhood like yours, who would want to grow up? I can't think of a more ideal childhood. When I first came to the Lake, I think your family had already moved to the area near Odell, but I could be wrong. I definately remember The Lewis & Ridgell trailers at the very Southwest corner of the property. The stories that you can tell about the people and events that you saw as you grew up are exactly appropriate for this thread and I heartily welcome you aboard. I knew your Dad "back in the day" and he always impressed me by his friendly, energetic and smiling mannerisms. There were alot of really good people there, but your Dad definately stood out in that category. While I knew of your Uncle, I do not specifically remember meeting him. Old age has a way of removing some of ones memory. Bobby's posting on this thread have been a big plus and I look forward to yours as well.

All - I had a very pleasant 36 minute telephone conversation with Gene Lanham the other day. Whenever I talk to someone like Gene, I hear the most wonderful stories about people, boats, events, and even airplanes. The problem is that, while my long term memory is sometimes good, my short term memory sometimes is not. Gene is living the good life in Avon Colorado and sees Bob Magoon, who lives nearby, on a regular basis.

Best Regards to "Grewup", Gene Lanham and everybody that reads and posts on this thread. While some of my stories of the past may be mildly entertaining to you, your stories are incredibly entertaining to me.- Steve Sirois

[gofish7070]

Greetings to GrewUp,,,,,,,,,,,, You indeed have witness to a fasinating time in boat racing growth,,,,,,,,, Came to X in 64 where your trailer was down with Odell and his family,,,,,,, Remember your father well,,,,,, as everyone was most helpfull and seememd to always have a smile on his face..........Later on into the 70,s was Zone sales mgr. for Merc,,,,, and Roy was my service manager, How lucky could I be,, at the time I was living in Memphis and Roy I think was in Jackson Tenn., Was than transferred to South Florida. and lost track of him from their,,,,,,,,, Seeroy. What do you think over 55,000 hits on this thread,, Great Job Everyone,,,,,,,,,

[JP Love]

Hi Steve,
I do enjoy your thread. Don’t know if this is what you’re looking for in stories but as the name implies, I grew up on <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com</st1:PlaceType>Lake <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">X. </st1:PlaceName>I am the second son of the late Roy A. Ridgell Jr. and my Uncle is Robert Ridgell (aka BobbyR). My dad was hired in the summer of ‘59 (six months after I was born) by Mr Kiekhaefer. We initially went to <st1:City w:st="on">Sarasota</st1:City> and then to <ST1L<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">ake</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">X</st1:PlaceName> in 1960. Living on the <ST1lake was fantastic. We were the third trailer from the Goose’s pad.
I remember:<O</O
- Mr Bill Sirois and many others<O</O
- Izzy and the Goose <O</O
- Santa getting off the plane and handing me an Etch-A-Sketch, and I sat right down and started playing with it.<O</O
- I loved watching all the activity around the shop.<O</O
- The fire in the slip.<O</O
- Our dog was swimming in and around us kids and the alligator grabbing her and killing her and my dad finding the alligator and killing it under the floating boat slips.<O</O
- Robin Bakos, daughter of Johnny Bakos<O</O
- Rosie was our babysitter<O</O
- My Granddaddy Kinard catching the biggest bass on the lake.<O</O
- Mr K and his Chryslers. My dad took me to <st1:City w:st="on">Orlando </st1:City>and we picked up a Barracuda for Mr K.
- <ST1<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">St. Cloud</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Hospital</st1:PlaceType> was built by Mr. K to ensure his drivers got first rate attention. My dad and I went and got semi trailer load of sod for the Hospital grounds.
- Learned how to swim, fish, drive a boat and ski on <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Lake</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">X</st1:PlaceName> (for most of my years – I thought everyone’s childhood consisted of what I got to do at the lake.
- Being the last family to move off the lake, to a 3 acre corner of Mr K’s property, living next to Odell Lewis’ family.<O</O
My mother tells of the time I was playing with a bunch of kids and we were all muddy when Mr K. pulled up and asked me if I wanted a ride (we were about 100 yards from our trailer). I got in the car and then I asked Mr K. if the others could come too. Mr K. piled us all in and when my mother saw how dirty I was, she was embarrassed.
Just wanted to introduce myself.

Really have a good souvenirs.. Nice storie. Surely many more.. Good day J-P Love

[BobbyR]

Was the last one to run the race shop by the Motel. Yes I turned off the lights on my way out.
This is a great thread!!

I have some pictures of your SJ boat that were taken around the '74-'76. Hope your doing well. Will try to post what pictures I have when I learn how.
Have a picture of me with George Thompson at Nassua '61

My nephew Tim (Roy's boy)(Growuponlakex)
Retired from the Navy from duty on a "Boomer" That's the big Nuclear Submarine.......Grauduated fron The Citidel with a degree in electrical engineering.......Sooo it's easy to see that water is in the Ridgell family.. most of us stayed on top of the water (when we could). I'm proud and I know Roy would have been.

BobbyR

[seeroy]

Bobby & Tim - Sierra Hotel Tim! There were a few submarines on Lake X....They just didn't stay submerged for very long...maybe 1/2 second. Bobby is right though, Roy would be very proud. Best Regards - Steve