Elmer Kelton: Essays and Memories

3 A Eulogy

13 3 IN HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY, Sandhills Boy, Elmer says he discovered America on April 29, 1926, at Horse Camp on the Five Wells Ranch a few miles east of Andrews, Texas. His mother often told him that it was a wet, stormy day, and the first few weeks were equally stormy for Elmer and his parents. Elmer was born prematurely, and his mother kept him in a shoebox, often in the oven, in order to keep him warm and help him survive those first perilous weeks. Although he grew up on a ranch, Elmer and horses never connected . He said it might have begun before he was even able to walk. His father was working half-broken horses, and his mom was sitting on the fence holding him and watching her husband. Dad decided it was time for Elmer to have his first ride, so he placed Elmer in front of him in the saddle. The bronc immediately began to pitch while Dad held on to the reins with one hand and Elmer with the other. He calmly worked the bucking bronc around to where Mom was seated on the fence and handed off Elmer like a quarterback handing off a football. Elmer said that from that day forward his relationship with horses went downhill. The family showed me a picture of the last time Elmer was ever on a horse. He was in the Big Bend area and posed on a big, beautiful palomino for a picture. You can tell by looking at both Elmer A Eulogy The Reverend Ricky Burk, Senior Pastor, First United Methodist Church of San Angelo Elmer Kelton: Essays and Memories 14 and the horse that neither was sure what would happen next. Elmer never mounted a horse again and, years later, when plans were made for the library statue now in progress, he made the artist promise to place him next to a fence, not on a horse! Growing up in the midst of cowboys and horses, it was always his dream to be a cowboy like his dad. But, in addition to his lack of confidence in riding, he was seriously near-sighted. It often caused him to mess up the cattle drive by getting lost or turned around. But soon Elmer made two great discoveries: glasses and books. He was a voracious reader, immersing himself in any available print. He missed most of fifth grade due to a mild form of tuberculosis. Forced to stay in bed most of the time, he read, wrote, and did imaginary radio broadcasts. He even made his own movies by drawing pictures on long strips of paper, then pulling them through slots in a large piece of cardboard, one at a time. From behind the cardboard he would voice the dialogue. His God-given gift was beginning to surface. As he faced graduation from high school he began to work up the nerve to break the news to his father about his intended career. Elmer finally told him that he wanted to go to the University of Texas, study journalism, and become a writer. His dad, a hard-core rancher to the bone, didn’t take it well. Elmer said, “He gave me a look that would kill Johnson grass and said, ‘That’s the problem with you kids these days, you all want to make a living without working for it.’” Elmer was never certain what his father thought about his career. Soon the drums of war began to beat in Europe and Elmer decided to do his part and enlist in the navy. They turned him down due to flat fleet. That was no problem for the army and when he turned eighteen they accepted him. His basic training was at Fort Bliss, near El Paso. He graduated around Christmas and was given holiday leave to a base near Gainesville, Texas. It was there he began to attend a Methodist Church. He was given a New Testament, which he carried overseas and always kept in his pocket. Shortly Ricky Burk 15 before he shipped out he attended a service that concluded with the hymn “Just as I Am.” He said the words burned into his memory and brought him comfort during the many difficult times ahead. Once as I visited Elmer in the nursing home I felt the need, as his pastor, to ask about his relationship with God. Had he made...