So it was just after hanging at Helen Keller’s pad that this olelongrooffan decided to head up to Eisenhower’s Interstate System and find a rest area to crash my weary bones. As much as I am not a fan of his Interstate System, the rest areas provide a safe haven to crash and have bathrooms to boot! Luckily, there was one right near Exit 69 (yeah) and I found my way there relatively easily. The next morning, my wake up call was from Bus_Plunge. “Where are you now, longroof?” Just left Helen Keller and heading up to see JD Lee and then over 60 to the Ozarks, was my response. “Well, hurry the hell up, we got projects!” So off I went. Headed to Kentucky.


Yeah, my fellow Hoons, that is correct. Kentucky. Columbus Belmont State Park to be precise. You see, way back around 1969 or 70 or so, my pops, TheGentlemanFarmer decided to yank thejeepjunkie and this olelongrooffan out of school for a few days to head over to the birthplace of Rush Limbaugh and visit the then in the seminary horsefarmer.Yeah, pop’s motto, later attributed to Mark Twain, was “Never let your schoolwork get in the way of your education” and I still believe that to this day. While we were there we took in my GreatGrandPa John David Lee’s tombstone at that referenced state park. While there on that visit, this old school photograph was captured by TheGentlemanFarmer of thejeepjunkie, thehorsefarmer and this olelongrooffan.

Ever since then, I have been hankering for another visit to that tombstone of the man who is my namesake. Several years ago, thejeepjunkie and theKid were over at my Taj Mahal in the Birthplace of Speed and I showed them that image photograph and asked if they knew where it was taken. Well, theKid, then about 14 or so, did a search and came up with the answer in about two minutes. I had since forgotten where it was so this trip I contacted Bus_Plunge and he knew where it was without hesitation.

Now my fellow Hoons may remember in a previous post an image of the Woodman of The World sign was included with a hint of a future reference about it. It turns out that my namesake, John David Lee, was a member of that fraternal organization. I have, over the years searched to find out as much as I could about it but overall it seems to be a rather private group of people. But it turns out that my greatgrandpop was a member and thus was awarded this tombstone after his death in 1904.

Apparently, this was a normal occurence for members to receive this type of tombstone and there are many of them scattered around the midwest. There is even an image of this tombstone on some guy from Ohio’s website dedicated to the display of Woodman of the World tombstones. Now while I thought it was pretty cool to spot greatgrandpa’s grave and again realizing he lived to be just over 52 years old, this olelongrooffan also realized I needed to get on with my 55 year old life. Afterall, “We Got Projects.”

So this olelongrooffan meandered up the banks of the big muddy to find a bridge across the Ohio and then the Mississippi Rivers to get onto that four lane divided highway that is US 60 and get on over to the Queen City of the Ozarks all the while driving through the day long rain showers.

And upon arrival at Bus_Plunge’s pad, he quickly pointed out a couple of those projects and then directed this olelongrooffan to deposit a portion of my belongings into my place of rest for this duration of my visit.
Yeah, after several nights in Casa longerroof I get to hang in a vintage Airstream.
Life is good my fellow Hoons, life is good.
Image Copyright Hooniverse 2015/longrooffan