Mr. Kennedy walking in Sterling House

This is Mr. Mudrow Kennedy (1925) , Paul's dad, walking the halls at Sterling House in Columbia where he now resides. Mr. Kennedy is a retired State Employee (worked at Clarendon County schools for 34 years . He also farmed the family farm in the Wilson Community of Clarendon County for many years. He and his wife Betty Sue Floyd Kennedy (1924) resided together until her passing in May of 2007. They were married 59 years.

Mr. Kennedy sitting in Sterling House

Mr. Kennedy is a kind, pleasant, Christian individual that it has been a pleasure for me to know. He reminds me of my father. I tease him that knowing him is like being adopted a second time !

Retirement in 2007 lead to "Laundry Man"

Hi, I'm Larry Allen. I've set up this part of this blog to introduce my support group of family and friends. The following mini-bio's of the group will show a current photo and also one from the past. Also there will be some narrative describing the individuals and their accomplishments. This picture here of me describe my recently aquired skills of laundry duty (I'll be at Kim's on Thursday's!). Mini's to follow are me, roommate Paul , sister Gayle, daughter Kimberly and her husband Jamie, grandson Tommy, grandson Tyler, son Stephen and his wife Melissa followed by a farewell message from me.

Larry 1994

Larry V. Allen was born on April 22, 1940, raised in Kingstree. S.C., son of William Brunson Allen(1909) and Ruby Bradham Allen(1912) both now deceased.Two sisters Gayle(1941) of Columbia and Betty(1943) of Springfield, Virginia. Educated at Kingstree High School(1958) and the University of South Carolina(1962). Married Annette Morris in 1962, divorced in 1979. Two children Kimberly (1968) and Stephen (1972). Two grand sons, Tommy (1992) and Tyler (1997) (from Kimberly). Worked in financial institutions from 1962 to 1989. Worked as a car salesman from 1989 until retirement in 2007. Now reside in Elgin, South Carolina.

Larry's 68th Birthday - 2008

Birthday celebration at Daughter Kimberly's on April 20,2008. Paw Paw (pet name by grandson's) proves he can still blow out the candles (barely!!) . A good time was had by all!!!

Paul and Herbie - 2005

Paul is shown here with household pet Herbie. Herbie is a three and a half pound Yorkshire terrier who was born on September 11 1993. He has graced us with his presence since 1994.

Paul Kennedy - Roommate - 2008

Paul Kennedy (1952), roommate, is a South Carolina native who was raised on a farm in the Wilson community of Clarendon County outside Manning. He has held various positions in retail through the years and is currently in furniture sales in Sand Hills Village in northeast Columbia. He is primary care giver for his father, aged 82. He and I have been roommates since 1983. He is pictured here receiving his Christmas gift from daughter Kim at our Christmas gathering at her home. This candle in a few weeks was to prove to be our only source of light during the Elgin tornado of 2008. (It was the only candle I could find !!)

Gayle - 1991

Gayle Allen (1941) is a loyal sister who is 14 months my junior. She is retired from Colonial Life. She has held various positions in the secretarial/office manager fields during her career. She is actively involved in volunteer work for her church. She is affectionally known to the group as Aunt Gayle. She has always given me 100 % support!!

Gayle - sister -2008

Aunt Gayle LOVES ELVIS !!! She met him in 1954 in Charleston. Has autograph to prove it !! HooRay Aunt Gayle !!!

Kim and Jamie - 2004

Jamie Atkinson(1965) joined our family by marrying daughter Kimberly on March 04 1989. They were married in a beautiful ceremony in Windsor Methodist in Columbia performed by my cousin Richard Allen. The wedding was planned by me and her mother Annette (deceased in 1998) and greatly aided by Jamie's aunts as wedding directors. Jamie is a dedicated husband and father. He and Kim are the parents of grandsons Tommy and Tyler. Besides being a great provider to his family, he's a senior analyst in computer networking at the University of South Carolina, he's an avid gardner, dirt bike driver, band member(plays drums and guitar), church member, and fisherman. He's provided much needed mathematical skills to the family gene pool. He's a real asset to the family !

Kim and Jamie -2008

Daughter Kimberly(1968) and Jamie reside in a beautiful home in Lexington, South Carolina. Kim is a very successful senior programmer analyst at South Carolina Farm Bureau (the president ask her for advice directly !), also a dedicated mother to grandson's Tommy and Tyler, avid church goer, Sunday school teacher,Bible study member and her spare time(?) hobby is scrapbooking! She and Jamie are setting a record for marriage longetivity among all four parents. What a busy group !! Kim is the "Miss Elley" to the group. She's the glue that holds us all together !!

Tommy - 1994

Grandson Tommy Atkinson was born on November 13 (Friday) 1992, in Columbia . South Carolina . It was early in the morning. I drove in from Atlanta that morning and made it to Columbia before Jamie's mom who drove from Manning. Tommy has proven to be prue joy and 100 % boy. He has excelled in all he tries from video games, soccer,weii, dirt bike driver, skate boarder, to being the best in math in the the whole school. In May 2008 he should earn a South Carolina driver's license. Watch out, Lexington ! His long term goal is to be a veterinarian.

Tommy - grandson

Watch out Lexington girls ! Tommy Atkinson is 15 !!

Tyler - 1997

Tyler Atkinson was born on February 25, 1997 in Columbia. South Carolina. It was mid-afternoon and I was almost in the room too long as I heard Jamie say I think I see the head and I say oops, I'm outa here ! Tyler also has been a joy and a 100 % boy. His accomplishments have inculded mastery of soccer, little league baseball, acting (town theater), skate boarding, dirt bike riding, and the latest talenting developing is being a trumpet player. All this an he's only 11 !

Tyler - grandson - 2008

Tyler just before his trumpet serenade at Christmas Dinner . Doesn't he look spiffy !!

Stephen and Melissa's Wedding -2005

Melissa Turner(1972) joined the family on September 20, 2005 by marriage to son Stephen. The wedding was held in Stonington, Maine in a beautiful little white chapel. Stonington is a lobster fishing village that is kept just as it looked in the 1900's. All the group flew up together ! Melissa brings to the family, intelligence (graduated from Smith College, currently getting PHD from NC State) , athleticism (maraton runner, heck I can't run 2 feet much less 24 miles. Plus she's got Stephen running 5 miles ), beauty (has done modelling) and disposition(her Mother told me she's never seen Melissa get mad !). What a gem for the gene pool ! When Stephen first told me about Melissa my words to him were "Don't screw this up". Plus she's promised me a grand daughter and that I'd live to see it, and rock it on my knee and be able to recognize it !

Stephen and Melissa -2008

Stephen and Melissa live in Raleigh, North Carolina close to North Carolina State campus where they are both in graduate school. They are studing how to save enviroment. In addition to graduate school they are both employed full time as journalists. He is with the Raleigh newspaper and she is with the one in Greensboro, working out of the home by computer. In addition to promising me a grand daughter they currently have two dogs. They are also active in volunteer work with CCI, which saves large cats(lions,tigers,etc.), and try to go camping, hiking and kayaking ever chance they get. They are so busy !! Tyler and I have been trying to arrange a visit for over a year ! Usually get one shot a year when the whole group is together for a Christmas picture !

Larry's doo rag - goodbye to mini-bio's

Hey..... 68 is GREAT !!! And why wouldn't it with a support group like this!!! Thanks for watching, hope you enjoyed it as much as I did putting it together!!............Later.....................Larry Allen