Merle E. Arnold

Childhood memories with Merle remain fresh in my mind.

Merle was a great guy. He called himself Squirt, as a boy, since he was short in stature, but certainly not in spunk. Our family backyards almost connected, and we were part of a small band of neighborhood boys who played together and went to school together from grammar school through junior and senior high, including cub scouts, boy scouts, the Order of DeMolay, many camping trips, summer camp. There was a park at the end of our street, and we were always down there playing ball of some...

Merle was my best friend at Elmwood Grammar School. I remember freezing our hands playing football in the snow at the park near his home. His Dad, Darius, taught us to use cold water - never hot - to bring them back to life. Our 5th grade class had a party of sorts at his home. I remember that we had a boxing match between me and a bigger classmate. I think I got creamed but I was declared the winner by the teacher. Can you imagine a 5th grade teacher (I think it was Mrs. Bell) holding a...