In the Spotlight

Monte Leon Manka

My name is Monte Manka I was born on November 25, Thanksgiving Day in 1926. Went to a country school for all eight years at Chelsea Kansas, Chelsea Dist No. 10. One room school house. Lost my Mother and Brother when I was 14 years of age. They are buried in the Chelsea Cemetery just ½ mile south of the Sylvester Carter Farm that was willed later to my Dad, Wayne Manka. Suffered through the Dust Storms, bitter winters, to much rain some years, grasshopper plague, prairie fires and High School, Junior College in El Dorado, Kansas. Served two years in the Army, 45, 46

After surviving the Tornado in 1958 we moved to California where I drove an eighteen wheeler truck for 25 years. Two great kids, Scott and Lori. Scott died while in the Navy. Lori lives close to me now. Started writing poetry when introduced to that machine, called "Computer" the keyboard makes my handwriting legible. Shirley and I are living in a retirement community, in Hemet California with lots of other Senior Citizens.

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