Aug. 30, 2024

A life-long friend is a rare one and when they depart this earth the gap left behind is deep and yawning. I got word last week that my good buddy Kenny McGill passed away and that fact has opened a floodgate of memorable shenanigans we shared over our 40 year friendship.

A versatile man

I can’t recall the exact conversation we had when I first met Kenny those many years ago, although I do remember it was at Randy Lepak’s Big Bearskin Resort over a cold one.  Back in the 1980s I was a frequent visitor to Harshaw and on these vacations I always sought out Kenny as he was part of the local scene and a true Northwoods character. He lived a care free, bachelor lifestyle and could frequently be found puttering around his cabin or more consistently sitting on a bar stool at one of the local establishments where we would usually connect.

I admired his personality and it fascinated me because nothing seemed to rattle him. He maintained a deliberate and unflappable countenance and moved through life simply and in the moment. If I were limited to describe him in one word it would be “versatile” because he could turn his hand to anything that made bank. Carpenter, auctioneer, chef, bartender, impersonator, resort manager, millright, were just a few of his talents but perhaps the best of his gifts was his ability to always see the humorous side of life and make me laugh.

By the time I moved to Harshaw in the early 1990s we were true friends. If a person believed in reincarnation, Kenny and I had landed on this planet brother and sister from separate mothers because our relationship was of a similar nature. While there were plenty of discussions on neighborhood events, mild gossiping and shared venting sessions, there was also bouts of heated bickering and hard truths expressed, usually couched in sarcastic humor. We also shared a love of schemes and one of those was the creation of the Harshaw Herald.

The Harshaw Herald is born

The founding of this publication started as a whim. For years we jokingly dubbed this nonexistent paper the Harshaw Herald whenever we heard a bit of worthy neighborhood news.

“That would be in the Harsahw Herald if we had one,” Kenny would always say.

I had worked and written for several newspaper before I moved to Harshaw and one day after a few beers someone bet us the Harshaw Herald would always be just talk. Bolstered by liquid courage, Kenny and I vowed to win that bet and set out to hard copy a first edition.

Technology back then was not what it is today. I only possessed a manual typewriter, a stack of paper and a black marker, but we made do and adopted a cutting and pasting process to create the pages. In due time we had 10 in hand that included neighborhood news, a recipe column, fishing report, horoscopes, an advice column, off color jokes, and even poems. 

Since our budget was non-existent the quandary on how we were to get this first edition to the masses was solved when Kenny asked Al and Judy Bromann if we could use their printer. Kenny worked for the Bromann’s during the summer at their Pinewood Golf Course and they graciously agreed since it was the middle of winter and the clubhouse was closed.

We had determined that 100 copies would be a good first printing and so 1,000 pages would be needed but it was clear at about the 100 mark the printing machine was not up to the task. An acrid aroma soon filled the room and at one point I noticed a tendril of smoke drift from the appliance’s backside. It also appeared to be running out of ink because the print was getting fainter and fainter.

Kenny found a new ink cartridge but had no clue on how to load it or even extract the old one. In frustration he unknowingly peeled off a piece of film on the new cartridge and to our horror a cascade of black greasy powder poofed out onto his chest and over his jeans. I hollered at him to lay down because the stuff was sprinkling over the beige carpet and even onto a table adorned with a delicate peach cloth.

He directed me to a closet where I found a carpet vacuum cleaner. All I could do was run it up and down his prone body trying to suck up as much as the smearing stuff as I could. I’ll never forget the grin on his face as he looked up at me. At that point I found little humor in the situation and said so but he only laughed. 

Kenny becomes a reporter

I considered this episode a total disaster and almost gave up on the project but Kenny came to the rescue by convincing a few businesses to purchase ads. Another Herald staff member and good buddy, Ozzie Pollnow also contributed some funds and we found a company to print it for us. Then we congregated in the lodge at Idlewild Resort, laid out the pages in piles and stapled it together. I’ll never forget holding that first copy in my hands and Kenny was just as proud. 

In fact it was Kenny that encouraged me to continue with the Herald and we did for a number of years even gaining more advertisers and readers. Kenny was an ace reporter because to him everything was news. Puppies being born, the escapades of visitors and family to the area, businesses opening, hunting and fishing successes, opinions, lover’s trysts, birthday parties, any subject you could discuss over a cold one. Back then there were a lot more establishments in Harshaw such as Big Bearskin Resort, Hide Away Lodge, the Musky Store and numerous others in addition to Idlewild now Birch Lake, Ten Point and Alpine. Kenny found time to hit them all with consistent regularity. I outfitted him with a pocket notebook and a stub pencil and he used these tools religiously gathering the news as his memory could fail on the details depending on his beverage consumption. 

An Auctioneer

Another one of Kenny’s talents was spotting a good deal. He was a frugal man-had been raised that way-and at a young age learned the art of auctioneering. This gave him opportunities to assess the value of antiques and he was innately good at it. He developed a flipper kind of style, buying an item at what he considered a bargain and then reselling it for profit. No matter the amount of gain I always got a detailed report. I came to be somewhat of an accomplice in these dealings as I was usually the chauffeur while we traversed our Northwoods neighborhood. I learned early on what I considered a couple of hours of needed stops could turn into an entire day with Kenny as we had to visit every garage sale, flea market, estate sale, rummage sale and freebie pile along the way. But I did admire his ability to turn a gain on what I considered junk and he often gave me the “see I told ya so” lecture when he boasted of his profits.

Kenny makes a move

Kenny eventually moved from Harshaw to Decatur, Ill. to be closer to his sister Shelby and pursue more reliable career opportunities. He got solid employment with a silo company as a millright. He loved this job yet during his off time he always came back to Harshaw. He had purchased a few acres on Lakewood Rd. when he lived here and used it as his vacation headquarters. In the beginning he pitched a tent but one year a friend offered me a free camper. It was older and well used but still had lots of life left in it and I gave it to Kenny. To him it was a Taj Majal and he even had a small deck built onto it so he could sit and watch the trees sway in the breeze and the birds flutter to his feeders.

Vietnam and Monkey

Kenny was a Vietnam vet although I didn’t know this about him until years into our friendship. When I first realized this I would frequently ask him questions about his time there but he would always say “It was war,” and change the subject. I came to avoid this conversation until about 10 years ago when he surprisingly opened up about it.

Kenny always had a dog at his side. As a friend who knew him pretty well I can honestly say his heart dog was a tiny grey poodle named Maggie May. She was his constant and very loyal companion for many years. Back then every bar up here had a resident dog and local dogs were like family so Maggie May was a well loved Harshaw favorite. It still brings tears to my eyes when I think of the time her long life came to an end. 

Our good friends, Frank and Helen Kur lived on a small point on Birch Lake and they loved Maggie like Kenny did and allowed him to bury her lakeside. Every Memorial Day he bought flowers and a white cross to adorn her spot. Whenever we were fishing or just cruising on the lake Kenny would always point out her grave and a look of sad longing would come across his face.

So one day as we were discussing life, I tentatively asked him if he missed having a pet when he was in Vietnam.

“Well I did have a pet,” he said and I gave him an incredulous look.

“What was it?” I asked.

“A monkey,” he said.

He then told me the fascinating story of this critter, how he acquired it from a soldier who was completing his tour as Kenny was starting his. 

“He told me to take care of it because he couldn’t take it out of the country.” Kenny said.

Kenny described himself as a “grunt” in the Army and spent many days and nights in the jungle. He would send the monkey into the trees and it would chatter if it saw the enemy. Kenny even learned its different vocalizations because apparently it would also chatter if it saw other monkeys or jungle creatures. He told how it became a favorite of his platoon with its antics and how he believed it had saved his life and many other soldiers on numerous occasions. He also recounted how much it hurt when he had to leave it behind with yet another soldier.

I asked what he had named it.

“Monkey,” he said simply and I laughed because somehow, for Kenny, that made sense.

Abe Lincoln impersonator

At one point in his life Kenny became an Abe Lincoln impersonator. He had the face for it and people often told him he resembled the man. With his prominent nose, high cheek bones and bearded jaw he did somewhat look the part but once he donned a tall black top hat there was no doubt, once again, Abe walked among us. He gained the nickname “Drinkin Lincoln” from his fans and performed at many venues including fairs, parades, grand openings, football games and even made wedding appearances. One summer he brought his Abe duds to Harshaw and I drove him around to different places where he shook hands with bar patrons who asked him about the civil war and other matters of the era. The Illinois tourists were especially taken aback whenever the “Land of Lincoln” icon entered the room.

A life well Lived

Eventually Kenny’s Abe Lincoln days came to a close and so did his visits to Harshaw. His stays got shorter and shorter until these last few years he hasn’t come at all. It didn’t stop his twice weekly phone calls to find out the Harshaw news though. His opening line was always “What’s happenin in the Northwoods?!” I did my best to keep him up to date, but I sorely missed our times sitting by his camper on the deck, the garage sale excursions, all night campfires and the cold ones we enjoyed while cruising on Birch Lake. Those days are just memories now and I wish I knew how precious they were during the time I lived them.

Until the end of my days, I will always be eternally grateful to Kenny for adding such a colorful and humorous splash to my life. No story recounting his journey on this planet ever ends without lots of smiles or uproarious laughter.

And I can’t think of a greater legacy to a life well-lived than that.

Kenny’s Obituary

Kenneth “Kenny” Clark McGill, 74, passed away Tuesday, August 27, 2024, at Carle Bromenn Medical Center in Normal, IL. There will be no visitation or funeral for Kenny. A private graveside service will be held later under the direction of Snyder and Hollenbaugh Funeral and Cremation services at Indian Creek Cemetery.

Kenny was born September 9, 1949 in Muscatine Iowa, the son of Earl W. McGill and Geraldine Kemp McGill. He grew up on what is known as the Muscatine Island and attended country school at Hopewell from first through third grades. He attended Louisa-Muscatine School District, graduating in 1968 and went on to attend Muscatine Community College.

Kenny served in the U.S. Army, first in South Korea, then at the Rock Island Arsenal, finishing his tour of duty in Vietnam. Kenny was immensely proud to be a Veteran! He was a member of VFW Post 99, the American Legion 1535 Decatur Illinois, and Disabled American Veterans. He later became a professional auctioneer. His last auction was held in June of this year at his family reunion, which was always fun for Kenny as well as the family! Kenny also worked as a Millwright until retirement.

Kenny loved people, and people loved him. He never met a stranger and often would strike up a conversation. Kenny enjoyed a fun time, be that in a restaurant, bar, or out with friends. He had many funny stories to share. He was an animal lover, who always had a dog, while also feeding any neighborhood cats.

Kenny was tall and lean, and found that he could portray Abe Lincoln at many places, reading the Gettysburg Address.  He impersonated Abe Lincoln and was invited by the Illinois Governor to do so yearly, at the Illinois State fair. He met many new friends at the fair who would offer to buy him a drink! They often referred to him as Drinkin Lincoln. He even made friends with the Illinois State Police, who treated him like the original Abe Lincoln.  He once went as Abe to the Packers vs. Bears football game and became a star when even the Packer fans wanted a picture with Abe!!  

Kenny will be deeply missed by his dog, Chase; his siblings; Wilber Canady, Earl (Nancy) McGill, Dennis (Laurie) McGill, & Shelby King; as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins. He will also be missed by a sizable number of friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother William Canady; infant sister, Iva; and sister-in-law, Bernadine Canady.

Memorials can be sent in his honor to Macon County Humane Society 3373 N. Woodford Street Decatur, Ill 62526