[ORIGLS6]

I've told this story to a few people but would like to share it with
everyone now. I was at a local car show in October of 2001. As I walked
down one of the streets lined with cars and trucks of all descriptions, a
little LeMans Blue Camaro caught my eye. Bowtie on the grille; very plain
but extremely clean. I walked toward the car to see who owned it and the
card in the window said "Ken & Anita Brown, LaHarpe, IL". There were two
people sitting behind the car so I approached them and asked if they were
the owners. We sat and talked for a while and I told them my reason for
asking; that I had a car I purchased from Fred Gibb in LaHarpe. Kenny
asked more questions, then told me about their show. He was surprised to
hear that I still had a car I bought new from Gibb and then told me about
two other fellows who still had cars purchased from the Gibb dealership.
He said I should meet them, that we had something in common. He also told
me I would never meet two nicer gentlemen than Ray Morrison and Ken
Barnhart. I made plans to attend my first Fred Gibb Memorial Car Show the
following August.
As we pulled into the show that day Kenny met me with a big smile on his
face, as he usually greets people. He directed me to a spot to unload the
car, then asked me to pull it into a big tent. I was taken by surprise and
told him that I was quite happy to park the car anywhere but he assured me
he knew what he wanted. Well, I was placed right next to Mr. Barnhart's
ZL-1. I honestly don't recall exactly how we were introduced but I do
remember WHO was responsible for it. Dennis Hartweg was there with the
Gibb/Harrell Nova, now owned by another good friend, Tommy Kusmiesz. I was
first introduced to Dennis by a common friend. We talked for quite a while
and exchanged addresses, etc. when we discovered we lived within 45 miles
of each other. Dennis then introduced me to Ken and Ray. Within a matter
of hours Mr. Barnhart had insulted and irritated me to his hearts content;
eventually asking me to move my 'rust bucket' so he could get his car out
of the tent for a photo shoot. I had no choice but to comply. After all,
have you checked out the size of this guy?
Ever since that day I've been abused, insulted, treated
like................... well, like he treats everyone. But that's why we
love him. Fortunately, I am blessed to have seen another side of Mr.
Barnhart. It was my misfortune to have to call Ken the following January
and tell him of the passing of someone who had quickly become a very good friend,Dennis Hartweg. I called the house and told his
wife, Jerri. She thanked me and said she would tell Ken but that he probably wouldn't
call back since he doesn't do phone calls or e-mails. According to Jerri
"that's her job". Later that evening my phone rang and it was Ken
Barnhart. When I told him that I was surprised to hear from him because of
what Jerri had told me, his response was, "We make exceptions for certain
people. Dennis Hartweg is one of those people". We both had tears in our
eyes, and our hearts that night. That's when I met the real Ken Barnhart.
I'm very proud to call Ken and Jerri Barnhart friends. For those of you
who haven't met either of these people, PLEASE do yourself a favor and stop
someday to say hello to them. It is a treat you'll never forget.
Everytime I see Ken & Jerri Barnhart or Ray & Cynthia Morrison it's a gift. Ray is the consumate Gentleman, and Ken..... well, he's
Ken. Thank God, he's Ken! And their ladies are exactly that; Ladies, and a
treat to be around. Thank you Kenny Brown.
I’ve enjoyed many hours with these folks and pray that I can spend countless more. Every minute has been both enjoyable and educational, not to mention entertaining. Mr. Barnhart, one of the neatest things about you is the fact that you
don't know, or care, how COOL you are. Both these gentlemen are 'just car
guys', at least in their own minds. We know better, but we'll leave
well-enough alone.
Mr. Barnhart's age is no guarded secret, but what many of you may not know is
that Ken's Dad is still around and still going strong. Hopefully Ken will
take after his Dad and we who know and love him will all enjoy many, many more years of abuse. I’m looking forward to seeing many more wheels-up launches and gear-grabbing runs from MY HERO, Ken Barnhart.
These cars we covet, love, hate, fight over, yet ultimately enjoy have
brought many of us together. Shows and gatherings like the Gibb Show and
the Supercar Reunions may bring together some of the rarest and most
popular cars on the planet, but to many of us it's the people that keep us
coming back. People,...................... common, yet very uncommon people like Ken and
Jerri Barnhart. God Bless you both. We love you.


Rob,
Thank you for featuring Ken and the car, and especially for the timeliness
of it. Just one day after the anniversary of Dennis Hartweg's passing.
We still miss him. Godspeed my friend.

Dennis Cumby