I have read a few of Elmer's books and he mentions his son Ted and his family. Are they still in the Salmon area and are they active in the shooting sports as was Elmer? I don't mean to be nosy, just curious.

Elmer seldom spoke of his brother Cy who I believe lived around the La Grande, Baker City, Oregon area until his death.  Sort of wondered why dead silence fell over the car when the name of his brother came up.  Well, in l995 I stopped at a bookstore in La Grande.  The owners were avid gun culture folk. They had read something I wrote in Gun Digest.  Next thing they take me to a man in his mid nineties who had a gun shop across the street.  One of those old gun guys it isn't hard to like a lot.  He had known both Elmer and his brother when  Elmer lived in Durkee.  Without going into details there was very bad blood concerning a land deal.  Elmer also, being true to form, did not care for Cy's personal sidearm, a Colt .32 semi-auto.  Most people around Durkee were very aware of this prejudice against wimpy calibers.  Elmer was hardly ever a wallflower at the orgy.  He let you know how he felt about something, regardless. He could start talking about some subject and have you agreeing with him or be in stitches over something he regarded as absolutely ridiculous as in gun control, 9 mms for the military, modern cowboys and rodeos, cheap foreign guns, certain game wardens and more than a few other topics.  No wonder his popularity grows with time.

A comment on Ted Keith and my respect for him.  We only met a couple of times in Salmon.  Our talk, amongst other things, was on Green Berets.  Keith did not babble that stuff about how he was a trained killer and able to take out thugs with his bare hands.  He said his Green Beret involvement was in jumping out of perfectly good airplanes to squelch forest fires.  I believe this was when he was in the National Guard. People who underplay themselves are getting to be a rare item these days.  As to his being a private person.  that is true.  It may not be the case but I heard that when Elmer went away Ted was deluged with guys who bugged him for years about getting some of Elmers stuff. Along those lines.  At the Missoula Gun Show a few years ago I was talking with John (I can't remember his last name right now) who builds the big bore handguns.  An old man heard us speak of Keith.  The old guy claimed that a woman in Phoenix had ended up with several guns owned by Keith. Claimed he had seen them.  Anybody else heard this?  Also, does anybody know what happened to a 45/70 handgun owned by Keith? Can't find out anything about it.

There is a 45/70 handgun in the display at Cabelas that may be the one? But I also heard of a 45/70 that was fairly accurate and well built and one he had that was not. As for the people that hounded him for stuff thats very true, can you imagine losing your father and have non-stop calls from people that want something? As for one of these people....He is a very well known musician and so was his father, Nuff said? (I don't want to say too much or step outa bounds) Don