On the political trail

When Ray wrote for the Star, during pre-elections he used to travel around Kansas. The year he drove the racing car on Labor day and the axle broke on his racing car he was not in good shape to drive. He had a broken shoulder where they pulled him out of the blazing car. My mother-in-law was living in Shawnee now as she was a new widow and wanted to live near her son. After Ray was in the hospital for a week he was home but could not drive and our family doctor thought he needed to get back to work while he healed so I became his driver. We traveled around Kansas with me driving. I think we visited every town. I know Ray always headed for the barber shop as that was the best place to find out how the town felt. I would get sleepy driving so he would give me chocolate squares. At many towns they gave us a box lunch for our noon meal. Senator Carlson was with us and his driver was a former Highway Patrol person. He did not like the lunches and always gave me his and he went off to a restaurant to eat. I remember in Western Kansas Bob Dole would speak. He was very good and funny but sometimes I was the only one laughing and Ray told me to laugh quietly. We attended the State Fair in Hutchinson. We went to Wichita for Goldwater. We went to Hutchinson for Miller as he was running for vice-president with Goldwater. Sometimes Ray went with Jim Pearson and I stayed home. Finally Dr. Leigh had to give me some green and white pills because the election was making me nervous. President Johnson went into Wichita but I did not go to that. Hubert Humphrey came in Topeka on a hot day. Humphrey was speaking on the state house steps and a lady fainted. He just kept on talking.