"The first memories of my life are of Grandpa (Boone) Peake. I loved him and he was my whole world. I am told by mother and the aunts and uncles that Grandpa loved me more than all of the cousins because I came to his house shortly after the death of his son Fred in the war. He would write me notes every day as to whether Grandma and Mother were picking on me while he was at work. He also gave me a coin every day when he came home from work. Grandma and mother had to warm my pants at least once a day because I would run the chickens all day throwing rocks. Grandpa would take me up to Chester Howard's store and buy me candy and once a wagon and spoiled me rotten. I always waited for him in the barn by the house. Actually there were two houses on the property. The big house where we lived and a smaller house that I believe was rented out. There was a well behind the small house and a black walnut tree between the two houses and a chicken house on the far side of the big house where the long suffering chickens lived. One day he didn't come and didn't come. Aunt Rose came down to get me and I noticed a lot of people in front of the house and a lot of cars. She took me into the bedroom and Grandpa was on the bed. I remember his tongue looked red. No one knew his chest was crushed and his tongue was cut from the car accident. He called me over and gave a quarter and then they took me outside. Later that night he was taken to Louisville where he died. After the war we came to New Haven pretty often to visit Grandma and all the relatives."

"We always held family reunion at your Grandmothers house or behind the tavern. Oh those banana croquettes rolled in Miracle Whip and peanuts and those wnderful Nelson Co. jam cakes! Your father (Howard) and James Edward were my best friends of all the cousins. Your father was pretty quiet compared to his brother. James Edward would take take me back to the barn and some huge sow would almost eat me once a year while we ran for the fence. He would also give us a loaded shotgun and have us shoot it up the hill in front of the house. It would always have this big kick that would throw you backwards to the ground. He always laughed and laughed."

-Letter to Ray Peake from Ann Peake Collins, 4/1996

Retired from Hyatt Rehency Hotel after 27 years.