Kenneth Hugh Conner

Kenneth was born and raised in western and central Kansas. As a child "Kenny" helped on the family farm, trained as a wheelwright and who knows what else. Kenneth joined the Civilian Conservation Corp during the depression; was instrumental in converting Cessna aircraft from wooden to metal fighter airplanes throughout WWII; was a cabinet and trim contractor in Wichita KS and Branson MO; worked at Silver Dollar CIty where he built their first reproduction of the Conestoga Wagon; worked at Shepherd of the Hills Farm where he crafted blacksmith and wheelwright products; displayed all manner of hand crafted wood products and demonstrated dulcimers built by his own hands at Mutton Hollow and Coffelt Corner. He was an involved husband and father, raising his family on an acre and half south of Wichita KS where he always had a large garden, raising and selling peanuts and popcorn at one time, had a reasonable sized strawberry patch, raised chickens, rabbits and goats during different times while in Wichita and Branson. Ken and Lou Ella were very involved in the community, church, school, scouts, and 4H. He loved to participate in musical and theatrical presentations at the Midway and Haysville Community Centers. The favorites of that era were country western bands, minstrel shows and square dancing. They later built a new home at Derby Kansas where he continued to work in the church and with the youth programs. After moving to Branson in 1959, they hosted many family gatherings with always plenty of food and fellowship. Besides family and friends they enjoyed their garden and animals. Their yard was filled with birdhouses, feeders and bird baths to enjoy their bird watching while they tended "Gods Garden". No amount of words can describe the happiness, joy and love Ken and Lou Ella shared with so many. After Lou Ella passed, he moved to a Senior Community where he immediately became "the" handyman for many that were less capable but usually younger than he. He stayed active to the last few weeks of life when it was discovered he had developed a cancer on the outside of his lungs, the type that is usually attributed to exposure to asbestos. Many homes were sided with asbestos shingles and no one realized that cutting them on the table saw and breathing the dust could be detrimental to ones health.

(Be sure to check out the link at the left that has multiple pictures of Ken and news articles that he saved.)

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A message that grandpa didn't have the chance to voice himself but wrote in a booklet...

"My name is Kenneth Conner. I am living the latter part of this life in Branson, Missouri. I feel compelled to write down these experiences I have had. I hope it will help people understand and put their mind at ease and erase the fear of death. At death we just go home, take inventory and see if we can stay or need to come back and study some more.

God is pure love; the creating force Jesus is the voice and the hands of God. We are our own judge as to when our work here is completed.

To my daughter, Connie who has asked me to write down in this little book what I have learned in this lifetime about our life here and of the hereafter.

Most of my life I have searched for the answer to why I am here and what am I supposed to do. In all my search all I have found is confusion, many ideas but no answers.

Working in the woods one day, in despair I laid down my ax and shouted, “What am I to do? What is the answer?” After a short pause I received the answer in my mind, “Be patient.” I have never been a very patient person but I knew I must be until the time was right.

I spent several years clearing my mind of the all the confusing ideas I had been told. When I was in my mid seventies, about 1980, shortly after going to bed one night a spirit guide, I guess he would be called, appeared to me, standing at one side of the foot of my bed. I had no fear or doubts about him as it seemed I had always known him. He beckoned to me and said, “Come.” I had no trouble slipping out of my body and joining him. Together we sailed away, way back in time. There was no vegetation, no rivers or lakes, only broken rocks. We could see in the distance a Great White Light. This was the brightest light I had ever seen, but it didn’t hurt my eyes, it only felt good and soothing. As we approached the light I was told this is the Creating Force that we call God. The one we call Jesus was there too; he is the voice and the hands of God. There were people there but they didn’t look much like we do now, but you could tell they were human. Jesus was taking small pieces of the Great White Light and placing it in each of the people. The voice of the Great Light was giving instructions on what to do. They were to study, learn and advance toward perfection. Each person was to take care of their own advancement. At this time we could talk with Jesus at any time, asking questions or if we were lonely, he would always answer. He could be many places at any time. At the end of each lifetime we would return to Jesus. If we had completed our advancement we would be very bright and would be returned to the Great White Light, making it all a little brighter. The ones that couldn't add brightness would come back in another being to try again. I was one of those spirits. As we worked toward perfection we learned many things in each of these lifetimes. In time some of them began to develop greed and soon decided to pull away and form their own group. We were told by them to turn all our instructions over to them and they would form rules for us to follow. They took out the part where we were to each work on our own learning and advancement and added we should do as they decided. Then they added scare tactics, adding hell and a devil to threaten us that we must stay with them. This was the beginning of organized religion and the beginning of the Bible. At this time we lost our contact with the voice of the Great White Light. We were told by these leaders not to worry that they had contact with Jesus and would tell us what to do. Soon jealousy began to develop among the leaders and some drew away and started a new group. Leaders drew more members from each other, soon hatred developed and they were getting members back by force. This was the beginning of wars. Soon I could understand what had happened up the present time. My guide said, “We must return now.” We sailed back and I re-entered my body with many of my questions answered. I know now why religious leaders do not have the answers. My guide stayed with me a little while, then faded away.

A few months after my first trip my guide appeared to me again, beckoned and said, “Come.” I joined him again and we sailed back in time. But not as far as the first time. We stopped on the side of a hill looking down into a wide valley. Soon a boy about twelve years old appeared carrying an armload of tree limbs cut about one and a half feet long. He laid them on the ground and looked up. I recognized him and said “That is me.” My guide said “Yes, that is you.” I was marveling at the thought I could be standing on the hill and watch myself down in the valley, when another boy about the same age came into view, also carrying an armload of tree limbs. He laid them down beside my pile and looked up. Immediately I recognized him and said “That is Jesus.” My guide said “Yes, that is Jesus.” I could feel the friendship and deep love between these two boys. I wanted to stay and watch them but my guide said, “Come, we must return now.” We returned and I slid back in my body, then my guide faded away. I felt alone and lonely after he left, but I had a great feeling of satisfaction in understanding that I truly knew Jesus and that we have been together from the beginning.

I know that the voice of the Great White Light is Jesus and we are all a part of God." as written by Kenneth Conner.

Some streets and places where Ken and Lou Ella lived early in their marriage while in Wichita: Market, St Francis, Walker, Elizabeth, W 2nd, and Valley Center. At one time they lived just a few blocks from his sister, Eula and Fay's grocery store. They later lived on South Broadway (Hwy 81), in Plainview, in Midway on 57th St, then he built a new home in Derby KS but they had to haul drinking water as the water was not good. He sold the house and briefly lived in Oaklawn on Jade St before moving to Missouri.