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'Indian Ken' gets funeral with pomp and purple
By MARGARET TOAL
February, 7, 2009
Port Neches is a Purple Pride town, but Indian Ken made it show some red Saturday morning.
Eyes, noses and cheeks were red as teenagers and adults cried at the funeral for Kenneth Young, 60, the man who dressed as an Indian chief to show spirit for the Port Neches-Groves Indians.
Young for some 20 years went to PN-G football games dressed in full Indian buckskin regalia with a chief headdress made of white and dyed-purple feathers. His funeral was held at the high school auditorium and about 30 members of the band played the school fight song, "Cherokee," as his casket was carried down the steps to the hearse.
Chris Morrow, 16, a trumpet player in the high school band, spent his weekend morning playing for the funeral. He was proud to be there.
"Indian Ken was a big supporter of our band," he said.
"Indian Ken never missed a game unless he was sick," said Kelly Beagle, Chris's mother, as she hugged her son. "He was a big fan of the band. He said by the band and he cheered the band."
Young died Jan. 30 of a heart attack in Arizona while visiting his sister.
Even though the service was in the school auditorium, the format was traditional. About 250 people attended, many of them wearing purple shirts for the team.
Young's casket, displayed beneath the stage, didn't have a spray of flowers on top. Instead, his buckskin suit and purple and white headdress were displayed. Nearby were flower arrangements in purple and white, including one in the shape of the headdress with the words "Purple Pride."
The Rev. Ralph Foster, who officiated at the service, pointed out that Young wore more than the Indian headdress. Young also portrayed Santa Claus for many years. He was an Air Force veteran and had been an ambulance emergency medical technician. He was also an ordained minister and received a doctorate degree from Lake Charles Bible College. He was an amateur radio operator with the call letters K5NDN.
Plus, Young was a singer and musician. He provided songs at his own funeral, courtesy of recordings. Words of inspirational gospel songs were sung in his pleasant voice, reminiscent of the 1960s country crooner Jim Reeves. He played guitar in accompaniment.
"Ken lived an incredible life," said Foster, who wore a purple tie for the funeral.
Young loved engaging and talking with people, he said. At one time, Young had a bench at Wal-Mart where he sat "with his posse around him" and talked to people going by, Foster said.
"Wal-Mart didn't understand that, apparently," he said. "They took the bench away."
After mourners walked by his casket, about 30 members of the high school band gathered in formation outside the auditorium. They wore white or purple T-shirts with the "Purple Pride" logo.
Three snare drums and a bass drum played a marching band cadence for about 10 minutes as Young's casket was moved and readied to go the hearse and cemetery.
When the casket appeared, the two drum majors changed the drumbeat to the introduction of "Cherokee."
Indian Ken came out in a formal procession with people standing in silence in his honor. Some had video cameras or still cameras to capture the event. The band played the fight song a few times and the hearse doors closed.
Band members left formation and began crying.
http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/local/_indian_ken__gets_funeral_with_pomp_and_purple_02-08-2009.html
By MARGARET TOAL
February, 7, 2009
Port Neches is a Purple Pride town, but Indian Ken made it show some red Saturday morning.
Eyes, noses and cheeks were red as teenagers and adults cried at the funeral for Kenneth Young, 60, the man who dressed as an Indian chief to show spirit for the Port Neches-Groves Indians.
Young for some 20 years went to PN-G football games dressed in full Indian buckskin regalia with a chief headdress made of white and dyed-purple feathers. His funeral was held at the high school auditorium and about 30 members of the band played the school fight song, "Cherokee," as his casket was carried down the steps to the hearse.
Chris Morrow, 16, a trumpet player in the high school band, spent his weekend morning playing for the funeral. He was proud to be there.
"Indian Ken was a big supporter of our band," he said.
"Indian Ken never missed a game unless he was sick," said Kelly Beagle, Chris's mother, as she hugged her son. "He was a big fan of the band. He said by the band and he cheered the band."
Young died Jan. 30 of a heart attack in Arizona while visiting his sister.
Even though the service was in the school auditorium, the format was traditional. About 250 people attended, many of them wearing purple shirts for the team.
Young's casket, displayed beneath the stage, didn't have a spray of flowers on top. Instead, his buckskin suit and purple and white headdress were displayed. Nearby were flower arrangements in purple and white, including one in the shape of the headdress with the words "Purple Pride."
The Rev. Ralph Foster, who officiated at the service, pointed out that Young wore more than the Indian headdress. Young also portrayed Santa Claus for many years. He was an Air Force veteran and had been an ambulance emergency medical technician. He was also an ordained minister and received a doctorate degree from Lake Charles Bible College. He was an amateur radio operator with the call letters K5NDN.
Plus, Young was a singer and musician. He provided songs at his own funeral, courtesy of recordings. Words of inspirational gospel songs were sung in his pleasant voice, reminiscent of the 1960s country crooner Jim Reeves. He played guitar in accompaniment.
"Ken lived an incredible life," said Foster, who wore a purple tie for the funeral.
Young loved engaging and talking with people, he said. At one time, Young had a bench at Wal-Mart where he sat "with his posse around him" and talked to people going by, Foster said.
"Wal-Mart didn't understand that, apparently," he said. "They took the bench away."
After mourners walked by his casket, about 30 members of the high school band gathered in formation outside the auditorium. They wore white or purple T-shirts with the "Purple Pride" logo.
Three snare drums and a bass drum played a marching band cadence for about 10 minutes as Young's casket was moved and readied to go the hearse and cemetery.
When the casket appeared, the two drum majors changed the drumbeat to the introduction of "Cherokee."
Indian Ken came out in a formal procession with people standing in silence in his honor. Some had video cameras or still cameras to capture the event. The band played the fight song a few times and the hearse doors closed.
Band members left formation and began crying.
http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/local/_indian_ken__gets_funeral_with_pomp_and_purple_02-08-2009.html
