I'm not sure the exact year I met Ricky and his brother Michael, but it had to be about 49 years ago. The Russell's lived down at the end of our street and my sister, Toiya and I quickly became friends with Ricky and Michael. Soon, we were having good times together and with the many others that were all part of our neighborhood "club." I also met their sister Mari when Mrs. Russell (their mother) asked me if I'd like a regular babysitting job watching Mari. I had many interesting evenings as it was my job to keep Mari ( 3 years) contained in her bedroom while Mrs. Russell taught her weekly sewing class in her living room. Such a nice family. I have many fond memories of Ricky, but probably one of my favorites is Ricky driving down the street in his memorable van. On more than one occasion, he would stop when he saw me out to tell me he had a bottle of Boone's Farm Apple Wine in his van and would I like to step in for a sip? I don't recall the precise time period, but I would imagine we were probably under age! Ricky was fun, friendly and ALWAYS had a smile on his face. But, most importantly he was always a gentleman. He was definitely one of the good guys and will be missed. My memories of him will stay with me always. Truly, Jackie Georgeson Karnes