Bud Kemps

By Dr. Winston Trever ©2002

Presented August 17, 2002

As we celebrate the life and work of the Bud Kemps something very important is happening to us. As an extended family we represent many age brackets, cultural fashions, living locations, and life purposes. But Bud’s life spans nearly all of us here, and in a sense he is a symbol of the 20th century in America. So we are all his family. His life gives meaning to our lives.

When we celebrated the 200th anniversary of the United States back in 1976, representatives of the media asked the Librarian of Congress “why is America so strong and prosperous?” He answered “our ability to say WE.” “Where does that come from?” the reporters asked. “From the Judeo - Christian faith” the librarian answered. Thus we meet in a church to celebrate Bud’s life. Without an ability to say WE among all American families, we would be in the position of far off African Rwanda, where one tribe, seeking to rule, killed 800,000 members of another tribe. Thus we finally come into the presence of God to be able to say WE and why we are here at this moment.

You have in your hands a brief summary of the events of Bud’s life - education - marriage - building of a home - leadership in community affairs and church membership. His entry into the lowest level Beverly Dairies employment and rise to the Presidency are significant. Most important of all these achievements were his and Dorothy's bringing into this world three fine children whom Lois and I first remember being sent to bed so we adults could settle problems of the world in noisy conversation.

No one can describe to you younger people here today the pains and privations of the Great Depression. Debt was a dirty word then, not a word of privilege and accomplishment as used by banks in distributing Credit Cards today. But the pains and privations of that Depression forged purpose and direction to our lives. Bud’s life became a symbol of a whole nation's experience.

Here’s how the President of Penn State described it to his graduation audience. Pointing to the Graduates in one side of the stadium he said, “grad’s, I would like you to meet your parents on the other side of the stadium. They survived the Depression and became the most productive generation in our country's history.”

Bud and I often talked about truths necessary to operate a free economy. I wish he could talk to us right now as we suffer the loss of truth and decency in a few of our corporations. Bud would probably point out to us that the Enron and other corporate scandals will probably wake us up to our need for old-fashioned truths and ethics. Bud and I were both aware of the danger of Tax Laws on investment income. Double taxation of dividends and favored taxation of Capital Gains, led us right down the road to where we are today; a people who made a Casino out of the stock market.

I remember coming to 1546 Allen Ave. and finding Bud on the telephone with his ailing father; comforting, suggesting, sharing. Or sometimes Bud was talking to their banker; suggesting investment possibilities for that second generation trust his father had established for some of you here. Bud taught me a thing or two about how a minister could establish old age security.

The Trevers thought the Kemps very active life might be enhanced by summer camping. Thus we visited such places as Yellowstone and Yosemite. Douglas was learning photography and was slow in photographing Old Faithful and succeeded in getting a picture of Old Faithful not going up. Yosemite was crowded then, as now, and camping spots were hard to find. Each day prospective campers would drive by our camp spots before we arose - hoping we were going to leave that day. Dorothy would sit up and call out “welcome to Yosemite.” Both Dorothy and Lois cooked for us. They kept chicken fat, for whatever cooks use chicken fat for, in a can which one night was parked in our son George's pup tent. A big, hungry bear woke up George at midnight trying to get his bulk into the pup tent with George and inhale that chicken grease. I don't recall Bud's remarks on this occasion but I can imagine. One time I was invited to address the Las Vegas Kiwanis Convention. I looked up in my encyclopedia the word “Kiwanis” which means “we make a big noise” and so told the convention. The response was not appreciative. Bud could never understand my humor.

Both Bud and Dottie and our children helped build this church plant. Under this chancel floor is what is called a plenum or an area where ventilation air is collected and returned to the big fans below. That area has to be clean. The two mothers and several children climbed in and gathered dust and debris; some of it on themselves. Dorothy’s usual carefully tended hair and face, were much subdued with a coating of plaster dust. Bud withheld comment; ever the gentleman.

Bud was conservative, a position somewhat maligned in the media today. In closing, we might well remember that socialism's glamorous promises were lost in the 75 year Russian experiment. And capitalism's gritty rewards are badly tarnished with today's CEO revelations. But our two great political parties - one dedicated to distributing wealth and the other dedicated to producing that wealth - are both very much needed to keep a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, from disappearing from this earth. Bud would have approved.

William Worth Kemps Biography

Last updated 10/9/2010