Ken loved Music!

Ken lived through some of the ground breaking advances in the music recording industry, and he made the technology available to our family.  Circa 1960, he brought home a Magnavox cabinet stereo, and an RCA Victor recording of Ravel's "Bolero"  and listened to it over and over.

We all loved that stereo!  We loved the symphonic classics. We loved Harry Belefonte, Frankie Lane, and a classic ski album I cannot name, singing about the Super Skier!  I remember a particularly poignant evening replaying Peter Paul and Mary singing "Puff, the Magic Dragon" where my sister Gayle, Dad and I were all weeping about the sadness of that song, and the fact we all have to grow up.

[aside: Mary Travers died of Leukemia while Dad was recovering from chemotherapy in Montana.  When I told him that news, he mentioned that she had crossed his mind that day, and didn't understand why.  Mary fought the disease for five years.  We used that fact as a beacon of hope that he might have more time.]

We loved to sit and read the album covers while listening to the sound surround us.  The stereo stayed with some remnant of the family for more than 40 years.  It played all the 60's music, including the Beatles, the Moody Blues, Brazilian Jazz, In-a-gadda-da-vida,

It was very difficult to persuade him that a television was worth having in the house, but that stereo was never a question.

What are your musical memories?

Letter: personal history outline - addressed to "Family Ross Parrent" p 1-3

Oct 18, 99

Farafield, MT

Howdy you guys!  Well a visit is in order - I need a visit Ha!  Yeah - maybe you would find it a bit interesting why may career path was and why I made the decisions I did.  

Ken's written relationships

Ken traveled constantly during his career, whether across bad lands of Wyoming or the desert of North Africa, the tropical islands of New Guinea or the prairies and farmlands of central Montana.   He was seldom home with the family or friends that he loved.  But he provided many many writings for his experiences and feelings and advices for those friends and family.  You will find some of these writings photocopied or transcribed during the course of this Blog.

Ken Parrent, December 3, 1925 - February 25, 2010

Kenneth Gaylord Parrent ( "Ken") , age 84, of Lewistown , Montana, died on Thursday, February 25, 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee, after battling aggressive Leukemia for more than six months.  Ken was born December 3rd, 1925, to Richard Gaylord "Slim" Parrent and Anna Ellise Jordon Parrent .