Elmer Keith's Family.

[gwpercle]

I did too, at one time about 35 years ago. It was loaned a few times and the last time it didn't come home. Wish I had it back to read again.

Available on Amazon.... I bought several of Elmer's books last year with a few gift cards that were burning a hole in my pocket.
Gary

 

[M29since14]

Available on Amazon.... I bought several of Elmer's books last year with a few gift cards that were burning a hole in my pocket.
Gary

Gary, thanks for the note. Mine was autographed, so a little bit special to me. There was a letter from Mr. Keith in the book, too - both gone now. I can't remember for sure what the letter was about but I remember it being a typical "Elmer letter" - one paragraph about half a page long, full of the usual Elmer fun stuff, and signed "Keith".

 

[Jet guy]

I met Elmer Keith at the Shot Show in Chicago in 1973. He was at the S&W booth, and I chatted briefly while he autographed my Smith & Wesson Catalog. I picked up his card and a postcard sized handout, where Elmer was offering autographed copies of his books Safari ($8.50), Shotguns ($7.50), and Six-guns ($6.50), by mail requests addressed to his Salmon, Idaho, home. I wrote and purchased Six-guns. He sent a personally addressed and autographed copy of the book to me on August 23, 1973. I'm 85 and none of my children or grand children are interested in firearms, so I may put this up for sale. Care to comment of what the asking price should be on all of the above articles, including the hand addressed mailing envelope?

 

[Buford57]

Quote: Skeeter Skelton mentioned son Bart and showed him as a kid, using, I think, a Walther PPK .22, at age six! Bart later did some gun writing, but I haven't seen him in print for some time.

Bart is on the ballot for the NRA board this year. I have seen some of his articles on the on-line version of Shooting Illustrated within the past year.

 

[buffalo4star]

Quote: Skeeter Skelton mentioned son Bart and showed him as a kid, using, I think, a Walther PPK .22, at age six! Bart later did some gun writing, but I haven't seen him in print for some time.

Bart is on the ballot for the NRA board this year. I have seen some of his articles on the on-line version of Shooting Illustrated within the past year.

Do not remember seeing a photo of Bart Skeleton shooting a PPK .22 but do have a July 1972 Shooting Times that has an article by Skeeter on the .44 Magnum. There is a photo of his son shooting a Ruger .44 Mag that is in full recoil.

 

[6GUNSONLY]

I did too, at one time about 35 years ago. It was loaned a few times and the last time it didn't come home. Wish I had it back to read again.

That happened to my copy as well, over 30 years ago. I keep intening to replace it but still haven't done so.

 

[Muley Gil]

Do not remember seeing a photo of Bart Skeleton shooting a PPK .22 but do have a July 1972 Shooting Times that has an article by Skeeter on the .44 Magnum. There is a photo of his son shooting a Ruger .44 Mag that is in full recoil.

Skeeter also wrote an article about building a Colt Single Action Army for Bart. I believe it was a birthday present. .45 Colt with an extra cylinder in .45 ACP IIRC.

 

[arroyoshark]

Elmer Keith had a son. As I remember, Elmer only mentioned him very occaisionally in his writings.
I have often wondered what ever became of him-what he did with his life. I get the impression he was not as much into the guns and hunting thing as his father was. Were they not all that close, perhaps because Elmer was away from home so much of the time? Did they not get along well?
I would like to think that if I had been Elmer Keith's son, I would have done everything I could to to get to the point to where I could make a living doing what Dad did.
I had a good father, who had to work hard jobs 6 days a week to support his family and had little time to do the things he loved doing like hunting and fishing.
Elmer was a very lucky man in a lot of ways.

Ted Keith lives in Boise, Idaho. He is retired from an administrative position at Boise State University. Ted Keith is a long time Shriner in Boise. He and his wife Betty have been married for nearly 60 years. Ted is about 83 years old now - almost same age as his father, Elmer, who at age 84, died in a nursing home in Boise from lingering issues as a result of a severe stroke.

Here is a photograph, at bottom of post, from local news paper, Idaho Press, taken in 2010 at Ted & Betty Keith's 50th wedding anniversary.

The Keith family lived on a small ranch north of Salmon, Id. until the late 1940's when Elmer Keith moved to a house on western end of town on Lombard Street. I've been by that house a few times. The Keith family retained the old ranch place north of Salmon off Hwy 93. I drove past that place in 2018 and turned into Keith Lane. Elmer's old home and outbuildings are still there, but there is a newer A-frame dwelling up on hillside. It has been listed for sale.

Ted Keith loaned an impressive display of Elmer's firearms for an Elmer Keith Display at the Boise Cabelas, that included a diorama of Elmer's "office" complete with a robotized likeness of Elmer Keith for several years. You could hear a story related from a tape of Elmer's voice. That display has since been dismantled and the firearms collection was sold at auction a few years ago.

 

[Gregor44Keith]

Elmer Keiths son

"*** **** liberals crying about their kids all the time should be quiet!" Elmer would say that after watching the news and didnt like people talking about their kids all the time. Elmers and Ted Keith were very close and Ted Keith spent his whole life hunting and shooting and when Elmer passed away he spent ten years rasising morny for the Elmer Keith mueum foundation to preserve his fathers hunting trophies and firearm collection. He aslo tought me everything I know about guns and hunting but Ted was married with three daughters that were all anti gun liberals but he refused to sell any of his dads guns until 2015 when he was diagnosed with Parkinsons. The guns sold for just under two million dollars and he tried to divied the money evenly but too much greed and hate from those girls led to a divorce after 58 years of marriage. Ted passed away last year and was burried nest to his father,mother and sister in Salmon. Ted loved his dad so much he had kept the little ranch on the Northfork of Salmon where he grew up but its being sold now too. Greedy liberals selling his guns,gold and ranch but part of him lives on in me and my son the last Keith.

Elmer Keith had a son. As I remember, Elmer only mentioned him very occaisionally in his writings.
I have often wondered what ever became of him-what he did with his life. I get the impression he was not as much into the guns and hunting thing as his father was. Were they not all that close, perhaps because Elmer was away from home so much of the time? Did they not get along well?
I would like to think that if I had been Elmer Keith's son, I would have done everything I could to to get to the point to where I could make a living doing what Dad did.
I had a good father, who had to work hard jobs 6 days a week to support his family and had little time to do the things he loved doing like hunting and fishing.
Elmer was a very lucky man in a lot of ways.

 

[murphydog]

"*** **** liberals crying about their kids all the time should be quiet!" Elmer would say that after watching the news and didnt like people talking about their kids all the time. Elmers and Ted Keith were very close and Ted Keith spent his whole life hunting and shooting and when Elmer passed away he spent ten years rasising morny for the Elmer Keith mueum foundation to preserve his fathers hunting trophies and firearm collection. He aslo tought me everything I know about guns and hunting but Ted was married with three daughters that were all anti gun liberals but he refused to sell any of his dads guns until 2015 when he was diagnosed with Parkinsons. The guns sold for just under two million dollars and he tried to divied the money evenly but too much greed and hate from those girls led to a divorce after 58 years of marriage. Ted passed away last year and was burried nest to his father,mother and sister in Salmon. Ted loved his dad so much he had kept the little ranch on the Northfork of Salmon where he grew up but its being sold now too. Greedy liberals selling his guns,gold and ranch but part of him lives on in me and my son the last Keith.

Mr. Keith, thank you for posting and sorry for your family troubles.

Hope you will return and tell us of some happier times with your father and grandparents.

 

[Valmet]

His daughter's name was Druzilla........Not Drucilla. Read the autobiography Keith to learn more about his family.

+1. Lots of info about his family in that book.

 

[richrd]

Keith's book, HELL, I WAS THERE is a good read and fills in all the blanks.

 

[gwpercle]

Mr. Keith, thank you for posting and sorry for your family troubles.

Hope you will return and tell us of some happier times with your father and grandparents.

Yes , please do !
After reading "Sixguns" and buying a Ruger Blackhawk , Elmer Keith started me on a now 50+ years hobby of casting bullets , reloading and shooting handguns ... I never had the chance to meet him but would have liked to , just to say Thank You .
Gary

 

[Doc44]

I met Ted and his wife at the annual meeting of the S&WCA in Boise, ID in 2012. A good friend of mine from my graduate school days at the University of Montana had retired from Boise State and knew Ted from there and had also taught his wife biology. He was a guest at the meeting and the four of us had a great discussion about the Elmer Keith gun collection on display at Cabela's. Ted was also kind enough to donate an Elmer Keith Commemorative Model 29-3 to the S&WCA and it raised a good deal of money for the Association. Sorry to hear of his passing and about his divorce, as he and his wife were good people.

Bill Cross

 

[H Richard]

A good friend of mine (God rest his soul) was on an extended vacation back in the 60's, and touring the West. He was close to Salmon and wondered if he could see Elmer. He located his house and actually stopped by and said hello. Being a shooter they got along well, and when Elmer heard Bill mention he was a Plumber he mentioned his toilet had a problem which Bill immediately fixed. They had their picture taken together, both were about the same height, and that picture was in Bills family room where a group of us had drinks every Friday about 5PM. We always had show & tell with whatever someone brought as a recent gun purchase. Boy, do I miss those days.

 

[Mike SC Hunter]

As we grow old our "mentors" pass away.......George Nonte was a favorite gun writer of mine......Yet no one remembers him now..........At some point WE ALL pass into oblivion.

 

[M E Morrison]

As we grow old our "mentors" pass away.......George Nonte was a favorite gun writer of mine......Yet no one remembers him now..........At some point WE ALL pass into oblivion.

I do. and also C. George Charles.....

 

[Buford57]

As we grow old our "mentors" pass away.......George Nonte was a favorite gun writer of mine......Yet no one remembers him now..........At some point WE ALL pass into oblivion.

In the early 70's Maj. Nonte inspired my thirst for a .38 Super, recently satisfied.

 

[rockquarry]

I do. and also C. George Charles.....

...and Otto Scofield

 

[rockquarry]

I've mentioned this before... sort of like Jeff Cooper articles, I never much cared for George Nonte's material. Despite that, and not really knowing what a good article was, I read their stuff in the '60s.

However, Nonte was involved in the preparation of one of the most interesting gun articles ever published, at least in my opinion, and I began reading everything I could find on guns in about 1962.

Neal Knox (HANDLOADER and RIFLE magazine editor) was an excellent writer and Lee Jurras, the Super Vel guy were also involved with the article. It was a two-part series: "Duplicating Hot Factory .38s" appeared in HANDLOADER #26, July, 1970 and "Pressures of Those Hot .38s" was in HANDLOADER #27, September, 1970.

These are lengthy, detailed articles about the warmest of factory .38 ammo before anyone ever heard of +P anything. Their handloads (I think) corresponded with the factory loads. The crew of three fired lots of ammo in many revolvers to come up with the interesting results. I haven't read the articles in a long time, but they're worth reading if you can locate them. Articles of this quality are seldom seen today.