Today is my brother Kenny’s birthday.  Unfortunately, I can’t call him on the phone and wish him a Happy Birthday.  So today I will honor him with a walk down memory lane.

Kenny was a great guy.  He was usually quiet unless he was around family or friends. Then he was the life of the party.  He was usually a happy go lucky guy and was always willing to lend a hand to anyone who asked. We would joke and say if you needed something painted, all you would have to do is make sure there was a case of beer, and Kenny would be there.  Kenny was about 15 years older than me, so he was already pretty much out of the house when I was coming up.  His oldest son is just a few  years younger than me. I can remember him living with us at various times when I was growing up, but I wasn’t around when he was a kid.  He dated my future Step-Mother before my mom and dad divorced.  He would go on to marry Debbie and have 2 sons, David and Danny.

From what I have gleaned from the family stories over the years is that Kenny had sort of a troubled youth.  He had run ins with the law on various occasions and even ended up in jail a couple of times.  One of my earliest memories of him is talking to him from behind a glass on a phone at the jail when I was about four years old.  I can remember when Mom and Russell got married, that Kenny ended up in jail for some reason, and Russell wouldn’t let Mom go and bail him out.  I guess that helped him in some way because  I don’t remember Kenny getting into trouble like that ever again except for maybe once.  It has been so long ago now.

I can remember how Kenny’s life changed for the better when He began dating Jerry, I believe was her name.  She seemed to have a positive impact on his life.  I can remember going to their place often and spending the night with them.  As I got older, Kenny and I got closer.  He would take me places with him and hang out with me when he would come to the house to visit.  We had a good relationship.  I loved my big brother.  He always seemed to make time for me.

Later on as I got to my early teen years, Kenny lived with us for awhile.  Actually there were times all through my young years at home, that Kenny would be staying with us at some point or another.  I can remember when he lived in the basement and had a sort of bachelor pad down there. Cousins and friends would hang out  and play darts and drink beer, and have a good time.  He even ran a paper route out of the basement.  It was the weekly circulars from the grocery stores, etc.  He had a set up there in the basement.  He hired me at times to help collate and stuff the bags to be delivered.  I even got the help deliver them on occasion.  Those were some great times.  I can remember him coming over one night when I was about 11 or 12.  He asked me to go get his 12oz. beer out of his vehicle.  I ran out to get it and on the way back tripped and fell on the bottle, breaking it and slashing my arm open.  I came running into the back door crying with blood and beer  foam running down my arm.  He joked with me about spilling the beer. So thanks for that scar big brother.

Later on, when I was older, long before I was old enough to drive, Kenny showed me how to drive a stick shift.  I almost wrecked his truck in the alley behind the house.  He just laughed it off with that nervous look on his face.  He would eventually meet and live with Laura.  He lived with Laura for a long time. She was a sweet girl.  We all liked her from what I can remember.  Then he would go on to meet and live with Barb.  They were together off and on for the rest of his life.  She didn’t put up with his junk and I guess that was good for Kenny.  They were like an old married couple.

I remember one time as Mom and I were waiting for the church van, Kenny was leaving to go home.  He walked out to the front gate and yelled back to us, “pray for me you guys when you get to church.” And we did.  I prayed for my brother a lot.  For all of my family actually.  But later on the prayers were really needed.

As we got older, Kenny’s health began to fail.  He had a heart attack and one point and had to have a pace maker put into his chest.  The years of drinking and drugs had taken a major toll on his body.  We would eventually move away to West Va. in 1998 to start in the ministry.  I would see Kenny on the holidays and when we came to visit.  We ended up here in South Carolina in 2002.  Kenny, Barb, Pam, Henry and Amy Jo would end up living near Flemingsburg, Ky.  I remember back in the late fall of 2009.  I got a call from Barb and then Pam telling me that Kenny was fighting cancer and was not doing too good.  He was in the hospital near Ashland, KY and they were not expecting him to make it through the night.  I decided to take a day off from work and to drive up there to visit him.  I remember when we walked into the room there that day.  He had a grey complexion and wasn’t able to eat.  I spent the whole day there praying with him and talking to him.  I reminded him of that day back so many years before when he asked mom and I to pray for him.  I let him know that I know mom did until she passed away and that I still did.  We talked about life and how important it is to make sure that our lives are where they needed to be with the Lord.  When I left that evening to head back south, Kenny was eating, his color looked good and he was in good spirits.

A couple of days after we got back, Pam called to let me know that Kenny was going home.  They were not expecting him to leave the hospital alive.  What an answer to prayer.  Around Christmas time that year we were heading home to Covington for the holidays and we stopped in and saw Kenny and the crew at their house.  We visited for a couple of hours  before heading on to Northern Kentucky.  He still looked sickly, but he had gained a lot of his weight back and said that he was doing great.  As we were leaving he followed me out to the van and I reminded him of the miracle that God had done for him.  Kenny just smiled  and in his nervous laugh said that it was nice to have his preacher brother in his corner.  I reminded him that it was all the Lord that he was still with us that Christmas.  I told him to make sure that he thanked God for the gift that He had given to Kenny.  That was the last time that I saw Kenny.  We talked a few times after that on the phone.

Fast forward to September, 2010.  I can’t remember if it was Lisa or Barb that called me to tell me that Kenny had passed away in his sleep.  His pacemaker tried to restart his weak heart, but to no avail.  We thought that cancer was going to take our brother, but God had spared him of that and gave us about another year with him here.  I’ll never forget seeing him standing there on that ramp at his house as we drove away that night. We had two memorial services for Kenny.  One near their home for his friends and neighbors there, and the other in Covington for our family and friends. I was proud to stand up and say a few words of encouragement and to reminisce about our dear brother.  I count it a privilege to say that Kenneth Ray Hughes was my brother.  He was not a perfect man.  He made so many mistakes like we all do.  But he had a heart of love for his family and friends.  I so miss hearing him say “oh hey Bro” when I would call him.  So today big brother……..  Happy Birthday.    I love you and miss you so so much.

 

 

For This I’m Thankful……………………………………………………………..