2020 Spirit of America nomination — Kenneth Haas

NOMINATING PERSONS

Mary Higgins, Toni Arnold and Diane Neal

WHY DO YOU BELIEVE THIS NOMINEE DEMONSTRATES THE SPIRIT OF AMERICA?

Today we would like to place in nomination for the Spirit of America Award a faithful, gentle man currently 98 years of age, known in our community as Kenneth Haas. He is a mortal man who has undoubtedly made mistakes through the years, asked for forgiveness, and used these 98 years to grow in wisdom and understanding, like most of us hope to do given enough years of living.

Anyone in our community who has crossed paths with him has been rewarded with instant warmth and feeling loved by him just because he sees you as being a person of innate worth as you are right now. For those of you who have spent hours and years with him, you have been blessed.

He is a life-long member of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, where he, until the COVID-19 virus, drove himself and attended 6:30 a.m. Mass daily. He attended St. Mary's High School downtown, before Cape expanded west beyond Capaha Park. That high school is Notre Dame, where those of you in your 70s now may have attended.

During WWII, he joined the Navy and served on a PT boat that saw extreme combat. You can see him proudly wearing his naval cap, everywhere. In fact I have only seen him remove it while he attends Mass -- God first, country second. After the war, he married a beautiful woman named Juanita, who herself gave service to many of us a teacher at St. Vincent's Grade School. They raised three fine children, have eight grandchildren, and of his great-grandchildren, three graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in 2018. That is part of his contributing to the betterment of our community.

That old adage "waste not, want not" will find him picking up pecans from public and private trees. He then shelled, picked out the nut meat, which he toasted and candied and then shared. I'm sure Joe Sullivan's favorite fruitcakes were laced with and made sweeter because of Kenny's pecans!

In 1964, he founded the Haas Family Reunion, which is still going strong at Sam A. Baker State Park for an entire week in July. Many a person claimed family connections just to be a part of this annual gathering. Family is way beyond blood relationships in his world view.

He shares his life daily at the Senior Center and was feature in the magazine "Turkey Call" for getting a huge turkey at the age of 98. By the way, he shared his story with a young Burger King employee, who saw his hat. That young person put or posted his impressions of Mr. Haas on Facebook. It went viral and eventually KFVS12 did a feature story on Kenny. He once again quietly brings feelings of goodness to our world.

We do not know all the organizations he may have been involved in over the years. Truth is, most of us have a deep need to be together -- we long for human, animal, living things around us. Sometimes we like fame and earthly honor and so we join and serve. Our needs are being met.

At this 2020 COVID virus time there is a man who has gone covertly through his life doing good. In a time when our country is divided, he sees good in all people. If we could ask him about the Black Lives Matter movement, I suspect he would say, "Absolutely, all lives matter." That's part of why he served his country -- so every man, woman and child of all races could be free. He, to us, is a man who right now, in the midst of our world's turmoil, represent the Spirit of America.

We are blessed here in Cape Girardeau to have him; home-grown in the Heartland -- living a life of quiet Heartland values and -- at soon to be 99 years of age -- still giving of himself, loving everyone he meets. The best may be yet to come!!

From a 75 year old admirer, Mary Higgins, and two of his nieces, Toni Arnold and Diane Neal, we say, "Go, Uncle Kenny!"

NOMINEE'S CHURCH, CHARITABLE AND SOCIAL MEMBERSHIPS

• St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church