A NOTE FROM STEVEN MANESS

It is with great sadness that my family learns of Ernie's passing.

His friendship with my father was a blessing to our lives. Sue, my two brothers & I were able to spend a morning with Ernest and his wife during a reunion in Searcy last year and I received a copy of his writings regarding his school days with my Dad. It was an emotional read which I have shared with Larry's grandchildren and will share with his great-granddaughter in time, as she is only 2 years old now.

The music lives on in Larry and Ernie's legacies. My father was my first band director and I played trumpet.
He stated that this was due to my rather large lips, but I do believe it was in homage to his dear buddy, Ernest. Larry's 5 grandchildren from me play instruments ranging from cello to clarinets to trumpet to electric guitars and have vocal talents, as well. In fact, the twin boys are in a band, The Doxies, which has just recorded their 4th CD of original music.

I will make sure that the friendship Ernie and Larry forged will be remembered by my family for generations to come.

Thanks for the memories, Ernie.

Tom Pry

Ernie was kind enough to mail me a copy of the manuscript he presented to Sue and her family. It is, as the young people of today would say, Awesome. It included photos. Wouldst that someone cared enough for me that, in similar circumstances, they would do likewise for my family.

NOTE: Steven sent this via the web site. This means that I do not have a return e-mail address for him, so I send this comment likewise: Steven, thanks for sharing this with us who’ve also lost a dear friend. This is especially true of Frank Thompson and I, who were with your dad and Ernest the night Larry announced that he and your mom were going to get married.