Tri-State Native's Hobby Provides Potential Lifeline in Times of Need:

Ken Massey was born during the summer of 1929 in Kelly Bridge, Ohio, 4 miles outside of Ironton. Five years later, with the nation in the grip of a depression, his father was forced to sell their larger home and move to a smaller, more affordable location. "I grew up in a one-story frame house with a fireplace in the living room and a woodstove in the kitchen," Massey said. "We drank well water and lit up the night with kerosene lamps. We bathed in wash tubs, slept under feather tick blankets and used an outside toilet that never stopped up. In the evenings Dad would listen to Lum and Abner on our battery-powered Zenith floor model radio. He also loved listening to boxing matches." Ken and Avanelle have long been avid campers, a hobby that went through two motor homes before medical complications forced them to sell their camper. He has even enjoyed woodworking and photography, but his passion has always been amateur radio. "Amateur ham radio is a popular hobby and service that brings people together," Massey said. "We use ham radios to talk across town or around the world. It's social, educational and has often been a lifeline during disasters. When normal means of communication fail, like television and radio, licensed ham radio operators get the word out to areas in need. Ham radio may be a popular hobby, but it also has the capability to become that one connection ... to save lives."

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