I'm Having a Senior Moment.....
 

Roger Giles and I used to go visit an old timer who's father had been a big time gunmaker to the stars back in the old days. His name is right on the tip of my tongue but I just can't say it. I even have a picture of him buried on my computer somewhere.

His Dad made guns for Kermit Roosevelt, H.P. Sheldon, those caliber people. They were originally from out east but had settled in Ohio for one reason or another. The old man had died in the 50s, was married a much younger woman and just had the one son. He had been head guide at Winous Point for years and ran a big commercial fishing operation.

Roger and I visited him on several occasions, always to the detriment of our livers. The name is right on the tip of my tongue....

Destry

I know we posted on here about visiting him but I've searched the old threads and can't find it. I did find a couple great old pictures of Roger and his wife Anita at the Southern. Those were some fun times, not hardly a week goes by I don't think of him.

Those were some good days. Roger and the other gentleman pictured are both gone now. As I recall, Roger made one of the early Parker challenge teams.

sure - now I have to find my Winous Point book

Who is the big guy in the background gawking at a double gun?

He's hard to miss.

A man of godlike proportions.

I visited with him a couple of times at his house in Toledo. A true gentleman. I think about him every time I drive through Toledo on 75.

Roger was on the first ever challenge team. I was shooting like a house on fire then fell apart in the qualifying round and didn't make the squad. After that it was all ringers and nobody who wasn't a pro or semi pro could make the team.

It just came to me, Bob Owen, the son of R.G. Owen.

R.G. Owen was definitely a legend in rifle building. Destry, the fellow in the picture (unidentified) is Terry Boose, a magnet for great Parkers in his home turf. He lived a few miles up the same road I live on, near Westminster, Maryland. Terry attended our Ohio Gun Collectors meeting as well as many Southern Side by Side shoots. He was a great guy who lost his life to cancer at a very young age. He was a real source of Maryland and Pennsylvania Parker collecting history. I miss Roger and his Buick station wagon.

The best Springfield I ever owned was built by R.G. Owen. 7x57. Understated elegance is the best way to describe it, but it was hands-down nicer than the best G&H.

I met Terry Boose at Glen Hoffeckers place " the old mill" and he had some nice Parkers,as did Glen, Sadly both are gone. The PGCA is "greying out" we need more young members! A good New Years resolution would be for all members to come up with suggestions to make that happen, Gary