When the Olathe Historical Society met at the Heritage Center just east of historic Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm the evening of Thursday, January 21, both club Secretary-Treasurer Marty Peters, KEØPEZ, and Howard Cripe, NØAZ, were there and ready to talk and talk some more about amateur radio pioneer Marshall Ensor, W9BSP, and his sister Loretta, W9UA, as long as they had an audience or questions coming their way.
Marty appeared first before the 20 or so individuals seated in front of him and showed them how a key can be used to send Morse code, then he turned the floor over to Howard, who spoke at length about what visitors to Ensor Park and Museum will see when they drop by the place during the four months of the year in which it is open to the public. He also showed them the short film about Marshall Ensor that was produced several years ago on behalf of the historical society, "Renaissance Man."
Howard then invited Marty to reclaim the microphone, which he did, and he proceeded to use the opportunity to share some information about the Ensor family, which was from Maryland originally, with his listeners.
In addition to Marty, who was a member of Marshall Ensor's Electronics Club at Olathe High School in the mid-1960s, last month's presentation brought to the Heritage Center three other men who had known the longtime Industrial Arts instructor, including a schoolmate of Marty, Dick Whitehouse (formerly WAØDPC).