My best friend the magician

It's been 26 years since I lost my best and oldest friend, Randy Emery. He was an amazing personality and he was also a professional magician. His life and mine will be forever linked.

Randy and I were destined to be close. Our family connections traced back through several family generations. My Grandfather Ben Hart, came to this area shortly after the First World War. He operated the Bank of Milo until it closed in the late 1940s.

Randy's grandfather, Harve Emery, owned and operated the grain elevator in Milo during the same time period. For a time, both men and their families lived in houses across the street from each other.

Harve had two sons, Vince and Frank. Vince was a year older than my mother, and Frank a year younger. They all grew up together in Milo. They remained friends throughout their lives.

The close relationships between our families continued into my generation. Vince had a daughter, Judy, who was the same age as me, and Frank's oldest son Randy was also our age.

I was born in February 1949, and Randy in May. Our parents were not only friends, but they also socialized together. Our families attended the same church and we spent many times visiting each other's homes.

When I refer to Randy as my best and oldest friend there is evidence to support that. Since our parents spent a lot of time together, Randy and I actually were laid side by side as infants during these visits. I literally cannot remember not knowing him.

Milo began a sad decline during our early years and both our families moved to Nevada. Vince eventually opened a boat marine business on Austin Boulevard, and Frank operated another grain elevator, located just south of the Austin Boulevard overpass, on East Arch Street.

Randy and I both attended Bryan Grade School and we played together in a variety of childhood sports and games. His family lived on North Tucker, and they had several acres of ground and a couple of ponds.

On one side of their home, we had a field that was the neighborhood location for many sports. During football season we actually donned our gear and endured some live 'head knocking' games.

We played a lot of baseball there as well. We actually spent several days one summer building our own miniature stadium where we held "whiffle" ball games. We staked metal fence posts and attached cardboard for our fences. We painted these walls with signs, just like the fences of that era's major league stadiums. Kids from all over the neighborhood would come and play make-believe World Series games. It was a great engineering achievement until a thunderstorm wiped out "Emery Field!"

Randy and I would often spend Friday night in a sleepover at one of our homes. It was during one of these nights at his home when he showed me some items he had ordered off the back of a comic book.

These first purchases were simple magic trick devices and he eagerly awaited their arrival. Little did I suspect, that this was the beginning of a life long love affair Randy would have with magic.

I have several fond memories from those early days of Randy's magic. First of all I was one of his regular trial and error participants. Each time he ordered a new trick he would test it out with me.

I also recollect his hours of practice. He would take each trick; especially the "sleight of hand" maneuvers, and spend hours perfecting them in front of a mirror. He was tireless in his practice sessions.

During these early years Randy exhibited his talents for others in a couple of regular methods. In those days each town had festival days, much like our "Bushwhacker Days." They also hosted talent competitions. Randy would enter each of these events and try to place. He also was regularly booked for birthday parties.

When he required an assistant for some magic trick, I was often drafted. We always kidded each other by claiming I was his "beautiful assistant," just like those that professional magicians used on television.

In the early 70s, Randy contacted me with a job opportunity in the Los Angeles, Calif., area. We were just 21 years old and found ourselves working as door-to-door salesmen. Somehow we managed to eek out a living and it was a memorable period of our lives.

I returned to Missouri after about a year, but Randy moved to the Bay area and eventually married. We only stayed in touch rarely during the next couple of decades mostly when he came back to visit family.

While he was in California he was initiated into the legendary "House of Magic" located in L.A. This venue was a fraternity for magicians and only the very best were invited.

In the early 90s I was contacted by Randy's family and given some devastating news. Randy had been diagnosed with brain cancer. He returned for a visit a few days before his passing, and I went to see him one last time.

His condition had progressed to the point where he had lost most of his ability to speak. When we looked into each other's eyes there was still recognition, however. It was as if all those years of friendship could not be blocked by a lack of words.

In life, one generally has many friends, but for me there will always be only the one "best friend." If you were blessed to have known Randy Emery the Magician, you never forgot him.

Randy was a magician in practice and charisma. He had that gift of owning a crowd and he was loved by many. In August, Randy's and my high school class will celebrate our 50th reunion. One thing is for sure, there will be stories bandied among us about "Murray" (Randy's nickname), and they will still be magical for all of us!