Yearbook Dedication - 1957 Raider

A graduate of Stronghurst (IL) High School and Western Illinois University and a Marine Corps veteran of WW2, Donald Dean Kemp came to coach at Arenzville High School in 1953. When Arenzville joined Chapin and Concord in the consolidated school district Unit #27, Coach Kemp served as the coach at Triopia Jr.-Sr. High School from 1959 until his retirement in 1988. Besides coaching football, basketball and track, he also taught biology, physical education and driver’s education. His influence on many thousands of students would be impossible to gauge. 

Coach Kemp was held in high esteem by the Arenzville community as well as by coaches, players and fans across the region and state. He was inducted in the National Hall of Fame for High School Coaches in 1977 and to the Illinois High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1983.

Coach Kemp died on August 28, 2006 and is buried at the Carman Cemetery in Henderson County, IL. He is fondly remembered in Arenzville.  A special memorial service was held to honor Coach on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2006, at the Triopia High School gymnasium.

Welcome

Reverend Don Hatfield, former pastor of Concord Christian Church
Welcome to all of you. This school system has had a tremendous impact on this community, and we are here today to say, “thank you.” The school has definitely made a difference in my family’s life. There are so many people here today who have contributed to that. I am honored to be here today to pay tribute to someone who poured himself into this community, Coach Don Kemp.

Scripture reading and prayer

Reverend David Hatfield, Triopia graduate and currently Shepherding Pastor of Brighton Christian Church, Brighton, MI
Psalm 91:1-2, 9-12
“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.”
“Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.”
Coach – he was always simply “Coach” to me – others were Coach Farmer or Coach Bartholemew, but there was only one man who was known as simply “Coach.” And everyone knew whom you were talking about when you referred to “Coach.”Coach knew his place and his purpose in life. As a kid growing up in the Triopia community Coach appeared to me to be “larger than life”.  What I came to find out was he was full of life.  He was the kind of man who made you want to do your best. Growing up as kids, we all wanted to play for Coach. He was the face of Triopia at that time.
Philippians 3:12-14
“Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Coach was full of life.  I can remember coming to my first football practice as a freshman under Coach.  Practice started at 6:30, so I got to school at 10 after 6. I met the other players coming out to the field as I was going in. Nobody told me that it takes a while to suit up for practice.  And I thought that I would be there early! Coach Farmer was there and helped me get my pads on and get dressed for practice.
It was well known that Coach liked linemen over backs. So when it was time for the linemen to be separated from the backs I went with the linemen (as did Coach).  I wanted to be one of Coach’s guys.  He took one look at me – all 140 lbs. – and said, “Go over there.”
I think Coach had a way of bringing out the best in all of his players. He had the discernment to know what was your very best.  I believe, even more than winning, this is what satisfied Coach the most – when everyone did their very best and played to their potential.
Coach had as his command in life bringing out the best in others. He did what I Timothy 6:18-19 commands of us
I Timothy 6:18-19
“Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous, and  willing to share  In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the LIFE that is truly LIFE.”And now he has fought the good fight, run the race, and poured his life out as his offering.
II Timothy 4:6-8
 “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
“How Great Thou Art” – Wes Hendricker, former Triopia student

Tributes

Jerry Symons, sports commentator and owner of WEAI/WLDS radio, Jacksonville
Question: Do you remember the first time you encountered Don Kemp? For me, the occasion was an October 1964 game, played at 2 in the afternoon on the ISD field, with Routt hosting Triopia. It had to be an afternoon game as the field had no lights. The game was played there because the Jacksonville Athletic Field was reserved for Jacksonville’s homecoming game that night.
The players sent out on the field that afternoon for the Triopia Trojans were Jim Morrison, Bill Meier, Tom Burrus, Dave Berry, Robert Natemeyer, Jim Paul, Charley Paul, Roger Burrus, Dean Fricke, Dave Schumacker, Art Schumacker, Phelps Sheppard, Randy Schone, Gordon Ginder, Larry Crews and Harlan Fricke. Coach Kemp’s Assistant Coach was Dick Bartholemew. The three officials working the game were Joe Whalen, Tom Mussato, and Harry Fitzhugh.
Routt vs. Triopia – a great rivalry. And Coach fielded a good team. It should have been a great game to report, right? The final score? Zero to zero. Coach Kemp had only nine ties in the more than 300 football games he coached, and I got the first one.
Ron Tendick and I knew that two things were true about the home games coached by Don Kemp:  there would be a large crowd, and the game would not start late. If game time was 7:30 p.m., you knew Coach would be out there on the field with his team. And you could count on him, at 7:29, to turn around and look up in the announcer’s box, raise his hand and give the signal that it was time for the kickoff.
I think it’s fair to say that he was not a patient man. I was very surprised that, upon his retirement, he was presented with a set of golf clubs. Now think about that. Can you imagine Coach Kemp on the green with a foursome, waiting to tee up?
One of Don Kemp’s many great qualities was his loyalty and support of his players. In 1974, when he brought his Triopia Trojans to the first high school football state championship ever, the contest ended in a loss for Triopia. At the press conference after the game, one of the members of the media tried to point out the shortcomings of a particular sophomore running back on the Triopia team. Coach stopped him in mid-sentence, and said, “Look, we would not be here if were not for that young man.” The next year, when Triopia returned and won the state championship, that same running back set records which have not been equaled to this day. In the press conference following the game, the first words out of Coach Kemp’s mouth were, “Do you remember that running back you asked me about last year?”
Yes, he was loyal. I have sought and conducted many interviews with Coach Kemp over the years, and I never knew him to say one negative thing about any of his players.
He liked to be in control, especially in the card games we played in the hotel room the at the state basketball tournament. Coach Kemp and others always stayed at the Prospect Motel in Champaign when they attended the Class “A” State basketball tournaments. And, they always had rooms 30 and 31 – because Coach Kemp never turned the keys back in! They always had a card game on Thursday night before the tournament started, and frequently the tournament lasted into the wee hours of the next morning.
I was invited to one of those card games. Around the table sat Bob Hembrough, Don Kemp, Gene Farmer, Buford Green and myself. We played several hands – till 9 pm, then 10, then 11, then 12. We played cards all night! At one point, we played a hand of dealer’s choice, and I picked Indian Poker. You know what Indian Poker is … each player is dealt one card, you hold it up to your forehead, and the highest card wins. I don’t remember who won that hand, but I know who didn’t. Coach Kemp declared afterward, “We’re not going to play that game any more.” I don’t remember getting asked to play cards again, either.
Consolidated schools don’t always work. But this one did. Not that things always went smoothly for Triopia, but there were three people that made this school work: 
One was Jim Brim, who would meet me at the door of the school building with a firm handshake and, “Good evening, Mr. Symons.” And you knew you had better behave yourself.
A second man is sitting right over there, Ken Bradbury, the Pied Piper of west central Illinois.
And the third, of course, was Don Kemp -- the man who instilled the discipline and respect not only in his players and students but also in their parents and the community. In the military, they would call him the first sergeant.
It was because of these men that this school is the special place that it is now. I am reminded of a verse that Jacqueline Kennedy is said to have quoted to her children at the end of the day when she put them to bed: “Don't let it be forgot
That once there was a spot
For one brief shining moment
That was known as Camelot.”
Triopia is a Camelot. With special people. A special place. Don’t ever let it be forgot.After 36 years at Triopia High School, Coach Kemp received among the tributes to him upon his retirement a plaque from the community, and I would like to read from the second to last paragraph on that plaque:  “… he promoted high moral character among his players and his students.”
Don Kemp is Mr. Triopia.

Buford Green, former teacher in Triopia schools and currently sports announcer and sports writer for the Springfield Journal Register
This is just like Saturday mornings for the past 39 years....Jerry opens with all the good stuff, and I don't get to talk until after the first commercial break.It was my pleasure to have known Coach Kemp for over 30 years. I still remember the day that he asked me to speak at the Triopia Athletic Banquet. The banquet was on a Friday, and he called Tuesday morning to ask me to speak. I wasn’t too keen on the idea, and tried to put him off. “Well, let me think about it,” I told him.
            “Oh, you’re going to do it,” he said. “We’ve already got the programs printed.”
Coach’s reputation went far beyond central Illinois. When the Springfield paper printed the article about him after his death, it attracted email and comments from many, many people. I interviewed several people for the story, and I was touched at the stories of generosity and warmth they told about this man. One of them, Dan Bowman, who coached for Routt, told how Coach Kemp took him under his wing when he had very little and made sure that he had what he needed.
People from miles away knew about Coach Kemp. Why, he even had a reputation that reached to an international level. One time, when I was covering an event for the Jacksonville Journal-Courier in Venezuela, I was boarding a plane and laid a copy of the newspaper in the seat next to me. The guy on the other side of the aisle saw the paper and said, “you mean the newspaper sent you here to cover this event?”
            “Yes,” I replied.
            And the next thing he said was, “Is that little guy still coaching at Triopia?”
            This was in Venezuela!
A few years ago, I started an “Old Coaches Luncheon,” and we meet on the first Monday every month and just talk. Don Kemp was the first one there and the last one to leave. He couldn’t always make it, but when his health was good, he came. And I have a feeling that he came a few times when his health wasn’t all that good, too.
We could always tease Coach a little bit in his later years. In particular, I remember a Triopia game coached by Jay Wessler when the Trojans passed 12 or 13 times in the first half. Unheard of! At the Old Coaches Luncheon that Monday, we asked Coach, “what did you think about that game?” and his response was, “I’ve got to stop by and see Jay.”
The last time I saw Coach was the first Monday in August, and he was wearing his “Triopia blue” shirt. I asked him, “hey, Coach, how did that Columbia blue come to be your colors?” He just grumbled something in that gruff voice you couldn’t quite understand. And I found out later that it was not his choice of colors. But he wore it proudly, and Triopia is rightfully proud to call him one of their own.

Greg Pohlman, former student teacher at Triopia, former teacher and coach at Triopia, played against, coached with, and coached against Coach Kemp, currently the athletic director at Carrolton High School
Dear Friends, today we have gathered to pay tribute to someone we all know very well, to someone who was our friend, our colleague, our teacher, our inspiration, and most of all – to so many – our Coach.
When I think of Coach Kemp, my mind is flooded with a vast number of images.
I see Coach on the practice field, his whistle around his neck, moving, always moving as he supervised the drills – instructing, encouraging, and reprimanding where it was necessary.
I see him during a game, his arms folded across his chest, pacing the sidelines.I see his intensity showing on his face, and I know that in his mind he is out on that field running each and every play.
I see him being carried off the field by his players, parents, and the loyal Trojan fans when his team won the State Championship.
I see him, and he is smiling, and he is proud.
I see these things when I think of Coach Kemp, and I see even more. I see him fighting for an athlete who was in trouble. I see him standing up for the principles in which he believed, against all odds. I see him working on school committees, the Illinois Football Coaches Association, which he dearly loved, to help improve sports programs. I see him speaking up for his kids in the face of budget cuts.
I see these things when I think of Coach Kemp, and I see even more. I see him working long extra hours to help the athletes and the team. I see him speaking quietly to a player or student, helping that person overcome a problem, counseling, offering his advice and standing by it. I see and I feel the deep concern that he felt for each and every player and student at Triopia High School. I see him the  quiet times, away from the din of the crowd, still giving of himself, happy and content to be of service.
Yes, I see these things when I think of Coach Kemp, and I smile. I remember his vitality and his ready wit that could change the gloomiest of days into one filled with sunshine. I remember his commitment to the student athletes, to the highest principles of morality, to sportsmanship and honor, which, to Coach Kemp, were not words but the building blocks of his life.
I remember this, and I am proud to have known a man of his caliber. Then I realize, to my sorrow, that Coach Kemp exists now only in my memory. However, that isn’t true of Coach Kemp. He is alive. He is still part of our lives.
I see him in the players he coached who still carry with them the high moral principles that he instilled in them. I see him in you, who carry on his dedication and involvement. I see him in all of us, who had our lives changed for the better because we knew this outstanding example of a man at his best. I see him, and I know he continues to live. Coach Kemp lived a life of service and of giving. He has given us so much.
Now, it is our turn to give. Let each of us give Coach Kemp our solemn pledge that as he gave to help others, so will we give; as he fought for what was right, decent and best for his students and players, so we will fight; as he worked to be the best person he could be, so we will strive.
He has left us an outstanding model on which to shape our lives.Coach Kemp wouldn’t have wanted this ceremony any other way. His family, his players, his students, fellow teachers, fellow coaches, and many friends all gather – as  he would say – “on my field,” to say goodbye. As far as his memory, each of us present today has their own. But I know as long as there is a Triopia High School and Don Kemp Field, he will never be forgotten.
Andy Phelps, former Triopia student and currently Triopia head football coach
Coach Kemp was a part of this community long before I came along. He lived in the same house with the Kershaw family for 26 years. In fact, he came with the house! When Faye and Ron were married and moved into the house, Coach was already living there, and he stayed for all those years. It was probably superstition – who knows?
On behalf of Coach’s family, I want to thank all our speakers and those of you who have come here today to pay tribute to him.
I always wondered what Coach did in the summertime, and all I ever knew was that he worked construction in Stronghurst. I asked someone what he actually did in those summer months, and I was told that he worked on a construction crew for a company that builds modular homes. He was part of the roofing crew. A fellow who worked with him told me that his job was to keep Coach supplied with shingles, and before he could make a trip back up the ladder with another load, Coach had finished laying the shingles from the bunch he’d just carried up there. He was fast, but his work was perfect.
He joined the Marines at age 17, partly because his brother was missing in action. Coach’s military service came at the very end of WW II.
About three years ago, when the Triopia team reached the semi-final round in the football state championship playoffs, Coach stopped by the locker room. Actually, he was there two hours early, long before the game started. It amazed me how, even though he had not coached in the community since 1989, he still knew all the players by name.
There is one Coach Kemp story I like to tell. At that playoff game on our home field, Coach went to take up his usual spot in the end zone. Just before the game started, a young official asked the crowd to move back, and when Coach didn’t budge, he went directly to him and asked again.
            Coach said, “Do you know who I am?”
            “No, sir, I don’t,” said the official.
            “Do you see that sign up there?” Coach asked him, pointing to his name on the scoreboard. “This is my field!”
            In the end, he did comply with the official’s request, but not without a lot of cheering and encouragement from those all around him in the end zone.
I would like to introduce Coach’s sister, Doris Ferguson, and his nephew Alan and his wife, Rita.
(To Coach’s family): On behalf of all of us from the Triopia community, I want to thank you and the other members of your family for letting us share him. He meant the world to us.
“Amazing Grace” – Wes Hendricker

Message

Don Hatfield
Once, when my wife stopped by the school and was talking to Dorothy Surratt, we learned that not only did Coach have his field, but he also had his own parking space. We found this out because my wife parked her car there that day. Coach searched all over school, asking whose car was in his parking spot, and when he learned whose it was, he was embarrassed and extremely apologetic.
Coach had a big impact on his players and his students. I remember one game against Carrolton. The Triopia team was struggling in the first half and losing the game. It was a game they should have been winning, but they weren’t playing well. After halftime, though, when Coach’s team returned to the field, it was a different story. They racked up some points and went on to win the game. My son Dave was on the team that year, and when we got home, I asked him what it was that Coach had said in the locker room during halftime. “Boy,” I said, “I’d sure like to know what he said so I could use it for my sermon on Sunday.”
            “Dad, I don’t think you could use it,” Dave replied.
It would be nice if we could have an open mike here this afternoon and share many more stories about our favorite memories of Coach, but we know that there are many, many stories to tell and it would be a long afternoon. We who spoke here today spoke on behalf of all. We all know that Coach made a great impact on all of us.
What we have left here with us is his legacy. We have so many things from him to share among us and others.
Each summer, when it was time to start football practice, Coach would send out a letter to the players, and I made several observations about Coach when I read the letter my son received. One of the first things I noticed was that Coach was not an English teacher. But I also noticed that he had a plan. The letter contained his goals for the year and outlined a plan for how he wanted to achieve them. He did not deviate very much from his plan. Nor from his game plan. And why should he change his plans? Look at what he accomplished. He built strong character in young men and women. He taught them how to win and how to lose. He didn’t like losing, but he taught us good traits to have when we face our losses.
As a preacher, I have to tell you that there is another plan out there as well. God has a plan. He is going to make winners out of us all. His plan works. Coach Kemp’s plan instilled in young men and women the drive to give their best and to make it work. God’s plan will work in our lives, too.
Coach Kemp had compassion, commitment, and he loved his players and his students. From washing the team uniforms himself to giving of himself in the classroom and on the field, he went far beyond what he was expected to do. Coach went the extra mile to give others second and third chances – there was a limit, though. There was a limit. But he helped those who fell by the wayside.
In his letter to the football team, Coach outlined his goals for the year, and it always included “win the conference” and “beat Routt.” He had another goal, and that was to help his players to become young men of noble character.
Coach has finished his work here. But there is no way his legacy will fade as long as there is a Triopia High School. He brought out the best in others, and he gave his best to accomplish his goals. We can all thank him for this.
I have to be honest and tell you that there were times that I envied Coach because of the amount of time he spent with my family – from football season, through basketball season, which was sometimes followed by the school play program – it seemed like my kids were always busy. Sometimes I wondered, “Will I ever get to see my own family?” But I could not have entrusted them to anyone better to see to their growth and development.
So where do we go from here? Now what? I believe that the best way that we can honor this man is to stay on the job that he started, and stay on it until it is finished.

“The Lord’s Prayer” – Gerry Roegge

 Memorials in honor of Coach are suggested to Stronghurst American Legion (Henderson County American Legion Post 765, P.O. Box 689, Stronghurst, IL 61480) or Triopia High School Athletic Boosters (Attn. THS Athletic Boosters, Triopia High School, 2204 Concord-Arenzville Road, Concord, IL 62631). 

 Kemp's death marks and end of old-school era 

Reproduced here with permission. 

 © Springfield State Journal Register - used with permission

By BUFORD GREEN

Published Tuesday, August 29, 2006

It is probably a safe bet that this writer’s first impression of Don Kemp was not unique among the many who crossed paths with him in the next five-plus decades.

I remember the first time I saw Kemp, when he was coaching basketball at Arenzville High School, and this high school fan observed that he seemed very intense, even mad or grouchy, all the time on the sidelines.

Just three years later and a rookie sportswriter in Jacksonville, dealing with Kemp from a different standpoint was an early challenge. He still seemed intense and not overly friendly or talkative, although a slight grin might creep through once in awhile.

Those early impressions could not have been more wrong. During the next 45 years Kemp and I became close friends on and away from the athletic sidelines and shared a lot of good times.

The news Monday that Kemp had died in an Iowa hospital at age 79 after a period of health problems in recent years, hit hard here and elsewhere among the thousands of people he touched in west central Illinois and throughout the state for well over half a century.

The thoughts of some of them went well beyond the wins and losses that put him among the winningest coaches in the state.

For the record, Kemp was a native of Stronghurst and played football at Western Illinois University. He began his coaching career in Homer and stayed there for two years before taking over as coach of all sports at Arenzville. That town, along with Concord and Chapin, consolidated into Triopia High School in 1959. Kemp stayed there for 30 years before retiring in 1989.

According to Illinois High School Association records, Kemp finished with a 254-79-9 football mark, good for eighth all-time in wins and best among past and current area coaches. His record at Triopia was 205-64-7, a winning percentage of more than 75 percent. His first Triopia team was 3-4-1, and the Trojans didn’t have another losing mark until 1986.

Kemp had three unbeaten teams, two of them before the playoffs existed. He guided the Trojans to the Class 1A championship game in the first three years of the playoffs, 1974-76, winning it all in 1975 and coming in second twice. Ten of his teams had only one loss.

Kemp undeniably loved football the best but also coached basketball for most of his career, compiling a 564-236 record that is 38th on the list of Illinois prep wins.

Through the years Kemp picked up a long list of admirers and friends among his fellow and opposing coaches, and each has a “Coach Kemp story’’ that is often humorous but respectful.

Jay Wessler played for Kemp during those three title-game appearances and later became coach of the Trojans before retiring after last season.

“He was perceived by some as kind of a tough guy, but he was family to many people,’’ said Wessler, who still sought Kemp’s advice during Wessler’s very successful coaching career. “His legacy will live on forever. I was fortunate to spend a lot of time with him and fortunate to take over in the role he was in and for all the advice and wisdom he gave me.

“He is still the face of Triopia, maybe not to this generation, but he was there when the school started and he built the athletic programs. He and Mr. (Jim, former superintendent) Brim and Mr. (Ken, former teacher) Bradbury were the three guys who kept this place pretty special. The dedication he had to this place was incredible, and he was always humble.’’

Greenfield coach Dan Bowman, who is 10th on the football wins list, coached against Kemp at both Jacksonville Routt Catholic and Greenfield.

“My first year (at Routt), I was 23 and Routt-Triopia was a huge rivalry,’’ recalled Bowman. “They beat us, then he asked me to help him watch films for their playoff game against Villa Grove. He said coaching is too hard and we have to be in this together. I learned so much from him. They may have thought he was a hard-nosed coach, but he cared about other coaches.

“He was really the only one who gave me the time of day and I was very impressed. He was from the old school and hard-nosed, but he was also very smart. He was one of the true coaching legends.’’

Gene Farmer was an assistant to Kemp for 26 years and later was head coach at Triopia and Winchester.

“He was the greatest football coach I’ve ever seen,’’ Farmer said. “He did more for me than anyone. He was old-school, but he was willing to change if he thought that was the right thing to do. He was really fundamental (in his approach) and stuck to the basics. It was all block-and-tackle, block-and-tackle in practice and everything was repetition.

“He was big on discipline. He and Mr. Brim ruled the school. He did so much behind the scenes and came out of his own pocket for many things. There was not a kid who went without a letter jacket. This is really the end of an era for coaches.’’

Current Carrollton athletic director and former head football coach Greg Pohlman took student teaching at Triopia and assisted Kemp before becoming head coach at Routt.

“He was one of a kind, a unique individual,’’ Pohlman said Monday. “I can say that I’m a better person because I knew Don Kemp. He taught me a lot about everything, coaching with him and coaching against him.

“When I was young and coming up, he would always make time for me. Nobody can say a bad thing about Don Kemp. He took me under his wing and treated me like a son. I think he did that with everyone, and he was always very interested in your families.’’

Kemp was the recipient of numerous state and national coaching awards and an active member of the Illinois Football Coaches Association that got the football playoffs enacted. The football field at Triopia is named Don Kemp Field, and Kemp kept his “Trojans’’ license plates after his retirement.

Kemp once told me that when he came to Arenzville, he made a point of getting to the only town restaurant about 5:30 a.m. to eat with the local farmers. That relationship, he said, was one reason he never had any discipline problems because he had the backing of the town. He also admitted a few years ago that his strong discipline demands probably would not be possible in today’s climate.

That is probably true, but he did it right the first time and left a legacy as a great coach and a great friend to many.

Reader Comments – from the website of the Springfield State Journal Register

C.B. wrote at 8/29/2006 7:46:26 AM

Great article Buford. I never met Coach Kemp during my days around prep sports, but many people brought up his name. Now I know why. By all accounts, he was a well-respected coach who influenced many individuals.

redbirdhawkeye wrote at 8/29/2006 8:03:04 AM

Don Kemp is a legend. Being a Routt High School graduate doesn't mean you have to hate your rival, although we did sometimes back in the early seventies. He was always respectful of the competitors, but deadly in his ability to prepare for the areas' best teams. It saddens me today to learn of his passing. My football and basketball teams at Routt rarely lost to Triopia through the years, but don't mistake that for cockiness. We were fortunate to have been gifted athletically during that period. Triopia was fortunate to be gifted with his presence for decades. Bless his memory.

mark jones wrote at 8/29/2006 12:43:33 PM

Thank you for remembering Coach, Buford. Thanks to the others who shared their admiration and respect that many of us have for him. He was gruff on the outside, warm on the inside, wise and caring. His old school, fundamental approach was effective (usually gruffer than warmer, as I remember) his competitiveness infectious. I admire him most because he really symbolized and accomplished the things that are great about athletics. One of his greates strengths was that he could motivate his players. He really made you belive that being a Trojan (one of his)was something special. You had a tradition to uphold, expectations to meet, you had to be tough, you had to be accountable. As a result, we won and we always won as a team. There were no stars no pampering, just a committment to do your best. The special feeling didn't stop and start with the players it affected the whole school and the community; everyone felt a part of it. We are very proud of our late Coach; I am very proud and privileged to have been one of his former Trojans. It was a wonderful experience; he gave us wonderful memories. Thank you, coach.

Bruce Penstone wrote at 8/29/2006 2:34:35 PM

Thank you Buford for the wonderful article. I feel very fortunate to have been able to teach at Arenzville and be an assistant coach under Coach Kemp during the class 1A championship run 1974-1976. It was indeed and honor to serve under him. I fondly remember Coach Kemp would take Coach Farmer and I to the football seminars in St. Louis. All the big time coaches would give their individual seminars, coaches like Barry Switzer, etc. The biggest crowds were always packed into Coach Kemp's hotel room to learn about Coach Kemp's X's & O's!!He had a heart of gold and touched many kids' hearts including mine. "As far as the situation on the deal is concerned",as Coach would always say, he was a great man and will be remembered fondly. Thank you Coach Kemp.

Patty Clinton wrote at 8/29/2006 6:41:01 PM

Coach Kemp may have been intense and grouchy, but as a Routt graduate and a Triopia teacher, when I walked into my classroom the day of the Triopia/Routt game and found a purple rose on my desk, I knew exactly who had put it there!

Molly Daniel wrote at 8/30/2006 6:23:09 AM

Thank you, Buford, for this wonderful tribute to a man who touched so many lives. Coach commanded (and earned) respect from his colleagues, students, parents and the community. He was a great coach and a wonderful teacher. His classroom methods might have been unorthodox (how many generations of students learned to say "monecule" because of Coach?), but the lessons he taught us about fairness, the importance of doing our best, and respecting what is right were things he taught by the way he lived. We will miss him.

JL wrote at 8/30/2006 11:51:06 AM

Triopia is a special place because of people like Coach Kemp. We need to learn from his life and understand that one can be demanding yet understanding. Expectations should be set high and we can achieve when we have faith in ourselves. I did not stand on his side of the field in the 70's, but he taught me anyway. Goodbye Coach.....Thanks

Karl (Kent) Hansmeier wrote at 8/30/2006 5:26:51 PM

Wonderful article Mr. Green -- right on the mark. What an icon in the Arenzville, Concord, Chapin area, and indeed the State of Illinois. I had the pleasure of playing Quarterback for Coach Kemp and being exposed to his no-nonsense approach to the game of Football and life in general. Last year I attended a play-off game at Triopia, and there was Don Kemp sitting in a lawn chair in the end zone with his car conveniently parked behind him (why not-- it WAS the field that he built). I'm sixty three years old, and when I approached him I said "I bet you don't know who I am." He gave me that frown look and said Karl Kent -- I was blown away. We had a great visit, which he terminated as soon as the raffle numbers were called out from the P.A. He said "will you help me out of this chair", to which I said "I think that's the first time you asked me for anything." He responded with, "Not so -- you were the only quarterback who I let call their own plays." Lots of laughter by all within earshot. I don't know if that is true, but he was still about the business of making one feel good. God Bless his family.

Jim, James... wrote at 8/30/2006 7:28:54 PM

Thank you ALL for the trip down memory lane. To a great man and coach! These words can not begin to express the gratitude and respect I had for Coach. Coach only asked you to do it right and give 110%. We did! For him, for the ourselves and for the school. A school that is known through-out the state because of him...forever our "Coach".

Kathy wrote at 8/30/2006 9:31:40 PM

He was more than a football coach - & even coached a few girls teams in his time. He was a professional, an encourager and made you believe that you could be better...he was also the Yogi Berra of Arenzville - on the situation on the deal! I spoke with him this past spring & even after 25 years after high school - he was the same old coach! He will always be remembered.

Jack Hull wrote at 8/30/2006 9:45:19 PM

Buford, thanks for the memories of "Coach". It took me nearly 18 years before Coach decided my wife, a former Triopia graduate, was going to keep me around. After that, the times he took to visit me and share his memories filled the afternoons. He, Jim brim, Ken Bradbury, Jim Phelps, Dick Bartholomew, and Gene Farmer, along with Mrs. Robertson and the office ladies, helped to make many have the special ideals others need. If you add up the score, Coach Kemp, won the game of life. Jack Hull

Sara (Clark) Burrus wrote at 8/30/2006 10:18:45 PM

Most people will remember Don Kemp as a great coach, but he will also be remembered by the many students from his biology and driver education classes. How many busloads of kids did he drive into the countryside to collect leaves or bugs? And, how many hundreds of kids learned to drive with Coach? ("Man! Didn't you see that sign? It said 'S-O-T-P! STOP!'") He was a unique and special person. Godspeed, Coach.

John Hackman wrote at 8/30/2006 10:39:04 PM

Don Kemp was not only a great coach he was a great teacher. He made class interesting. Because he had done things in his life that kids like to hear. Army, Smi-pro ball, Stockcar Driver, he loved to hunt and fish. He made school more interesting than most. I will miss Coach Kemp as a teacher and friend.

Wes Hendricker wrote at 8/31/2006 10:05:37 AM

Buford Thanks for a great tribute to a man who influenced my life far beyond athletics. I quit competitive sports some years ago, but am thankful that God is not finished with me yet in this game of life. Don Kemp taught me how to play both well!

ICBasketball wrote at 8/31/2006 10:10:29 AM

Triopia became known forevermore across the state in 1974, the outset of the state playoffs, and Coach Don Kemp is the reason Trojans football is best. Celebrate his memory and team accomplishments. Condolences to Triopia program, its boosters, student athletes, and the community.

Jim Paul class of 66 wrote at 8/31/2006 2:37:35 PM

I played basketball and football for this man for four. I respected him and learned a lot. After school, I spent some time in Viet Nam and was wounded in action. Upon my return to the US, I was in the hospital in Denver Co. Coach Kemp and coach Bartholamew both cam out there to see me. This speaks greatly of both of thes men. Coach Kemp was a one of a kind person.

 Kemp: 'quite a man, quite a gentleman'

by Matt Wing
© Jacksonville Journal-Courier - used with permission

Wednesday, Aug. 30, 2006

Some people will remember Don Kemp as a coach and teacher at Arenzville and Triopia high schools. Those who knew him a little better will remember him for much more.

Kemp died Monday morning at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City at the age of 79.

“He was a lot more than just a football coach,” said former Triopia football coach Jay Wessler, who played under Kemp in the mid-‘70s. “Obviously, that’s where he made his mark, but he was quite a man, quite a gentleman. He was like a dad to all of us at some point during all our lives.”

Born and raised in Stronghurst, Kemp played football at Western Illinois University before coming to Arenzville in 1953. He taught biology and driver’s education at the school and coached football and boys’ basketball.

Kemp retired in 1989. During those 35-plus years, he compiled a football record of 254-79-9 and a basketball record of 564-236. Kemp guided his football team to the Illinois High School Association championship game in the state playoffs’ first three years of existence from 1974-76. Kemp’s Trojans won the state title in 1975.

Kemp coached hundreds of student-athletes during that time, and helped unite the Arenzville, Chapin and Concord communities when the school districts consolidated in 1959 to form Triopia High School.

“Don thought that the school and the community were one thing,” said Ken Bradbury, who taught with Kemp at Triopia. “Without the community’s support, we wouldn’t have a good school.”

Bradbury, who taught English, speech and theater, shared that belief with Kemp. Bradbury attended Friday night football games, and Kemp always had a seat in the audience for Bradbury’s plays.

“When I did my first play, it was sold out,” Bradbury recalled. “It had nothing to do with theater – it was the fact that the Triopia community was used to attending school events in large numbers.

“A lot of my success at Triopia was due to Don Kemp because he had already established that pattern.”

Kemp’s former players also remembered him for his love of the school and the community.

“I think Triopia was probably the most important thing to him,” said new Triopia football coach Andy Phelps, who played for Kemp in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. “My mom and dad were in school when Triopia became Triopia, and Mr. Kemp was a big part of bringing the three communities together and making it work.”

Steve Carls, another of Kemp’s former players, had fond memories of the coach on the playing field.

“He was somebody that you respected,” Carls said. “You respected him and wanted to play for him because he earned the respect. That was the most important thing to me. That’s why I enjoyed playing for him.”

Carls remembers missing a key block in one game. Kemp, a Marine Corps veteran of World War II, let him know about it at halftime, and that inspired Carls to play better in the second half.

“Every guy out there has a story like that,” Carls said with a laugh. “He was from the old school, rough, and he would get in our face in practice, and it was probably an act, and as kids, we were probably a little scared, but he got it out of us. He got what he wanted out of us. We wanted to play for him. We wanted to go out and do our best for him.”

Bradbury said Kemp always made sure that all of his seniors had a class ring, and that all of his players had letter jackets. If a player couldn’t afford one himself, Kemp would purchase it out of his own pocket.

“I’ve heard of several cases where kids didn’t have enough money to buy class rings, and then they would mysteriously have the money for it the next day,” Bradbury said. “Same thing goes with the letter jackets.”

Carls remembered Kemp washing his teams’ jerseys.

“He washed the uniforms himself,” he said. “He stayed there after a Friday night and washed jerseys in the home ec room because he didn’t want our moms doing it. That’s how devoted to the school and team he was.”

Carls said that Kemp’s constant presence at Triopia and around the community made him a larger-than-life figure. Triopia’s football field is named after him.

“The one thing that probably kind of binds us all together is the memories,” he said. “You go through high school and you just don’t have that many memories, but you sure did about him.”

Kemp’s funeral will be held Saturday, Sept. 2 at the Carman Cemetery in Carman. The visitation will be from 1-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1 at the Banks and Beals Funeral Home in Stronghurst. The family will be present from 6-8 p.m.

A special memorial service will be held at the Triopia High School gymnasium at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 10.