Escue brothers to lead parade

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

— For the Escue brothers - John and Keith - sitting under a shade tree sharing memories and playing bluegrass paired with stories of faith exemplifies the good life.

Keith, the comedic relief, jokingly dates his time in Pea Ridge to the days of Moses.

John, the secret pastry chef, humbly speaks of his favorite recipes he concocts in the kitchen in comparison to his wife’s Southern cooking.

These brothers are truly Southern gentleman as they note their love for their Momma and their wives, not to mention their love for Jesus Christ.

As they sit under the shade cast by the large maple tree, the coolbreeze shakes the leaves and the melodic sound of the Dobro and acoustic guitar fill the air. Sitting between the old frame house which was formerly their parents, and the house where Keith and his bride reared their family, the brothers almost fill in each other’s words while speaking.

Keith plays a short tune on the Dobro, his brother bows his head in reverence listening to the bluegrass notes take to the wind.

As the pair reminisce the ‘good ole days,’ they are reminded of their time in Pea Ridge. As vehicle after vehicle passes on the now-paved Arkansas Highway 94 north of town, the brothers recall when the road was gravel and traffic was so sparse, they stopped work to see who was driving past when a car was heard going down the road.

The brothers not only feel like natives but grandfathers to the community since they moved to Pea Ridge in 1959. John and Keith will serve as grand marshals at Summer Fest.

“What’s a grand marshal do anyway?” Keith asked.

“Seems like they could have gotten someone important for that,” they both said.

“When you’re young, you look forward not realizing how short life really is,” John said. “When you grow older, you ask yourself where all the time has gone.” Family Ties

Lois and Ernest Escue decided to move to Arkansas after the Dust Bowl devastated Kansas. They brought their three children John, Keith and Betty to Springdale.

The Escues left their Kansas wheat farm to sell grapes from their farm in Springdale.

Keith graduated from Springdale High School in 1952 followed by John graduating in 1956.

Their father died in 1966.

Their mother, who passed away 20 years later, maintained the strong bonds in their family.

“Our mother taught us that family is always important, so we’ve always stayed close,” John said.

After graduating high school, Keith served four years in the Navy at Japan and Okinawa.

Not only did he serve across the country but in the operating room. Keith was an operating room technician in Oakland, Calif., during his time serving in the Navy.

“We did so many surgeries,” he said. “The rooms were always full.”

Keith married Martha in 1957 and John married Billie Sue in 1964.

John and Keith ran a dairy farm on the 60 acres their parents purchased when they relocated to Pea Ridge.

“We started out milking a dozen cows by hand,” Keith said.

After their work milking Holstein cows, John established Escue Wood Productions, Inc.

Their wood-working business began by making furniture but since has transformed into making wooden bases for floor lamps sold in Florida. They have produced lamp parts for the company in Florida for 25 years.

Their sister Betty, who is now 80 years old, still comes to the shop every once and a while to help.

The brothers have worked in various fields in addition to farming. Keithhas worked with Farmer’s Mutual Insurance and served on the Pea Ridge school board for 12 years.

Bluegrass Brothers

While the brothers have established a name for themselves through their farm, they have also created a fan base through their band, The Shady Grove Bluegrass Band.

The band was created 20 years ago at Shady Grove School as a hobby. It quickly transitioned into a community favorite.

John and Keith’s interest in music started when they received their first guitar at children.

“Our mother and father bought us a guitar for $8 and ordered it through Sears, if that tells you how long ago it was,”John said.

Though the brothers taught themselves how to play music, that didn’t keep them from performing.

They traveled the five-state area performing their bluegrass tunes.

Though they are not planning to perform at this year’s Summer Fest, the Escue’s have performed several times for the community.

While John plays the guitar, Keith plays a Dobro and the two join together in singing. Martha played the upright bass, but she no longer performs.

After playing music for 60 years, the Escues have decided to stay home and play music for their own enjoyment rather than perform with the Shady Grove Bluegrass Band.

Family Faith

While the Escues created memories and shared laughs spending time together, they bonded as a family as they dealt with loss.

Keith’s wife, Martha, passed away in 2008 followed by John’s wife, Billie Sue, just five weeks later.

Keith and Martha celebrated 50 years of marriage while John and Billie Sue celebrated 43 years of marriage.

During this time, the brothers held tight to their faith in Jesus Christ.

The importance of family remained as the Escues brought a 50-year dream created by their mother into fruition.

“Momma had always wanted a church on our land,” John said.

The Escues donated two acres to the Messiah Luthern Church of Pea Ridge, in which they serve as elders of the church.

“Our faith and hope in the Lord is what carries us through day to day, if we didn’t have him we’d have nothing,” Keith said.

News, Pages 1 on 07/06/2011