GOD AND CLEM KADIDDLEHOPPER

A funny man whose humor was just as fresh in one generation as another without stooping to the gutter. That's a pretty fair description of the genius of Richard Bernard Shelton, better known -- and loved -- as Red Skelton. He died last week, and he leaves a gaping whole in the pantheon of great entertainers who have become fixtures on the American scene.

Many folks in this area will remember his performance at the Show Me Center a few years back. His routine never changed much. Jokes that were side-splitting in the 1940s were just as funny today, thanks to his impish style and ability to laugh at himself.

Red Skelton is gone, but the memories of Clem, Freddie and others will remain for a long time to come.

God bless, Red Skelton.