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Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: kill shot on December 03, 2012, 01:10:00 PM

Title: Bear Archery Center in Mi.
Post by: kill shot on December 03, 2012, 01:10:00 PM
Does anyone remember Ken Englebretzen who owned Bear Archery Center in Grand Rapids Michigan? Do you have any stories to share about him? I thought and still think that he was one of the great pioneers of archery.
Title: Re: Bear Archery Center in Mi.
Post by: DennyK on December 03, 2012, 01:49:00 PM
Wow, I had known Ken for years, and worked for him part time in my college days. He was and awsome man and always treated people like family. He was truely one of the good guys.
Title: Re: Bear Archery Center in Mi.
Post by: kill shot on December 03, 2012, 02:50:00 PM
Denny, it's a pleasure. I bet you also knew Chuck Sperry.
Title: Re: Bear Archery Center in Mi.
Post by: 44charlie on December 03, 2012, 02:50:00 PM
I remember Ken! Went in the shop there on West Leonard many times. Bought my first set of aluminum arrows from him. He usually had what you need too!Didn't always have a half smoked cigar in his mouth or am I thinking of someone else.
Title: Re: Bear Archery Center in Mi.
Post by: kill shot on December 03, 2012, 02:53:00 PM
Thats him! The half smoked cigar was his trademark. This is going to be a great day for me.
Title: Re: Bear Archery Center in Mi.
Post by: DennyK on December 03, 2012, 05:28:00 PM
Yup- Chuck Sperry, Frank Plite, Jerry Jewell, Frank Rus- and on and on. Then across the street to Lannings Resteraunt. Good Times!!!    :)
Title: Re: Bear Archery Center in Mi.
Post by: DennyK on December 03, 2012, 06:46:00 PM
"Now listen here son, there is a deer somewhere in that half dozen arrows-you just gotta pick the right one"- Ken Sr. kill shot- do you also remember Ken's wife Lillian? Great Lady. This thread brings back alot of great memories for me. Sometimes that half smoked cigar was from the previous day. "Gotta let them age alittle"
                               :)
Title: Re: Bear Archery Center in Mi.
Post by: gvdocholiday on December 03, 2012, 07:42:00 PM
Learned all I know about archery from Frank Rus and his son Jamie.  Spent my college days shooting in the range at AUI and studying while pirating wifi from some local house that didn't have it protected.
Title: Re: Bear Archery Center in Mi.
Post by: kill shot on December 04, 2012, 11:41:00 AM
He used to string a recurve by putting it on the side of his foot and pushing the upper limb away while sliding the string. I never could do it. I can remember asking him if my bow (40#) would kill a deer. "son,this bow can kill more deer than you will"