Karen "Shordy" Ramsey remembers Fats

Karen Ramsey, who used to live behind Fats in Dowell, sent in this photo. She writes that there was a small street and an empty lot in between their homes. She recalls once in the early 1980s hearing a noise and going outside to see what it was. "Fats was doing some kind of hollering," she writes. "He was coming toward my house down the street and I walked over to him and he said that he was looking for his dog." Then he added: "well, not MY dog, but one that I've taken in and I can't find him."

Karen, who goes by the nickname Shordy, said she remembers walking with Fats looking for that dog.

"I use to live in DuQuoin in my years before that. When I was little I used to see him in the grocery store and he would always give me a dime."