Saying Good-bye to an Old Friend

 

Kurt Bailey

Art and Story by Michael Hooper

About 20 years ago, I saw this blind man walking up and down my street. Finally, one day I said hello to him and we became friends, sharing a love of music, The Wizard of Oz, and dogs.

His name was Kurt Bailey, he had become blind as a young child, but did not seem bitter about it, rather he adapted to his condition and found a way to live independently in his own house. 

Some people overlook people with disabilities; I knew one "Christian" couple who refused to give Kurt a ride home because they feared he would become dependent on them. How sad. If our yardstick for helping others is whether or not they become dependent on us, then we may never help anybody. I helped Kurt over the years, I’d given him rides, I fed him and we hung out together, but he never was dependent on me.

Indeed, we went on some adventures together, including one time when we got in my car and drove to a house where a man was selling well over 10,000 records. We had a blast going through the record collection and buying numerous records and then listening to them together. Old Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Seals & Crofts and the band Kansas. I told Kurt that I had seen the band Second Chapter of Acts when I was a young man in Montana in 1982, and he later found an album by this band and gave it to me. How wonderful, thank you Kurt.

Kurt Bailey contacted me recently because he was dying. We had a long and sad conversation. His kidneys were going, he was told he could go on dialysis or hospice, he chose hospice. This broke my heart, but it was his choice. We shared a few tears, knowing that we had shared many good times together, and that our time together was near its end.

Kurt was not self-loathing, he was able to see a greater world outside of himself despite his blindness. One time, on his own, he took a plane somewhere and attended A Wizard of Oz reunion and met several dwarfs who played the Munchkins in the movie. He talked about that for days, he was so grateful for his adventure. The Wizard of Oz is a deeply meaningful and inspiring movie, especially in Kansas.

When you see a person with disabilities, don’t just assume they’re going to become dependent on you just because you talk to them or help them. They might provide something to you that you might not have ever thought of before, Kurt's insights and compassion are intrinsic values that lie deep in my memory, they are values that are greater than money or possessions. 

Kurt used to take his guitar down to a pizza place and perform songs to the crowds there. He loved karaoke. He corresponded with people all over the world, using cassette pens. He loved the Lord and found peace in praying together with other believers.

Kurt lived with his dog, Snowball. Their companionship was real, they needed each other. He liked my dog Willy too, and they became friends.

A few years ago, I decided to paint Kurt’s portrait. He sat for me while I took some pictures and drew some sketches. I worked on this portrait for a long time, it shows his contemplative countenance, but Kurt was not an unhappy man, rather he was a generous and kind man who liked to laugh, listen to music and share stories.

Kurt died April 8, 2026 at age 59. He was a good soul and a great friend and I’m going to miss him. Rest in peace Kurt. I hope some day to reunite with you "somewhere over the rainbow, (where) skies are blue and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true."

Topeka: Life Is What You Make It

Backyard Beauty 

Art and story by Michael Hooper

I was with a group of friends, when we were talking about our favorite places in the world, like Paris, Rome, New Orleans, and Vieques, Puerto Rico. Chris Wright said, "why not Topeka, I like it here."

In 1999, I asked that question — why Topeka?— and decided yes and moved here. I took a new job as a reporter at The Topeka Capital-Journal covering business. We had been living in Grand Island and Kearney, Neb. Kearney had a terrible selection of real estate, mostly split-level houses, ours had five levels, I hated it. Heather and I wanted an English cottage, but there was none in Kearney. 

When we first arrived in Topeka, we were impressed with Collins Park, Potwin, and Westboro neighborhoods, we were like gaga, here’s some cool neighborhoods and classic houses. We found a charming limestone cottage with three bedrooms, surrounded by 18 trees, near Gage Park. We made a new life for ourselves.  

Living next to the 140-acre Gage Park with shopping nearby with a 15-minute commute everywhere in town. Easy access to the interstate. Could go west to Salina or east to Lawrence or Kansas City pretty quick. You can fly to any place in the world from Kansas City. Lawrence is only 25 minutes away. It’s like wow people, you don’t realize how good you got it right here. Great real estate, professional jobs. Cost of living is reasonable.

Heather and I raised our son Reid and daughter Hannah in Topeka. We are proud of their history and accomplishments at Randolph Elementary, Landon Middle School and Topeka High School. My son played 12 years of soccer in Topeka and made lifelong friends. Our daughter has been living in Hawaii but plans to move to Colorado where our son lives today.

After the 2008-2009 financial crisis, speculative building of homes stopped in Shawnee County. Overtime the real estate market recovered from the financial crisis. But Shawnee County ended up with short supply of real estate. In recent years, after 15% annual increases in property values, I think prices have plateaued. The Fed raised interest rates so now the cost of a 30-year mortgage is more expensive than it used to be. This may slow sales, but I still see young people buying homes and fixing them up.

Topeka is a better city in some ways than I found it in 1999. The NOTO Arts District didn't exit. Today, NOTO is a thriving arts district with more than 30 practicing artists there in studios, with thousands of visitors on first Fridays with music and entertainment in the Red Bud Park.

Topeka lost big employers like the Menninger Clinic, and Payless ShoeSource, but has gained Advisors Excel and a new generation of entrepreneurs building Topeka in their businesses and organizations. The spirit of kindness and acceptance of the mentally ill is still here, the legacy of the Menninger family. Hence the Menninger pocket park in downtown Topeka. Across the street the Evergy Plaza at Seventh and Kansas is a great place for music and entertainment. The Jayhawk Theatre continues to dazzle and entertain. I’m so impressed by entrepreneurs like Debra and Randy Clayton and the chocolate people Nick and Terry Xidis.

I've gained wonderful friends: thoughtful intellectuals in my book and art clubs. The Topeka and Shawnee County Library and its brilliant minds and books have cultivated and enriched my mind. I just loved digging into the art of Mary Huntoon with the help of Sherry Best and others at the library.

It is worth studying the lives of these three Topekans: Mary Huntoon, Cyrus Holliday, Karl Menninger. They all show us vision, persistence, genius and character. Mary Huntoon studied art in Topeka, New York and Paris before returning to Topeka to work as an art therapist for Dr. Karl Menninger at the Menninger Clinic. Holliday is co-founder of Topeka and The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway, and, Dr. Karl Menninger was author of The Human Mind and co-founder of the Menninger Clinic.

My motto for Topeka: Life is what you make it. Make it great. How? Surround yourself with people of high character who are ambitious. You want to be a published author? Hang around other published authors. You want to be a successful real estate investor? Hang around successful real estate investors. You want to own a great business? Surround yourself with business owners, people who own a house cleaning service or car washes, laundromats and candy machines or staffing firms (stay away from bars and restaurants). You want to be a great stock investor? Study Warren Buffett and join an investment club. You can be anything you want to be in Topeka. There's an expert here in just about everything.

Ken Daniel Builds Fortune in Roofing Business, His Company sold for $67.2 million in 2021

Ken Daniel

By Michael Hooper

Ken Daniel, a Topeka businessman who founded Midway Wholesale and The Topeka Independent Business Association, died March 25, 2026, at the age of 80, according to his obituary.

In 1971, Ken Daniel founded Midway Sales and Distributing in Topeka (later called Midway Wholesale) which went on to be his life's work until his retirement in 2019. Midway is a supplier of building and roofing supplies.

Beacon Roofing Supplies bought Midway Wholesale for $67.2 million in November 2021, according to a  SEC filing dated May 6, 2022. Beacon said the deal to purchase Midway Wholesale valued the company at $28.7 million in goodwill, and $38.5 million in tangible assets, for a total of $67.2 million, said David Tangeman, Houston accountant.

At the time of the sale, Midway Wholesale had 170 employees and $130 million annual sales in 10 stores in Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Founded by Kenneth Daniel in 1970, Midway Wholesale was incorporated in 1974 at 218 SE Branner, Topeka.

Beacon distributes roofing supplies and building products in 400 locations in 50 states. In 2025, Beacon was acquired by QXO, Inc. (QXO), a conglomerate of roofing and building supples. I wrote about the sale of Ken Daniel's company in this article.

I interviewed Ken Daniel multiple times over the years. He is a founder of the Topeka Independent Business Association. He supported efforts by small businesses to increase access to health insurance.

Ken Daniel was elected to Junior Achievement's Topeka Business Hall of Fame. He is widely regarded as one of the sharpest minds in business.

Ken was a personable man who excelled at sales and management. He hired the right people and promoted them.

But in the beginning, it was just Ken Daniel in a tiny office at 218 SE Branner. He told me he started in 1970 as a manufacturer's representative in Topeka, a position that grew into forming his own company.

One time, Ken actually took me inside the tiny room, where he got started. It was a dusty old room with gray walls, more of a storage area when I saw it. He said as business got bigger, he took over more and more space inside the old building, eventually acquiring the entire building. Midway Wholesale's Topeka operation is next to the BNSF Railway tracks. To expand operations, Midway Wholesale purchased some land from BNSF.

In 2008, Kenneth Daniel, chairman, retired as chief executive officer at the company's annual stockholders meeting. Bruce H. Myers, president since 1999, was elected chief executive officer and president. John D. Ossello has been vice president since 1999.

Midway Wholesale originally started out as a roof coating business for the elevator industry. The business transitioned into a commercial roofing distributor. And later expanding into construction materials. Now the company sells products for both residential and commercial properties. "Buildings can now have Midway Wholesale materials all the way from their foundations to their rooftops," the company says.

Midway Wholesale's other locations are in Lawrence, Manhattan, Garden City, Overland Park, Salina, Wichita, St. Joseph, Mo., Joplin, Mo., and Grand Island, Neb.

Ken Daniel was a great leader, businessman and mentor. A Celebration of Life will be held at Countryside United Methodist Church in Topeka on Saturday, April 25th at 2:00pm with a reception immediately following.