FERNIE MOFFETT TRIBUTE


				*FERNIE MOFFETT TRIBUTE*



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THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA HAS PRODUCED MANY GREAT CHECKERISTS OVER THE LAST 120 YEARS.

SEVERAL NATIONAL AND WORLD CHAMPIONS HAVE LIVED IN THE STATE AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER, BUT THERE WERE MANY NATIVE BORN PENNSYLVANIANS WHO MAY NOT HAVE RECEIVED RECOGNITION ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL AS A PLAYER, BUT EARNED GREAT RESPECT WITHIN THE STATE AS PLAYER/PROMOTERS OF THE HIGHEST ORDER.

ONE SUCH PENNSYLVANIAN WAS MR. FERNIE MOFFETT.

THE ONLINE MUSEUM OF CHECKERS HISTORY

PROUDLY PRESENTS

A TRIBUTE TO

FERNIE MOFFETT

"YOU'RE BEAT BEFORE YOU EVEN SIT DOWN TO PLAY ME"

FERNIE MOFFETT

FERNIE MOFFETT WAS A TRUCK DRIVER BY TRADE, BUT HE WAS A CHECKERIST BY CHOICE. HE WAS THE SON OF A CITY AND COUNTY CHAMPION WHO TOOK UP THE GAME HIMSELF AND WENT ON TO EVEN GREATER ACCLAIM THAN HIS FATHER, WINNING THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1986.

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FERNIE WAS ONE OF THE RARE PEOPLE THAT COULD PLAY BLINDFOLDED. (PLAYING WITHOUT ACTUAL SIGHT OF THE BOARD) AT A YOUNG AGE HE WATCHED THE LEGENDARY WILLIAM RYAN AT AN EXHIBITION AND LATER DEVELOPED THIS ABILITY HIMSELF.

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EXHIBIT 166JH
"FERNIE MOFFETT LETTER AND CARD"

EXHIBITED IS THE PERSONAL CHECKER CARD OF PENNSYLVANIA CHECKERIST FERNIE MOFFETT.

THE ACTUAL SIZE OF THE CARD IS 2 INCHES BY 3 INCHES.

ALSO EXHIBITED IS A PERSONAL LETTER WRITTEN TO JAY HINNERSHITZ BY MOFFETT HIMSELF, WHICH ADJOINED THE CARD ALONG WITH A 1986 NEWSPAPER ARTICLE.

SUBMITTED BY J. HINNERSHITZ

IN 1988, FERNIE HAD HIS GREATEST SUCCESS (AT LEAST FINANCIALLY) AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL WHEN HE TIED FOR 3RD-6TH IN THE MAJORS AT THE US 3-MOVE NATIONAL TOURNEY HELD IN DANVILLE, VIRGINIA, JULY 11-16, 1988.

EXHIBIT 167JH
"MOFFETT-HANGEN POSTCARDS"

SHOWN ARE TWO POSTCARDS SENT DIRECTLY FROM FERNIE MOFFETT TO HIS FRIEND EARL HANGEN.

THE FIRST CARD WAS SENT FROM THE US NATIONAL TOURNAMENT IN DANVILLE, VIRGINIA.

THE SECOND WAS SENT TO EARL AFTER FERNIE RETURNED HOME, AND GIVES SOME DETAILS ON HIS PARTICIPATION IN THE TOURNEY.

THESE CARDS WERE FOUND IN THE FILES OF EARL HANGEN , WHICH WERE PRESERVED FROM DESTRUCTION BY THE AUCTIONEER WHO PREPARED HANGEN'S HOME FOR PUBLIC SALE BY JAY HINNERSHITZ, READING, PA.

SUBITTED BY J. HINNERSHITZ

ALTHOUGH FERNIE HAD MODERATE SUCCESS AS A COMPETETIVE CROSSBOARD PLAYER (HE ALSO PLAYED BY MAIL) IT WAS HIS DEVOTION TO THE GAME OF CHECKERS AS A WHOLE FOR WHICH HE WILL BE MOST REMEMBERED. HE SPENT MANY YEARS AS AN OFFICIAL OF THE LAKESIDE CHECKERS ASSOCIATION, HELPING TO ORGANIZE AND PROMOTE THE ANNUAL TOURNAMENTS THERE, WHICH HE ALSO COMPETED IN.

NORTHERN TOURNAMENT 1971

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COPIES FROM THE LIBRARY OF JAY HINNERSHITZ

FERNIE WAS ALSO VERY ACTIVE IN THE VARIOUS PA. ORGANIZATIONS OVER THE YEARS IN MANY FUNCTIONS, AND WAS A FRIEND OF DAN FRANK, WHO LEFT AN ENDOWMENT TO FUND A PRIZE FOR A PENNSYLVANIA TOURNAMENT.

AS TREASURER OF THE PSCA, FERNIE HANDLED THIS FUND FOR MANY YEARS, WHICH AT TIMES WAS RETURNING OVER $1000.00 TO BE AWARDED AT THE PA. STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TOURNAMENT.

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MOFFETT-HANGEN LETTER FROM EARL HANGEN'S FILES.

PROBABLY THE GREATEST GIFT THAT FERNIE MOFFETT GAVE TO THE GAME WAS HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE CHECKERS NEWSLETTERS IN ALL OF THEIR DIFFERENT FORMS OVER THE YEARS. HE IN FACT EDITED THE "KEYSTONE REVIEW" WITH HELP FROM HIS SON MARK FOR OVER FIFTEEN YEARS, FINALLY HANDING OVER THE EDITORIAL REIGNS TO JIM REED IN 1990.

DURING THE MOFFET YEARS AS EDITOR, MANY EXPERT GAMES FROM THE PA. STATE TOURNAMENT, AS WELL AS GAMES PLAYED IN THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE CHECKER ASSOCIATION MAIL PLAY LADDER WERE PUBLISHED, MAKING THIS A VERY VALUABLE, BUT LARGELY UNKNOWN, PUBLICATION WHICH WAS MINED FOR COOKS BY MASTER PLAYERS.

OF COURSE, DURING HIS TIME AS AN ACTIVE PLAYER/PROMOTER, FERNIE MET ALMOST ALL OF THE LEADING PLAYERS OF THE ERA, AND WOULD SCHEDULE EXHIBITIONS FOR TOM WISWELL AND NEWELL BANKS.

HE HAD A BOARD WHICH HE WOULD HAVE THE PLAYERS SIGN.....

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EXHIBIT 168LA
"FERNIE MOFFETT BOARD;SIGNED"

SHOWN IS A UNIQUE BOARD ONCE OWNED BY PENNSYLVANIA CHECKERIST FERNIE MOFFETT.

A CLOSE INSPECTION WILL REVEAL THE NAMES OF NEARLY EVERY

MAJOR/MASTER PLAYER OF THE TIMEFRAME IN WHICH THESE SIGNATURES WERE COLLECTED.

THIS BOARD IS NOW IN THE POSSESSION OF MR. LLOYD AUKER OF LANCASTER COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA,WHO CONTINUES THE TRADITION OF HAVING

THE TOP PLAYERS FILL IN ONE OF THE SQUARES WITH A SIGNATURE.

LLOYD HAD THIS BOARD WITH HIM AT THE 2011 PENNSYLVANIA STATE/ACF DISTRICT 3 TOURNEY AT CARLISLE, PA., WHERE HE HAD IT SIGNED BY JOE MOORE, WINNER OF THE TOURNEY.

SUBMITTED BY L. AUKER

FERNIE WAS KNOWN FOR HIS LARGE LIBRARY OF BOOKS. ONE OF WHICH IS EXHIBITED BELOW...

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EXHIBIT 169JH
"TRICKS, TRAPS AND SHOTS; SIGNED"

THIS BOOK IS SAID TO BE ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR, AND BEST SELLING BOOKS ON THE GAME EVER PUBLISHED.

WHAT MAKES THIS COPY UNIQUE IS THE SIGNATURE ON THE FIRST PAGE.

IT IS SIGNED BY TOM WISWELL TO FERNIE MOFFETT, WHICH IDENTIFIES THIS COPY AS AT ONE TIME BEING CONTAINED WITHIN THE LIBRARY OF THE LEGENDARY PENNSYLVANIA CHECKERIST.

THIS COPY WAS IN THE POSSESSION OF ANOTHER PENNSYLVANIA CHECKERIST, MR. ANTHONY KOZENSKI, WHEN HE (KOZENSKI) PASSED AWAY ON OCTOBER 24, 2009.

IT WAS TAKEN TO THE PA. STATE TOURNEY IN JUNE OF 2011 ON BEHALF OF THE KOZENSKI FAMILY BY NEIL WENBERG, TO BE SOLD.

THERE IT WAS PURCHASED BY JAY HINNERSHITZ, READING, PA.

SUBMITTED BY J. HINNERSHITZ

IN 1991, FERNIE WAS GRANTED ANOTHER INTERVIEW AND ARTICLE WHICH WAS PUBLISHED IN THE INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL, LANCASTER, PA.

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FERNIE CONTINUED TO LOVE THE GAME UP TO THE VERY END, EVEN THOUGH HE HAD TO "RETIRE" FROM PUBLISHING THE KEYSTONE REVIEW AND HIS PROMOTION OF THE VARIOUS PENNSYLVANIA CHECKER RELATED EVENTS.

FINALLY, ON A VERY SAD DAY IN 1999, MR. DAVE KING, ONE OF FERNIE'S LANCASTER COUNTY SPARRING PARTNERS, NOTIFIED EARL HANGEN OF FERNIE'S PASSING. HE SENT TO EARL THE OBITUARY AS PUBLISHED IN FERNIE'S LOCAL NEWSPAPER, AND EARL PUBLISHED IT IN HIS NEWSLETTER THE FOLLOWING MONTH.

FERNIE'S WIFE LATER SENT A CARD TO EARL HANGEN, WHICH EARL TREASURED AND KEPT IN HIS SCRAPBOOK.

IT IS FITTING THAT THE FINAL IMAGE CONTAINED WITHIN THIS TRIBUTE WOULD BE FROM FERNIE'S WIFE OF MANY YEARS, HIS GREAT SUPPORTER AND CHECKER COMPANION, MRS. MARION MOFFETT. SHE PASSED AWAY IN JULY 2003.

WHEN FERNIE MOFFETT PASSED AWAY, PENNSYLVANIA CHECKERS LOST ONE OF THE GREATEST SUPPORTERS THE GAME EVER HAD. HE WAS THE GUIDING LIGHT, THE BURNING BEACON OF THE GAME FOR MANY YEARS, AND HIS PASSING HAS LEFT THE GAME IN PENNSYLVANIA IN THE DARK, AS NO ONE HAS STEPPED FORTH TO TAKE UP THE TORCH.

THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE CHECKER ASSOCIATION NO LONGER EXISTS, THERE IS NO NEWS LETTER BEING PUBLISHED, AND THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE TOURNEY, FOR SEVERAL YEARS, HAD ONLY ONE OR TWO PENNSYLVANIA PLAYERS PRESENT.

THE DAN FRANK FUND NO LONGER EXISTS BY NAME, AND HAS BEEN INVESTED TO SUCH A DEGREE THAT IT RETURNED ONLY $20.00 FOR THE 2011 TOURNEY PRIZE.

BUT THERE IS HOPE.....THE 2011 PENNSYLVANIA STATE/ACF DISTRICT 3 TOURNAMENT HELD IN CARLISLE, PA. (ORGANIZED BY PENNSYLVANIAN JASON SOLAN) HAD A TURNOUT OF 13 PLAYERS, 5 FROM PA., AND HAD SEVERAL VISITORS, INCLUDING A SURPRIZE VISIT BY EDGAR ATKINSON, FORMER EDITOR OF THE KEYSTONE REVIEW.

AND, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MANY YEARS, THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE TOURNAMENT WAS WON BY A PENNSYLVANIA PLAYER, JOE MOORE, OF PHILADELPHIA.

WITH THE SUCCESS OF THE RECENT PA. STATE TOURNEY, SURELY, FERNIE HAS TAKEN A MOMENT AWAY FROM HIS GAMES WITH BANKS, WISWELL AND RYAN TO LOOK DOWN AND SMILE, AND BE PROUD........

WE HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED OUR TRIBUTE TO ONE OF THE GREAT ONES......

FERNIE MOFFETT

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