Marshal Hooker

[Jackie Brown]

In a post below about most admired modern builders, Mr. Bob Roller mentioned Marshal Ralph Hooker.  I never met him, but several years ago, I got a hand written letter from him asking if I would build him a very light rifle.  He said he would not be able to shoot it but just wanted to let it lay across his lap as he sat looking out the window.  He was in his nineties at the time. 

I built the rifle and sent it to him.  He replied that it was just what he wanted.  It was a short time later, I got a letter from his daughter stating that he had passed away.  We all have some favorite memories and that is probably at the top of my list in my gunbuilding.   RIP Marshal Hooker.

[Shreckmeister]

When my mentor, the man who inspired my interest in longrifles passed last year, his son
told me he passed peacefully in his chair looking at his wall of longrifles.  Sounds like he and
Marshall were from the same school.  Wish we could have had a few more conversations.

[Don Getz]

I met Marshall many years ago, made him a barrel or two.   He claimed to own a gun that belonged to Daniel Boone, or
Davy Crockett, can't remember who.  The gun was a rather plain mountain rifle with a heavy barrel, not much to look at...........................Don

[Bob Roller]

I also knew Marshal Hooker and we were friends from 1965 until he passed away.
His daughter,June sent me his death notice. I met him in 1965 at the Fall Shoot
in Friendship.I was then renting a room from one of the old German ladies there
in a fine home and Marshal Hooker was sleeping in his car.There were two bed in that
room and I asked the lady,Mrs'Lenkmeyer if I could pay her extra for a guest from
Missouri and she said,Ja,he can stay.
That Boone rifle was supposedly authenticated and I made several locks for Ralph
Hooker over the years,mostly the Maslin from Russ Hamm plates,cocks and frizzens.
That night at the Lenkmeyer home,he asked me if I was armed when I traveled and
I showed him my favorite big six shooter,a Smith&Wesson 1950 Target 44 Special and he
though that was one fine big pistol.I still have it and have owned it for 53 years.
He was certainly an interesting man and we had a lot in common in our outlook on
life and the USA. I am glad he isn't here to see what is happening to our country.

Bob Roller

[gunmaker]

In Japan  people like that are marked as a national treasure, here no one knows who they even are......History & skill lost forever.   

[Mike R]

I met Marshall many years ago, made him a barrel or two.   He claimed to own a gun that belonged to Daniel Boone, or
Davy Crockett, can't remember who.  The gun was a rather plain mountain rifle with a heavy barrel, not much to look at...........................Don

The so-called "Boone rifle" that he had, that I have seen photos of ,was "plain", but I thought the lines of it were very pleasing.  It had a nice curl maple stock with graceful lines and a greasehole.  It was a 40-something caliber.  The maker [and the name escapes me now--old mind] listed by Hooker had a name I could not find anything out about--I think it was Buell--and I wondered if it could have been one of the Bulls.
I always liked that rifle--Hooker made copies of it and sold them.

[KLMoors]

I found his book in a pawn shop a few years ago and loved it. What a life, (even if only half of it is true!)  and what a character!