MOORE HAVEN — How well do you know your friends, or for that matter, even your own family? Following a fish fry at the home of Bobbi Brown, the Keenagers — a group sponsored by First Baptist Church, comprised of individuals 50 years of age and older — enjoyed getting to know each other better, sharing and listening to one another’s stories of how they wound up in Moore Haven, while they all attended a fish fry.

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Tom and Barb Shanahan with Laura Daniels and little Julia.

Austin and Terri Moorehouse met when, according to him, “I was a nerd, and Terri was a long-haired hippie.” They lived on a sailboat for years and traveled wherever the wind took them, settling in the house with, among other things, their family crest painted on it. They recently traveled to Egypt and will present a program about this trip at the Keenagers’ get-together in January.

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Austin and Terri Moorehouse.

Even though Giles and Darlene Tompkins live in Fort Myers now, Giles grew up in Moore Haven, and settled in Indianapolis after traveling all over the world. Following a stint in the Army, he lived several years in Japan and Belgium. Giles and Darlene’s families were friends and they played together as kids. Fate brought them back together as adults. To make a long story short, Kirby Sullivan, who was a judge at the time, married them on the Caloosahatchee River bank.

Laura Daniels was born on Pine Island in a fish house because that’s where her dad worked. She worked for years at the now defunct B&B Grocery store.

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From left: Margaret Brown, Kirby Sullivan and Janet.

Margaret Brown moved to Moore Haven from Georgia in search of work. She worked for U.S. Sugar, plus she cared for Bobbi Brown’s mother. Bobbi also moved to Moore Haven, to care for her mother, following the death of her father, who was the town barber. She was judicial assistant to the county judge for almost 20 years and has lived in Moore Haven since 1965.

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Darlene and Giles Tompkins.

Tom and Barbara Shanahan started out as “winter visitors “ from Maryland, but now live in the Yacht Club full time, except for yearly visits to family. Keenagers enjoy their musical talents, especially at their December meeting, when they lead in carol singing.

This group came from all over and each has their own story to tell. But at the end of the day, they have at least two things in common: they enjoy one another’s company and a good fish fry!