(Courtesy of Dean M. Kilgore)

First, what is a Full Kuykendall?  The term was coined by our friend, George Ramsey, when he observed that at least once in his life, he’d like to go to a society event and get to wear a "Full Kuykendall."  I knew at once what he meant: a hat that would start a fight in a bar or make small children cry, a red scarf or bandana knotted at the neck, a Mexican or King Ranch shirt with a monogram down the front, enough turquoise and silver to open a trading post, a belt buckle big enough to serve hors d’oeuvres on, which holds up creased blue jeans, tucked into handmade, knee high Luchesse boots.  Throw in  a beaver pelt mustache and a thousand mile stare and that, my friends is a Full Kuykendall.

So, why can he wear it and get away with that audacity?  Well, Marshall has actually told us in his very own words.



He’s from a family of the Old 300 in Texas - I won’t explain now, but if you don’t know what that means, Marshall will hold remedial classes every Sunday in November.  He wrote a book about that - They Slept Upon Their Rifles - you can read all about it.

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Marshall grew up on ranch with certifiably crazy parents and relations.  He had a barn cat and a cow dog; and ran wild though the Texas Hill Country as a boy.  He wrote a book about that, too - Inky and Me.

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Marshall has hunted and/or fished all over Texas, Alaska, New Mexico and Colorado.  You know, he wrote a book about that too.  It’s called Not Enough Bullets.

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He flew B-25s and light singles - in the Air Force and while ranching in Texas and Old Mexico, living his life large and making all kinds of friends throughout the West  and collecting all kinds of experiences.  Marshall E. Kuykendall has now written a book about THAT.  It’s called Campfires and Sippin’ Whiskey.



Marshall and his beautiful wife Betty currently reside in the Texas Hill Country, where he still sells ranches, writes about history and impresses just about all who meet him.