A familiar sight at every meaningful gathering in the city, Karl King and his band have performed at dedications, holiday parades, and concerts in every kind of weather and under most unusual cercumbstances for more than 50 years. He had never allowed his frail health in recent years to keep him away from his band work.

The loss of his music library and band equipment in the January 12 fire, which destroyed the Knights of Columbus building in which the equipment was housed and in which the band had practiced for many years did not halt his indomitable spirit. "We'll build up our library again, piece by piece," he stated, "And we'll arrange music for each concert one at a time."   From a 1971 article in the Fort Dodge Messenger