We received word that Jeff Munsey went home to be with the Lord Tuesday morning. Jeff has been attending church for a number of years, coming first with his mother, Sharon, with whom I graduated from High School.
Jeff had an interest in softball and played on our church’s softball team. Jeff had a bit of a handicap and was pretty clumsy out on the field, but he longed to belong. The team members took him under their wing and coached him along the way. He had his turn at bat and worked hard at it, but everyone knew he would get “out”. Jeff was a liability to the team, but he was accepted. After awhile, the opposing teams on the church league, who were sometimes very competitive, saw what was happening and began to cut Jeff some slack, and play along.
Everyone worked together to make Jeff feel like he belonged and was part of the team. That’s what was important, not winning. But they all went home as winners.
Is there someone you know who really wants to belong, but can’t? Give them a hand, make them feel a part, and everybody wins. What will you remember about Jeff Munsey?
Tags: acceptance, help, Remembering
Don Musser just passed away yesterday. He had been in failing health for a couple of years and has been a resident at Betz’s Nursing Home for the past year.
Don and Mary Jane began attending New Hope when we were Calvary Chapel of Waterloo back in 1981. One of the first projects we tackled as a church was the purchase of a sound system and speakers for our old sanctuary. Don stepped up to the plate and made a sizable donation (for him) toward that purchase.
He and I were good friends and called each other “old timers”. Now he leaves me stuck with the title alone. Don was outgoing and had many friends. He was a great horseshoe pitcher. Anita and I joked that one day he would be making “ringers” around some nursing home nurse’s leg.
Don was once a town drunk who had an encounter with Jesus Christ that changed his life. He loved to tell the story of our first meeting when we both lived at the trailer court in Waterloo. He asked me, “When are you going to get a haircut?” I, a long haired hippie at the time, replied, “That’s none of your business!” We’ve both laughed about that many times.
What will you remember about Donny Musser?
Tags: Remembering
Leon Kessler passed away last night. Leon, also known as Arthur, and Esther were a part of our church many years. Leon was a blessing to me. He was a World War 2 veteran who was stationed at Pearl Harbor during the attack on December 7, 1941. He spent his time in the marines going from island to island in the Pacific freeing them from Japanese control. He saw a lot of combat and returned home with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Leon was not a church goer and was pretty rough around the edges. But, he had a conversion experience in the 1980s that dramatically changed him. Although he understood that all his sins were under the blood of Christ, he had haunting memories of the things he had seen and done in World War 2 that bothered him up to the end. He and I joked about it, but we both knew this was a very real battle for him.
Leon didn’t trust church leadership or the government. On several occasions he gave me a financial gift in cash, because he was afraid the church or the government would keep part of it and he didn’t want any record to be turned in as taxable income.
My fondest memory of Leon was when my sons and I took him to the Garrett theater to see ‘Pearl Harbor’ when it was first released. Fortunately, it was a Monday night and only three other people in the theater, because Leon spoke his opinions right out loud: “Why, they’re killing way too many people!” and “That never happened!”.
What will you remember about Leon Kessler?
Tags: Remembering, World War II
We just received word that Solomon Rout has passed away. Solomon was a teacher, pastor, and church planter in Orissa Province, India. Orissa is a radical Hindu state where there is much persecution of Christianity. He had established Happy Valley Children’s Home, an orphanage that reached beyond Christian children to Hindu children, as well. Solomon was a great leader and worked in partnership with P. J. Titus and Christ for India to the east in India.
Solomon attended our mission conferences from the very start. I remember the first year he attended. We gave him a table for display in the old building on Washington Street. He came with a huge hand-painted canvas banner that required us to move him to a back classroom because it took up the entire wall and draped onto the floor. He once brought his wife, Jumelia, with him. He was always encouraging and had many projects that we helped him to accomplish.
His wife passed several years ago and he has since turned the oversight of the ministry over to his nephew, Sam Naik. What will you remember about Solomon Rout?
Tags: Remembering
Donna Bock passed away Sunday morning. She was mother to Tonoa McLain and Sharmon Hartman. Although she had been a resident at Betz’s nursing home for many months, she attended church with her daughters prior to that.
Donna knew my father well and thus responded well to me. She had been an alcoholic most of her life, but later in life she stopped drinking and turned her life around on her own. As her health began to fail, I spoke with her about her relationship with God, and she assured me she had accepted Christ as her savior. So I was able to be very affirming as spoke with her family at the funeral Tuesday.
What will you remember about Donna Bock?
Tags: Remembering
Chris Swanson passed away yesterday morning, after struggling with colon cancer. Her husband, Doc Swanson, passed on several months ago. When he was suffering, she was there by his side, day after day, caring for him until the end.
Chris was very involved with Shelter Ministries in Auburn and had served by the side of her husband when he pastored a church in Avilla years ago.
Chris leaves behind a son, Sean, who will be a Senior this next year. I will remember Chris being a caring person who reached out to down-and-outers and helped them get back on their feet. She will be missed.
What will you remember about Chris Swanson?
Tags: Remembering
Deloris Emerick passed away after a short battle with cancer. She was a hard worker and always seemed very responsible. I remember when Deloris first began attending Calvary Chapel (our former name). Christine Storrjohann was a bus kid who gave her life to Christ and became very involved in the church. She brought her parents, Bill and Helen Vallance to church and they also became committed. In turn, Helen brought her good friend Deloris. They always sat together in the back row and often brought other friends.
She always had an encouraging word when she waited on me at McDonald’s. What will you remember about Deloris?
Tags: Remembering