aug_28__1986.html
|
August 28, 1986
Untold thousands of cars, filled with untold numbers of men, women and children from all over Ohio and surrounding states have viewed the image which many have said is an exactness of Jesus, the Son of God, looking down on a child in the foreground. TV coverage by a Toledo station showed a viewer, a man who was one of the many thousands who saw the miraculous image. When asked what he thought, he replied, "when I sait it, something went through me...yes, I believe". Of the throng who suffered the stop-go movement of cars to see the image, which can only be seen after dark when artificial light in the area is turned on, there are probably many viewees who have different opinions about what they saw. RECEIVING FOLLOWS BELIEVING I hope thousands upon thousands had the same reaction as the man quoted. Hopefully the image will cause a turn-around in their lives...that it will result in near empty churches coming alive...that dust-covered Bibles will be read and believed...that there will be spiritual and physical healings... that there will be a turn-around in viewpoints which affect our town, our nation and the world, such as alcohol, drugs, pornography, abortion and many other social ills to numerous to mention. In second Chronicles, God's Holy Bible says: If my people...will turn from their wicked ways...I will heal their land. God had and is doing many things to draw the world's population (His creation) back to Him in these last days and the image might well be one of them. As I have said in previous columns, there is reliable evidence that His angels are often involved in assisting humans here on earth in accomplishing various tasks. In addition to the "hopes" mentioned above, I hope seeing the image will make a deep impression on the minds of the many children who saw it. They are our future generation. Jesus always loved the little children and still does. In fact, all of us are His children. ILLUSTRATION BY LOCAL ARTIST There is no possible way to reproduce the image which so many have viewed. The illustration with today's article shows the image as Mickey Fishburn, a local artist, saw and drew it. I agree after seeing it completed. As I viewed the image I felt the love He has for mankind as he looks down on the figure of what appears to be a child in the foreground. Perhaps the imae on the tank will tell you what He wants you to believe or do or the words and music in the accompanying hymn - "Jesus Calls Us", will help those who accept Him in their daily walk throughout life. READER FEEDBACK: HAROLD FREESE, KANSAS, WRITE ABOUT HOMETOWN Early in the Kansas series, Freese, born in Kansas, wrote to me after receiving Kansas articles his one sister Mr. Ed (Lelah) Fittro, had sent to him. Incidentally, the Fittros were once part owners of Doug's Tavern on East Tiffin Street. His other sister Mrs. Forrest (Helen) Pressnell, lives in Findlay and the Fittros reside in Florida. Letters from Freese contain many names and incidents which will interest both Kansas and Fostoria readers, so some are included in today's column. I have surely enjoyed the articles about Kansas, for they brought back happy memories. I was born in Kansas in December 1899, and lived there until I was 12. A few years ago I stopped to see the house my father built and it looked as nice as when it was new. I believe some of the Lanning family live there now. My grandfather Frees had his notary public office in a building which was illustrated in one of the articles. He also dabbled in insurance. Back then the name Frees didn't have the (e) on the end. His discharge papers from the Civil War read Amos Frees. BETTS AND FREESE BUSINESS PARTNERS My father and Walk Betts ran the pump shop in Kansas. They drilled wells and installed pumps and windmills. They also operated a sawmill at the south edge of Kansas. John Ash and his son Ross, a school teacher lived across the street from us, and I spent many happy hours over there. Ross bought one of the first buggy wheeled autos in town. It was a chain-drive Reo. (Note: The Ross Ash name in the preceeding paragraph was the father of Helen Berdan, East Tiffin Street. Mr. Ash was a teacher and active in Fostoria High School sports back in the days when the school claimed many laurels in football). Seeing the picture of Charles Seiger in one of the articles reminded me that he was my Sunday School teacher, and one time he loaded all the kids in his class in his Overland auto and took us to Toledo where we saw Waldbridge Park and Zoo. Then he took us uptown where we saw our first escalator in a big store called Tiedkes. FREESE FAMILY MOVED TO FOSTORIA IN 1912 "In the fall of 1912 we moved to Fostoria where my father had rented a brick house at 1048 N. Union Street. When the Hopkins family moved to Fostoria, Edmond was in my grade and I was selected to show him the various rooms in the building. We both graduated from Fostoria High School. He went on to Wooster and I to Ashland College, where I had gotten a scholarship through the aid of Art Murray". (Note: Murray was once on the editorial staff of The Daily Review and later a coach at both Ashland and Wooster Colleges). ACTIVE IN FHS SPORTS WITH LETTERS IN THREE "I won my first letter in football at FHS in 1915, when Red Trautman was coach. It was sort of a fluke: I was the third string QB, and on Thanksgiving we were playing Welleston, Ohio, and MacDuffy was the regular starter, and Kyle Derr was his backup. In the first quarter Duffy got his collarbone broken and when they looked for Derr he wasn't to be found... he was angry because the coach hadn't started him, so he dressed and went home. So I was the only alternate and played the rest of the game, but in the third quarter I had the ligaments torn in my ankle, but they taped me up and I finished the game". "I won letters in three sports: football, baseball and basketball. I was QB for Pete Stinchcomb on Thanksgiving Day game when I won my letter". Freese recalls the Phi Delts which were active in Fostoria from 1917 and for a few years, and to which he belonged. They had their headquarters on East Tiffin Street, second floor above the barber shop which is not there. Members were Mars Werner, Bert Whitta, Bob Hill and others, all now deceased except Freese and Werner". THE FREESE TRAVEL WITH THE SEASONS "When I got out of college I was married and we settled in Dayton for a few years, then moved to Nebraska which has been our home since 1925. We ended up in Omaha where I was in the storm window and aluminum awning business. In about 1950 we started going to Minnesota for vacations and good fishing. When we retired we became vagabonds, spending winters in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas and summers in Minnesota". When the Freese arrived to attend to Kansas Homecoming Harold spent an after- noon with me, reminiscing about the past. Even though he was older than me, I remember him and his two sisters, and recalled his participation in FHS athletics. I am sure the folks in both Kansas and Fostoria will be glad to know about his years since leaving Ohio. Even though he and his wife and sister Helen attended the Kansas Homecoming he told me he only saw one or two old acquaintances, and wondered why. He said he was sorry he didn't get to see Vivian Craun, one of his old Kansas schoolmates. The Freese address is: H.H. Freese, RR 1, Box 130, Dent, MN 56528. I am sure he will be glad to hear from old friends.
|