The "You Just Never Know What Can Kill You!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about five of the deadliest critters you will find on the face of this earth.  Sure, there are the tigers and lions as well as the big snakes that can scare the crap out of you, but there are also five critters that may not be as scary, but are certainly as deadly as those found in the biggest cages of your local zoo.  In one recent year, over half-a-million people died at the hands of another human, but that number pales in comparison to what one of these deadly critters can do to the population of the world.  

The Polar Bear

The first animal is the Polar Bear.  While most deadly animals will protect their territory and their young ones, the polar bear is one of the few animals that will attack humans for food.  Not the food you have in your hand at the time, but for your body.  Luckily they do have a instinctual fear of humans due to a lack of natural exposure, but they can easily overpower a small mammal or a human and their attack is often fatal.  

The Emu

The Emus doesn't prey on humans, but don't care to have humans moving around in their surround- ings.  In the winter of 1932, Australian settlers found acquired lands encroached upon by emu migrations numbering in the tens of thousands.   The large presence of emus made agriculture nearly impossible and sparked what was knnwn as "The Goat Emu War."  Machine guns, bounties and organized parties proved no match for the flightless birds who evaded attacks and left settlers with an awkward truce and miles of barrier fencing.  Are you one who can stand to see a spider?  I find them fascinating, but at times worry they may have gotten me and I can't find them.  

Funnel-web spider

Well, the Funnel-web spider is in the list of deadly creatures of the Outback.  They are the most toxic species of spiders that there are on the planet.  They are attracted to water and are often found near swimming pools.  Most attacks are from the males and the bite can kill a child in hours or an adult in a day.  They were a significant cause of death during early human colonization of their habitats, though anti-venom treatments are fast and effective.  That's provided you know you were bitten and are close enough to a location to obtain the anti-venom.  Another large creature that can be deadly is the Hippopotamus.  

The Hippopotamus

Sometimes known as "River Horses", they are aquatic and live in herds.  They are so dense and heavy that they can walk under- water.  Their calves are frequently targets of crocodiles and adults have been observed engaging in anti-predator behaviors.  These creatures are a threat to wandering and fishing humans with the death toll ranging from 500 to 3,000 a year.  If you see a baby hippo, stay away since they perceive threats to their young as a good reason to attack.  The final deadly creature doesn't bear fangs or claws, but are responsible for the largest number of human deaths related to animals in the past few years.  They have fragile wings and a thread-like proboscis and carry diseases as diverse as dengue fever and Zika virus.  

The Mosquito

The mosquito has spread disease throughout the developing world with malaria being one of the top killers with about 212 million cases in 2015 and 429,00 of those cases resulting in death.  So hard to spot and at times you don't know they are with you until you feel that little prick on the arm or neck.  If you know you are in a locale that may frequent mosquitoes, use a spray before going out in the open.  That may prevent you from being the next victim of the deadly mosquito.  The five deadliest critters I have just told you about aren't necessarily large in size or easy to spot, but be aware of your surroundings wherever you go and try and avoid becoming a victim of a deadly attack.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Another Good Guy Leaves The Building" Story

"QUIGS

It was an ordinary day.  Got a call from a friend telling me about the death of another fellow whom I worked with at Manheim Township High School in Neffsville, Pennsylvania.  Fellow by the name of Dan Quigley, aka "Quigs".  Dan was a special type of person who was loved by both his piers as well as the student body.  Dan died last Wednesday at the age of 58.  He died of heart problems.  He is survived by his wife and two children who both are still students at Manheim Township.  Dan was a Philadelphia native who began his 35-year educational career at Harrisonburg High School in Virginia before coming to Manheim Township in 1989.  

Dan and the coach whose life he saved in 2015.

Both schools where Dan was the athletic trainer used the same moniker of "Blue Streaks".  I retired from the high school in 1999, but still got to talk to Dan from time to time when I would visit to work in the print shop.  He seemed to know everyone by their first name and never forgot it.  Quigs actually knew most of the coaches and a few of the players of MT's opponents.  Mike Melnyk was the football coach at MT from 1999 thru 2011 and told the story how Quigs always made his two young sons feel special while working as ball boys for the team.  

Dan and head football coach Mark Evans.

Dan knew every kid, not just the "All-Stars."  And, he treated them all the same.  I can remember visiting him one day in the trainer's room when my daughter had injured her toe.  He actually talked her into feeling it was better by the time she had left his office.  After retirement I continued to do the in-house printing and made visits often to the athletic office.  Dan was a regular in the office talking with the Athletic Director and his secretary.  In 2015 Dan won the National Athletic Trainers' Association Athletic Trainer Service Award.  Six months later he put his training to use when he save the life of Township's Girls assistant Basketball Coach Mike Hackman.  Mike had collapsed at a practice on a Friday afternoon and Quigs was notified instantly.  Dan ran to the gym and began CPR and then used an Automated External Defibrillator unit which he was responsible for getting it place in the high school.  He shocked Mike's heart with the unit until his heart began to beat once again.  The head basketball coach said he stood next to the two of them on the floor watching him do his thing and bringing him back to life.  Dan was calm, cool and collected the entire time.  

Dan greeting students at a sporting event.  

Current head Football Coach Mark Evans said of Quigs, "He was a father, friend and confidant.  He did a lot of things for a lot of people.  That continuity of care, it's pretty heavy in my world.  He was a good man who cared about others.  His life was well-lived even though it was cut short."  His obituary in the Lancaster Newspaper said if anyone wanted to give in his honor, they should give to "The V Foundation" at v.org.  An online story about Dan had garnered  many comments about his humanity and loyalty toward his family and the student athletes at MTHS.  He had a great influence on my children when they participated in sports at MTHS.  Dan Quigley "Quigs" exuded Manheim Township.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "A Friend Who Was A Hero To Many!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Leafing through the morning paper when I came to the obituary page and began scanning the page to see if I might know anyone who may have recently died.  The older I get, the more I have come to the realization that dying is going to eventually be a part of my life in the next ten to twenty years.   Very rarely do I get through a week of newspapers that I don't find at least one of my friends or acqaintances has passed away.  Some have been former teachers who I worked with at Manheim Township School District, some have been friends from St. James Church, some have been friends from my youth or classmates from high school while a few others have been relatives.  Many have been older than me, but there have recently been a few who were younger than myself.  Some have been residents of retirement homes while others were living by themselves in their own home.  Some have been women while others have been men.  All are hard to accept, because I fear that I am getting closer to the end than the beginning.  Then I think...so is everyone else...and I feel better, until I look at the newspaper the next day.  Maybe I should cancel the paper!  But, then if someone asks me...did you see that so and so had died a few days ago, I would feel bad that I missed reading about or seeing them one last time.  All my friends are important to me, but some of my friends are important to many others also.  

Allan Holm

And, yesterday when I opened the newspaper and saw this gentleman smiling back at me, I knew him instantly.  Allan K. Holm was a friend from the past that I hadn't seen for perhaps  a dozen years.  But, I did know him quite well at one time and considered him a good friend.  He was a professional photographer whom I got to know when I had his daughter as the editor-in-chief of the high school yearbook which I was the advisor to for just about my entire high school teaching career. Allan would invite my photography classes to visit his studio so he could tell them about careers in the field of photography.  The students really enjoyed his upbeat personality and his attitude toward his work.  A few of those students are now professional photographers and perhaps they are what they are because of Allan Holm.  But, Allan was never one to brag about his skill as a photographer or his accomplishments in the field of photography.  That is why when I read his obituary this morning I was astonished with what I read.  Allan proudly served in the U.S. Army as a U.S. Army combat photographer serving in Vietnam.  His military photography has been prominently featured on the covers of National Geographic Magazine and Life Magazine.  I never knew that!  He was one of only two active duty Army combat photographers to receive the Life cover distinction.  Wow, I never knew that either!!  I wondered what I would learn next about my friend.  Allan's work has been featured on American Greetings cards and in national magazines such as Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Good Housekeeping and Brides Magazine among others.  Now, some of that I did know, but not all of it.  How could a person whom I thought I knew, never tell me all this information?  Well, Allan is that type of friend.  He cares more about you than himself.  One time I got to talking to Allan about going to have a biopsy to see if I might have prostate cancer.  It was then that he shared with me the fact that he was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1994 and had beaten it.  He told me to learn the warning signs of beast cancer as well as prostate cancer, since it's just not women that get breast cancer.  From that point on I was always aware of the signs of breast cancer.  I later found out that Allan would speak about male breast cancer to groups.  Here's a famous war photographer who was willing to share his knowledge of breast cancer with people.  A true hero to many, I'm sure.  He certainly is to me.  His family is filled with sorrow right now, but they have the memories of someone as caring as Allan to reflect upon.  They are so lucky!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Lost Grave Of Charlotte "Susanna" Hazen Rowe" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Beautiful day in the neighborhood so I parked the car along Orange Street and walked the half block to the St. James Episcopal Church Cemetery in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  I have written quite often about St. James and it's historical cemetery in the past and I recently read of one more grave site that is supposed to be there, but seems to somehow have been lost.  The grave is supposed to be the final resting place for Charlotte "Susanna" Hazen Rowe, the first female missionary of the 1815 founded Baptist Board of Foreign Missions.  So, what has happened to it?  

I entered through this gate and turned to my right to find
the tombstone of Charlotte's twin daughters. Click to enlarge.

As I entered the cemetery from the Orange Street entrance, I immedia- tely saw the bright white tombstone of Charlotte's twin daughters who are also buried at St. James as well as the monuments of Charlotte' mother and father, Ester Bowes Sayre and Judge William Augustus Atlee, but was not able to find the exact spot where Charlotte was buried.  Her story is extremely interesting and was recently published in the Lancaster Newspaper as told by the Reverend Reid Trulson.  Charlotte was born in Lancaster in 1782 and baptized at St. James Episcopal.  She lived her childhood in the family home on North Duke Street and was orphaned at the age of 11.  She went to Massachusetts to live with her sister Elizabeth.  She married Nathaniel Hazen White in 1803.  Three years later, after the death of her husband and baby, she joined the Baptist Church in Haverhill, Massachusetts.  In 1815 Charlotte applied to the American Baptist Board of Foreign Missions to service as a missionary.  The year before, the church had appointed their first Missionaries, Adoniram and Ann Judson.  But, it was found that a women could not legally be recognized as a missionary by any religious body, so Ann was no longer deemed a missionary.  Charlotte had wanted to serve alongside the Judson's in Burma. What could she do?  She petitioned the board of the Baptist Church to become a missionary.  After a vote, the majority agreed that the church bylaws did not specify that a missionary had to be a male, so they appointed her to be the first female missionary in history.  But, after a subsequent attempt to nullify her appointment, the board declared it has no money to send her to Burma to be with the Judsons.  At the time she had a modest estate left to her by her recently deceased husband so she self-funded her missionary trip.  She instead sailed to Kolkata, India in 1815 with the Rev. George Henry Hough and his wife on a restricted appointment.  They had plans to buy a printing press in India and present it to the Judsons.  

An old photograph of St. James Episcopal's Churchyard.
The tombstone of Charlotte's daughters would be to the left.

A few months later though she met British Baptist missionary Joshua Rowe, a widower with three sons, and married him.  She ended up going with him to Digah, India.  She and her new husband had three children of their own, twin daughters Charlotte Elizabeth and Ester Anna as well as a son Judson Ward Rowe.   But, because she had married a British Baptist Missionary, the American Board said she was no longer a missionary and removed her name from their rolls.  But, Rev. Reid Trulson, whom I mentioned talked with the Lancaster Newspaper, found that was not the case.  As he was looking through archives at Regents College at Oxford University, he found she had written to the British Baptist Missionary Society stating her desire to be once again recognized as a missionary by both the American and British groups.  Her request was denied.  So, she worked side by side with her husband until he died in 1823.  Even though she wasn't a recognized missionary, she continued her duties as if she was.  Three years later she and just her birth son and twin daughters moved to London where she asked the British Baptist Missionary Society to once appoint her a missionary so she could return to India.  They refused, so she and her family moved to Philadelphia where she started a school for girls in Philadelphia.  The following year she moved to Lowndesboro, Alabama where she taught English and drawing at a girls academy.  By 1850 she had moved back to Lancaster County where she served as the Principal of Strasburg Female Seminary.  Her two daughters died within 18 months of each other in 1851-1852.  She had them buried at St. James Episcopal in downtown Lancaster.  She then moved to Philadelphia where she lived until her death on Christmas Day, 1863 as reported in the Lancaster Newspaper.  Now is when the cloak of mystery begins.  

My photo of the tombstone of Charlotte's twin daughters.

Church leaders knew of her daughter's deaths and burial in the churchyard, but no one knew she had been buried there. But, a card file kept by the church was found and it indicated she had been buried in the cemetery.  A current member at our church, Ann Atlee Webber, who is a direct descendent of Charlotte Rowe didn't even know she was buried there.   Rev. Trulson came upon a short death notice in the Lancaster Examiner and Herald newspaper and called St. James to inquire about her burial.  According to the death posting in the newspaper, it is assumed she is truly buried in the St. James Cemetery.  So, St. James now awaits a marker that will be placed near her daughter's tombstone and we will be able to lay claim to having the first female missionary in the world buried in our cemetery.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Visits To Those That Lived Before Us" Story

Click to enlarge to read the story of some
of the famous people buried in St. James
Cemetery in downtown Lancaster, PA.

It was an ordinary day.  Searching a few of my past stories for photos of some of my favorite cemeteries that I have visited in the past.  May sound rather morbid, but reading the tombstones of historical and famous cemeteries can be both interesting and educational.  My first encounter with cemeteries was at the age of 8 or 9 when I was a member of the St. James Episcopal Church boy's choir and would play games before choir practice in the church cemetery.  The large tombstones and burial vaults made great places to hide during games of hide and seek.  But, I always was intrigued with the names and dates that I found on these monuments.  Famous people such as Edward Hand, Jasper Yeates and George Ross allegedly lay in the tombs where we would wander before choir practice.  

St. James Churchyard

And, I still find exploring and examining the final resting places for those no longer with us to be historically interesting.  St. James Churchyard is filled with heroes from some of the most interesting eras in history, but it isn't the only historical graveyard in Lancaster County.  The 1733 Tschantz graveyard, perhaps the oldest in the county can be found along Pequea Lane.  

Oldest cemetery in Lancaster County.

Many of the tombstones are unreadable after years of acid rain on the stones, but you can almost "feel" the history as you wander the couple of rows of tombstones in the cemetery.  Martin Meylin who developed the Pennsylvania long rifle is buried in this cemetery.  Lancaster city has the Shriner-Concord cemetery at the corner of Mulberry and Chestnut Streets where Lancastrian Thaddeus Stevens is buried.  Woodward Hill Cemetery to the south of Lancaster is the final resting place of President James Buchanan as well as well-known portraiture artist Jacob Eichholtz.  

Bangor Episcopal Church cemetery in Bangor, PA.

Other interesting cemeteries in Lancaster include the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Cemetery on Strawberry St., the Shaarai Shomayim Jewish Cemetery to the north of Lancaster City, the Greenwood Cemetery on South Duke St. where architect C. Emlem Urban rests, the Lititz Moravian Church Cemetery where John Augustus Sutter is buried, the Martin Boehm Chapel Cemetery in Willow Street, the Colemanville Cemetery where many are buried in a single grave after a gunpowder explosion reduced their remains, the Stoner Family Graveyard which is within walking distance from my home and Lancaster Cemetery on the south edge of Lancaster which is the burial ground for artist Charles Demuth, Civil War General John Reynolds and James Wickersham, founder of Millersville Normal School where I went to college.  

Tombstones in the graveyard at Martin Boehm Church.

But, as you drive the hills and valleys of Lancaster County you will find endless cemeteries that have not only famous, but every day people that have interesting stories.  During my travels to other parts of the country as well as vacation sites throughout the Caribbean, I have made visits to numerous cemeteries.  The Bangor Episcopal Church cemetery in Bangor, Pennsylvania is a beautiful cemetery that sits next to one of the oldest Episcopal churches in the United States.  

Confederate soldier buried in the
St. Mary Anne Cemetery in North-East, MD.

The St. Mary Anne's Church Cemetery in Northeast, Maryland has both Union and Confederate soldiers buried in it.  One of my favorite cemeteries is the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific which is a national cemetery located at Punchbowl Crater in Honolulu, Hawaii.  It serves as a memorial to honor those men and women who served in the United States Armed Forces and gave their lives in the line of duty.  But perhaps my favorite site is The Pearl Harbor Memorial which is located in Honolulu, Hawaii.  It marks the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors and Marines killed on the USS Arizona during the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.  A visit to this memorial and water cemetery is both moving as well as historical.  All of us will eventually make a permanent visit to a cemetery where we will rest in eternity.  Wouldn't you want someone to visit you from time to time.  I do!  So, to honor all those who have died before me, I will enjoy a visit with you to say a small prayer and be glad to leave you after my visit.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Lancaster, PA

This tombstone carries the names of those that died
in a tragic dynamite explosion in Southern Lancaster County.

The memorial of Thaddeus Stevens at the Shreiner Concord Cemetery.

Entrance to the Greenwood Cemetery in Lancaster, PA

Memorial plaque at the Lancaster Cemetery remembering John Fulton Reynolds
Click on images to enlarge.

Above the Reynolds memorial plaque stands this large monument. 

The Pearl Harbor Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii.

This monument is in St. James Episcopal Chruchyard .
It is the burial location of Peggy Arnold, wife of Benedict Arnold.

The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific which is a national cemetery
located at Punchbowl Crater in Honolulu, Hawaii

This is the entrance to Riverside Cemetery in Lancaster, PA.

Many servicemen are buried at the Riverside Cemetery in Lancaster.

The "A Touching Obituary For A Victim Of COVID-19" Story

Sam and Mary Ellen, sweethearts in love!

It was an ordinary day.  Reading an obituary which appeared on the front page of the Lancaster Sunday LNP newspaper a few days ago.  A very touching obituary, or should I say story, about a former Amish boy who as an adult became a hero to many who got to know him throughout his life.  At the top of the far right column on the front page was a photograph of Sam Stoltzfus and Mary Ellen Brendle draped on either side of the hood of what appears to be a 1950 Pontiac.  

Announcement for the engagement
of Mary Ellen and Samuel.

You can just "feel" the love that eminates from their faces in the old sepia photograph.  He eventually married his sweetheart on April 7, 1951.  Sam was born in Morgantown, Pennsylvania on January 7, 1930, son of Emanuel and Fannie Stoltzfus.  He was the youngest in his family and predeceased by his five brothers.  Sam left his Amish upbringing at the end of eight grade and eventually enlisted in the Army to serve in Korea.  He was a jeep driver in the Army which led to his 30 year career as a truck driver for New Holland Machine Co. with over four million miles of driving. But, he also had a love for auctioneering which led to 34 years as a local estate auctioneer.  

Sam in his service uniform.

During his retirement he became involved with the Garden Spot Lions and Leo Clubs.  He was a member the Conestoga Church of the Brethren for most of his life, but recently joined St. John's Center UCC Church in Union Grove, Pennsylvania.  Sam was also an avid member of the ROMEO (Retired Old Men Eating Out) breakfast club which gave him a chance to do one of the things he loved best...talk!  Seems everybody knew him no matter what restaurant he might walk into on any given day.  But, what he enjoyed the most in life was his family which in addition to his wife Mary Ellen, includes five children; Shirley, Robert, Stanley, Kenneth and James and their spouses; ten grandchildren (one predeceased him) and five great-grandchildren.  

Sam and Mary Ellen

Sam recently died peacefully at the age of 90 due to complications related to COVID-19 on Wednesday, April 1, 2020.  And, after reading his obituary in the morning newspaper, it is obvious that he will be missed by not only family but all those he touched in his church community as well as all that he befriended thru his ROMEO breakfast club.  If you care to celebrate Sam's life, you may do so with a contribution to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, KS, 66675-8515 or www.woundedwarriorproject.org.  Sam's life was filled with the love of many friends and relatives and will be dearly missed. RIP!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Recent photograph of Samuel Stoltzfus.

 

The "Being Buried In My Red Corvette!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Thinking back to a recent trip to Orient Beach on the island of St. Martin.  

The rugged beach on Orient Beach in St. Martin.

At the far southern end of the beach lies an area that juts off to the left and is covered with pieces of coral as well as broken pieces of shells.  Rather tough to walk upon unless you have flip-flops or sandals on your feet.  It was that particular beach that I pictured this morning when reading a story in the newspaper titled "Ashes, ashes: We all filter down."  The story told about walking along a beach on a bed of bleached and broken shells which resemble what human remains look like as they exit a crematory furnace.  Not a pleasant vision, but I can visualize it well when I remember how hard it was to walk upon that beach.  After a body is cremated the results are a collection of bone fragments which are then pulverized into a fine powder that constitutes what we commonly refer to as ashes or cremains.  

The churchyard of St. James Episcopal Church.

Both my mother and father were cremated and buried in the churchyard of the historical St. James Episcopal Church in downtown Lancaster, Pennsyl- vania.  There, on the north-east corner of the churchyard stands a monument that bears the names of those whose ashes have been buried in the churchyard.  Years ago the church decided that it needed to provide a burial place for those church members who would like to be buried in the historic churchyard.  The only option was a special garden where just ashes could be buried that would eventually decompose allowing more to be buried with them.  Both my mother and father decided it was their wish to be buried in their churchyard.  

One of the Memorial Plaques in the
St. James Memorial Garden.

My wife, Carol, and I also decided the same and years ago purchased a spot in the churchyard and our name on the memorial plaque.  As far as cremation is concerned, a crematory furnace yields about 1 cubic inch of ash per pound of flesh, so a petite, 100 pound person when cremated would generate 100 cubic inches of ash which is about the size of an ostrich egg.  A 200 pound adult would generate about a gallon of ashes.  When my father died his biodegradable container was about the size of a large shoe box while my mother's ashes were in a box about half that size.   Carol and I have had several cats cremated over the years and still have their remains in small wooden or metal containers that are about 6 inches in length and three inches square.   I can still visualize my 235 pound, 6 foot 4 inch brother carrying our mother's ashes in that small box to the churchyard behind St. James for the burial of her ashes in the Memorial Garden.  Within the past five years, cremation has just about overcome a traditional burial in a coffin.  Eventually space in graveyards will be a concern and the obvious choice in that case would be cremation.  

Four or out pet's ashes are in these containers.

The cost for burial in a cremation is consider- ably less than a traditional burial.  The article I was reading also told of being able to divide the aches between a few favorite locations rather than burying them all in the same location.  I would love to have some of my ashes buried on my favorite Caribbean island of St. Martin with the remaining ashes buried at St. James Churchyard.  Probably not going to happen since it would require Carol to make a trip to the island without me which would be real tough for her.  Same holds true for me if I should outlive my wife.  And, I just can't see my wife having my ashes on the coffee table that I made which sits in the living room filled with shells from our many vacations.  She would need a special vessel to hold my ashes, but with the advent of 3D printed burial urns, who knows what I might be buried in.  A replica of my 1987 red Corvette would really be neat.  Now, I might have to talk to her about that.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "We Will Survive - Won't We?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just opened the front door to accept a package from the Postal Service.  Ordered a box of exterior light bulbs a day ago for the outdoor lights we have on our back deck.  Opened the box to make sure they were what I really wanted and across the interior box read: "Made In China".  Carefully opened it, examined the bulbs, placed one in the string of lights outside our rear door and washed my hands.  The final step I just listed was my wife's idea, since we had no idea if someone may have touched the bulbs or box and then came down with the Coronavirus.  

Are we being too careful?  Are we paranoid?  I DON'T KNOW!!  Every day we hear more and more about how many people in each state of the United States has contracted the disease which at times can kill you; especially those older citizens which would include both my wife and I.  We're still struggling with going on or canceling our upcoming vacation to St. Martin, since we aren't sure how reliable hospital care might be on the island if we would need it.  But...haven't we gone through this a few other times in our life?  We have lived through the AIDs epidemic, the EBOLA epidemic, the Influenza scare and a variety of other medical problems in our life.  We've been lucky so far, so why worry now?  Don't we have some resistance to the current virus after all these years of living?  We've lived through quite a few quarantines in our lifetime as have many others have.  If a quarantine is issued by the airline or by the island of St. Martin, that is something we have no control over and would naturally have to stay put in Lancaster.  But, exactly what is a quarantine and for how long does it usually last?  There are two listings under the word in the dictionary.  One is the enforced isolation of patients suffering from a contagious disease in order to prevent the spread of disease while the other is isolation to prevent the spread of infectious disease.  The word is primarily a verb, but can be called a noun in rare circumstances.  The noun usage is what Carol and I have to worry about in reference to our trip.  As I press the keys on my MacBook Air, a quarantine (noun) has just been announced for all of Northern Italy due to the Coronavirus.  President Trump doesn't believe the Coronavirus is anything we who live in the United States have to worry about, just as President Wilson did when the Spanish Flu arrived in 1918 and infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide - about one-third of the planet's population, and killed an estimated 20 million to 50 million victims, including some 675,000 Americans.  Yesterday morning's newspaper highlighted books about pandemics of the past such as (1) MALARIA - "The Fever": How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years" by Sonia Shah, (2) SMALLPOX - "Pox Americana: The Great Smallpox Epidemic of 1775-82" by Elizabeth A. Fenn, (3) THE PLAGUE - "A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century" by Barbara Tuchman, (4) INFLUENZA - "Flu - The Story Of The Great Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus That Caused It" by Gina Kolata, (5) EBOLA - "The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of The Origins of the Ebola Virus" by Richard Preston, (6) CHOLERA - "The Ghost Map: The Story Of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic - and How It Changed Science, Cities, and The Modern World" by Steven Johnson, (7) AIDS - "And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic" by Randy Shilts.  All these book about previous pandemics offer context, history and scientific information about the spread of disease.  Our country needs someone who has perhaps read all, or most of, these books and can use the knowledge they have gained from their reading to help lead our country out of any crisis, but I believe that's not going to happen anytime soon!  Im afraid I will miss my vacation this time around and hope that at least I can survive to give it another try in the future.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Someone Is Still Hiding Something! What Is It?" Story

Jonathan Luna

It was an ordinary day.  Opened Safari and before long I had a very familiar young man looking back at me.  Took maybe another 30 seconds before I realized the face belonged to someone who was allegedly murdered in Lancaster County on December 5 of 2003.  Jonathan Luna grew up in the projects of New York City and always dreamed of graduating from college one day and making his family proud.  His father operated a restaurant and his mom was a housewife.  Jonathan was a bit different in that he didn't fit the mold of tough guy in the neighborhood.  He excelled in school and graduated from Fordham University in 1987 and enrolled in the University of North Carolina Law School.  His friends described him as "selfless, engaging, charismatic and a gentle soul."  After graduating, he began working as a federal clerk with a U.S. District Judge.  It was there that he met his wife Angela.  They eventually settled down in Elkridge, Maryland where they had two sons.  

Hard working lawyer.

Mr. Luna got a job working as an Assistant United States Attorney.  He dedicated most of his time protecting children from sexual predators. December 4th, 2003 started just like most other days for him.  He kissed his family goodbye and headed to work.  At the time he was working a case involving two men who were accused of dealing heroin from their music label studio.  One of the men was also facing a murder charge.  He spent his entire day working the case and at 9:00 PM he called a co-worker saying he was ready to go home and would see him tomorrow.  They were going to offer the two men a plea deal and he would work on it at home throughout the night so it was ready by morning.  But, he didn't clock out until 11:38 PM that evening.  It was said he must have left in a rush since he forgot his phone and glasses.  At 1:00 AM his car entered Delaware where he made a stop for money at an ATM.  He then crossed into New Jersey and on to Pennsylvania at about 4:00 AM where he used his credit card at a Sunoco Station.  He made his way into Delaware and finally stopped his car in nearby Denver, Pennsylvania, about 20 miles from my home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  At 5:30 AM the sun was just rising when a worker at Sensenig & Weaver arrived to start his shift.  He saw Jonathan's car nearby and thinking it might be a drunk driver, investigated.  There was blood everywhere!  Smeared over the door and front fender.  A large puddle on the back seat and footwell.  Money and cell phone equipment had been scattered inside the car.  Luna had sustained 36 stab wounds with his own penknife.  A Lancaster County pathologist said his hands had been "shredded" and his scrotum and throat had both been slashed.  He was said to have drowned to death in the creek that ran next to the property. 

The crime scene in Lancaster County, PA

At 8:05 AM, the Lancaster County coroner pronounced Luna dead from stab wounds and drowning.  He ruled it a homicide, and rightfully so.  Federal Authorities later changed the ruling to suicide.  But, how could that be true, since he had several stab wounds over his back and defensive wounds on his hands and arms as if attempting to ward off an attacker.  But, the doctor didn't have the last say and his death was ruled a suicide.  The Baltimore Sun Newspaper implied that Luna was involved in a robbery case in which $36,000 went missing and committed suicide because he was afraid that he was going to lose his job.  By 2006 the reward for information on the case was up to $100,000.   Stories were circulating that since Mr. Luna had dark skin, everything was being swept under the carpet.  

Jonathan Luna's gravestone.

Some facts were hard to understand though; how could he have driven all that distance without his glasses; why did he leave his cell phone behind; why would he stab himself 36 times as well as slash his scrotum, throat and hands; and how did he stab himself in the back?  Suicide by stabbing is very rare, but has happened.  Some still believe he committed suicide, but I'm not one of them.  The Lancaster Newspaper recently searched for the files on Jonathan Luna and found that they do exist in the county archives anymore. It was thought that the FBI must have taken the files.  But, they were recently found in the archives of the Lancaster County Courthouse.  But, before the local Lancaster newspaper had the chance to view them, the President Judge in Lancaster ordered the case sealed.  In Pennsylvania there is a "Right to Know Law and Coroner's Act."  The newspaper wanted the files!  Why does his death have to be kept a secret?  What really was swept under the carpet years ago?  It's time to find out.  It was another day in the life of an ordinary guy.

PS - The LNP Newspaper updated the story a few days ago by saying the District Attorney had 20 days to make its case or the records would be made public.  The newspaper wanted the records made public so they can put the story in the newspaper in hopes of selling more papers and possibly solving the case while the DA wanted the records private so it doesn't hinder the investigation into the 2003 murder.  After 17 years of no action, does the DA really think the case could be hindered?  It is now a known fact that the Coroner's files are in the Lancaster County Courthouse basement.  Why can't we know what is in them?  And, how did Jonathan Luna really die?  Someone is still hiding something!  What is it?

PPS - Two days ago the local judge ruled the files would remain sealed.  What's next?  Someone is still hiding something!  What is it?

The "A Sad Day For Music In The City Of Lancaster" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Opened the Facebook page titled "Remember When In Lancaster" and began reading the entries for the past few days.  One entry which I came upon was a photograph that read..."Anyone remember the Crystalaires from Lancaster?"  A black and white photograph accompanied the sentence.  The Crystalaries were a group from Lancaster, Pennsylvania and were the hottest act in town back in 1959.

Then on May 25 of that year, while coming home from a gig in nearby Reading, PA, they were involved in a horrendous automobile accident.  The headline in the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal the following morning told the story; "7 In Rock & Roll Combo Catapulted From Car By Crash."  An explosive crash on the Oregon Pike in Manheim Township shortly after midnight killed three members of a teenage rock-and-roll band when they were catapulted from one of the cars.  Four other members of the band were seriously hurt.  The dead were identified as: Kenneth Gray, about 15; Louis Wilson, 19; and Lawrence Speller, 17.  All three suffered fractured skulls and died instantly.  Those injured were Harold Keys, 17; Lewis Burross, 16; Robert Ray; and Ralph Speller, 19.  The driver of the other vehicle, Logan Carpenter 49, had serious lacerations to the head and face.  The boys were driving south on Oregon Road to Lancaster when it went off the side of the road and while the driver was trying to gain control of the car, it went across the road and hit an oncoming car.  Speed was to blame in the accident.  The car exploded and burst into flames.  The promising career of these seven musicians ended in a ball of flames.  The Crystalaires were members of the local Crispus Attucks Recreation Center.  A short time before the accident they had taken first place in the Hempfield Sertoma Club amateur contest.  The manager of the combo was William Zimmerman of 414 N. Queen St.  The evening before the crash they had held a rehearsal at the rear of his home.  They were planning on a benefit dance the following month at the Stahr Armory with the proceeds going to the Lancaster County Society for Crippled Children and Adults.  Kenneth Gray, the youngest member of the band, had recently joined as a vocalist.  19 year old Lewis Wilson was married with three children ages 24 months, 11 months and one week.  Lewis was also a member of the Hamboners which made four appearances on the national amateur television show, The Ted Mack Amateur Hour, in 1953 and 1954.  Ralph Speller would have been eighteen the next month.  On May 29th another headline read "Driver Is 4th To Succumb in Rt. 222 Crash". Harold Keys, 17, died at 5:30 pm.  The fourth death made the accident the worst traffic accident in the past four years in Lancaster County.  Harold was not a member of the Crystalaires, but had volunteered to drive the band to Reading for an audition and to arrange for future bookings.  Harold was a sophomore at Lancaster McCaskey High School and worked part-time at a shoe-shine parlor and sang in the Bethel AME Church choir.  

The Crystalaires

This tragic accident took the lives of a group of talented young musicians.  Earlier in the evening the group had been informed by their manager that King Records, from Cincinnati, Ohio had offered them a record deal and wanted them to come to Chicago to re-cut "Nobody Nowhere" for national release.  In July of 1960, Stan Selfon of Stan's Record Bar in downtown Lancaster released the 2nd version of the tune on Sound Souvenir No. 1.  

Stan's Record Bar in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania

The money raised would go to the families of those killed in the accident.  It is not known how many of those recordings may still survive and record collectors drool at the site of one of these rare gems.  The photo that accompanies the released record ( as seen above)  is not the original group which lost most of its members, but the reformed Crystalaires. Only 2 of the latest group were members of the original group.  The two survivors were Robert Ray and Eddie Speller.  The same Eddie Speller who was a member of St. James Episcopal Church and was one of the Three Kings of Orient in the Christmas Pageant every here.  He, along with Dr. James Martin and my dad Paul marched down the aisle singing their respective verses.  And, boy could Eddie sing!  Who knew what might have been, had all of the original members weren't killed that tragic night.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Perspectives On The Afterlife" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Hanging some lighted icicles along the front of our garage to brighten the place in anticipation of the Christmas holiday.  When I finished I needed a few large staples or clips to hold the electric cord against the side of our garage door opening.  

A memory from my dad.

Found the bottle of staples that I brought home with me when my father died eight years ago and I had to clean up his basement work area.  The bottle is one of the few items that I still have that are a reminder of my dad.  Another vivid memory is of my dad as he lay in his bed at the retirement community known as Moravian Manor with a young man by his side talking with him.  That young man, who was about 50 years my dad's junior, was Rev. Tom Purdy who was a member at St. James Episcopal church where we all were members.  Tom was summoned to dad's bedside and as I listened from the hallway, I heard my dad ask Tom what he could expect to happen when he died.  My dad, as well as all of his family, were Christians and he was anxious as to what he could expect in the very near future. Tom talked to dad about the Bible verse, John 3:16.  The verse from the New Testament tells you that "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believed in him shall not perish, but have eternal life."  The "eternal life" to which the verse refers is the Christian version of heaven, a good place populated by God, his angels and the souls of the faithful.  Those that believe that Jesus is the one, true God, ascent to heaven after they die; the souls of those who do not believe are cast into the Christian version of hell; a fiery pit of despair.  Dad wanted to know if his brother, who died in an automobile accident when dad was only six, would be there waiting for him.  Some of what Rev. Purdy was telling dad was hard to hear from a distance, but I'm sure dad was happy with the response for after Tom left, I went back in his room and he had this peaceful look about him.  Wasn't long after that he died with mom, who was also a resident at Moravian Manor in Lititz, Pennsylvania, by his side.  Shortly after, I received a call and before long I was with her as we sat next to dad.   So, what do you think happens to you when you die?  I recently read an article that tries to explain what the four main religions: Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Buddhism believe happens to you when you die.   A few other items that some Christians believe is that you have to be baptized  before you can reach heaven and that after death a soul must wait in an intermediary space, known as purgatory, for purification before traveling on to heaven. Some Christians also believe in the reincarnation of your soul in another body.  As far as Judaism, one local rabbi in Lancaster, says that many are content with the knowledge that they are not going to know until they get there, if there's a "there" (heaven) to which they ascend.  Some Jews contend that a Messiah is coming, and that the dead will be resurrected and stand in judgement before the Messiah in Jerusalem.  Islam conceives of life as a proving ground for the afterlife and anyone who has done an atom's weight of ill will also face its consequences.  Upon death the soul leaves the body and experiences an intermediary processional of reward and punishment before a final judgment day.  Buddhism focuses on compassion and composure in life.  With respect to death, the standard terminology doesn't really apply to Buddhism.  Instead, Buddhists believe in the immortality of the mind.  Instead of an afterlife, the belief is in the perpetual refinement of the mind across time in a continuous series of lives.  Will any of us ever be immortal?  Will we ever know until it happens?  No matter what religion we believe in or if we may be an athiest, death is inevitable.  And, will we all spend it the same way?  Are these questions for another lifetime?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Veteran's Day 2019: A Hometown Hero" Story

Harold Billow as he appeared in 1943 in uniform.

It was an ordinary day.  Driving through the small town known as Mount Joy which is a bit over 10 miles to the east of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  I have visited the town in the past to buy ice hockey supplies, to eat with friends and to watch my grandson play baseball.  But, today I am on another type of visit...to take photographs of the front of the home of Harold Billow who is the last remaining survivor of the WWII Malmedy Massacre which took place on December 17, 1944, at the Baugnez Crossroads in Belgium.  His front yard is home to 87 small American flags to honor the men who died due to the massacre which was part of the Battle of the Buldge.  

Harold Billow in uniform.

The 96 year-old veteran of the war has placed the flags on his front lawn for many years in memory of his friends who served with him during that tragic event in 1944.  As I drove down Main Street in Mt. Joy, I passed telephone pole after telephone poll that carried a banner honoring a serviceman who lived in Mt. Joy and before long I saw the banner honoring Harold Billow with his photo from the 1940s on one side and his current photo on the other side.  Harold's story is hard to read at times and the fact that he survived the Malmedy Massacre is remarkable.  In December of 1944, he was a 21-year-old Private with Battery B, 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion.  He was riding in a convoy of jeeps and trucks en route to the Belgian town of St. Vith.  

Map showing location of massacre.
Click on image to enlarge it.

It was a day after the Germans launched their attack known in history as the Battle of the Bulge.  The Germans had hopes of driving a wedge through the Allied armies advancing eastward toward Germany.  As his convoy was moving out of Malmedy it reached the crossroad village of Baugnez shortly after noon.  As they turned south onto N23, they were suddenly attacked by tanks and half-tracks of Kampfgruppe Peiper which was a tough SS unit led by Lt. Col. Jochen Peiper.  Some Americans in the lead vehicles got away, but the rest were trapped and the men, about 130 of them, were gathered as prisoners by the SS troopers.  They were disarmed, told to put their hands in the air and herded into a field on the east side of the N23 behind the Café Bodarwe which sits in the intersection in Baugnez.  There they stood together, waiting and helpless.  

Remains of soldiers on the snow-covered field of Malmedy.

Billow remembered two Germans setting up two machine guns atop a tank.  Then an officer rolled up in a staff car, stood and drew his pistol.  "He shot a guy to the right of me," Billow said.  "Then he shot a guy to my left."  The officer yelled a command to the two Germans on the tank and "they opened up fire where the rest of us guys were standing.  They were trying to kill everybody because they weren't to take any prisoners," Billow said.  More Germans joined in the killing spree, firing machine guns and small arms into the mass of prisoners.  Wounded men were shown no mercy.  Billow saw a medic  bandage a wounded man and then both were shot in the head.  When the firing began, some men, like Robert "Sketch" Mearig, one of several Lancaster County soldiers in the 285th ran to safety, but many, like Billow, simply dropped face down in the the snow and played dead.  Some got away with it while others did not.  "The Germans went through the field and everybody who showed any sign of life, they point blank shot them through the head," Billow recalled.  

Howard and Vera Billow on their wedding day.

Billow laid in the snow for what seemed like forever.  "I was thinking, 'I hope I survive so I can get back and tell people what they did to us,'" he recalled.  Another Lancaster County man, James Mattera, said, "Come on guys, let's get out of here," and a number of men jumped up and ran.  Billow was one of those who ran.  He still remembers the German bullets chewing up the ground around him as he fled.   They ran into the nearby café, but quickly left when they realized the Germans saw them enter.  He ran west and was later picked up by American soldiers of an engineering battalion.  Many of the other men in the café weren't as lucky, since the Germans set the café on fire and killed the soldiers when they fled the flames.  87 Americans died in the Malmedy Massacre including two Lancaster County men, Luke Swartz and George Steffy.  

On the reverse side of the banner shows
Harold Billow today.  His service to our country
was from 1943 to 1947 in the U.S. Army.

Billow recalled Swartz telling Ernie Bechtold, who had been his neighbor back home, "Ernie, something terrible is going to happen today."  Bechtold told Swartz, "not to talk so dumb.  Swartz died, shot in the head, but Bechtold survived.  Many who did escape traveled to Nuremburg after the war to testify in the war crimes trials of Germans who took part in the killings. I'm positive that Mr. Billow will never forget the horror and killing that took place that day, December 17, 1944.  And, that is why every 4th of July, Memorial Day and Veteran's Day, the front lawn of Billow's home at 206 Fairview St. in Mt Joy is festooned with 87 flags.  " There is a flag to represent each guy who fell that day," Harold W. Billow says!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.