June 18, 2006
For Jack Crawford
and his wife, Carole
In December of
2005, Dora and I were zipping down Interstate 55 in St. Louis
looking for an exit that would take us to the Serbian
Center–finally, the exit number was seen and down the exit we went
to begin an interesting side trip before we found the Serbian
Center. It was a loafing day trip for me, and Dora was going to
the Center for a meeting regarding her work.
A wrong turn was
taken and we began driving around for about 30 or 45 minutes looking
for the Serbian Center but actually I was talking non stop telling
her about a time many years in the past–actually August 1963! The
following is a reconstruction of the story being related to Dora in
2005 about a time in 1963!
“Dora, these
streets look so familiar or at least the names are familiar. I
think we are really close to where I spent a weekend in August 1963
with Jack and Carole Crawford. Let us look around and let me tell
you a story while we drive around looking–we will find the Serbian
Center in time for your meeting.
I arrived at
Ritenour Senior High School to meet a couple of buddies to begin
looking for a place to live because they would be teaching at
Ritenour Junior High School and I would be teaching at Hoech Junior
High School.
It took much
longer than expected to find a place to live and to rent a very few
items to have in the apartment–table, three chairs, a couch, one
chair, two lamps and maybe another item or two. At any rate, it was
Thursday and the apartment would not be ready for us until the
following Monday or Tuesday!
Don
Schnurbusch of Perryville was going to spend the weekend with a
buddy in Illinois and Neil Keeney was returning to Bourbon to the
home of his parents. I did not have a place to stay–no car–about
$18 in my pocket but had a pledge from Don that he would take me to
wherever I could secure a place to stay and would pick me up on
Monday for the meeting of new teachers at Ritenour Senior High
School. It was getting to be about 6 pm, and we located a phone so
I could call a buddy. Got the phone book and began looking for Jack
or Jackie or J Crawford–located the name Jack Crawford and made the
call. Jack answered, and I asked him if I could spend a couple of
evenings with he and Carole. The answer was sure and he asked where
I was and if I needed a ride! I said that I did not need a ride
because a buddy would give me a ride to their home.
I arrived at
Jack and Carole’s house with one small paper sack and one large
paper sack–one had my shaving gear and the other a couple of changes
of clothes. Traveled light in those days–the two boxes with other
possessions were in Neil’s car rolling toward Bourbon for the
weekend.
It was sure
great to see Jack and Carole, and she fixed me a snack–they
recognized a weary and hungry sojourner in search of a good
Samaritan! We talked for awhile before the day came to an end!
They left
early the next morning for work before I woke up–there was a note
that they would see me after work. I spent the day looking around
the neighborhood–must have walked several miles looking at the
city. I had not been to St. Louis very many times–probably about
five times! It was a fun day to walk the streets of St. Louis.
The day went
quickly and soon they were home–it was a fun weekend before work
began at Arthur A. Hoech Junior High School, but I have never,
never, never, never forgotten the wonderful hospitality that was
extended by a classmate and his wife.
Jack and
Carole live somewhere in the St. Louis area, Don is in the process
of moving to Texas after retiring from teaching at a college in
Kanas and Neil is deceased but he had a great career at Monsanto.”
Jack and Carole–a
note to say that good deeds are never forgotten–just sometimes it
just takes time for an opportunity to be able to say thank you!
Our love and
friendship,
Art and Dora Cole
