A sad story

[Eamonn 61]

I called HWMBO who was at work on my cell this past Friday to let her know I was going to stop in and see if my computer was fixed.

She said that I might have a hard time as there was a fire in town and that OJ had been called out in his volunteer fireman role.

I was of course saddened to hear that someones home was on fire and said a little prayer that OJ would be OK.

 

Some little time later I heard that an elderly man had died in the fire. He was the father of a volunteer fireman who had served as Fire Chief.

I knew the son, who had been the chief, he used to come into my restaurant. Him and HWMBO had grown up together and were very good friends.

When HWMBO arrived home she was upset.

I didn't know that her parents had when they were first married rented the house that had burnt down and her parents had been close to the guy who had died and his wife who had passed on several years back.

I also didn't know that the guy who died in the fire had at one time served as ASM to my Father-In-Law.

Troop 156 folded about 25 years back.

My Father-In-Law died before OJ was born.

The Ex-Fire-chief it seems wasn't a good swimmer and didn't make Eagle Scout. His father was in the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease and may have caused the fire.

 

I didn't see OJ until late that night.

When he came in he said that he'd been at a fire, I said that I knew. He went on to say that he had found the old man (He was 86). He was badly burned but had died from the smoke.

This was OJ's first time having to deal with a dead fire victim and he was shaken up.

 

I know we live in a very small town and everyone seems to know everyone and at times what we do touches the lives of others.

 

There are still people in town who were members of Troop 156, but for the most part the Troop is just a memory.

I don't think anyone will do any sort of Scout Service.

 

I think I will send a donation to the Council in his name. At least that way it will be mentioned in the Council Newspaper and those who were around and live in other parts of the Council will know that he has passed.

Eamonn.

 

 

[packsaddle 753]

That certainly is sad. We've had similar events in our area in the past few weeks. Life is short and death is usually not expected. But OJ got a good experience about life. Some of his illusions might have been stripped away. He will be better for the experience.

My first such experience was as a teenager. I cared for an accident victim until the ambulance arrived and then rode with him (he was my age) to the hospital. I had to hold him still in the stretcher to keep him from being lurched around. His blood was all over me. He died in my arms. You never forget things like that.

[oldsm 10]

About a year ago my son, who volunteers with the local ambulance company as an MRT (medical response technician - sort of like a junior EMT), was helping with a 19-year old OD victim at the local hospital ER. He was doing compressions when the doctor finally pronounced the young man. My son took it very hard. He wanted to visit the grave a year later only to find out that the deceased had been cremated and there was no interment site.

 

He is now taking an EMT course. He still wants to "help other people at all times."

[Eamonn 61]

OJ had dealt with a person who had been ejected from her car, one night when he was driving home.

The person did die.

Luckily, another car did stop to help and the Lady was an RN. (She had worked in the ER with my wife.)

I have to admit that I get annoyed when I see the local firemen trying to direct traffic after an accident and at times I don't like the sense of humor that many EMT's and Paramedics seem to have.

I suppose they need it to cover what they are really feeling?

I do know that it's something that I think I'm not cut out for.

Up until I moved across the big pond, I'd never seen a dead body. In England when I lived there all the funerals were closed caskets.

Of course I had to marry into a family that were a family of Funeral Directors.

Eamonn.

Eamonn.

[packsaddle 753]

"Of course I had to marry into a family that were a family of Funeral Directors."

Hey, watch that sense of humor, I almost just snorted coffee out my nose!

[Eamonn 61]

I really wasn't trying to be funny! It's the truth.

 

Here is SW-PA there are a lot of small towns and communities that sprung up because of some local business.

While I live just outside of our little town, it at one time had the first Rolling Mill in PA -least ways so I'm told. (Truth is I don't know what a Rolling Mill is or does!) Other small towns were built around coal mines, railway facilities, coke ovens or because they were close to one of our many rivers.

A drive around some of these small towns can be very depressing. Many of the big old buildings; banks and churches have fallen into a state of disrepair, shops and stores are closed and boarded up.

But it seems the Funeral homes must do well! They all seem to be well kept and doing OK.

HWMBO Grandmother was a teacher at the Pittsburgh School of embalming, teaching hair and make up.

Her Grandpa had been a butcher for the Company Store. I'm unsure which company but Frick was a big wig in our area (In fact where I live is where he kept the pit ponies. Some people say he treated the horses better than the workers!

They opened one of the early Funeral homes. Her Dad went on to get his license. Sadly her Dad died before her Grand-pap and the business closed.

They lived above the Funeral home.

I t always seemed odd to me when we visited for holidays and birthdays having a dead body laid out downstairs.

Eamonn

(Not as odd as the transition from Butcher to Funeral Director!)

[packsaddle 753]

Heck, our family had a dead body on the table for every gathering. Usually a turkey but sometimes a pig. Sorry, couldn't resist.

time to go to the lab...and see what's on the slab,,,,