Shared by JIM GORDON,
from memories shared by Marilynn
Gordon.
My time spent living in Indiana is only remembered by
studying photos and listening to stories told by others. I can never remember
seeing my Dad moving about, pre polio years. I only remember times when he was
cared for by others.
The following is what was told to me by my Mother.
Arthur Gordon was a young pastor when at the church in
Indiana, in the early 1950’s. He was very committed to the Lord and the
ministry at this location. But he was becoming discouraged at not seeing
results in the ministry. He spent many Saturday nights, all night at the
church, praying and pleading with the Lord for responses and results. The
church was located about one quarter mile from the parsonage we lived in. But
you could see anything happening at the church from the house. Mom could see
the lights at the church on Saturdays. Never were there indications that the
prayers were being answered. Then, after polio hit the family, after moving to
Ohio, when Arthur was hospitalized, he was privileged to lead several nurses to
the Lord. Only then did the realization become apparent that prayers were being
answered. The prayer had been, “at any cost”. Not knowing ahead of time
how that request would be answered, now souls were being saved and the TRIUMPH
ministry by the written word was established. Over the years the responses and
encouragements received, have told of changes in lives, never dreamed possible
by our own planning. Yes, prayers are sometimes answered in ways not thought of
by humans. But God has his specific ways of answering, sometimes even “at any cost”.
SOME OF MY MEMORIES
by JIM GORDON
I remember the big snow of 1958. This was after my Dad had become afflicted
with polio. He was very dependent upon
electricity to operate the equipment needed to breathe. During this storm, we lost electricity, not
remembering how long it stayed off. It
became critical not having breathing support.
Mr. Paul Gilbert was the Lincoln generator/welder business owner in
Oxford.. With his connections with the
Union Fire Company in Oxford, together they towed a generator from Oxford to
Russellville, pulled by one of their fire engines. Mr. Gilbert and my Grandfather proceeded to
connect the generator to provide power to our house, making my Dad’s breathing
equipment operational again. From that
date forward, we always had that generator available during power outages. We have always been thankful to these folks
for their efforts.
Following is an article from the
April 1958 TRIUMPH.
EAST COAST PARALYZED BY BLIZZARD
Feet, not inches, was the
term used in measuring the snow which was dumped on the east coast last
month. In a matter of just a few hours many states were rendered
helpless. Communication was impossible. Electricity was knocked
out. Transportation was brought to a halt.
If such a storm does nothing else it
surely makes one realize how much we are dependent upon one another. In
my own case I am dependent upon electricity for my very breath. Were it
not for the efforts of some neighbors who fought six hours through five miles
of very deep and heavy snow to deliver a generator, I would have had many
miserable, sleepless hours.
We humans like to be self-supporting
and independent. It takes something like this paralyzing storm to make us
realize our dependence upon our fellow man. We do not live to ourselves;
neither do we die to ourselves. We are vitally tied together in the human
race. Cain asked the question of the Lord, "Am I my brother's
keeper?" The obvious answer is, yes, to a very great degree he was,
and so are we.
But even more, something like we have
just witnessed should make us all realize our great dependence upon God.
We are a gadget conscious people. We have a hundred and one things that
make life easier to live. Science has given us luxuries which many
nations know nothing about. Yet, in just a few hours our gadgets can fail
and our luxuries vanish.
If this can happen as a result of a
snow fall, what if a bomb should fall in a vital spot? And, too, what
about that final day of judgment? In just a few minutes of time all these
"things" in which we have placed our confidence may pass from us
leaving us without hope or help. Dear reader, it is so important that we
look away to God and place our trust in Him through Jesus Christ. Then,
when the storms of life beat in upon our weak frames, we still have about us
those everlasting arms of our great God and Heavenly Father.
Through
the years of Dad being a quadriplegic due to polio, we were blessed as a
family to have a Grandfather who was not only a plumber by trade, but also an
excellent handyman and craftsman.
You
will see through the medium of photos the unique creations he originated with
my Dad’s ingenuity, giving ideas to my Grandfather.
To
accommodate our family moving to Russellville, an addition was added onto the
house my Grandparents owned, then they moved to the upstairs rooms.
This photo shows the desk style pulpit my Grandfather
built so that Dad could have a reading platform. Also notice the missions map
up on the wall behind the typewriter showing the various locations we had
missionary friends around the world. Also the receptacle/holder within reach of
Dad’s mouth so he could have easy access to his mouth stick.
This
photo shows the construction and layout of the pushbutton switches Dad could
operate with his mouth stick: to turn on and off the radio, lights, telephone, typewriter, and appropriate electrical devices. Also the shelving which held all his
reference materials.
The
next few photos show the path taken from beginning to end of sending out the
Triumph paper.
First, Dad at his
electric typewriter, one of the older IBM models.
Ladies
from the neighborhood and surrounding churches would gather one or two days
each month to fold the papers.
After
the folding was completed, Mom would address the papers one at time using one
of the first addressing machines.
This
photo shows sorting the papers into pigeonholes by zip code.
Another
device constructed by my Grandfather.
After
sorting, the papers were tied into bundles, and then put into mailbags.
The
mailbags were then put into the VW bus to be taken to the post office.
This
photo shows the VW parked in front of the house next to what was Rt 10. Look
closely at the ramp from the VW toward the left which was from the house, my Grandfather built the ramp so Dad could be wheeled into the VW.
Because
of the heavy road traffic, and the danger involved, the ramp and the elevator (pictured below) were moved to the
side of the house, instead of the front.
Dad
was able to travel in the VW because of this elevator, which my Grandfather
built. It lowered Dad from the porch to the ramp.
