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Re: christian home for children 57-64
Posted By: John Sharp In Response To: christian home for children 57-64 (Donald R. Meador)
Date: Thursday, 24 March 2005, at 12:42 p.m.
Wow seeing your name and those on the other messages really brought back 1512 Palisades Avenue.
Our home during my years in Fort Lee was a hard place. To live in 1512 was literally a school of hard knocks. Most of our houseparents were hardly qualified to raise their own childeren let alone be trusted with others. Montessori School this place was not.
The best days the ones I prefer to remember were when we all just hung out and hiked through the wonderful woods in West Park New York. Ken Klausmeyer, Ken Green and Eddie Trolesson. West Park NY was still very rural. Do you remember the outhouses during the summer?
Tom and I ran away twice while we were living at Fort Lee we were picked up each time in Newark (what a destination) and given back to Pastor Sunday for summary punishement. Well God was on our side and we finally got lucky ( another story)and were asked to leave for good.
Like you I learn a lot at the home (but not always the lessons they had in mind), human love and cruelty were both in evidence.
As I remember the home and most of the house parents apparently subscribed to a rigid fundamentalist intpretation of Christianity. They adopted the old Testament's "Spare the rod and spoil the child" as the house motto. I must say they never held back on anyone apparently Christ injuction that he would injures a child might as well hang a millstone around his neck and jump in the sea meant little in their theology.
My reading improved there they often made us read the Bible each night, I think I must have read it cover to cover to Tom (who had dyslexia and a great deal of trouble reading). I also remember reading at their direction John Buyans ,Pilgrims Progress and Milton's Pardise Lost. I think we had a complete set of the Hardy Boys mysteries which we all read for pleasure.
After our Dad was told to take us back in 1962 we lived in Passaic New Jersey until he died in 1964.
I joined the Navy became a Boat Coxswain on an Assualt Ship and spent 1967-1968 in RVN.Later I worked in Australia for a heavy constuction company then returned to CA went to College then became a teacher and joined the Departement of Navy as a Civilian Human Resources Officer. I retired last year after 30 years DON 15 of these years were overseas.
It took me many years to process my life at the home (hint reading Charles Dickens helps) and to this day Except for my wife I rarely ever discuss, mention or discuss the place. For my childeren I think our story is simply too incredible and too far beyond the comprhrension of those who were fortunately blessed with a normal childhood.
One other positive from my experience at the Home... my urge to travel all started with living in Fort Lee and looking at all the ships entering and leaving New York Harbor. I remember you from our time together and I am glad to hear you made it.
I also remember Nina, Zina and Paul M.
I saw Ken Klausmeyer in the Navy 1966 I think. He was on a ship near me at San Diego CA . Dianne Greene and I saw each other in New York but have not heard from anyone else from Fort Lee.
Hope all is well with you and family .
Regards Jack
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