Our involvement at Valparaiso 1st soon to be United Methodist Church began in 1967. As a young couple with 3 boys (ages 7,6, and 5) we arrived in this community not knowing anyone. This church was and still is a great place for people to come and get acquainted with the community. We settled in to a church that was in the middle of building a church for "tomorrow". Plans for the new church and the demolition of an old red brick church on the corner of Franklin and Jefferson made for an exciting time for our family. I brought the boys down to the parking lot across the street to watch the wrecking ball work away and bring all the bricks to the ground.
Gene and I were asked to help with the Senior High Spring Break trip which was a huge deal in the spring of 1968. We had grandparents all ready to help with Troy, Todd and Trent. Our trip was to go to Memphis and explore early Methodist History in the area and to see the important places in the civil rights movement in the early 60's. For Gene and I it was an opportunity to get away from 3 kids for awhile!!! We couldn't have afforded to go anywhere for any reason.
Florence Coolman and others had been instrumental in getting the arrangements made for our trip. On Thursday, April 4, 1968 the day before our trip south, we received a call that we should change our plans as it was not safe for a bus load of white youth and adults to be traveling through the south with the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr in the very city we planned to be. So someone quickly rerouted us to take the "blue goose" driven by Russell Griffith (father of Brenda Griffith Virden) to the lodge at Turkey Run State Park and then on to French Lick to stay in the grand historic hotel. (I can still see the huge climb to the front doors under the canopy as the entrance into the hotel.)
Years have passed and just a few of the crazy memories remain...like the doorman who met the "blue goose" with all the luggage on top and was almost relieved when I told him we would handle our own luggage. The early morning walk to the bridge at Turkey Run to see the sun rise was spectacular. And of course, great memories of singing on the" blue goose" when we really had hoped they would be sleeping.
But most of all this gave us a time of reflecting on the times in civil unrest based on the color of one's skin. The mission trip of going to visit Memphis and the places of civil unrest in the early 60's had changed totally. Our discussions with the youth took on the real reason young people needed to be talking and learning about the issues of racism in our country.
I can't remember but a few names of the youth that went with us... Richard Coolman, Andy and Jeff Barber, and Brenda Griffith Virden are names that come to mind today. But this week always brings me back to the days that followed MLK's death with new lessons for myself and our youth.
Recently Gene and I went to Birmingham, Alabama and went to the Civil Rights Institute. What a somber place that was but so painfully important for all Americans. To remember this history so that others may not have to experience such discrimination ever again is vital to our future.
4/8/2014 Through Facebook I've heard from Richard Coolman. This time of year is also a reminder to him of a time when the "world was changing". Good to hear from him and he is sharing our blog with other 1968 high school "MYF'ers". Our church made a difference in the lives of young people then just as they are today.
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