Laef Story

Kasem Blessing Bilong Wanfala Spesol Present

STORY BILONG CAROL ALLEN

Mi stap seleva, and mi holem naesfala niu buk bilong mi. Mi fraet fogud, and wata from eye foldaon long feis bilong mi. Mi smol girl nomoa wea seven year and mi lus long wanfala difren taon, midolwan long planti thousand pipol!

NO LONGTAEM go nomoa, klosap 60 year bihaen, mi tingim moa datfala samting wea happen taem mi smol, taem mitufala hasband bilong mi, Paul, visitim Watchtower Educational Center long Patterson, New York. Olketa invaetem hem for attendim mek-tu class bilong wanfala skul for olketa traveling overseer bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness.

Taem mifala lukluk raon insaed long front office, mi lukim disfala big raeting “OLKETA CONVENTION.” Long midol hem garem wanfala old blak-and-white foto long samfala pikinini wea holem buk bilong olketa olsem datwan wea mi garem taem mi smol! Mi kwiktaem readim toktok bilong datfala foto: “1941—Long St. Louis, Missouri, taem morning program hem start, 15,000 pikinini—from 5 go kasem 18 year—hipap long area front long platform. . . . Brata Rutherford announcem release bilong niu buk Children.”

Evri pikinini kasem wanfala buk. Then olketa pikinini go bak sidaon witim dadi and mami bilong olketa—bat no mi. Mi lus! Wanfala kaenfala man karem mi and putim mi antap long wanfala tol contribution box and talem mi for lukluk for eniwan wea mi savve. Mi lukluk long staka pipol wea gogo daon long olketa bigfala step. Seknomoa, mi luksavve long samwan! “Uncle Bob! Uncle Bob!” Samwan faendem mi nao! Bob Rainer karem mi go bak long ples wea Dadi and Mami wea wari tumas olketa weit.

Olketa Samting wea Happen Taem Mi Smol wea Sheipim Laef Bilong Mi

Datfala foto mekem mi tingim planti memory—olketa samting wea sheipim laef bilong mi and wea lead go long visit bilong mifala long Patterson. Mi tingim olketa samting wea happen winim wan handred year finis, especially olketa samting wea mi herem from Grandadi and Granmami and Dadi and Mami.

Long December 1894, wanfala full-taem minister bilong olketa Bible Student, nem bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long dat taem, visitim grandadi bilong mi, Clayton J. Woodworth, long haos bilong hem long Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. Clayton hem just marit. Hem raetem wanfala leta long president bilong Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, Charles Taze Russell, and olketa printim insaed June 15, 1895, Wastaoa. Leta hem sei:

“Mitufala young hasband and waef wea member bilong wanfala church for klosap ten year; bat distaem, mifala biliv, mifala lusim darkness for go insaed long laet bilong niufala day wea start distaem for olketa holy pikinini bilong Most Hae. . . . Longtaem bifor mitufala meet, mitufala barava laek for servem Lord, sapos hem will bilong hem, olsem missionary long nara kantri.”

Then, long 1903, Sebastian and Catherine Kresge, tufala great-grani bilong mi, hapi for herem Bible message wea tufala from Watch Tower Society tekem kam long bigfala farm wea olketa stap, long olketa naesfala Pocono Mountains long Pennsylvania. Tufala dota bilong olketa, Cora and Mary, stap long there tu witim hasband bilong tufala, Washington and Edmund Howell. Tufala hia wea kam from Watch Tower Society, Carl Hammerle and Ray Ratcliffe, stap witim olketa for wan week and teachim olketa planti samting. Sixfala evriwan long disfala famili lisin, study, and no longtaem bihaen kamap strongfala Bible Student.

Long datfala sem year, 1903, Cora and Washington Howell garem wanfala dota, Catherine. Wei wea gogo hem maritim dadi bilong mi, Clayton J. Woodworth, Jr., hem story wea interesting and, mi biliv, hem fulap witim mining. Hem showimaot wei wea grandadi bilong mi, Clayton J. Woodworth, Sr., garem fasin for luksavve witim love and hem kea.

Dadi Bilong Mi Kasem Loving Help

Dadi bilong mi, Clayton junior, hem born long Scranton long 1906, 80 kilometer from farm bilong Howell famili. Long olketa year hia, Grandadi Woodworth fren gud witim bigfala Howell famili, wea planti taem olketa welkamim hem. Hem barava helpem kongregeson bilong olketa Bible Student long datfala area. Gogo, olketa askem Grandadi for mekem marit bilong thrifala son bilong Howell famili, and from hem tingim son bilong hemseleva, hem disaed for tekem hem tu long thrifala wedding hia.

Long datfala taem Dadi no mas strong long ministry bilong olketa Bible Student. Tru, hem draevem Grandadi for duim olketa kol long ministry, bat nomata Grandadi encouragem hem, Dadi no interest. Long datfala taem, interest bilong Dadi long music hem big tumas, and hem gogo for kasem wanfala waka saed long diswan.

Catherine, dota bilong Cora and Washington Howell, hem savve tumas tu saed long music, for pleim and teachim piano. Bat taem hem klosap for kasem waka saed long diswan, hem lusim and start for share long full-taem ministry. Grandadi tingim hao Catherine nomoa best partner for son bilong hem—hem nao tingting bilong mi! Dadi hem baptaes, and hem maritim Mami six month bihaen, long June 1931.

Grandadi tinghae olowe long savve bilong son bilong hem saed long music. Hem hapi tumas taem olketa askem Dadi for trainim main sekson bilong bigfala orchestra for international convention long 1946 long Cleveland, Ohio. Long olketa year bihaen, Dadi leadim orchestra long samfala convention bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness.

Kot Case Bilong Grandadi and Laef Bilong Hem Long Prison

Long datfala front office long Patterson, Paul and mi lukim piksa wea stap long next page. Mi semtaem luksavve long disfala piksa, from Grandadi sendem wanfala copy for mi winim 50 year bifor. Hem nao standap long barava raet saed.

Long taem wea feeling for apim kantri hem strong tumas long World War I, olketa putim eitfala Bible Student hia—Joseph F. Rutherford tu (wea sidaon long midol), president bilong Watch Tower Society—long prison from laea reason and no letem eni bail for olketa go aot. Toktok wea pipol accusim long olketa hem stap insaed mek-seven volume bilong Studies in the Scriptures, wea garem title The Finished Mystery. Pipol minim olketa toktok hia long rongfala wei for sei hem stopem pipol for join witim United States long World War I.

Insaed planti year, Charles Taze Russell raetem sixfala first volume bilong Studies in the Scriptures, bat hem dae bifor hem raetem mek-seven. So olketa givim evri note bilong hem long Grandadi and narafala Bible Student and tufala raetem mek-seven volume. Olketa releasem diswan long 1917, bifor war hem finis. Long datfala kot case, Grandadi and klosap evri narawan kasem fofala difren panis for stap 20 year long prison.

Toktok bilong datfala piksa wea stap long front office long Patterson hem sei: “Naen month bihaen Rutherford and olketa wea waka klos witim hem stap long prison—and bihaen long war—long March 21, 1919, appeal kot orderim bail for eitfala hia, and long March 26, olketa kamaot long Brooklyn bihaen olketa givim $10,000 olsem bail for each wan. Long May 5, 1920, J. F. Rutherford and olketa narawan kamap free from laea toktok wea againstim olketa.”

Bihaen kot talem panis for olketa, bat bifor olketa go long gavman prison long Atlanta, Georgia, eitfala hia stap tu-thri day long Raymond Street jail long Brooklyn, New York. Long there Grandadi raet abaotem wei wea hem stap insaed wanfala cell wea 1.8 bae 2.4 meter “wea barava dirty narawe and olabaot.” Hem sei: “Iu garem wanfala hip niuspepa, and sapos iu ting nating long diswan firstaem, bae iu kwiktaem luksavve hao olketa pepa hia and soap and wanfala smol haf kaleko nomoa stap for klinim iu.”

Nomata olsem, Grandadi still garem wei for mekfani, hem kolem datfala jail “Hôtel de Raymondie,” and sei, “Mi bae lusim ples hia taem rent wea mi peim hem finis.” Hem storyim tu ples aotsaed wea hem savve go wakabaot. Wantaem hem stop lelebet for komim hair bilong hem, and wanfala man stealim watch from poket bilong hem, bat hem raet, “Chain long watch hem brek and hem no tekem.” Taem mi visitim Brooklyn Bethel long 1958, Grant Suiter, secretary-treasurer long datfala taem bilong Watch Tower Society, kolem mi go insaed office bilong hem and givim datfala watch long mi. Mi still keepim gud distaem.

Wei wea Hem Affectim Dadi

Long 1918 taem olketa putim Grandadi long prison from laea reason, dadi bilong mi hem 12 year nomoa. Granmami satem haos bilong olketa and tekem Dadi for tufala stap witim mami and thrifala sista bilong hem. Famili nem bilong Granmami bifor marit hem Arthur, and datfala famili tok praod for sei wanfala relative bilong olketa, Chester Alan Arthur, hem mek-21 president bilong United States.

Bihaen Grandadi Woodworth kasem panis for stap longtaem long prison from rong wea olketa sei hem duim againstim United States, Arthur famili sei hem spoelem famili nem bilong olketa. Diswan barava sorre taem for dadi bilong mi. Maet disfala samting nao wanfala reason wea mekem hem hol bak for share long pablik ministry.

Taem Grandadi kamaot from prison, hem muvim famili bilong hem go long wanfala big haos long Quincy Street long Scranton. Taem mi pikinini, mi savve long datwan, and mi barava savve gud long olketa naesfala dish bilong Granmami. Mifala kolem olketa holy dish bilong hem bikos Granmami nomoa fit for wasim olketa. Bihaen Granmami hem dae long 1943, planti taem Mami invaetem samfala visitor and iusim olketa naesfala dish hia.

Busy Long Kingdom Service

Long nara day long Patterson, mi lukim piksa bilong Brata Rutherford taem hem givim tok long 1919 Cedar Point, Ohio, convention. Long there hem encouragem evriwan for strong for talemaot Kingdom bilong God and for iusim niu magasin wea olketa just releasem long datfala convention, The Golden Age. Grandadi nao editor bilong hem, and hem raetem olketa article for magasin hia go kasem olketa year bilong 1940, no longtaem bifor hem dae. Long 1937 olketa changem nem bilong disfala magasin go long Consolation and long 1946 go long Wekap!

Grandadi savve raet taem hem stap long haos long Scranton and long headquarters bilong Watch Tower Society wea stap klosap 240 kilometer long Brooklyn, and hem stap tufala week long each ples hia. Dadi sei hem rememberim typewriter bilong Grandadi savve start waka long faev klok long planti morning. Nomata olsem, Grandadi tinghevi long responsibility for share long preaching waka tu. Tru nao, hem designim vest bilong man wea garem olketa big poket insaed for karem Bible buk. Aunty bilong mi wea 94 year, Naomi Howell, garem wanfala yet. Grandadi designim wanfala basket for olketa woman tu for karem buk.

Wantaem, bihaen olketa enjoyim gudfala story abaotem Bible, field service partner bilong Grandadi hem sei: “C. J., iu mekem wanfala mistek.”

“Wanem mistek?” Grandadi ask. Hem chekim vest bilong hem. Tufala poket hem emti.

“Iu forget for givim hem subscription for The Golden Age.” Tufala laf fogud long wei wea editor hia forget for offerim magasin bilong hem.

Olketa Memory Bilong Taem Mi Growap

Mi tingim taem wea mi pikinini and sidaon antap Grandadi, and smol hand bilong mi insaed hand bilong hem taem hem talem mi “Finger Story.” Hem start witim “Tommy Thumb” and go long next wan “Peter Pointer,” and talem mi spesol samting abaotem evri finger. Then hem holem tugeta evri finger and talem wanfala principle: “Olketa waka gud tugeta, olketa wanwan helpem evri narawan.”

Bihaen Dadi and Mami marit, tufala muv go long Cleveland, Ohio, and kamap gud fren witim Ed and Mary Hooper. Famili bilong tufala olketa Bible Student from start bilong last century. Dadi and Mami and Uncle Ed and Aunty Mary, hem nao hao mi kolem tufala, barava klos fogud. Disfala Hooper famili lusim wanfala pikinini nomoa wea olketa garem, baby girl, so taem mi born long 1934, mi kamap spesol “dota” bilong olketa. From mi growap insaed living wea strong long spiritual wei, mi dedicate long God and baptaes bifor mi eit year.

Bible reading hem part long laef bilong mi taem mi smol. Toktok long Isaiah 11:6-9 abaotem living long niu world bilong God hem wanfala scripture wea mi laekem tumas. Firstaem wea mi trae for readim full Bible hem long 1944, bihaen mi kasem wanfala American Standard Version, wea olketa releasem olsem spesol edition long Buffalo, New York, convention. Mi barava hapi fogud for readim disfala transleison wea putim bak nem bilong God, Jehovah, long stretfala ples klosap 7,000 taem insaed “Old Testament”!

Mi savve laekem tumas olketa weekend. Dadi and Mami and Hooper famili tekem mi tu for witness long olketa bush area. Mifala tekem lunch and kaikai saed long river. Then mifala go long farm bilong samwan for herem wanfala Bible tok wea mifala invaetem evri neiba for kam herem. Laef hem simpol. Tufala famili bilong mifala hapi fogud. Samfala firstfala famili fren hia kamap traveling overseer bihaen, olsem Ed Hooper, Bob Rainer, and tufala son bilong hem. Richard Rainer duim disfala waka yet, witim waef bilong hem, Linda.

Summer season nao barava taem bilong hapi. Mi stap long Howell farm witim tufala kasin bilong mi. Long 1949 kasin bilong mi, Grace maritim Malcolm Allen. Mi nating savve hao gogo bae mi maritim brata bilong hem. Young kasin bilong mi, Marion, hem wanfala missionary long Uruguay. Hem maritim Howard Hilborn long 1966. Tufala kasin hia waka witim hasband bilong olketa long Brooklyn headquarters for planti year.

Grandadi and Taem Mi Finis Skul

Taem mi long secondary skul, Grandadi savve raet kam long mi olowe. Hem savve sendem kam planti old famili foto wea garem toktok long bihaen, abaotem history bilong famili. Hem nao hao mi kasem wanfala foto bilong hem and olketa narawan wea go long prison from laea reason.

Long end bilong 1951, cancer spoelem voice box bilong Grandadi. Mind bilong hem gud yet, bat hem mas raetem toktok long smol notebuk wea hem karem. Mi shud finis skul long January 1952. Long start bilong December, mi sendem long Grandadi wanfala copy bilong tok wea bae mi givim. Hem changem samfala toktok and then long last page hem raetem toktok wea kasem heart bilong mi: “Grandadi barava hapi.” Hem finisim laef bilong hem long earth taem hem 81 year, long December 18, 1951.a Mi still keepim datfala copy bilong tok wea garem thrifala word hia long last page.

Stretawe bihaen mi finis skul, mi joinim pioneer service, nem wea Olketa Jehovah’s Witness kolem long full-taem preaching waka. Long 1958, mi attendim barava big convention long New York City, wea peak bilong 253,922 pipol from 123 kantri fulimap Yankee Stadium and Polo Grounds. Long there mi meetim samwan wea kam from Africa wea werem badge wea sei: “Woodworth Mills.” Samting olsem 30 year bifor, hem nem followim Grandadi!

Hapi Long Present wea Mi Kasem

Taem mi 14 year, mami bilong mi start for pioneer moa. Hem dae 40 year bihaen, long 1988, taem hem pioneer yet! Dadi share long pioneer waka taem hem fit for duim. Hem dae naen month bifor Mami. Olketa wea mifala study witim kamap barava klos fren for olowe. Samfala son bilong olketa go waka long headquarters long Brooklyn, and olketa narawan joinim pioneer waka.

Year 1959 hem barava spesol long mi. Long datfala taem nao mi meetim Paul Allen. Hem kasem assignment olsem traveling overseer long 1946 taem hem finis long mek-seven class bilong Gilead, skul for trainim missionary bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Taem mitufala meet, mitufala no savve next assignment bilong Paul bae hem long Cleveland, Ohio, ples wea mi pioneer. Dadi laekem hem tumas, and Mami tu. Mitufala marit long July 1963 long Howell farm, front long olketa famili bilong mifala and Ed Hooper nao givim marit tok. Datwan hem wanfala dream wea kam tru.

Paul nating garem car bifor. Taem mifala lusim Cleveland for go long next assignment bilong hem, evri kago bilong mifala fit insaed long 1961 Volkswagen car bilong mi. Planti taem olketa fren kam lukim mifala long Monday, day wea mifala muv go long nara kongregeson, for lukim mifala putim evri kago insaed car. Hem olsem wanfala show long circus for lukim olketa suitcase, briefcase, file box, typewriter, and samfala moa, lus insaed long datfala smol car.

Paul and mi travel planti kilometer finis, enjoyim olketa gud and nogud taem bilong laef distaem—wea evri samting mifala duim long strong wea Jehovah nomoa savve givim. Olketa year hia barava hapi wan, fulap witim love for Jehovah, for mitufala evriwan, and for olketa old and niu fren. Tufala month wea mifala stap long Patterson taem Paul kasem training hem barava spesol taem long laef bilong mitufala. Taem mi lukluk klosap long organization bilong Jehovah long earth, hem strongim biliv wea mi kasem olsem part long spesol spiritual present bilong mi: Diswan nao barava organization bilong God. Hem barava wanfala hapi samting for kamap smol part bilong hem!

[Footnote]

[Piksa long page 25]

Witim Ed Hooper no long- taem bifor 1941 St. Louis convention, wea mi kasem wanfala “Children” buk

[Piksa long page 26]

Grandadi long 1948

[Piksa long page 26]

Long Howell farm taem dadi and mami bilong mi (insaed circle) marit

[Piksa long page 27]

Eitfala Bible student wea go long prison from laea reason long 1918 (Grandadi nao standap long barava raet saed)

[Piksa long page 29]

Evri kago bilong mifala fit insaed long Volkswagen car bilong mifala

[Piksa long page 29]

Witim hasband bilong mi, Paul