Former FacultyBen Lippen School |
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Click here for
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Former FacultyBen Lippen School |
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Click here for
pictures of the old Asheville campus. Warning: May
load slowly!
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Thank you for visiting our pages. We would love it if you would add your Alumni update to this guestbook
we are keeping! Just email Becky Branham Dimon with your name, address, graduation year, city and state, plus all of the family information you want to share.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
On September 19th, 2007, Miss Betty Basting went to be with the Lord. I found this information online:
Betty Basting
DANVERS, IL - Betty M. Basting, 84, of 1015 O'Conor St., LaSalle, formerly of Danvers, died at 4:25 a.m. Wednesday (Sept. 19, 2007) at the Illinois Veterans Home, LaSalle.
On May 27th, 2007, Bob Hathaway went to be with the Lord. Many of his students, colleagues, family, and friends have posted their memories. Click here.
In March of 1999, Dr. A. C.
Fortosis went to be with the Lord. For those who would like to pay tribute
to Dr. Fortosis, please post your favorite memory of him through the link above, and I will add it to the separate page for that purpose. The Weeber girls were in attendance at the funeral, and here are some photos of the Fortosis
"children" and the Weeber girls. Can you tell which is which?
Jennifer Early Calvert,Class of Faculty 1982-1985, <jcalvert@cannonschool.org> or <bffs@jennifercalvert.com> Becky,
From: MtnMama1959@aol.com
Hi Becky,
This is Sharon, Bob and Bonnie's daughter. I know Mike attempted to send you an e-mail to a different address earlier today from one of my accounts. Unfortunately, I had server issues and we aren't sure it went through. Please excuse this e-mail if it you did receive the earlier one.
Dad died peacefully earlier this morning (Sunday, May 27) after a battle with Parkinson's Disease. We were wondering if you could send an e-mail to the addresses you have captured of alumni if you have them in an e-mail group.
The funeral is Wednesday, May 30 at Vanderwall Funeral Home in Dayton, Tennessee. Visitation/viewing is Tuesday evening from 6-8 at the same location.
Thank you,
Sharon
From: Betsy Grimm Tritt Hi, Becky - From Bob and Dorothy Weeber: Just a few catch-ups on Dorothy and me and our five. We (Dot and I) did move with the school in '88 and the Lord led us to a small three bedroom house which has nicely met our needs, located about ten minutes from the campus. After 41 years ( 33 "On The Mountain" and 8 in Columbia ) we "retired" in '96. Can't stay away from campus. Am out there for ball games, committee meetings faculty get-togethers and are learning to put up with those little aches and pains that show up at 79 and 77! The Lord continues to bless the school and the faculty's prayers and vision to see the students come to know Jesus Christ as their own personal Savior and Lord in a real personal experience, much as He did "On The Mountain." Can you imagine 950 students ( K4-12 ) with a Faculty-Staff of 90? and the Lord's provision of meeting the financial needs. It's different but wonderful.
An update on our family: Judy and John Dahl live in Denver where she is a massage therapist and also really enjoys teaching water aerobics to senior citizens; John and Juliette with son John Gabriel are still in the banking business in Paris, France: Joy's latest is a PhD from NCSU in the special field of "Disability Identity Development" and is on the faculty at the UNC Pembrook, NC.; Jeanne and Tom Jones live in Richmonad, VA. and she is involved with Insurance Sales. They have a daughter Alex, a high school senior, and Janice and Howard Steensma live in Hastings, MI with Brittany, a high school senior and Josh a middle schooler. Keep up the great job you're doing for the Alums. Homecoming is just about 4 weeks away. Looking forward to seeing a lot of our "Mountain" grads there. Cordially, in our wonderful Lord, Bob, for Dorothy, too.
Personal greetings from way back in '74! Must have been about our Joy's time-think she was '73. I get quite a few e-mails from BL grads asking for addresses etc. from grads, faculty etc. and recently got one from Susan Gordon Williams who mentioned the great job you have been doing in keeping BL "on line." I don't have a computer as such, only a "MailSation" sender and receiver, which our kids gave us as one of their gifts at out 50th in '51. I have had a great time with it corresponding with BL grads and faculty all over the world. Nell Harden, Class of Faculty 1968/69 through 1987/88 <harpy@buncombe.main.nc.us> Asheville, NC, USA Dear Becky, What a delight to hear from you and to see your smiling face. You still look like a sweet little school girl; could that be a recent picture? I am blessed to have contact with Ben Lippen graduates fairly often, both by e-mail and through class reunions held in the Asheville area. Last fall the class of '83 met at Ridgecrest and the class of '87 at a lodge out beyond Weaverville. Eileen had told me about your web site, and I had tried--rather unsuccessfully--to make connections. A young visitor who was here recently helped me to make contact, but I still did not find the "news" that Eileen had spoken of. Although I enjoy using the computer for both e-mail and word processing, that is the extent of my usage and knowledge. I am thankful to say that I am in good health for a woman of 78 and am still very active. It is true that I grunt every time I stand or sit--or make other moves. When Eileen was here with her two children a few years ago, little Jon (about nine years old then) asked his mother why I made "that noise" every time I stood up. That has furnished me with many chuckles--and even an occasional guffaw. I have told many other residents of Givens Estates about that, and they, too, have appreciated the humor. Shortly after moving to Givens Estates in December 1989, I learned to play the autoharp. Since that time I have found great joy in playing with the campus dulcimer group, consisting of about two dozen players. In addition, I play with a dulcimer trio (two dulcimers and the autoharp) and do some solo playing. The large group is too big to play off campus very much, so most of our programs are given here. But the smaller group often plays at churches (mostly for retirees), at nursing homes, schools, etc. That occupies much of my time: on Tuesday afternoons the trio practices; on Wednesday mornings the large group practices. On Saturday mornings the trio plays at our nursing home here on campus. We also play there two Monday afternoons a month. We play in our assisted living section two Thursday afternoons a month. On Friday mornings I help to prepare the Sunday bulletins at Arden Presbyterian Church; I also proofread the church newsletter that goes out once a month, and do some "book reviews" for that document. (I use quotation marks because I do not always read the books thoroughly. My eyesight is rather poor.) During 2002 I had surgery four times: two cataract removals with lens implants, one arthroscopic knee surgery, and one plastic surgery on my nose to remove skin cancer. (I've had a number of skin cancers removed, but this is the first time it was done by plastic surgery.) Now I am facing a kind of heart surgery on March 7. It is called catheter ablation, if that means anything to you. As the cardiologist explained it to me, the upper part of my heart is not speaking properly to the lower part of my heart: it gives the wrong electrical impulses causing my heart to race--and sometimes causing me to pass out--or nearly so. This surgery is to find the cells causing the problem and kill them. Becky, please give my love to Margaret. I was talking about you girls just recently, when I met a new nurse ot our health care center (euphemism for nursing home). Her married name is Branham. Do feel free to edit this rather long account of my life since Ben Lippen and to greet all the graduates from my era. I would love to hear from them. Do ask them, please, to use bold type if they write, because it is hard for me to read anything less.
Much love, Eileen McCloy Fritz, Class of Faculty 1968-76 <eileenfritz@verizon.net> Wesley Chapel, FL, USA We celebrate with you the coming of the Savior King we so desperately needed! We hope you and yours are in good health physically, emotionally, financially and spiritually! We have enjoyed this past year as Lauren and Jon and moving rapid-fire through the high school and college years. Jon is now a Sophomore, with another soccer season behind. He brings that same intense defensive skill to the basketball court for the Berean Academy Lions. His team will be enjoying their own brand new gym beginning in January when we move from a rental to our new campus. What an amazing provision of the Lord! He is doing very well in a school where A�s have been so very hard to come by! He is officially a Class Rep on Student Government and unofficially the social event organizer for friends at school and church. Jon gets rave reviews for his work in the church nursery, especially with active little boys. He sometimes fancies that he owns a black Saturn that happens to have my name on its title! Lauren sings and laughs her way along through her college years. She and her friends at Covenant College have formed their own version of the Inklings (a la C. S. Lewis), finding great satisfaction in reading and discussing essay three afternoons a week in the Great Hall. Somehow she seems to manage sleep and study, but it�s a wonder! She is home for Christmas now, putting in some time working at Panera Bread as she did this summer. It�s bit harder and less fun to make a buck here than on Lookout Mountain, GA, near campus where she has four jobs to help cover the cost of a private Christian college tuition. The missions trip she took to Mexico over spring break with her chapter of Reformed University was a wonderful and profitable cross-cultural ministry experience. Eileen no longer claims that she has �retired to Florida� since beginning as a Guidance Counselor at Berean Academy. She loves the school the staff, and the work, except for the tedious details and technical parts involving grades and transcripts. A new office awaits her in January, but it might be just as cramped, fortunately with pleasant colleagues! Learning this new job and creating a new department under a visionary Headmaster allows her the satisfaction of teamwork, the freedom of independence, and the opportunity for creativity which makes her happy! The pay is part-time; hopefully, sometime soon, the hours will be also! Eileen continues to be involved at church as a regular greeter and Welcome Lunch Invitations Coordinator. She helps with Rhyme and Rhythm for pre-schoolers on Wednesday nights. Freddy has been watching the candidate for the US Presidential race closely, developing a soft spot for a Baptist, expecting that his dual citizenship will be a reality by election time. He has also been chipping away on his doctoral dissertation on application in preaching from Covenant Seminary in St. Louis, MO. He has completed one chapter, and by Eileen�s count, has read at least 10,000 pages. When he gets focused and accelerated, someone seems to need a pastor for a lingering terminal illness, or a funeral. He is loved and appreciated for his faithful support of his people in times of struggle and crisis, and would never default on pastoral care even for a dissertation deadline. We are all thankful that he has another unexpected extension until May. We would all love to fly to St. Louis for a graduation in May! He is getting great feed-back from his sermon series on Romans. If you want to hear them, chick out the audio a version or download a hard copy by first visiting our church web-site at www.tampabaypresbyterian.org. May the stunning ways of the Sovereign Lord in providing a Substitute-Savior to save is from our sins be clearer than ever as we celebrate the birth of this Savior-King together!
Our love, Pam Herrington, Class of faculty 1982-88 <lpkh50@earthlink.net> Lufkin, TX, USA dear friends, Previous Entry:
well, i cant believe it has been 5 years since i
visited this site, but it has been and i am glad to be catching up on
some old friends... like cliff white. Lufkin, TX., USA Hi! i was really excited when David Steele (86) put
me on to this page on the web. I left BL when the school moved to
Columbia and went to LA. and got a master's degree in P.E., then moved to
Lufkin TX and have been here ever since.
In 1992 i had a bout with cancer (breast), but am fully recovered and
in fact, just had my 5 year check-up. All is well. I would love to hear
from any of the students that were at BL during 1982-88. It was good to
find out already from reading the guestbook where some of you are. I am
teaching government at Lufkin High School and have been coaching
Volleyball and Basketball for the past 8 years. It is a real mission
field, the public school, but i love it and will probably be here for a
while. Sherry Long, Class of Faculty: 1971-2001 <longbananas@yahoo.com> Eldorado, OK, USA This journey called life has some surprise turns.
Thirty years at Ben Lippen for me meant thirty years of neat
opportunities to teach many really special students. I made my move back
to Oklahoma to be near my parents in Oklahoma
where the winds still sweep down the plains. This school year of
2001-2002 I taught biology classes at Western Oklahoma State College in
Altus, Oklahoma. I learned many valuable lessons as a teacher in this
year, especially the importance of encouraging words to college students.
This next school year I have accepted a position of teaching science at
Lawton Christian School in Lawton, Oklahoma. I am looking forward to
teaching biology, chemistry, and physics there. I would love to hear from
some of you out there. The last three years that I taught at Ben Lippen, I
had the opportunity of teaching children of my former BL students. Now
that is one way of measuring time. Jane Schum, Class of (Kid) 42-47 <jarmac@sowega.net> Arabi, GA, USA Becky: Henry and Ruby Stegall Schum, Faculty Members from 1942-1947, email c/o daughter, <Jane Schum> East Ridge / Chattanooga, TN, USA
Henry S. Schum, of Altoona, Pennsylvania, attended Bob Jones College
in Cleveland, Tennessee, graduating in 1940. That summer, he had a radio
program in Sheffield, Alabama, visited every home in town, handing out
tracts and preaching the gospel. After visiting home for the Fall, he
returned to the South where he traveled as an evangelist holding Youth
Revivals. Hearing of his work, Dr. Bob Jones, Sr.
asked him to be a field representative for the
Young People's Fellowship Clubs, heading up the clubs for Virginia, North Carolina, and
South Carolina, as well as the evangelist for their campaigns and youth
revivals.
Henry first learned about Ben Lippen School through his college roommate,
Glenn Orr. Glenn and his sister
had attended several of the summer conferences. Later, in his travels
with the clubs, Henry was often in the Asheville, North Carolina area,
where he met Jerry Gerow, a
teacher at Ben Lippen.
In the summer of 1942, Henry was invited to go 'possum hunting on Ben
Lippen mountain with John Dunlap, a Baptist minister in Asheville, and Jerry Gerow. A few
days later, J. G. Williams,
Headmaster of Ben Lippen, contacted Henry, offering him a position as a
teacher at the school. He accepted the position for the Fall term of
1942, which had an enrollment of approximately 50 students, all boys.
An ordained Baptist minister when he joined the faculty of Ben Lippen,
Henry took on the duties of Chaplain, Athletic Director, and in the next
five years taught Bible, Spelling, Medieval History, Spanish, and English
Composition. He was also in charge of activities on Friday night and
Saturday. He remembers planning activities for 26 straight weeks, with no
repeats in programming.
Henry also pastored several small churches in the area including Bethel
and Inanda Baptist. After much prayer, he changed his denomination to
Southern Presbyterian, becoming pastor of the Dooly
Springs Presbyterian Church and the Presbyterian Mission in Weaverville.
Gas was rationed during those years, so he walked to his pastorates,
Sunday morning and night and Wednesday night, miles in the dark,
returning to a long climb up the mountain back to Ben Lippen.
These were World War Two years. Because of rationing, the school board
decided to have a livestock program to help provide food for the school.
Henry was placed in charge of the livestock program, as well as the Victory Gardens, and helped with the
Marching to Victory Program. That first year, their excellent school
band, under the direction of Lewis Pund, visited many schools in the Asheville area, presenting a
musical program which included a sermon by Henry Schum.
Several kinds of livestock, including goats, chickens and cows, were kept
on the mountain for the school, but the most notable were the hogs. Henry
supervised the boys in the care, feeding, and slaughtering of the
animals. The hogs were chosen because almost all of a hog can be eaten or
used in some way. He likes to recall the time when the kitchen staff
served boiled hogs' ears for supper one night, wet and rubbery, flopping
in the serving bowls. Needless to say, none of the ears were eaten!
The dedication of the hog pen, which Henry and the boys built from pine
poles, was a big night at Ben Lippen. Dr. Robert C.
McQuilkin, President of Columbia Bible College, as
well as the entire Board were there to hear a trumpet concert, and to
laugh at a humorous skit of the story of "The Three Pigs" performed by
some of the students. Of course, the "brick house" the wolf could not
blow down was the new hog pen.
Some of the faculty during these years were George
Hayward, C. A. Crisp, science teacher Arnold Scorza, coach Pat Patterson, William Venable, Neils Larson, Dwight
Chapin, Austin Higgins, William Wright, and Ruth Skofield. Miss Florence Lovelady from Soddy Daisy, Tennessee, served Ben Lippen for many
years as secretary and bookkeeper. Miss Lovelady is fondly remembered by
all who knew her.
On August 27, 1943, Henry married Ruby Stegall of Charlotte, North Carolina. The Schums lived in an
apartment on the second floor at the end of the South Wing of the Main
Lodge. The faculty wives helped where they could, and Ruby, an expert
typist became the typing teacher. On December 28, 1944, their first
child, Jane Marie, was born.
Jane was the first baby born to faculty at Ben Lippen, and she joined in
immediately in the activities of the school. When she was only 6 weeks
old, she went on a camping trip with the boys to Mountain Meadows Inn,
Northeast of Asheville in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The boys were coached in proper etiquette and encouraged to bring dates
to school functions. Ruby recalls one very shy boy who was being pushed
to get a date for the Halloween party of 1945. He had to bring a girl, so
he asked Aunt Ruby if he could bring 10-month-old Jane. The baby was
dressed in an appropriate costume and her "date" picked her up and took
her to the party, being careful to bring her home early.
In 1946, Ruby's parents, G. W. and Ethel Stegall,
moved to Ben Lippen. Mr. Stegall was a contractor
with a business in Charlotte. But he closed his business at the insistence
of Dr. McQuilkin, to make major repairs to deteriorating buildings,
including Houston Hall. He
then built the bookstore, the gym, and the apartment house across from
Houston Hall, where they lived on the first floor.
The Schum family had lived for two summers at Lippen Lodge on the top of
the mountain. Rather primitive, the lodge was used for missionary training
for college and seminary men. So, Henry purchased a small piece of land
down the hill, next to the gym, where he and Mr. Stegall built a small
house. They lived in the South Wing during the school year, and then
moved to the little house for the summer. On February 4, 1947, their
second daughter, Ruby Jay, was born, joining the growing community at Ben
Lippen. Ruby Jay was delivered
by Dr. L. Nelson Bell,
father-in-law of Dr. Billy Graham. Dr. Bell enjoyed an active practice in Asheville at that
time, which included several of the faculty at the school.
Mr. Schum, who was called "Uncle Hank" by the students, recalls many
stories of the days on Ben Lippen School campus. For instance, he used to
go bear hunting on a Harley 45 motorcycle. He would leave campus early in
the morning, join other hunters in Weaverville, hunt for bear in the
woods, and then ride back to Ben Lippen at dawn, arriving just in time
for class at 8 a.m.
The Schum family stayed at Ben Lippen through the school year of 1947,
moving that Winter to Atlanta, Georgia. There, Henry enrolled in Columbia
Theological Seminary and received his Bachelor of Divinity degree. On
November 18, 1949 their last daughter Mary
Frances was born. Her long battle with cancer and
subsequent death on February 27, 1996 was a time of great heartache and
sorrow for the family, but they rest in the promise of joining her
someday in Glory.
As an ordained Presbyterian minister, Henry served the Lord in pastorates
in Atlanta; Highland, Kentucky (4 churches and 4 out-posts); Charlotte,
North Carolina; Johnson City, Tennessee; Swannanoa, North Carolina; Macon,
Georgia; and Chattanooga, Tennessee. As an evangelist, he and Ruby
traveled the United States from 1966 to 1971 with Presbyterian
Evangelistic Fellowship, and then four years on his own. He has also
authored a book, You Can Teach
Effectively, a study guide, A Practical Guide for Family Worship and Christian
Growth, and a children's cartoon story book which
he also illustrated called Exploring the Bible
Way.
Henry included in his ministry 30 years of television work as "Uncle
Hank" illustrating and telling Bible stories, the weekly 15-minute
programs being carried on cable and in several countries. Ruby served as
program director, secretary and treasurer of the Uncle Hank Evangelistic Association.
She also made, produced, directed, and performed spiritual lessons with
puppets. Henry was able to use his talents in art and music to reach
thousands of homes with the gospel. Their summer vacations were spent in
beach ministries on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
His travels include ministry in Australia, Uganda, Taiwan, Korea,
Indonesia, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Mexico, and India, and as a tour guide
in travels to Turkey, Cyprus, Syria, and Israel.
In 1980, while in Macon, Georgia, Henry earned his Doctorate of
Ministries degree from Luther Rice Seminary in Jacksonville, Florida, at
age 63. He and Dr. G. Allen Fleece, past President of Columbia Bible College, served the
First Presbyterian Church in Macon together under the senior pastorship
of Dr. Jim Baird.
Some of his most important work involves church planting. While in Macon,
he had much to do with planting 12 churches for the Middle Georgia
Presbytery. After moving back to the Chattanooga area, he participated in
planting 14 churches for the Tennessee Valley Presbytery.
Dr. and Mrs. Schum have spent their lives learning, preaching, and
teaching, sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ at every opportunity, and
with their daily lives. They now make their home in the East
Ridge/Chattanooga area, where Henry is associate pastor of the Covenant Presbyterian Church in
Chattanooga. Henry continues to preach, often illustrating his sermons
with charcoal drawings. He started playing his accordion in 1947, and is
using it now in his church and in nursing homes and events in the
Chattanooga area. In addition to the two daughters, they have two
sons-in-law and two grandsons.
Their lives together began at Ben Lippen School in Asheville, North
Carolina, a time they fondly remember. They are 83 years of age, recently
celebrated their 57th Wedding Anniversary, and are still witnessing for
Christ, reminding us to keep looking up, Jesus is coming soon. "Even so,
come Lord Jesus."
Jim Johnson, Class of Faculty 1975-76 & 1976-77 <jejohn@wfubmc.edu> Winston-Salem, NC, USA What a great web site - what a blessing.
Thank you for taking time to bring everyone together. Ben Merritt, Faculty Member, 1996-1998, Alumni Class of 1991 <pg_3@hotmail.com> or <pg_3_28174@yahoo.com> Ft. Mill / South Carolina, USA Well I have been in school for what seems like forever. I thank God for the opportunity I had 1996-1998 to teach at Ben Lippen and give a bit back to a very special place. I am now an athletic trainer and teacher (tea
ching Sports Medicine) at Ft. Mill High School here in old South Carolina (you knew I could never leave). Nice to be working at the best public school in the state. I miss you guys and really hope to see a bunch of you at homecoming. Cliff White, Faculty Member, 1984 - 2009 <ffilcw@juno.com> Columbia, SC, USA
Thanks, Becky, for providing such a great service
for people to stay in touch. I'm still teaching here at BL and excited
about seeing Jesus alive and well and still working here on the new
campus. And for those interested, Torchlight continues to shine the
light. God is good. -------------- Original Entry --------------
Hello to everyone! Little did I think that I would be here at BL
for so long! After four years on the old campus in Asheville,
I believed it was God's will to move down to Columbia for the transition.
I'm still transitioning! :-) In Memory of Randy Ash, Faculty Member, 1984-85 Dear Becky, When I came to Ben Lippen I was scared, lonely, and had "issues" in my life. I met Randy Ash who became not only an authority figure, but a friend and a mentor. He was able to take me and so many others and point them in the right direction. Many students knew that he was born with and grew up with many medical problems and physical ailments. He was a man who had both hips replaced and biked across the US for rehab. After I left BLS, I continued my friendship with him. We both struggled in our lives spiritually and often fell to the temptations the world had to offer. During the past 15 years we both kept in touch to encourage each other and at times he was the only person I knew I could turn to to lift me up. His life after BLS was not easy. He continued to have physical problems, and his many surgeries and bone replacements cost well into the millions of dollars. His life's passion was to help those struggling with addictions. He worked diligently as a counselor to street children and was a regular counselor and sponsor at AA and NA meetings. Needless to say, He changed the lives of everyone he met. On September 24, 1999, Randy was doing what he loved . . . helping people. As he often did, he took someone into his home who needed help to give them shelter from the world and a friend to talk to. He was found shortly thereafter as a victim of the person he reached his hand out to. Randy Ash went to be with the Lord that day, but the memories he left with the hundreds and maybe thousands of people he touched will live on forever. The card from his memorial service had these verses, words he would have spoken himself:
I'd like the memory of me to be a happy one,Randall W. Ash Born: October 14,1955 Laid to Rest: September 24, 1999 – Signed on Wednesday, August 9, 2000 at 23:27:00 (EDT) by Michael Davis Jack Layman, Faculty Member, 1956-58; Headmaster, 1971-83 <jlayman@ciu.edu> or <jacklayman@aol.com> columbia, sc 29230, USA Hi Becky, Have avoided your site because, to me, YOU (and the other BL students) are still a precocious 17-18 year old; I just cannot think of you as a woman in her..., late 40s! [Editorial Correction: I am NOT in my LATE 40s - just turned 44 on Groundhog's Day, thank you very much. (grin) - Becky Branham Dimon] Still teaching at Columbia International U., including a course strikingly similar to Senior Social Studies, and doing a lot of travel. Leslie (Physical Therapist, Joshua Tree, CA) and Susan (about to return to Tajikistan, where she operates an English language school) were born while we were at BLS in the 50s. Betsy and Sara have logged into the net; Jim Barnes (adopted nephew) is in Boston; Katie, Christy and Johnny have also been noted on this site. My years as headmaster were hard ones for both Liz and myself--there were parts I liked (teaching, sports, student life, etc.), but administrative details and the necessity to be The Father, responsible for the behavior, safety and development of 200+ hormone-laden teenagers was wearing. I was always tense until the last athletics/mall, etc. bus chugged up the hill; never wanted to call parents to announce a pregnancy; disliked but had to be responsible for upholding BLS standards without being a complete ogre; etc. Did my apprenticeship under Tony Fortosis and we were close friends for years, often rooming together at various places where we taught or served on boards. We shared many thoughts; it might be hard for 50s & 60s students to know that he was a gentle and kind person, he could come across pretty stern--he, also, had a sense of duty, but for years he was the conscience of the Christian School movement regarding having a "Shepherd's heart."
Like many of the students I found a life after BL, but I do miss those
mountains, soccer games with the mountain aglow with the Fall colors,
Sunday lunch, etc. JL Dear Becky, I'm writing to have you change my email
address since I could not find a way to do it electronically from here. I was just killing a few idle hours when I decided to see what the internet could turn up on Ben Lippen. I was very pleasantly surprised by all that I found. This guestbook is a great idea. I was a faculty member at Ben Lippen for the 1992-1993 school year. Although it was only one year, the Lord truly blessed me through my brothers and sisters in Christ on the faculty and through relationships with a truly great student body. I was happy to see messages from Eden, Njina, Gideon, and Tony - all former students. Keep pursuing Christ, you guys! For the last five years I've been teaching at Sharpsville High School in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania. I can't say if it's where I'll spend the rest of my career or not. It seems that lately the Lord has been giving me a little bit of a spirit of dissatisfaction but I'm not yet entirely sure what He's leading to. I was sort of hoping to hear about a Class of '93 five-year reunion so I could have an excuse to come down and visit. But I suppose all you guys are scattered to the four corners of the earth.
Anyway, all the richest of the Lord's blessings to the alumni, faculty,
staff, and students of Ben Lippen.
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