Does Anyone Remember Dennis and Brenda Freeman?
It was in 1967 when I met Dennis. My job in the Bethel factory allowed me to move around and work with many different people. I met him on the fifth floor of the factory where I had been assigned and we soon became good friends. He was a thinking man, kind and capable. We spent many hours in deep discussion often on subjects that would today get any Witness in a lot of trouble. Although he was an x-Marine tank captain turned JW, from my experience there was little military about him. We and a few dozen others went through some terrible times together in 1971 and survived. There was a confrontation with WT hierarchy that went all the way to the top. Ray Franz recently said it may have precipitated the organizational changes in Bethel in the mid 70’s.
I drove to Dennis’s wedding to Brenda in Allentown Pennsylvania from which he went on to their special pioneer assignment in Iowa. Shortly he was assigned to southern Texas as a Circuit Overseer where he served till we both arrived back at bethel, now with our wives in 1974. We shared in the exhilaration of watching Bethel liberalize before our eyes with the WT backing off on several oppressive dogmas, relaxing Bethel rules, even dissolving the hated four year arrangement for Bethel entrants. We all eventually left Bethel to raise families. I saw Dennis only once more about 1981 while traveling through Allentown. We stayed a day, had dinner with the family, and got to know the boys, Bryan and David.
Now he and Brenda are dead. They were killed by their own sons in March of 1985. There seemed to be some problem with depression, and then involvement with a hate group, and finally murder of their own family. When I read the story in the news paper I could not believe this could happen. Then the Bethel rumor mill dismissed the parents as low lives who had left the “organization”. I was grieving the loss of friends, perplexed with how this could happen, and angry with the reaction at Bethel.
Why write about this now? I guess I would like closure. On that last visit with Dennis he expressed extreme difference with his body of elders. Later the news reports described how he and Brenda had made every effort to get the oldest son professional help. Remembering the “society’s” attitude toward psychiatrists this may also have been a source of difficulty with the hierarchy. At the time of his death he was no longer a servant. From Circuit Overseer to nothing. He was not an indifferent parent. But possibly not swift enough at removing himself from WT thinking to save his sons.
Now that I have butt heads with the system and have removed myself from it, I would like to think Dennis was way ahead of my schedule, but too late to help his sons.
Is there anyone familiar with this story. I was too loyal back then to inquire and only know what was broadcast on the national news. Those in Pennsylvania who may have known the Freemans, could you tell me what really happened to my friends.
Jst2laws
