Warren Schroeder from Bethel on Freddy, Kline and the apostate books! (page 48)

Burger Time

Hey, Warren that Les Paul is beautiful, I would be proud of it if I were that guy too!

Dogpatch

Franz Incident era mp3s for downlod!

Edward Dunlap, former Watchtower Gilead Instructor on the Franz Incident
John May (and Martin Merriman) from Ireland, on their visit to the U.S. to determine the fate of Raymond Franz
Cris and Norma Sanchez, former Bethel Spanish translators testimony of how they were treated at Watchtower headquarters in 1979
Randall Watters and Robert Sullivan, What Happened at the Watchtower Headquarters in the Spring of 1980?

R

cathyk

John May (and Martin Merriman) from Ireland, on their visit to the U.S. to determine the fate of Raymond Franz

Where are these guys now? Does anyone know?

Another thing I've wondered about is why R. Franz cut their story from a later edition of "Crisis of Conscience" (the chapter titled "Aftermath")? I've got the 1985 second printing (paperback) and the 4th edition (hardcover).

Cathy

oldlighthousebooks.blogspot.com

Tom Cabeen

Hi Randy and all,

I thought of another funny story from my Bethel days. This happened about 1971. My roommate Steve White and I had a housekeeper named Alice. We got to know her pretty well, and went out to Valley Stream with her to meet her parents and get away from the city. When Steve was going to leave Bethel, she wanted to get together and go out to eat with us. She was "seeing" an older member of the family, John, at the time. John was quiet and ultra conservative, but a nice guy anyway.

We went to Steak and Brew, as I recall, a popular Bethelite watering hole in Manhattan. For $1.79 (!) or so, you could get a steak (a bit tough but edible), plus all the bread and salad (mostly lettuce) you could eat, and all the (watered down) beer you could drink. We all went there, Steve and I dressed very casual, Alice with a dress on and John in a suit, tie and wearing a fedora hat! We sat at a booth, John and Alice in the booth, Steve and I in chairs on the outside of the round table.

About halfway through the meal, John was looking around. "What are you looking for?" asked Steve. "My hat" says John. Alice starts laughing. "I know where it is", she says. She is just sitting there laughing, trying desperately but unsuccessfully to control herself. John looks at her. "Well? Where is it?" he says. Finally, she is able to speak. "I'm sitting on it" she says.

Steve and I are immediately laughing out of control. We have had a beer or two by then, and it the expression on John's face is too funny for words. Steve instantly sizes up the situation and says, mostly to Alice, but for all our benefit: "OK, I've got it. Here's the feminine logic: 'Since I'm already sitting on his hat anyway, it's as flat as it is going to get, so I might as well not make a big deal of it now by getting off of it. I will explain it later, when we leave.'" Alice is now hysterical with laughter. She cannot speak; she can barely breathe. She just sits there nodding her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. John, of course, sees no humor whatsoever in the situation, which makes it that much funnier for the rest of us.

Slowly, Alice pulls the hat out from underneath herself. It is, indeed, as flat as it can get. This elicits further gales of laughter from me, Steve and Alice. Poor John takes his flat hat, looks at it like a fallen comrade, and tries in vain to restore it to some semblance of its former dapper shape. Clearly, some serious professional help will be needed if there is any chance of restoring it to its former glory. It didn't help that every time we saw the hat for the rest of the evening, we broke into broad smiles, at least. It was a rather long subway ride home, but a good exercise in self control.

Alice's budding romance with John ended abruptly. I don't think they were suited well to each other. She later married, but I don't think John ever did. I don't know if the hat was ever the same again. Maybe John wasn't, either. But we all had a memorable evening.

Tom

Fatfreek

A great tale, Tom. Thanks for taking the time to share.

Len

gymbob

Steak and Brew was about the only place a poor bethelite could afford to eat....accept for a slice at Fascati's Pizza! Thanks for the memories...... Gymbob

Dogpatch

Thanks Cab,

I feel like wer in an old movie! LOL

Randy

manicmama

Warren & Greg,

I have to say this has been an eye opening discussion and an enjoyment finding out about people that I have always wondered about what happened to. I grew up with your sister Becky, my first name is Terry and that may jog your memory without releasing my entire identity. I lost track of Becky after she married Tim and I heard that later they had divorced. I even picked Greg out by some of his posts early on & e-mailed him privately. Things have certainly changed through the years! Warren was quite a bit older than I and I am not quite sure when he left, I just remember that he went to Bethel. I remembered when Greg quit school and left to pioneer and later also to Bethel. Even at the young age of about 13, I was thinking why, as I remember Warren & Greg as being so intelligient & thinking what a waste.

I do recall when Greg came back to visit after he had married and the congregation seemed to gasp in unison as they saw that he had married "a person of color". All I remember thinking is how truly beautiful she was! How could these people be in such judgement. Later most of them said that it must be alright as they met in Bethel. (What the hell does that have to do with it?!)

I recognized Warren immediately from the first listing as he still looked like the Warren, just a bit older, as all of us have become. I am so sorry of your current condition and hope that everything works out well for you and your family. I hope that all is well with Greg and his family as well and would very much welcome an email or update on Becky if you or she chooses. Let me know and I will email you my current e-mail addy.

It is amazing the young crowd that were in that area at the time that are no longer JW's. I would say 95%, and even those still in are not "really in".

Again, as I said it has been wonderful "catching up" and seeing what has transpired with ones I grew up with and there family. (By the way, how's your Mom & Dad?)

Manicmama

Terry

Dogpatch

manicmama says,

I do recall when Greg came back to visit after he had married and the congregation seemed to gasp in unison as they saw that he had married "a person of color".

He was so cutting edge at the time! Fantastic.

One of my best buddies at Bethel, Ron McGee, is or was married to a black girl. Never loved some one so much, hope she is out nowadays.

Don't have any idea what's up with them or Ron's brother Richard, also a good wilderness buddy of mine from the past.

Randy

gymbob

You guys remember the name of the asst. Ink room overseer back in the mid-70's? White guy married to a beautiful black lady....his first name was Greg......kinda driving me crazy. Gymbob

Warren Schroeder from Bethel on Freddy, Kline and the apostate books!

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