Your favorite Witness?

by larc 30 Replies latest jw friends

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  larc

  Who was your favorite Witness?

  Mine was John Richards. When I got to know him, he was an old man, and our Theocratic Ministry School Servant. His public talks were dramatic and exciting. In the Ministry School, he gave good advice.

  He was one of the remnant of the old school. He was born in England, but moved to the United States as a young man. He spent all of his live in the full time ministry. Before becoming a Witness, he studied music and was a wonderful singer at the Kingdom Hall. I remember one time he came to our house when I was in high school. We played Handel's Messiah and he sang along with it. It was truely magnificant. With a grin, he said that he had learned the scriptures through music before he became a Witness.

  He was a strong man, a sincere man, a good man.

  Do you remember someone like this?
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  Beck_Melbourne

  Mine was Waikato Grey, he played rugby for the NZ All Blacks before becoming a joho. Both he and his wife were a lovely couple, they stayed with us a few times during their Circuit work. He was blind as a bat and he wore these magnificent bifocals which really enlarged his eyes. When he conducted a question and answer, he would also call you by someone else's name much to our amusement, sometimes we would be flattered, and sometimes offended LOL.

  He also gave good advice.

  Beck

  Edited by - Beck_Melbourne on 18 September 2002 2:48:53
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  Big Tex

  Yeah I do. His name was Lester Wagner, and he too was from the old school. He was the epitome of the kindly old gentleman. He was one of the nicest and most knowledgable men I've ever met. I got to see the Witnesses through his eyes for many years and that outlook helped me through some bad times. He started studying in Pennslvania before WW1 and knew everybody from way back. I heard really interesting stories, like how they used to have the Ameican Flag hung on the wall of the KH or how all the Bible Students hid their literature (or burned it) when Rutherford and 8 others were sent to the Atlanta prison. He also gave the best Memorial talks I ever heard.

  I wish the way he saw the Witnesses was the way it really was.
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  kenpodragon

  There was a man who was like my father named Craig Powers who I have never faced about my exit. He lived 8 hours away. I hope I never face him ... he would be difficult! ... I could just see it, "Hi Craig, I am a black belt in Martial Arts now and practice Wicca, Shamanism and spend a regular amount of time in meditation." LOL

  There was also this guy named John McLaughlan ... who was like a real brother, who Pioneered with me. He was at Bethel when I left, and as far as I know, is still there. He was suppose to be my Best Man in my wedding, but called to Bethel and could not come back.

  Oh well, I am dead to them now ... but they still live on the planet with me.

  My thought

  Dragon
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  xenawarrior

  Has to be O.J. Simpson. When he got up on the stand and put that glove on and it didn't fit- I thought- WOW, what a great witness to have on the stand!!! That other guy they had up there- the actor guy with the scraggley blonde hair who lived in the guest house- I don't think he did as good a job as a witness. What was his name?? Geez now that's going to bother me all night!

  Oh, there was also Sgt. Schultz of Hogan's Heroes- "I see nossingggg, I hear nossinggggg" Now he sucked as a witness too.

  XW, of the "smart ass class"
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  abbagail

  Unfortunately, I didn't know any of the really older guys from waaaaay back, but I just wanted to say thanks for this thread. It's nice to see some fond memories for a change. Even though I didn't know anyone personally like you guys describe, I feel as if I did, I guess from reading the life stories in the WT mags. There were two elderly bro's in our cong, but one was somewhat of a "dufus" and the other was the crochety type who irritated everyone. Being a single witness sis during my JW years with no fleshly family in the org, I was always envious of people who had JW families, parents, grandparents. I was always wanting to "belong" to these JW families with the older-wiser ones (always seeking a "father figure," I guess). (And, single sisters, age 30-ish, didn't really "fit in" anywhere, imho). I guess I tried to make up for lack-of-JW-fleshly-family by sucking up to the CO's and DO's and their wives when they came around. I basically "lived" for that "thrill." Since I worked at night, I was there for service all week when they came around, and was there more to hang out when them and hear their stories, than for the "service" part of it. --- There was one middle-aged bro, however, that did make an impression on me, back when I was first studying out West. I was in my late 20's, so he was probably in his 50's. He was visiting that cong from Calif., and he was Mexican, Bro Chivas or Chavas. I LOVED hearing him talk about Jehovah. It was so soothing and comforting the way he would talk about Jehovah, like they were the best of friends (kinda like Abraham, I guess). I remember wishing I could curl up at this man's feet and listen to "Jehovah stories," just like a little kid. He would describe how his most cherished part of the day was early in the morning, and how he would get up very early on purpose, so he could go sit outside with his coffee, watch the sun come up, and talk to Jehovah. I always thought that was so cool, though I have to admit, I don't think I ever really learned how to "talk to Jehovah" like that myself.

  Anyway, thanks for your stories, guys.
  Grits
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  abbagail

  LOL! @ Sgt. Schultz of Hogan's Heroes- "I see nossingggg, I hear nossinggggg"
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  wednesday

  To the 30ish couple with kids of their own, who took my young teen child with them on an overnighter camp out. They had to make a quick return when my son was found to a a knife in his possession. They sttill took him. I know many who would not have.i thank them for not be too judgmental.

  BTW-my son eventually got ok and now is GREAT.

  Edited by - wednesday on 18 September 2002 6:52:59
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  Lin

  BigTex, I remember Lester too (and his wife with the weird wigs LOL)

  My favorite witness would have to be Wanda Alexander. Such a sweet lady. She's the one I miss.
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  cruzanheart

  From the Old School: Royal Spatz, a dear old gentlemen I knew when I was about 5 years old. He always smiled and was very kind to the children in the Kingdom Hall. He always called on us when we had our hands up and patiently listened and praised our comments. This was in a small town outside Philadelphia and periodically he'd take the train to Brooklyn and chew the fat with the GB - he knew everybody!

  Also, Cedric Tyson from St. Croix. He was and is the dearest, most sincere Witness I've ever met. Not a college grad but just a very nice person who is trying hard to do the right thing.

  Actually, most of the Witnesses I knew in St. Croix back in the 1960's were really good people, the kind I always thought everyone was supposed to be like.

  Nina