Michigan couple visits Ramona to honor Allen Beisel
By JESSICA GILBERT
Ramona correspondent
(785) 965-2621
When Ken and Sue Sheffer left Michigan for Kansas, they were not just taking a trip — they were on a pilgrimage.
The dictionary defines a pilgrimage as a journey to some distant place, sacred or venerable for some reason. And while most folks wouldn't think of Ramona as either sacred or venerable, it certainly was for Ken Sheffer because hanging on the wall of the Dirt Gambler's Museum, were pictures of Allen Neal Beisel, a friend, a comrade, a fallen soldier, who was born and raised in Ramona, and died in the Philippine Islands in 1946.
Allen Beisel and Ken Sheffer met in the U.S. Navy in 1945. "From October to January our ship was in harbor for repairs," explained Ken. "Allen came on board in November; he was in my division."
The ship had endured a heavy storm and one of the repairs that particularly concerned Ken was an open hatch to a cargo hold. "When I saw this gaping hole I was concerned someone might fall into it, so I put a piece of plywood over the hole until we could get to port and have it fixed," said Ken.
When the ship finally went into dock, the men were told that the following morning the hatches would be opened and repairs would begin. "Vernon (another Navy buddy) and I went on shore to see a movie," said Ken. Allen opted to stay on board rather than go ashore.
But while Ken and Vernon were at the movies, a different decision was made and the work commenced that night, instead of waiting for the morning light.
When Ken arrived back at the ship later in the evening he knew something was wrong because there were clumps of soldiers gathered around the gang plank and commotion in the air. "I quickly learned that Allen had fallen in a cargo hold. He died shortly thereafter," said Ken.
It's been more than 50 years that Allen died in that unusual accident, and all this time, Ken has felt somehow responsible for the death of his friend.
"Why did you feel so guilty?" I asked Ken, when he told me the story. "Because I knew about the plywood covering the hole, and if I'd been there, instead of at the movies, Allen wouldn't have died."
I understood when Ken explained that Allen came on the ship after the cargo hatch had been torn off during the storm, and after Ken had put the plywood over the hole. So when Allen and the other soldiers began cleaning up the deck to prepare for work to commence, Allen didn't know about the hole covered with plywood. He walked up to that piece of plywood, lifted it and walked forward, thinking it was simply something that had to be moved. He walked straight into the hold and fell to his death.
"I just had to get closure — Allen's death has bothered me so many years," said Ken, as tears filled his eyes. "Allen was a wonderful fella, one of the nicest guys. There were so many in the Navy that I didn't trust or want to be around. But Allen was a joy to be with."
"Allen was so eager to enter the military that he lied about his age," said Allen's brother, Dalford Beisel, of Salina, who accompanied Ken and Sue Sheffer on their visit to the Dirt Gambler's Museum Oct. 3. "He wasn't yet 16 years of age when he went into the Navy."
"So how did you track down Dalford Beisel after all these years?" I asked Ken.
"I had to get closure on what happened and I had the address and phone of Vernon's son, Rick. Vernon, Allen, and I were pals in the Navy and when Vernon died in 1984, I kept in touch with Rick, who also served in the Navy. Rick had Dal's address."
"Vernon was like a brother," said Dal. "He came to see my folks after Allen died, and we kept in touch through the years."
"I sent an e-mail to Dal and I asked him for forgiveness," said Ken. "When Dal sent a reply back, I was almost afraid to open it and read it."
By this point in the story, both Ken and Dal had tears in their eyes as they remembered this amazing experience. "Dal wrote the neatest letter back to me."
"What did you say?" I asked Dal.
"I said: You have nothing to be forgiven for," replied Dal.
After corresponding with Dal, Ken and his wife decided they would drive to Kansas to meet Dal and Phyllis and to stop in Ramona where Allen was born and visit the memorial corner in the museum where Allen's pictures bear testament to his service in the Navy.
In spending the time with Allen's brother, Ken had found closure at last. And from it, a whole new relationship had emerged between the Beisels of Kansas and the Sheffers of Michigan.
Just another reminder that on the pilgrimage of life, the heart often takes us on unexpected treks and detours, which may not be what we had planned, but makes for such rich and treasured memories.
Making grand memories is exactly what Paula Fike was doing this past week with her daughters. "I went with my five daughters to Topeka for the weekend to celebrate Carla's 50th birthday," said Paula. "It's been a tradition to do something together when each of the girls turns 50."
The ladies went shopping all day Saturday, stayed at a great bed and breakfast called The Parsonage, and even did a bit of gambling for an hour or so at the casinos. There were no big winners, except Sara was asked to show her ID, which makes a woman feel like a winner!
"The bed and breakfast was like our farm house in Ramona, except bigger," said Paula. "They had the attic finished for guests, and we all stayed in the attic so we could be together."
They even stopped for a photo session to capture the moment with Paula in the middle, surrounded by daughters, Linda Peterson of Burdick, Sara Eells of Topeka, Sandra Deines of Lawrence, Glenda Jirak of Glade, and birthday gal, Carla Collett of Marion.
The next 50th birthday bash will be in 2006 when Glenda celebrates. "Sara, our youngest, says we'll all celebrate her birthday then, too, even though she'll only be 40. She thinks we'll all be too old to party with her when she turns 50," said Paula, who didn't want to calculate how old she'd be in 2016.
Having fun keeps one young, and a dozen folks gathered at the Ramona Senior Center Sunday evening for Game Night. Those attending were Steve and Myrna Eskeldson, Orvell and Lauren Brunner, Don and Norma Bird, Al and Darlene Sondergard, Reign and Marlene Anduss, Trevia Schneider, and Erich Utech.
The center was even decorated for Halloween with a skeleton hanging, along with the coats, right by the front door. "It just makes it more festive and fun," said Darlene Sondergard, newly elected secretary-treasurer of the Ramona Senior Center. "Marlene Anduss, Al, and I, decorated the place on Sunday afternoon."
Darlene reminds Ramona residents that the monthly potluck will be on Wednesday instead of the usual Thursday luncheon. "We changed the date this month only because the annual meeting of the county senior citizens is taking place on Thursday and several of us from Ramona want to attend that function." said Darlene.
The Sondergard and Birds had a Saturday night of music with the Flint Hills Opry, held at Hilltop in Herington. "It was great country and western music," said Darlene.
Dale and Barb Wingerd have been enjoying company for the past two weeks. Dale's sister, Edna, and her husband Bill Hart, are visiting from southern California. "They'll be here until the first of November," said Dale.
The foursome met in Branson, Mo., and took in some shows there and then returned to Ramona where Dale and Barb treated the Harts to a show this past Saturday night at the Great Plains Theatre in Abilene.
The show was titled, "I love you. You're perfect. Now change!"
"The play wasn't what I expected, but it was a good production," admits Dale.
Pat, Tooltime Tim, and I had the same feeling when we took our seats at the same show. In looking at the playbill we discovered it was a musical — with just a cast of four. And I wondered how wise I'd been to get these tickets since they're not exactly low budget. Maybe we should have just gone to a movie.
But when the production ended, we agreed it was worth every penny! "I'd go see it again in a hearbeat!" said Pat, who's a tough critic. I had to agree! The play depicted many of the funniest and touching moments of love and romance — from awkward first date to losing a loved one and being brave to love again.
And for Tim, "Mr.-I-don't-like-musicals," he sure was laughing a lot!
Now back to the Wingerds who have gone on to create more memorable moments for their California guests. "We celebrated my sister's birthday by going to dinner at the Brookville Hotel in Abilene on Tuesday evening," said Dale.
The Ramona City Council met on Monday evening and installed the new city treasurer. Jim Thompson, who moved to Ramona with his family this past year, is filling the position that I vacated when I assumed the duties of city clerk. "I'll be raising several generations of Thompsons here in Ramona," said Jim when he spoke to the council, "and I want to invest in this community."
Jim is involved in heavy renovation at his home at 501 B in Ramona. The Thompsons live in the home built for the Beisel family many years ago. When Dalford and Phyllis Beisel visited Ramona recently they learned of the Thompsons and the two families have met and gotten acquainted.
Scarecrows are popping up around Ramona. There'll be quite a collection leaning and lurking around town by Halloween. I was driving down Main Street the other night, heading to the bank building for some late-night work at my office, when I saw someone loitering around the old water pump just north of the bank. I was about to stop the car and see who it was, when I realized it was a scarecrow that Jeannie Weber had made. She also has a pair of folks enjoying a soda in front of her old restaurant.
Construction is afoot in Ramona. Our mom, Martha Ehrhardt, is building a new home in Ramona on the corner of 5th and D. She recently purchased the plot of ground from Frances and Clinton Hanschu. It's just north of the house where Pat and I live.
Makovec Construction of Ramona was leveling and building up the building site this week in preparation for John Laurin of Marion, our builder, to start the foundation. "So is it a modular, a mobile, or a from-the-ground-up-kind of house?" asked our aunt Gertie, who's heard lots of rumors and likes to know "the scoop." "It's a a home built from the ground up," I confirmed.
I even took a picture of what the house will look like to city council Monday evening. I figured the more folks that have a "straight story" about the building process, the better. It just means that the gossip that floats through town is more accurate.
Collin Bailey's been doing some construction of his own at his home on 4th and D. He recently decided to remodel his entire train layout that covers the second floor of his house. But he's had a pesky squirrel who's determined to join in the construction work.
"This is war!" proclaimed Collin. "That squirrel made a new tunnel in the wall between two of the rooms. He tunneled through sheet rock and plaster. Why it took Alan, Paul, and me a day and a half to bore through the wall to make our original tunnel, and it took the squirrel just a couple of hours!"
Normally Collin would appreciate such help, but the squirrel put his tunnel in the wrong spot!
To discourage the squirrel Collin stuffed the squirrel's hole with steel wool and then covered the attic with moth balls. This sage advice came from Sheriff Becker and Kim Antoszyk, who both said that moth balls will drive squirrels away.
"If this doesn't work," said Collin with seriousness, "I'll have to get an air rifle." I burst out laughing just imagining Collin upstairs in his house, sitting vigilantly by the squirrel tunnel, waiting for the squirrel to make his appearance.
And that's the news from Ramona where there's lots of construction — even by squirrels — and a traffic jam is two parked cars and a dog in the road.
