Faith Heritage
Dr. Eckhart’s faith heritage started as a child with his parents and grandparents. Then, in his adulthood faith developed within him and included his wife Sue Ellen.
Faithful Parents
Don‘s parents provided for him and his brother Dale from the meager earnings of one parent, as was common in the 1950s. Their mother wanted to be a homemaker. Before marriage, she worked as a clerk at Murphy’s Five and Dime, a small department store in downtown Sidney, Ohio. Their dad worked as an optician at Supreme Optical in Dayton before serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II. After the war, Melvin returned to work at Supreme Optical.
Both parents graduated from Anna High School although in different years. After World War II, a mutual friend suggested that they become re-aquainted. They were married on November 27, 1947, and bought a house in Sidney. They soon had two children. Dale was born on October 18, 1948, and Don was born on April 2, 1950. Don’s date of birth was on Palm Sunday in 1950.
Elizabeth, who was known as Betty, was the mother of Dale and Don. She was motivated by faith and family. She took care of the two children, thus allowing Melvin to complete his demanding work schedule. Betty’s facial features composed a natural smile, which reflected her personality. She could also be serious and determined. Prayer provided direction for problems and questions. In high school, Betty saw Melvin as a new student on the school bus, but didn’t know him beyond that. Following her re-acquaintance with Melvin after World War II, she prayed to God, “please don’t let him come back unless he’s the one.” When he walked into Murphy’s Five and Dime two weeks later, Betty knew that it was the answer to her prayer.
Melvin’s parents died when he was young. He was the oldest of three children to live with their grandmother. After she died, Melvin was on his own at age 16 while his sister and brother were taken in by other families. Melvin worked as a farmhand near New Knoxville and Anna while he finished high school. Despite these hardships, Melvin had a good disposition. After marriage, Melvin rode a bus for over an hour each way to and from his job in Dayton. It was before interstate highways, and there were stops along the 40-mile trip between Sidney and Dayton. He was skilled at carpentry, and made improvements to the house at 415 Wagner Avenue. He liked the song “This Old House,” the recording of which was released in 1954. Because of Melvin’s work schedule, home improvements were mostly relegated to Saturdays.
Grandparents
Dale and Don never knew their dad’s parents because both of them died in the 1930s. Their mother’s parents were Adrian and Myrtle Close. Don’s family went to Sunday School and church at Anna every Sunday. Dale and Don learned about God and the Bible in Sunday School. For the worship service, the family sat next to Grandma and Grandpa Close. Although Adrian didn’t sing, Myrtle sang the hymns with her customary fervor.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty. Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee.
After church, Dale and Don’s family went to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for the afternoon and sometimes into the evening. They were oftentimes joined by the extended Close family, including uncles, aunts, and cousins. Both grandparents provided much to learn while enjoying life.
Grandma Close
Grandma was known for her good cooking, especially noodles and pies. When serving cherry pie, she would caution everyone that she may have missed a pit while cutting open the cherries. So, everyone was careful when biting down on the cherry pie. Invariably Grandma was the recipient of the pit, and she announced her finding to everyone. She made a final caution in case there was a second pit. This pattern became so predictable that everyone knew Grandma’s secret safety measure, but out of habit, continued to follow her cautious approach.
Grandma, whose maiden name was Wilt, made a fascinating historical claim. She said that her cousins (probably second cousins), the Korn brothers, flew their airplane before the Wright brothers flew theirs at Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1903. Although Grandma did not offer a specific date for the Korn brothers’ flight, it would have occurred before or while she was a girl living at the small town of Montra, Ohio. The Korn brothers lived on a farm nearby. Grandma added that the Wright brothers had press coverage, whereas the Korn brothers did not.
Grandpa Close
Grandpa was skilled at woodworking and other projects. He made wooden toolboxes for the grandchildren. Don later used his toolbox as a chest for keepsakes. On a larger scale, Grandpa made a camper that fit over his 3/4 ton truck. It was an anomoly; campers were uncommon in the 1950s. Dale and Don went with their parents and grandparents on a trip to the Blue Hole in Castalia, Ohio, a natural wonder with many visitors in the 1950s. They also went to the Toledo Zoo on the same trip. On a separate trip, Dale and Don went with their grandparents and parents to Niagara Falls using the same camper for travel and sleeping. Since he was a small man, Grandpa developed an ingenious way to store the camper. In a large shed, he rigged a system of pulleys that could lift the camper above the truck and back on. He outwitted the heavy object.
Everyone in the family liked Grandpa’s humor, which became known as the Close wit. He also allowed daring adventures for the grandchildren as they grew older. We could go up in the hay loft by ourselves, and make forts and tunnels with the bales of hay and straw. Another fun activity was riding in the bin of the combine, which Grandpa drove with an ever watchful eye. When the grain rose almost to a child’s neck, it was time to unload the bin.
Home and Farm Activities
By age 12, Don was helping with baling, unloading, and stacking hay in the barn. However, since their parents wanted Dale and Don to study and get the best grades possible, they did not have many chores during the school year except on some Saturdays. One chore was to use a hand grinder to shuck corn to feed the sheep. One day, Dad brought an extra large piece of plywood into the house, and it served as a surface for Dale and Don to spread out their homework and for the family to play ping-pong.
In the winters, Dale and Don and their mother stayed in the large country kitchen most of the time. When the furnace came on, although not often enough, it signaled that it was time to stand on the register to get warm. They played their small collection of 45-records over and over. Alvin and the Chipmunks got plenty of playing time. Mother’s favorite song was “I’ll Walk with God” by Mario Lanza. Many years later, the record was passed down to Don, and he played it often on a phonograph (given to him by his wife Sue Ellen).
I’ll walk with God from this day on. His helping hand I’ll lean upon. This is my prayer, my humble plea. May the Lord be ever with me.
Christmas Celebrations
On Christmas Eve, the family went to the evening church service. The church was nicely decorated each year. It was a unique celebration with the children being treated with candy and fruit, including seldom-seen oranges. The family gifts were complemented by ones received by their dad from residents on his mail carrier route. Later on, a resident’s annual gift of a Whitman Sampler box of chocolates was a family favorite along with other nice gifts. Of all the Christmas celebrations, the birth of Jesus Christ was the most meaningful and enduring.
Church and Catechism
Add picture of stained-glass windows when available
Dale and Don, along with their parents and grandparents, continued to attend the church in Anna. The church was known for its many stained-glass windows depicting biblical scenes, including Jesus praying in Gethsemane, dying on the cross, and rising on the clouds during the Ascension. The pastor was Rev. Mittermaier, who gave thoughtful sermons that were faithful to the Bible. Indeed, Rev. Mittermaier was highly educated yet dedicated his ministry to the small town of Anna and its surrounding countryside of farmers. Don listened intently to his sermons.
During Lent, Rev. Mittermaier gave special messages each Wednesday evening. On one such evening, he informed the congregation that he had made arrangements for them to sing a hymn that had not been sung there before. The song was not in the hymnal, so he made copies, with approval. The hymn was “The Old Rugged Cross.”
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame…
On one occasion, Rev. Mittermaier made a notable comment: he believed that some in their midst, in particular young children, would be on earth for the Second Coming of Christ. Rev. Mittermaier related his comment to the forming of modern Israel (on May 14, 1948). Later in life, Don realized the significance of a reconstituted Israel and that the younger generation included him and his brother.
For youth about 11-12 years of age, two years were devoted to a special time of learning. Rev. Mittermaier taught the class each Saturday. Along with Sunday School and sermons, Catechism helped Don to learn about God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. The class also studied the Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, the Apostles’ Creed, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. Confirmation marked the end of the two-year period on April 7, 1963. Don had turned 13 years of age. He understood and believed that Jesus redeemed him and others from sin.
After Don’s confirmation, his mother thought that it would be better for the family to go to church with youth who went to Sidney schools. The family continued to go to the grandparents‘ house on Sunday afternoons.
April 24 picture of Sport steer (need to turn or take another picture)
Dale and Don each had a steer their first full year of 4-H. Their dad took the steers on his pickup truck to the 1963 Shelby County Fair. He also made a wooden fair box for supplies. Don named his steer “Sport” from a popular song on the radio at the time: tie me kangaroo down, sport. Dale and Don slept on the fairgrounds in the back of the pickup with the livestock racks on it and a tarp on top. It was a fun time, and for Don it became an annual event, taking steers to the county fair for four years and market lambs for another four years.
When Don was 15 years old, he had a dangerous experience with a steer. He hoped to take three steers to the county fair that year. Don derived their names from music groups: Herman (Herman’s Hermits) and Jan and Dean. Jan was skittish. Don practiced leading him by a harness in front of the barn. One day a car pulled in suddenly, and Jan reared up, knocking Don down. Jan’s hoof grazed Don’s back while stepping over him. He believed that because Jan knew him, he didn’t step directly on him. Don’s dad said it was unsafe to take Jan to the busy fairgrounds. His weight was also light. Dean and Herman went to the fair, and Jan was the only steer in the barn with the sheep. Don went to see him regularly. After some weeks, Don’s dad said it was time to take Jan to Wapakoneta Livestock. Jan roamed with the other steers. Don asked his dad if they could stay awhile. Soon it was Jan’s time, and Don stood so that Jan could see him until the end. Don believed it comforted the nervous animal.
In August 1967, Dale and Don had the opportunity to go to a Christian youth gathering in Dallas. Don wanted to go, but he would miss several football practices. It could end any hope of being a starter, but his goal was unlikely anyway. He went on the trip. The youth pastor and his wife led the adventure. They traveled by cars, with stops at Bardstown, Kentucky, to see “The Stephen Foster Story” and at Texarkana. On the return trip, they stopped at St. Louis to see the Gateway Arch. It was a fun time! Football practices awaited.
Upon returning from the church youth group trip, Don joined joined the football practices. His goal of being a starter looked dim. Still, he had hopes of playing at least some his senior year. Then, a minor injury to one of the offensive guards propelled Don into a starting position. Don believes that God was using this situation to teach him to rely on God. More is described under the tab: God’s Gift of Faith, “Here Am I.”
Don started every game except the Greenville game. On the day before that football game, Don heard his mother on the phone in the early morning. Don was still in bed when she and his dad drove off. Although Don knew what happened, he said nothing about it at school, and he went to football practice as usual. However, when two coaches asked if his parents were coming to Parents’ Night, he choked out the only response he could make, “my grandpa…died.” Don’s mother wanted him to wear his tan football jacket to the funeral instead of the suit that was too small for him. Although Don thought the dark suit would better demonstrate mourning, he realized that his mother had a better idea.
Sue Ellen and Don
After Sue Ellen and I met at Capital University in 1969, we attended Sunday worship services at the church across the street from Capital. During the summers, we went to a church in Bainbridge or in Sidney. Don was scheduled to sing a solo at the Sidney church. He needed to practice, and Sue Ellen’s piano skills were just the thing to lend a helping hand. She played piano at one of the churches in Bainbridge. On his visit to see Sue Ellen on the weekend of August 16-17, they practiced the song, which Don sang at the Sidney church the next Sunday.
Whenever Sue Ellen and Don didn’t see each other in person, they kept in contact by letter. As Christmas break, 1970, approached, she invited him to her parents’ home for a few days. Don attended Christmas Eve service with Sue Ellen’s family, including her dad, Frank. Don’s visit with Sue Ellen was very enjoyable. She took him to see some of her relatives. Her Grandma and Aunt Hattie were high on the list, and they visited other familiar people.
After a pleasant stay, Don left Sue Ellen and her family on December 26, 1970, to see his family for the rest of Christmas break. The curvy roads at the beginning of the journey reminded him of his first journey in 1969 to see Sue Ellen. They had traveled a long way together. Indeed, Sue Ellen and Don traveled together for the rest of their lives, literally and figuratively.
Don and Sue Ellen were married on August 19, 1972. They had little time to prepare because at the end of the summer, he would be starting his graduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition, she was offered a position as a speech therapist in the Philadelphia area and would start with the new school year.
Sue Ellen and her mother Suzanne made plans for the wedding and reception. Both were held at the Bainbridge church. The wedding ceremony and church reception were brief but meaningful. Afterward, Suzanne invited Don’s extended family to a get-to-know-you-better gathering at the farmhouse where she and Frank lived. The wedded couple enjoyed the informal setting and opened a few gifts before it was time to leave.
Sue Ellen later described to Don the moment of their departure: as they drove down her parents’ farm lane, she thought: “Life will never be the same.” That sentiment was also true for Don. The heritage they knew would expand and focus at the same time. The immediate challenge was to drive to Philadelphia to find an apartment, then back to Ohio to retrieve his and her personal possessions from their parents’ houses, and then back to Philadelphia. It was a whirlwind week.
Philadelphia
After relocating to Philadelphia, Don and Sue Ellen attended a nearby church, where they met other young adults. The group even sponsored a weekend retreat, and Sue Ellen and Don participated in it. This worship setting was similar to that of the churches they attended in Ohio. Still, it marked the beginning of their Christian faith experience as a married couple.
At the apartment complex, Sue Ellen noticed that a boy, who was about 7 or 8 years old, was unattended at times. She checked on Jimmy a number of times, and met his mother, Peggy. They became friends, turning an alarming situation into a positive outcome. Don was impressed with Sue Ellen’s handling of the situation.
Flint, Michigan
Don and Sue Ellen moved from Philadelphia to Flint, Michigan, after he received a Master of Public Administration degree from the Wharton Graduate School. He was offered a position of Budget and Administration Officer with the City of Flint, and she easily found a speech therapist position with the Flint City Schools. Don and Sue Ellen attended downtown churches and attended worship services at The Salvation Army for a year.
When Sue Ellen and Don decided to move from Flint to Dayton in 1978, they had friends in Flint they would miss. Sue Ellen had friends at her work, and Don had friends at his job. In addition, their elderly neighbors were precious people. Moreover, Don and Sue Ellen had joined a church on the west side of Flint where they lived. The neediest person was Don’s little brother named David, who was referred to Don three years earlier through Big Brothers, Big Sisters. A happy ending developed years later when David was married and Don was invited to the wedding.
Dayton, Ohio
In Dayton, the family members attended a church in the vicinity of where they lived. The worship service started with concerns and prayer requests voiced by anyone in the congregation, which was small in number but had a vibrant blend of ages. Don attended adult Sunday School with uplifting spiritual discussions. Sue Ellen and Don participated in a fellowship with other young adults.
In December 1980, Don and Sue Ellen purchased a 12-piece Hummel nativity figurine set at Rike’s department store in Dayton. They had seen Hummel figurines at Frankenmuth, Michigan, and bought some for themselves. The cost of the nativity set was significant, yet they bought it in time for that Christmas and displayed it for many years to come.
Columbus, Ohio
In the summer of 1986, the family moved from Dayton to Columbus. The location was amenable for Sue Ellen to visit family in Bainbridge and for Don to see family in Sidney. Don’s commute was acceptable (30 minutes door-to-door) because the west side was not fully developed.
Don’s ethical concerns from previous jobs at Flint, Michigan, and Montgomery County, Ohio, were no longer present. His nonpartisan work at the Ohio Legislative Budget Office (LBO) was valued. Even though politics permeated the Ohio Legislature, LBO was a reliable source of objective information and analysis.
Starting in September 1993, Don participated in an extensive Bible study. The pastor taught the class. Don then took a more in-depth study starting in September 1994. When the pastor left during the second year of study, he asked Don to lead the study. Don taught several years of the general and extensive courses. Don’s faith grew as student and leader
Don became involved in many volunteer activities, including writing a devotional for publication, singing in the church choir, singing solos in the summertime, helping a church group distribute meals at the Faith Mission, participating on the church prayer team, and becoming a lay speaker—preparing and giving sermons.
Don had no interest in church administrative roles; instead, he participated in activities beyond where he attended church. His activities included a downtown church on Wednesdays at noon. He also participated in a men’s spiritual retreat, and Sue Ellen participated in a similar women’s retreat. His lay speaker role was extended to a state park for Sunday visitors.
The family vacation in 1992 was to Florida. Gatlinburg was a stop along the way as well as Plains, Georgia. Don had called to see if Jimmy Carter would be leading his Sunday School class there. After church, the family had their picture taken with him and Rosalynn. They also went to the Kennedy Space Center and of course to Disney World. Don’s remembrance of the trip includes a vivid contrast as reflected by two men, both Americans: former President Jimmy Carter and a beggar on the street of Orlando.
Picture of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter and our family
Don and Sue Ellen attended 17 weekend programs at the Billy Graham Training Center in Asheville, North Carolina. The first one we attended was in 1999. We were spiritually uplifted each time we made the 500-mile trip. We also met people from other parts of the country.