This is a fascinating look into the life of Ted Peters and the community history of Lamont. Since you’re compiling these into your project, I've transcribed the text from both pages for you.
I’ve kept the original paragraph structure and spelling (including a few minor typos from the original text, like "where" for "were" or "renounce" for "renounced") to ensure the historical accuracy of the document.
Transcription: The Lamont Ledger (Nov/Dec 2009)
[Page 1]
...winter wheat. It grew and during the winter it became dormant, but then in the spring it grew and by July the men came with their combines and harvested the wheat. The proceeds were used towards the purchase of a new organ in the church. It has been used now for over 60 years. I can remember ladies bringing lunches to the men. I also remember going to church in the old narrow church while they extended the sides out on each side. I also remember the Pricilla’s Society meetings. They were every other Tuesday evening. There was a Bible study. We would draw names at the beginning of the year for secret pals for that year. At Christmas we would find out who was our secret pal. We supported Ms. Anita Vissia in Nigeria, by rolling bandages & sewing baby gowns for the hospital in Lupaway, Nigeria. Lester remembers when they finished the basement of church. They had put new laminated beams in and soon realized they were not strong enough, so they took them out and put in steel beams. When Rev. Henry Vanden Heuvel was minister here, we took the Young People to their Convention 3 different years. We drove 4 cars. We went to Pella IA, New Jersey NY, and Niagara Falls. - Lester & Adrianna Langeland***********
*Many do not know of this former member of Lamont CRC – Mr. Ted Peters. This is my memory. He was born shortly before 1900 in Holland, MI. His father was a very important person in the Holland area, particularly when it came to the Christian Reformed Church and Christian Schools. He was instrumental in starting the Christian School Movement in Holland. Ted was a member of a rather large family. He had what is known as the Midas touch. He became a very influential member of the ABC appliance industry, selling appliances wholesale to much of the eastern half of the United States. At the time of the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago he had reserved for his business purposes an entire floor of a major hotel in downtown Chicago. His representatives, those who sold ABC appliances from all over the country, could stay in the suites of this floor for free. They could drink all of the liquor they could handle plus, and other amenities were available to them, all at no cost to the representatives. Ted married. His wife Myrtle bore him a son. However, they had no time for children. The son was educated largely in boarding schools and the like. When his son opted not to follow in his father’s footsteps, Ted sold his business and went into commercial real estate. In his office at 4871 Leonard St were a series of filing cabinets that held the blueprints of his commercial properties worldwide. Ted had renounce Christianity. He had no time for church. He and his wife Myrtle could very well get along without God. When Myrtle could no longer remember anything from her past; she had to be institutionalized because of what we have come to know as Alzheimer’s. Shortly after Myrtle was hospitalized, Ted had an auto accident on one of the curves on Leonard St. As he drove is Trans Am around the curve, a milk truck tipped over on top of his vehicle. Ted crawled out of the remains of the automobile with nary a scratch on him. Shortly after this Ted experienced yet another strange event. A couple of men came to his door late one night and he made a mistake of allowing them in. It was not long before Ted was forced to open his safe for them after which he was trussed up and thrust into a closet and left to die. Somehow he managed to get free from his bonds and to call for help. Ted decided that he needed God after all. There were just too many things that were going wrong in his life and he realized that he was not in control of either, his life, nor his finances. He walked across the street to the parsonage of the Christian Reformed Church and rang the doorbell of Rev. Veenstra. He introduced himself to the pastor and stated that he wanted
[Page 2]
to come back to the church of youth, to his father’s church. He appeared before council and made a recommitment to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. From that day on he was one of the most faithful members of our congregation. Not only was he in church twice each Sunday, he also attended Men’s Society and Adult Sunday School classes faithfully. About the time he rejoined the church, our congregation had decided to build an educational wing onto our existing church structure. Ted asked about the finances of the project as he became more conversant with the affairs of the congregation. When he found out how much money was due to those who where engineering the building of the wing, he offered to pay the remaining amount as a gift to the congregation. It was a substantial amount. Ted hired my son Rick and me to paint the inside and outside of his residence on Leonard Street in 1980 or thereabouts. The job lasted all summer. The house itself is rather tall. We worked off scaffolding that Ted had rented and directed by himself. While we may have been a bit fearful of working on the top of that scaffold, Ted thought nothing of climbing the entire scaffold and climbing onto the roof of the house to check the condition of the roof and chimneys. He had been a pilot, and had the propeller of one of the planes that he had bought from the United States government at the close of World War II mounted on the wall behind his desk. Ted lived several years after these events tool place. Slowly he began to experience mental difficulties. Before long he had to have 24/7 care in his own home. He had the finances to pay for such services and until he died he lived under those circumstances. Ted died Aug 2, 1985. Respectfully submitted by Coke Vredevoogd********************
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