By Jo Ramsdell
On July 20, 2013, Scotts, Michigan, held its annual “Scotts Days Celebration.” The community garage sales were already in full swing as people of all ages gathered along 36th St., anxiously waiting for the parade to begin. Then the sound of merriment filled the air as the floats, fire engines, tractors, and cars began the procession down the middle of the road. However, it was the handfuls of candy being tossed to the youngsters that ignited the squeals of joy.
Following the parade, the activities continued with the tractor show at the Scotts Mill Park and later the dedication of the G.A.R. monument, sponsored by the 3rd Tuesday History Group. Between events, the spectators wandered the garage sales scattered about town and the countryside. Two of those spectators were Bob (Bip/Beau) and Jo Ramasdell.
Walking east around the block, then south on Watson St., the Ramsdells spotted a huge sale at Larry Boynton’s house. The Prairie Baptist Church was running that sale to raise money for their school. Roaming from table to table, Bob spotted a big family Bible. What caught his eye wasn’t the old book as much as the book’s metal hinges and latch. As he contemplated what he could use the hardware for, Jo came to see what he had found. “Bob, have you looked inside?” Her parents had a similar Bible, and Jo knew that there was a section in the middle where family history could be recorded. When she laid the book open, Bob was surprised. According to the entry in the Bible, it was given to Samuel John and Mary A. (Hammond) Haradine on their wedding day, March 21, 1883, in Ogden, New York. Also included were numerous births, deaths, marriages, and immigrations. Bob paid $10.
Returning home, Bob went on Ancestry.com to see what he could find out about the Haradines. An hour later, he walked down the hall to the living room. Jo looked up from her project and asked, “Any luck?” Bob nodded positively, “I found quite a few family trees on Samuel Haradine. However, one stood out from the others, and I sent her a message. Now we just have to wait for a response.”
On July 20, 2013, Scotts, Michigan, held its annual “Scotts Days Celebration.” The community garage sales were already in full swing as people of all ages gathered along 36th St., anxiously waiting for the parade to begin. Then the sound of merriment filled the air as the floats, fire engines, tractors, and cars began the procession down the middle of the road. However, it was the handfuls of candy being tossed to the youngsters that ignited the squeals of joy.
Following the parade, the activities continued with the tractor show at the Scotts Mill Park and later the dedication of the G.A.R. monument, sponsored by the 3rd Tuesday History Group. Between events, the spectators wandered the garage sales scattered about town and the countryside. Two of those spectators were Bob (Bip/Beau) and Jo Ramasdell.
Walking east around the block, then south on Watson St., the Ramsdells spotted a huge sale at Larry Boynton’s house. The Prairie Baptist Church was running that sale to raise money for their school. Roaming from table to table, Bob spotted a big family Bible. What caught his eye wasn’t the old book as much as the book’s metal hinges and latch. As he contemplated what he could use the hardware for, Jo came to see what he had found. “Bob, have you looked inside?” Her parents had a similar Bible, and Jo knew that there was a section in the middle where family history could be recorded. When she laid the book open, Bob was surprised. According to the entry in the Bible, it was given to Samuel John and Mary A. (Hammond) Haradine on their wedding day, March 21, 1883, in Ogden, New York. Also included were numerous births, deaths, marriages, and immigrations. Bob paid $10.
Returning home, Bob went on Ancestry.com to see what he could find out about the Haradines. An hour later, he walked down the hall to the living room. Jo looked up from her project and asked, “Any luck?” Bob nodded positively, “I found quite a few family trees on Samuel Haradine. However, one stood out from the others, and I sent her a message. Now we just have to wait for a response.”
Two days later, Bob poked his head out of the computer room and called out, “She answered. Jo, she answered and what a story.” Drying her hands as she left the kitchen, Jo made her way to Bob’s location, where he was glued to his computer screen. “Jo, listen to this. ‘Hi, Bob, I can’t believe you contacted me about the Bible.
That was the one family heirloom I wanted from my Aunt Marilyn Sharp’s estate. She passed away on March 31, 2011. But by the time I drove up to Battle Creek, the Bible was already gone. I was heartbroken. Someone, two years later, must have donated it to the Prairie Baptist Church in Scotts for their garage sale. And that is where you found it. Thank you, Bob, for contacting me, and yes, I would love to have the Bible. I’ll call you tonight.’” Turning to look at Jo, Bob smiled in satisfaction.
That evening, the phone rang, and the amazing story continued. The Ramsdells learned that the woman lived in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and was willing to drive up to Vicksburg to pick up the Bible. However, as luck would have it, Bob and Jo would actually be passing through Fort Wayne at the end of the week. They would be heading to a Woolrich Family Reunion in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. So, three days later, both parties met in a restaurant parking lot just off I-69. The smile on the woman’s face when Bob handed her the Bible was priceless. Thirteen years after that meeting in Fort Wayne, neither Bob nor Jo can recall the woman’s name. However, they do remember her saying that she worked at the Fort Wayne Historical Library, a special destination for the couple.
Sometimes, coincidental happenings are more than what meets the eye. Sometimes, it is destiny that plays a hand, like the Haradine Family Bible finding its way back to its rightful descendant in Fort Wayne.
