Page 26 - some-stuff-i-wrote-and-some-stuff-i-didn't-(2011)-h-morris-williams

Some Stuff I Wrote (2001) H. Morris Williams

Suwannee County.
The Duncan home was later sold to Bennie Herlong, whose wife was a longtime elementary

school teacher here. Their son, Bert (CHS, 1952) is an Episcopal Church official in Detroit -
previously he had held a similar position at the largest Episcopal Church in New York City. The

other son, G. W. (CHS 1949) was a Navy officer who was killed when his “hurricane-hunter”
airplane crashed while gathering hurricane information in the 1950's, long before weather satellites
gave a safer way to collect data.

When G. W. Herlong was a teenager, he accidently became involved in a local tragedy.

Right across West Duval Street to the north from the Herlong home was an Amoco gasoline station.
G. W. liked to visit the station and talk with the attendant about cars. One winter day, G. W. was
inside the station talking to the attendant when a woman came in and wanted to buy a gallon of

gasoline to be put in a glass jug she had brought. The man filled the jug but then a misunderstanding
arose about whether the gas was regular or high-test. The woman threw the glass jug on the concrete

floor, the glass jug shattered, and the gasoline splashed onto the kerosene heater and the attendant.
There was an instant explosion and fire. G. W. and the woman escaped but the attendant was killed.

The woman was charged with the man’s death and a trial was held. Teenager G. W. Herlong thus
became a witness in the case. The woman was convicted, though deeply regretful of the death she

had caused, at least partly on the basis of G. W. Herlong’s eyewitness testimony.
Back to Inez Adicks, with her death, T. A. Hackney becomes the senior member of First

Presbyterian Church, with 66 years membership
My Special Christmas Card: Two months ago, I met a young adult woman who touched

my arm (and my heart) and asked, “Her, mister, isn’t there anybody who can help me learn to read
and write?” I connected her with our local Literacy Council at our public library and they went right
to work. The young woman worked hard and here is the letter she wrote me at Christmas, no

changes: “Dear Williams, How are you doing fine. Thanks you for helping me fined a place to leam

to read and spell and have a happy new year. Love, Signed.” I loved her card and will keep it forever
but the real credit goes to the volunteer workers at our Literacy Council who give so many the
precious gift of reading. May your tribe increase! Best wishes to you for a happy 1993.

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