Loss of a Hero

My sister and her husband, Janice and Larry Strohm, live in Saucier, MS. Their home is 18 miles north of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Fortunately their home only suffered minor damage from Katrina. The fact that they lost many trees on their 3 acres or had to have their roof replaced was minimal compared to what others in the area went through. Larry had retired from teaching and coaching in May of 2005. The first 18 months after Katrina's damage, he worked full time restoring first their church building, then working on the homes of others.

There were many people who traveled from other states to assist in the massive rebuilding program on the Gulf Coast. A group of men from the Fairlane Church of Christ here in Shelbyville spent a week working in the area.

BJ Fisher, was one of a group of men who traveled from Oregon to assist in the work. These guys didn't just go down once; they went several times. A young mother who taught with Janice lost her husband last year. The husband had been trying to rebuild their home. BJ and his crew finished the work on that home. They became good friends with those with whom they were working and also with those individuals whose homes they were rebuilding. Janice and Larry even flew to Oregon this past July and visited with the Fisher family.

Janice and Larry were here with us this week when he received a call from BJ's son Wednesday morning saying that his father had died. There were many phone calls to follow between Larry, BJ's family, and his adopted family in Southern Mississippi. We don't understand why we sometimes lose people at a young age, but we do know that in the last 2 years BJ Fisher made a great impact on the lives of many. The people on the Gulf Coast, as well as those in Oregon, are mourning the loss of this man who gave so much of himself to help others {http://wwwreelrelief.com/}.