On behalf of Marty, Dutchy, boys and family, thanks for coming here today.
We’re having Fred’s funeral in the church today because this is the yard he mowed, these are the windows he opened, and that is the bell he rang. This morning, Mom told me that Fred always spoke of “our church.” For many of us, our first experience with Fred Witham was running laps around the old Perry gym. It’s only fitting that he’s making us sweat again today. We’re glad you’re hear today and we all miss Fred very much but if we’re too sad and sorrowful then we’ve missed the point..The point for which Fred lived his life and the point for which Jesus Christ died.
Pray. Thanks..for so many good years with such a good man...father, husband, brother, teacher and friend. Fred’s feeling good today but many of his friends and family aren’t. Help us to feel some of the joy that he’s feeling right now. Amen.
Fred Witham 16 Aug 95
Fred Witham was born Feb 10th, 1926, in Perry, the son of Rue Lee and Alice Strauss Witham. He married Marty Stauffer on Sept 3, 1955. And she survives him. The newspapers always write it up that way...”she survives him.” In Marty’s case, it’s really the truth...no matter what happens, Mary always survives...it goes along with being the wife of a basketball coach. I called her yesterday morning to talk about Fred’s services. I think it was Mary who answered the phone...she said, “Just a minute, she’s on her way out the door.” She stopped her, told her who it was and what I wanted and Marty sent the message, “I’ll call you later. I’ve got to go get my hair done.” Marty is a survivor. Fred and Marty have three sons, Greg Lee Witham of Rockford, Craig Ray Witham of Carlinville, and Keith Trent Witham of Perry. .. . along with Greg and Craig’s wives, Lorinda and Carol. Fred’s brother is Ray Harvey, “Dutch” Witham of New Orleans, La. Fred also has two grandchildren. And lots of other inlaws. He graduated from Perry High School in 1944 and then from Western Illinois University in Macomb. He taught in Augusta, Rock Falls, Cantrall, Middletown, Pittsfield, and Gary Indiana, and for 35 years in Perry. He was a WW II veteran, serving as a gunner in the Air Force. He was a charter member of the Perry American Legion Post and a member of the Perry Veterans of Foreign Wars.
One of Fred’s best friends is Gwen Woods, a lady who’s taught for many years with Fred. I don’t know how many but I’m sure she does. Whenever it comes to numbers, I was always wrong and Gwen was always right. We’d like to have her come forward now.
Scripture: Whenever Fred was handing out a history test, he’d look at me and say, “Kenny, I hope you read the chapter. I’ve got stuff on this test that wasn’t in the pictures.” He knew I liked things simplified so I’m reading a passage from one of the newest translations of the Bible, called “The Message.”
12th chapter of Paul’s letter to the Romans....describes Fred as well as any I know.
Whenever the name “Fred Witham” comes up in the Triopia teachers’ lounge, one of our veteran coaches, Jim Phalen, always tells the same story. No matter how many times we’ve heard it, Jim always tells the same story...People who’ve never met or even seen Fred Witham know this story. Jim gets his names mixed up, because according to him, when this incident took place, three of the guys playing on the team were Keenan Steinbacker, Phil Johnson, and Kenny Stauffer....so we know it happened some time in about a ten-year time period. I don’t think they held Kenny back quite that many years.
--------------tell Phil story...........................
Anybody in this room today could give Fred’s eulogy....because he was not any different to you than he was to me. Fred never put on a pretense in his life. He was a terrible actor because he was never anybody but himself. To hear Herky Webel talk about Fred Witham in the 1940’s is the same as hearing Rick Webel talking about Fred in the 1970’s. To hear Bobby Sweeting talking of Fred, is to hear Terry. To hear Buddy K tell Fred stories is the same as listening to _____________.
Anybody who knew Fred, knew Fred well.
For 35 years he taught the kids of Perry... that playing is more important than winning. He knew that sports were a game and not very important...even though he spent much of his life in the middle of one sport or another. He knew that people mattered more than trophies. Now you might say, that’s because he taught at Perry...a place where you had to enjoy loosing too, or you wouldn’t enjoy much of your season. Fred’s training as a Cubs fan was a great help to him in coaching some of our teams. For their basketball homecoming, school’s used to schedule a team they thought they could beat. Fred once told me that coaching at Perry is like going to one big party because everywhere we went, they had homecoming decorations up. Nearly everyone here today has thought of at least one Fred Witham story in the last two days...and nearly all Fred Witham stories revolve around his trait of not taking too seriously, the very things in life that most of the world takes very seriously. ....who we are ....what we win ....what people think of us
He was the first man I ever saw wear shorts in Perry. At one time, that wasn’t a common sight in this farming community. You still don’t see Maro Johnson and J.D. Liehr stroll up town in their cutoffs and Reebocks. He was the first man I ever saw ride a bike up town. QUALITY OF LIFE was very important to Fred. What people thought of it, didn’t bother him very much.
They buried Mickey Mantle yesterday...a lot like Fred...a country boy who became a great athlete and remained a very real person. But Fred went further than Mickey when he decided to become a teacher and a coach. Mickey became a hero but he never had the chance to spend late winter afternoons in the old Perry gym, encouraging young boys to play hard and have a good time. Fred once told me, “I coached for a hundred years before somebody told me they actually pay people for doing that in other schools!”
Some of my best memories of Fred were riding back from basketball games...usually long rides home...Carl Quincy and Percy Cummings drove slow enough in the daylight but even horses passed us after dark. It bothered Fred to loose but it wasn’t because of his own personal pride...just the feeling that somehow he’d let the boys down. Today’s young coaches could learn a great deal from Fred Witham. What they work all their lives to learn, came to Fred naturally. My only regret is that Fred didn’t spend more time coaching at the Jr High level where...as Kenny Stauffer knows....kids attitudes are shaped forever.
It’s so fitting that Perry High School and Fred Witham closed their doors in the same year...and don’t worry, Gwen..I don’t think that’s an omen or anything....because what made Perry High School such a special place will carry on, just as surely as Fred Witham’s influence on all of our lives.
Any of us could do Fred’s eulogy because he was the same to you as he was to me. In a world where so many people spend their entire life putting on one mask after another, a Fred Witham is a rare find. By purposely trying to change no one, he changed everyone who knew him. By being nothing but himself, he helped us all feel that it’s alright to be ourselves. May we all be able to go to the Lord some day, being able to say no more than that.
------------------------------------------------ Song: Fred loved to dance...He and Marty belonged to the dance club here in Pike County and Marty said when he danced, it was cheek to cheek. We’ll close this morning with one of Fred’s favorite songs.