Bobby

Every community has at least one individual with a big personality—someone who is known by everyone.  Kidron has a few.  Some Amish.  Some English. But only Kidron has Bobby Haas.  He’s a unique individual—and that is spoken with respect.  As far as I know, Bobby is loved by everyone.  If there are those who don’t love him, it’s because they don’t really know him.  Bobby came to live in Kidron many years ago.  Many of you are already acquainted with him, but for those who aren't, allow me to make an introduction.    

Bobby was born in 1953, and as an infant, he contracted meningitis.   His condition was very serious, and the disease left him deaf.  The doctor apparently felt that he could not be raised as a normal child, and his parents agreed to sign him over to a state institution.  So Bobby went to live at the Apple Creek State Institute, (Later renamed Apple Creek Development Center).   This facility housed people with various mental and physical handicaps.  It seems unimaginable that a doctor would recommend this, and parents would agree to it.  Unfortunately, in that era—the 1950’s when resources for handicapped children were not readily available—it was a fairly common practice.  

There at Apple Creek, Bobby grew up—a friendly deaf boy with normal intelligence, who won the hearts of the employees.  He had no knowledge of any family, and the secret of his origins belonged to the State of Ohio.

One of the employees at Apple Creek, Mary Wyss, became like family to him, and would occasionally bring Bobby home to Kidron for visits.  When Bobby came of age, Mary and Clayton Wyss brought him home to stay.  They enrolled him in the Ohio school for the Deaf to learn sign language, reading, and writing—and Bobby’s world opened even more.  Before long he was hired at the Kidron Body Company in the Maintenance Department.  For thirty-nine years now, Bobby has been a faithful and cheerful employee, emptying trash, sweeping and mopping floors, keeping the restrooms clean, changing light bulbs, pulling weeds, shoveling snow, sweeping the parking areas, and whatever else his supervisor assigns him.  He doesn't complain, and for all those years he’s never missed a day off sick.   

Bobby is the ultimate people person.  This makes his job especially tough, because most of the time he must work by himself.   However, he always finds a way each day to spend a little time with his friends.

His work friends aren't the only ones.  He eats breakfast and lunch everyday at the Kidron Town and Country Restaurant, where he mixes well with all the regulars there too.  

Bobby’s work often has him outside the buildings near the road where he will be pulling weeds or sweeping the lot, and since Kidron is becoming more of a tourist destination, sometimes people will stop to ask for directions.  Bobby is more than happy to help.  He’s never met a stranger.  

So a car will stop, and the person will roll down their window, and say something to Bobby.  He will drop his work and go over to the car and begin “talking” with them.   Although he is unable to speak words, he is quite vocal and animated.  This usually ends with the person looking helplessly at Bobby as he goes on and on, trying his best to be of assistance.   A confused look will appear on their faces, and they will begin nodding.  Soon, they will wave hesitantly and slowly drive away.  Occasionally someone else will notice, and come to assist.  It’s more fun though, to let the situation play itself out.  Bobby gets his moment with people, and he’s happy that he could help.

One day when our daughter Angie was in Junior High, she received an assignment that required her to do a brief interview with three well-known people in her hometown, along with pictures.  Together we decided the three should be Mel Wyss the town barber, John Sprunger the Fire Chief and owner of Kidron Auction, and Bobby Haas.  

It was a warm day as we went around to see the people, and when we arrived at Bobby’s home, the front door was open.  Just inside the screen door, to the right, we could see Bobby sound asleep in his chair.  We weren’t sure what to do.  There was a doorbell button, but he wouldn’t hear the bell.  We pushed it anyway.  Instantly, several bright lights up by the ceiling began flashing.  Bobby yelled and jumped up, facing the door.  He laughed, and so did we.  He loves to be in pictures, so it wasn’t difficult to get him to pose.  It was a short interview since we couldn’t talk with him very well.  But Angie wrote a few brief sentences—enough to satisfy the assignment—and Bobby was happy for the visit.

Most mornings I arrive at work a little before seven AM.  Bobby is usually there in my office, sitting at a vacant desk, drinking coffee and looking at the Daily Record.  Out of the goodness of his heart, he’s already poured my coffee too.  It’s sitting there waiting for me—sometimes getting cold.  I drink it anyway.  He means well.  In the last number of years Bobby has taught me the manual alphabet.  He is better at spelling things with his hands then with a pencil.  Even though I’m not very proficient at communicating with him, his combination of pantomimes, signing, and spelling, is enough for me to “get it” most of the time.  

Always the giver, Bobby loves to remember people’s birthdays.  His reading and writing skills are at a fairly elementary level, so he doesn’t write much in the cards.  He always draws a picture of the “I love you” deaf sign, and writes “Smile” in it.  And he always signs them, “Love, Robert.”

Here in Kidron, Bobby has a home—both a house, and a town who has adopted him.  Mary and Clayton are both gone, but there are good people who assist him with his finances and other needs, like writing checks and driving him places.   Here he will live happily ever after.  Bobby Haas—ambassador of goodwill.  

And this could so easily have been the end of the story.  

One day a stranger showed up in Kidron.  She had learned about Bobby, and was pretty sure she was his cousin.  She located one of the men who assists him, and introduced herself.  They talked, and it was true.   She was Bobby’s cousin.  The cousin and the caretaker sat on this information for a while—wanting to be very careful to keep Bobby’s best interests in mind.

In the spring of 2002, one of Bobby’s brothers, David, passed away.  In David’s obituary, “Robby” Haas was listed as a deceased sibling.  The cousin who knew about him went to the calling hours to offer condolences, and in a conversation with another brother, Michael, mentioned that Robby was still alive and living in Kidron.  This was a complete shock to Michael.  He and his siblings knew they had a brother, but assumed he was dead.   Michael didn’t mention this news to his siblings, and over the next few weeks planned a time for them all to get together at the cousin’s house to meet Bobby.  Bobby wanted to surprise them, so his siblings didn’t know what they were coming for—only that it would be  a “life changing event.”  

When the day arrived, Bobby, his caretaker, and an interpreter were hidden away in a room as the family gathered.  At the appointed time, Bobby was brought out and introduced as their brother—the brother who had “died as a baby.”

It was a miracle for the family—like someone was raised from the dead.  You can imagine the hugs and tears of joy.  The interpreter helped them communicate, and the event was recorded.   I’ve seen the video, and it’s very moving—impossible to watch with dry eyes.

Bobby was forty-eight when his family found him.  It seems so sad that his parents—who had passed away by this time—never had the opportunity to meet the loving, gregarious man their son had become.  They could have known him, and he could have known them.  He would have loved them, and would not have held their decision against them.

In the intervening years, things have settled back down.  Bobby remains in Kidron.  He is even known in an affectionate way as the Mayor.  He is definitely a community fellow.  For years he rode a three-wheeled moped around town, and eventually wore it out.  Since then he’s been walking everywhere.  

He does his best to keep in contact with his family in Akron.  He loves to go visit his siblings and his nieces and nephews.  Sometimes they come to visit him.  It’s not as often as he’d like.   But every time he’s at some family event, he takes lots of pictures, and proudly shows them off to his “family” in Kidron.

                                    Bobby is saying, “I love you.”

Mister Robert Lee Haas Junior—that’s how he likes to write his name.  He’s an interesting character who has overcome a lot of obstacles.  We can learn from him how to love people, and how to accept hardships in life without being defeated.  It’s nice to be considered his friend.   Love you too, Bobby.

From Kidron, Ohio, where strangers become friends, and friends become family.  Have a wonderful day!

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