10/07/2016
Merry was only in the 8th grade. Class of 1972 Northwest. Only 16 years old. Just starting the prime of her Life. Merry did not have an easy life. She was one of 10 kids. She lived in a part of town where some of the homes in the allotment only had dirt floors, some only had two rooms, with a pot belly stove in the center of the living room to keep warm. They were wood shacks wrapped in tar paper and with some shingles. Families who fell on hard times. They did what they had to do to survive with 10 kids. Even in this type of environment, one’s true character can still prevail.
I met Merry in 1968. The beginning of our 8th grade year. Her last name being Frederick put her in front of me in seating most all of my classes at that time. Merry was a proud girl. Dress always clean, tho not that many different dresses. Her shoes were always polished, she had a very thick head of hair, wavy, and long down her back. I do remember the smell on her person of what I thought was bacon.
Kids are very cruel at that age. The haves and have nots. Much was said about each other in those school years. I, as so many others in my class, was one of them.
Well, it was the week of Christmas and the area churches had gathered toys for kids to pass out. I begged my Mom to let me go with her. I thought what fun that would be. Little did I know. The first House we stopped at was Merry’s. When she saw me we both just stared in shock. Merry cried and ran off. I went back to our car and sat. The next school day I was so upset on how this was going down when I saw her. I decided to act like I never saw her. It took 2 days but I "think" she bought it. We became friends. She started smiling more. Seemed more happy.
Little did I know we would lose her in the next few weeks.
You see, on or about February 23rd, 1968 Merry Frederick, age16, was babysitting her siblings Nancy 14, Deanita 10, Debbie 8, Amy 6, and Tommie 5, while the parents were away with the other siblings late that night. The fire went out in the wood burning stove. It was VERY cold that night. One of the kids tried to relight the wood burning stove and threw too much fuel oil on the stove, causing the house to ignite. With the house totally engulfed in flames, Merry was able to get 3 of the kids out of the house and in a safe place next to a neighbor’s yard. Then, when Merry heard Amy crying for help, she returned to the home to save the other two kids – even though her own hair was on fire. As soon as Merry ran into the house, it collapsed, taking the lives of Merry, Nancy, and Amy. Survived by the acts of Merry were Deanita, Debbie, and Tommie, who was taken to Massillon Hospital and listed in critical condition.
The next day many cars drove past, all day, to see what was left of the house. There stood only ONE 2x4 standing straight up in the center of the ashes. Those who lived in the area and my age from the area remember this well. How we, the people of Canal Fulton would cringe when we heard the sirens go off......
Days Gone by....
Jimmy Harris
