I will tell you my story here. I encourage anyone who has attended Milton Hershey School, graduate or not, to post your story as a comment as well.
SO THIS IS MY STORY
My father, Ralph Clinton Chappell (I love saying the name), died 5 months before my twin brother and I were born. My mother, Zenia, a gracious soul, was left to prepare for our impending birth, burial of a spouse and finish raising 3 other children. I am grateful she was able and willing to be there for us but I must say, I don’t envy her. Her task was monumental and her shoulders, while capable, bore witness to the load that had been placed upon them.
In the small corner of the world that was Mentor, Ohio in 1963, there lived a family, broken, but still a family. A mother, struggling to raise four sons and 2 daughters as I understand it, wondered how she would provide food and shelter for them all and a good fatherly mentor for the boys.
Mrs. Miller eventually realized she needed to do something different, to begin to look for alternatives that would provide safe haven for all of them even if they had to be apart. She had heard of a school in central Pennsylvania that took in boys from families with one or both of their parents deceased and provided food, clothing, shelter a good education and a moral upbringing by “Live-in” couples whose only mission was to see these boys grow into successful young men. Her boys were enrolled in Milton Hershey School and, for the rest of the world, that was that. The previous events would become unimportant except to them…….and a couple of young men…and their mother.
Finding Milton Hershey
I don’t know how or when or why, but sometime after their enrollment my mother got a message that would set in motion a similar set of wheels. I remember riding in the car on our way to do grocery shopping. Well, my mother was doing the grocery shopping. We were going to the Grey Discount Drug to get the latest copy of the batman book and some candy. Mom asked in that worried wondering tone she would get how we would feel if we went to live away from home. She explained that she could come visit us but we would live their and go to school. Not really thinking anything of it we both chimed in “sure” and that was that. She did the grocery shopping. We got the Batman book. Nothing more was said. Several months later we appeared at the school for interviews and a tour and we went home. We went on with our lives while my mother waited for any word from Milton Hershey School.
Milton Hershey School
August 1st 1967 for me is a day that would live on in infamy for me anyway. Early that morning we arrived back Milton Hershey to meet our Houseparents and enter the school officially. I can’t lie to you. As a 10 yr old I had no idea what was happening or why. I did what I was told, went where I was told and that was it.
Somewhere in the process we must have said good-bye to my mother although I don’t remember it. we went and got our clothes, met our houseparents and settled in in our new home.
In explaining the impact Milton Hershey had on me I often finish with this:
I may not be all the man I could be, but I am certainly twice the man I would of been.
That’s my story. A bit long-winded but its my story.
Hopefully others who have attended Milton Hershey School will share their experience in comments to this post. I think you’ll find that it can be a place of hope when you think you have none.
