MEMORIES INSIDE THE FIRE

As Firefighters worked to extinguish the fire inside of Jim’s Upholstery neighbors stood by anxiously – none more so then retired Elyria Firefighter Harry Berg and his wife.

Berg lives right next door to the shop and drove their golf cart over to see how bad the damage was to the building and more importantly – the contents. “Of course we don’t want to see them lose anything inside the shop but we were most concerned about a seat that we gave them a couple months ago, they are repairing and reupholstering it for us.”

The seat Berg is speaking of belongs in a 1931 Studebaker Fire Engine that they are refurbishing. The Berg’s gave the seat to Jim’s several months ago but tragically lost their son in November so they put everything on hold. It wasn’t until a couple weeks ago that they gave the go ahead for the work to be completed.

Berg said that there are only 4 of these models left in the United States and only 100 were made with the dual wheel chasse.

Berg and his wife tried to look in the back door of the shop but were unable to spot their seat. “We’ll wait and probably find out late tonight or tomorrow. We’ll be sad if it has been destroyed but it we’ll be ok, there are more important things in life then a seat.”

A photo of the Fire Engine hangs inside of a small warehouse office behind Berg’s home. The photo shows his son sitting in the drivers seat smiling. Seated on the back of the engine are members of his “Lemonade Gang.” Right above that is a photo of the Engine etched in a piece of granite that will be a part of their son’s gravestone. The Berg’s said they would always have the engine to remind them of their son – the engine and his smile.

PHOTO GALLERY Photo gallery has been repaired