Christopher Ringle

The Patriarch Christopher Ringle

You died and now a Voice asks you to recall the most important aspects of the life you just lived. What do you mention? Who do you include? Do you leave things out? What do you try to hide? What will be your story? John Casper died, and the Voice asked him to recall the most important aspects of the life he just lived. What did he include? What did he leave out or try to hide? As John recounts the important parts of his 78 years, his life seems ordinary at first. The Voice gently nudges him way from the safety of some of his memories. Away from the inconsequential, toward situations, people, and decisions that actually mattered. John would much rather forget some of these. The result is a story filled with hope, despair, romance, grief, and joy. Born in 1857, the son of German immigrants, John was an Indiana farmer who married a woman he loved deeply. Together, they created family traditions that strengthened their marriage and nurtured each of their children. They maintained close ties with their extended family, the German Reformed Church, and their neighbors on nearby farms. Among their 12 children were two sons, Irvy and Pete, who played especially powerful roles in John's life. Irvy wasn't at all like other boys. He was nurturing and kind, thoughtful and loving. John fretted that Irvy was probably "different" and wondered how to protect this son from the cruelty of the outside world. Pete created chaos and pain for everyone around him. John and his wife struggled to channel Pete toward a happier, less violent path. This is John Casper's remarkable story.