Carol Wendt

The following comments were written by Steve Goens on June 7th, 2009.  Sharon Sowders Goens agreed that they could be reposted here.

To Everyone on my mail list.

I just got off the phone with Austin Casselman.  Austin is the son of an old and dear friend of mine, Don Casselman.  Back in the day when we both were young, our senior year in high school, Don was the quarterback and I was the running back of the most feared tandem in the history of high school sports.  At least that is how we remembered it.

After graduation, I went into the US Air Force, to fight for our country's freedom and Don went to Indiana University to learn how to spell and do arithmetic and to make a name for himself in big time football.

We went our separate ways for many years and one day I am out knocking on doors inviting people to church and telling them about the love of God.  I knocked on the door at a house, on Karyn Street, in Plainfield, Indiana that was just like my house in Bedford, Indiana and behold the man that answered the door was Don.  He did not have time for me or my religion, he was going to be a big star in Nashville, in the record business.  We parted ways again.  I promised Don that I would pray for him and he assured me that he appreciated the thought but really did not need my prayers.

Years passed and one day I received a letter in the mail (for those of you that don't know that is when you put a written paper in an envelope and send it through the United States postal system.  Otherwise, known as snail mail)  It was from Don and he told me about getting saved and how God had worked in his life.  We got together a few years ago and he spoke to my congregation.  As I listened to Don's testimony I had to laugh to myself.  Who would have ever believed that Don Casselman and Steve Goens would have been sitting on a platform, in a church, telling people about Jesus.  But that is just the way that God works.

Over the last several years Don and I have shared phone calls, emails and jokes.  He has invited me to his house and I have finally decided to go and visit Don.  We will not share a meal or trade jokes or remember the good ol' days.  Don died this morning of a massive heart attack.  I will be going to his home in Nashville this week to pray with his family and cry with them as he is laid to rest.

I just finished talking to his son a moment ago when his son asked me if I was the preacher that sent the Life is for Living daily devotionals.  I told him that was me.  He said "are you the counselor?"  "Yes, that is me."  "Are you the one that teaches the lesson on focus, when you have someone look around the room at all the red things and then ask them to look at you and name three yellow things."  "Yes, Austin, that is me."  He began to cry and said "That is the last thing that Dad and I talked about, was your daily devotional."  I began to cry.

I must go now.  I have tears to shed, not for an old friend.  He is in heaven.  But for his family that will miss him and those in his family yet unsaved and for those who are reading this note who do not know about the grace and mercy of God. 

Goodbye Don.  I loved you, prayed for you each day and I will help your family and those that you loved and those that loved you to the very best of my God given ability.  I will do that because you and I both know that "Life is for Living" just.....

Because He Lives.

Pastor Steve Goens   Bedford Baptist Temple   Bedford, Indiana

Carol Wendt

The following memories of Don Casselman were posted by Marvin Fischer on June 18, 2009.  Marvin agreed that his memories could be reposted here.

My wife and I were on vacation last week in California when we learned about Don's passing.  Even the beauty of God's creation in Yosemite National Park couldn't stop my mind from wandering back to memories of Don and the important and blessed impact he had on my own life.

As his dad Bernie knows well, Don and I met on our first day of kindergarten in Plainfield, IN.  I remember 5 year old Don coming up to my Mom and I saying something to the effect of "I'm Don, follow me and I'll show you around this place."  Mom is now 91 years old suffering from dementia but when I told her of Don's passing she  immediately remembered him and teared up as Don was a favorite of hers.  Don and I continued in the same classroom all through grade school.  We were both friends and rivals.  At recess we weren't allowed on the same team.  Don and I captained teams against each other which led to a few scuffles over a questionable call or hard tackle which got us both in trouble at times.  We were on the same "dominating" Nike and later Yankee teams in little league baseball, both coached by Bernie.

We were teammates on football teams in middle school.  I backed up Don at QB and played corner on defense on undefeated team.  We also won conference in BB.  In high school we were BB and baseball teammates.  As we all know, Don was quite the scoring machine in BB and the memory of winning Brownsburg sectional and playing Indy Tech HS in Butler Field House (used on the movie 'Hoosiers') regional of 1967 is still vivid in my mind.  We also won sectional in baseball our senior year.

Another event during our senior year exemplified Don's true giving character.  Despite his scoring prowess, he was double teamed constantly at a game in Brazil, IN.  I had a lot of relatives from Brazil who were in the stands.  I was a reserve guard on that team filling in for an injured starter.  Don and I both realized that I was left unguarded and was always open down the lane for short shot, layup or foul.  Don only scored a few points that game while feeding assist passes to me allowing me to score 21 points, not bad for a player averaging only about 4 points per game. 

We were separated after high school as I attended Arizona State but saw each other periodically over the years in Boston, B'ham and at class reunions.  In 2002, I received a kidney transplant at UAB in Birmingham.  My brother Alan donated one of his kidneys to me.  Guess what, Don showed up before the surgery with his local minister to support and pray for Alan and I.

I'm truly sorry I was not able to attend the memorial service.  May God bless and comfort his family.

Peace and love,

Marv Fischer