1997 Miracle Yearbook

by Heather Fourman Charles Spurgeon, a nine- teenth-century minister stated in his book Morning and Evening: "Oh death, why do you touch the tree where the weary seek shade and mit? Why do you snatch away the fruitful trees? If you must use youraxe,use itonthetrees that yield no fruit....But why do you cut down the good cedars of Lebanon? ... Why? Be- cause of Jesus' prevailing prayer: 'Father, I desire that they also whom You gave me may be with Me where I am.' (John 17:24) It is this prayer that bears our loved ones on wings to heaven. Every time a believer leaves this earth for paradise it is an answer to Christ's prayer." For the Cedarville College family,the 1996-1997 school year was a time for reflection upon such questions because of the sud- den deaths of three students: Stephen Michael Brown, Stephen Joel Wildasin, and Nathan MichaelBattaglia. On June 18, 1996, Brown was killed in a car accident while on his way home from an out- ing with the youth group ofhis church in Elyria, Ohio. It was while attending Open Door Christian Schoolin Elyria,that Brown first came into contact with Cedarville College. He was twice selected to partici- pate in the Cedarville Music Showcase, and it was during these visits to the college that hegrew tolovetheatmosphere of Cedarville and knew it was the placefor him. Brown gath- ered a close group of friends about him his first year at Cedarville, and they were all shocked to hearthe newsofhis death. Paul Yuen, Brown's roommate,said,"WhenIfound outI thought it wasa badjoke. Therealization thathewasdead didn'thit meuntil thefuneral." Joseph Mellish,wholived near Brown in Marshall Hall said, "To me,losing Steve wasjust like losing a brother." Though Yuen and Mellish both said that they know Brown is in heaven and that they are look- ingforwardtoseeinghimagain, they still feel grief because of his absence. Mellish said, "People shouldn't be afraid to grieve; even though the world goesonaround you,yourworld has stopped, so you need to taketimetoexpress yourgrief." EV)23 7f20iE(1114 CIE _Z)0 Brown's parents, Michael and Judy Brown, and his sister Alison, remember Stephen as outgoing and funny, and as a peacemakeramong hisfriends. They said,"He promoted har- monyamong peopleand would alwaysencourage othersto put God first in their lives, some- thing healsotried todo." Yuen described Brown as having a crazy yet serious personality saying, "I never metsomeone who could be so silly yet so caring and serious at the same time."Mellish said thatBrown "had to be himself no matter what,"thathekepthislifeopen like a book for his friends to read. Stephanie Mace,another closefriendofBrown's,agreed withthisdescriptionsayingthat he was "childlike," very trust- ing in his manner towards oth- ers. During his freshman year, Brown enjoyed singing in the Men's Glee Club and volun- teering at the Dayton Gospel Mission.Hisfriends agree that he loved music and they laugh rememberingtheirexperiences at forming a band. Yuen was quick to say that Brown only loved music that was glorify- ing to God. He said, "Steve was a real godly example to me, and at the time, I really needed that in my life." On November 3, 1996, Stephen Joel Wildasin died o injuries he received in a c accident on October 30th. Stephen, who accepted Chris into his life as a child whil attending a Christian school, will be remembered for his sweet and thoughtful nature. His parents, Harry and Elain Wildasin,whoreside with thei three children in Palmyra, Pennsylvania, recall that thei son was active in their Com munity Bible Church where h waswell-lovedamongthechil- dren and the elderly alike "Stephen made every effort t be friendly to all," his parent said, in that he demonstrate genuine interest in what wa happening in others' lives Wildasin'sfamily alsoremem ber his "dry wit," and that h was always popular among hi coworkersatH.B.Reese wher he worked in the summer making those famous peanu butter cups. Kelly Hoppe, friend of Wildasin's at Cedar ville said that he always trie to avoid being judgmental bu 108 acaricinici