When Jim and I were at Olympic Junior High, I was home one summer afternoon watching a TV program with my mom when the phone rang and mom answered. It was the desk Sargeant at the Auburn Police Station, calling to to tell my mom that I’d been arrested and she needed to come to the station to pick me up. Mom turned to look at me for a moment with a puzzled look on her face, then answered the Sargeant who said they had me in custody “no, you don’t”.
The Sargeant informed my mom that this wasn’t the first time they’d picked me up for some kind of mischief and took a firm tone with mom whom he must have thought was covering for me. He assured her it was a serious matter and that they had me in custody.
Again mom said “No, you don’t”.
He started in again, most emphatically, but mom cut him off abruptly saying, “Sargeant, my son Jack is sitting here with me, right now; we’re watching a movie together.”
The Sargeant asked “Are you sure?”
Mom said tersely “I think I know my son”.
Mom heard him cover the receiver to talk with another officer briefly before he came back on the line to ask “Mrs. Helser, if we were to describe the boy to your son, do you think he could help us identify him?”
Mom briefly told me what was going on and asked me to help the Sargeant identify my ‘evil twin’.
The Sargeant apologized to me for the confusion and said “Jack, he has stringy blonde hair ....”
“Jim Deeds”, I said.
“Thanks” he said and hung up.
A few days later I went to Jim’s house to hang out for the afternoon and we just laughed it off, remaining friends throughout high school.
Jim is fondly remembered and greatly missed. Cheers, old friend.
Jack Helser, Jr
When Jim and I were at Olympic Junior High, I was home one summer afternoon watching a TV program with my mom when the phone rang and mom answered. It was the desk Sargeant at the Auburn Police Station, calling to to tell my mom that I’d been arrested and she needed to come to the station to pick me up. Mom turned to look at me for a moment with a puzzled look on her face, then answered the Sargeant who said they had me in custody “no, you don’t”.
The Sargeant informed my mom that this wasn’t the first time they’d picked me up for some kind of mischief and took a firm tone with mom whom he must have thought was covering for me. He assured her it was a serious matter and that they had me in custody.
Again mom said “No, you don’t”.
He started in again, most emphatically, but mom cut him off abruptly saying, “Sargeant, my son Jack is sitting here with me, right now; we’re watching a movie together.”
The Sargeant asked “Are you sure?”
Mom said tersely “I think I know my son”.
Mom heard him cover the receiver to talk with another officer briefly before he came back on the line to ask “Mrs. Helser, if we were to describe the boy to your son, do you think he could help us identify him?”
Mom briefly told me what was going on and asked me to help the Sargeant identify my ‘evil twin’.
The Sargeant apologized to me for the confusion and said “Jack, he has stringy blonde hair ....”
“Jim Deeds”, I said.
“Thanks” he said and hung up.
A few days later I went to Jim’s house to hang out for the afternoon and we just laughed it off, remaining friends throughout high school.
Jim is fondly remembered and greatly missed. Cheers, old friend.
Jeanette McDaniel (Sturtz)
Jim passed away 11-1-2009. Rest in Peace, Jim.