Lifelong Sapulpan and veteran of the Navy James Hill lost his house in a fire in April. The 1963 SHS graduate left home to run a quick errand and came home to find his uninsured home ablaze with his miniature dog, a beloved companion, trapped inside.
Fortunately, there is a somewhat livable section in the back of the house with a bathroom and kitchenette where the City has determined he may stay for 18 months. At that point he must have that area cleaned up and the exterior repaired. He loves his home and “wants things to go back to normal,” his friends say.
Hill grew up in a “blue collar background” where he and his family lived “from week to week,” says childhood friend Jim Beryhill. His father worked at the glass factory and he had several siblings.
Berryhill says he met Hill on the wrestling team in Junior High, and that they wrestled “all the way through high school.”
“When we graduated,” says Berryhill, “we had nowhere to go and no money,” so they joined the Navy together in the buddy program. After his stint in the Navy, Hill followed his older brother, also a Navy vet, into the photography business. He eventually made his way to Byron Jackson Pump Co. in Tulsa, and retired from there when they went out of business.
“He’s a good man with a good heart,” Berryhill says. He “doesn’t live large. He likes to go to the VFW and play pool.” Additionally, he served as a guardian for a younger brother who had gotten into some trouble and gone to prison, who has since passed away.
Hill’s high school classmates, including Berryhill and Colette Biehl, have organized a fundraising effort on his behalf, as have his friends at the VFW, where he is a fixture at the pool tables. Additionally, 33 donors have raised just over $2,300 on his Go Fund Me page, as of the time of this article.
American Heritage Bank donated a temporary dumpster to the cause, and the Elks Lodge is pitching in as well. Jonathan Dupee of Freedom Electric is helping repair his electricity for free.
More than monetary donations, however, Hill needs manpower and elbow grease. He could use help with everything from cleanup to licensed construction to any kind of skilled trade, like roofing.
He has an older brother in his 80s and several high school friends in their late 70s who want to help, but can only do so much. “He doesn’t expect handouts—he filled that entire dumpster by himself,” Berryhill says. “He’s not lazy, he’s just getting older.” In fact, Berryhill says, Hill isn’t asking for anything. It’s his friends who have rallied together to try to help him get back on his feet.
“He’s got a heart of gold. Losing that dog killed him,” Berryhill says. “He’s just a good older guy on a limited income who needs help.”
The key is getting his back room functional with the City. The heat and air has been checked and it’s okay, and they have already filed for a permit for the electricity. The next step is getting a Certificate of Occupancy.
If you’d like to help, please visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-james-hill-rebuild-home-after-fire or contact news@sapulpatimes.com to donate your services.
