Eugene “Page” Ott was a registered Professional Engineer and employee of Appalachia Power Company when he came to Lebanon and was one of the Charter Members of Lebanon Presbyterian Church.   As a lifelong Presbyterian, he served our church as an Elder and Deacon.  Page and his wife, Lois, were staunch members and part of the “brains” of the building committee of the first structure. When Page and his family left Lebanon, they moved to NC where he continued employment in the electric utility profession.  Through the years, Page kept his ties to LPC and would often call and exchange letters with other members to keep up with their families and the church.  On November 21^st, 2018 at 94 years old, Page left his earthly life to begin his new life, his eternal life, with Christ.  Page is survived by his children, Ann Ott Wease and her husband Ken Wease, his son John Page Ott and his sister Ruth Ann Ott Huddle.  In celebration of our 60^th anniversary, we asked his daughter, Ann to share a story from Page about LPC.

“In the beginning, as the Lebanon Presbyterian Church building was being constructed, services were held in the Appalachia Power Company building here in Lebanon.   An upright piano loaned from a Presbyterian Church in Damascus, came into our possession.  After the church started holding services in the new building, a small electric organ was purchased, but the piano was still used for several years for choir and special music.  At some point in time, the piano had to be returned.  Page and Mason Vaughn acquired a pickup truck to move the piano back to its rightful owner.  Several other men of the church helped, but as they struggled to get the piano into the bed of the truck, Jack Farmer got up there to ride with it.  As they got close to Hansonville, the road curved by Cedar Creek and the piano started to shift.  Jack was unable to control it and did well himself to just stay inside the truck bed.  The piano tipped to the right and fell out hitting the ground and breaking “into a million pieces.”  As the parts were scattered, some of the keys floated down the creek.  The story now had a title, “Ivories Gracing Cedar Creek.”   There was nothing to recover and Ann remembers her mother saying that Page was literally sick when he got home.  The story became part of the heritage of those there in the early days and they never knew how to deal with its aftermath.  Memories indicate that the church was told to forget about it, but the story is unforgettable, so that was never possible.  Page remembered the story until the end of his life always the same reaction, looking down and shaking his head as he held his forehead.”

Thanks Ann for sharing with us.  We know Page is celebrating in heaven with many other LPC Charter Members.