Robert Henry Mapes, Doing His Part

With Christmas fast approaching (the time of giving), here?s an impressive story of benevolence and sacrifice.

Ninety-year-old Robert Henry (Bob) Mapes, formerly of Fort Madison, now of West Point, lived a varied and interesting life of farming, laying railroad track, military service, mechanics and raising champion Suffolk sheep. He was always a big proponent of education, so it wasn?t all that unusual that late in life he went to college, first at Burlington Jr. College, then Iowa State University, earning a degree in education.

With his degree and background in mechanics he helped develop and teach the auto-mechanics program through the Manpower Development Training Act in Lee County, then with Southeastern Community College in Burlington.

While all this was going on, he was married and raised four children.

At the age of 62, Robert Henry Mapes retired. But things just weren't quite right for Robert. He felt that he hadn't done enough. So, at the tender age of 70, he joined the Peace Corps.

Yep. You heard me right.

Having to learn a foreign language was the most difficult part of Peace Corps training for Robert. He failed it twice, his 70-year-old brain and tongue just not able to wrap around foreign words. But the Peace Corps wasn't about to give up on Robert. They assigned him to a location where a fellow Peace Corps volunteer could act as translator when Robert's limited facility for the language failed him,

Off to Guatemala in Central America he went, then to Cameroon in Africa. He taught animal husbandry, helped finance and build an orphanage, and taught auto mechanics.

But he still wasn't done. When he retired from the Peace Corps and came back to Fort Madison, he sent for two young African men, Pius Antemnkeng and Frederick Nartley, to come and live with him. Believing that education is the key to betterment, Robert Mapes sponsored the two men through Southeastern Community College in Auto Mechanics, Auto Body, and Auto Electrical programs. Pius and Frederick had to take many of the courses over because of the language barrier, a difficulty with which Robert was intimately familiar. Robert painstakingly helped the young men with reading comprehension and math, not to mention finances.

The Mapes' household was what you might call ?atypical.? There was always an open door, with all types of people coming and going, sort of an ?international house.? A funny side story is that Robert's daughter, Carol, being fun-loving, put a rubber skeleton in Pius' chili at her Halloween party. Pius, thinking the skeleton was supposed to be there, tried to cut it up and eat it. They all got a good laugh over that one.

The plan for Pius and Frederick was that they were to return to Africa and start a business. However, upon graduation, Cameroon was in turmoil, so Pius and Frederick stayed. They got their green cards and started working. Pius moved to Washington, D.C., where members of his tribe lived, and married a woman from Cameroon. He and his wife have children, and own and operate an auto repair shop in Blacklick, Ohio, near Columbus. Frederick lives and works in Galesburg, Ill. with his wife and children. They all keep in touch.

Through the hard work, sacrifice, and benevolence of Robert Mapes, two young men had their lives completely changed. Robert Mapes: doing his part for the betterment of the world.

Have a good story? Call Curt Swarm in Mt. Pleasant at 319-217-0526, email him at curtswarm@yahoo.com, or visit his Web site at www.empty-nest-words-photos-and-frames.com