New Article on my Website

[Tom Black]

I've just added a new article to my website with pictures courtesy of Arne Persson.  Check it out:

A Virtual Journey- Strength Pilgrimage to the John Grun Monument  

[Arne]

Thank you Tom!

I'm very honoured!

Arne Persson

[Roark]

Tom,

Your idea is similar to one I have been working

on: gathering photos of gravesites of famous iron

people, Bob Hoffman, John Grimek, Joseph Curtis

Hise etc., then organizing them into a 'trip planning

route' for those interested in visiting the sites.

Eventually, with the help of many interested

contributors, perhaps we can map out where the

famous of our sport are buried. Arne has added

a significant item with your latest post. A friend in

Australia is tending to the gravesite of Launceston

Elliot, and will send a photo to me soon.

The grip list of trip planning could include Vansart,

Apollon, Inch, etc.

Perhaps by working together we can hasten the

completion, and be able to inform grip board members

which cemeteries to visit. Sound too morbid? Ah, get

a grip!

[Tom Black]

    Actually, the monument and Grun's gravesite are different.    I thought the same as you at first, but the pictures are not of his tombstone.  I think his tombstone is in the same town, but I'm sure Arne can clarify.  In my upcoming article regarding "Strength Pilgrimages" I have a picture of myself standing next to the Paul Anderson Marker on the front lawn of his childhood home (Tocca, Georgia).  It looks like a big tombstone, but again it is not.  

 My wish list for upcoming "Strength Pilgrimages" includes the Louis Cyr statue in Montréal and maybe a visit to Zern's flea market in Pennsylvania.  This is where the Mighty Atom sold products for many years. I'm not sure if there is anything commemorating him there, but it sounds like an interesting place to visit.

[Roark]

I can check for exact details, but about 20 to 30 miles from York, Pennsylvania, at a spring water company,

sits the huge bell that Bill Good used to hiplift each

year- one rep for each year of age. I visited Anderson's

boyhood home also, and saw the safe that is so famous

as used in some of his lifts. It weighs 2,300 lbs, not the

3,500 lbs claimed.

[Arne]

Hello!

I´ll give you some explaination for my interest of John Grun. My wife Annette is from Luxembourg and when I first read about John Grun and his feats, I was very suprised because of his extrem strength and because Luxembourg is one of the smallest country in the world. The population is less than 400 000 inhabitants. J asked my father-in-law Jochen Herling (the photographer) if people still know who John Grun was. He told me that John Grun is still a legend i Luxembourg. My young stepson Björn visited Luxembourg during two weeks this summer so I told him to let my father-in-law show him some "evidence of John Grun's greatness". I was suprised when I saw the photos. They show a street namned after him, the house where he lived, a big monument in the park namned Mondorf-les-Bains. There were pictures of his gravesite, it's situated i another place in the town.

I thought, when I saw the Pictures, that Tom Black and maybe some more people were interested in how this great strongman is remembered in his homeland. I don't think there are so many strongmen in the world who have streets namned after them, or monuments or statues risen on common place. I hope I can visit Luxembourg soon and visit all the places by myself and maybe meet the new strongman Georges Christen, and of course to find some more facts of John Grun.

Arne Persson

[Tom Black]

  I went to Tocca Geogria 2 years ago looking for something on Paul Anderson.  I didn’t know if there was anything at all commemorating his childhood home.  While driving along my father and I noticed that the main road through town was called, I believe, “Big A.”  I think this was Rt. 123 if you look at aTocca Georgia Map   We stopped at a very small information center in the middle of town and they knew exactly who Paul Anderson was, gave us free pictures and directions to his home.  There is a huge stone monument in front of his house.   I'll check my files tonight to see if I wrote the exact address, but it's easy to find if anyone wants to go there.  It’s nice to see a strongman remembered in this fashion.

  Arne, I'll add the picture of Grun's tombstone, but I needed to ask you about it first.  I wasn't sure if the stone was the inscription on the bottom of the monument.  The house was a little unexciting so I didn't put it in, hope you don't mind (Paul Anderson's boyhood home was very humble as well).

Joe, I’d like the details on the Good barbell.  I visit York about twice per year and that would be an excellent side trip.

[Roark]

Tom,

My search engine is on holiday, so I'll get the

details for you as soon as I can.

I do know that the man who owns the former

Good/former Travis bell is named Lynn Rannels

and he owns a spring water company in that

area. He has it placed on a platform, and strapped

down as an attraction in (I think) the parking lot

there.

By the way, Bill, who is in his early 90s still trains.

Harry Good died July 22, 1998; Walter Good passed

this year on July 8, 2001.

I assume you know Jan Dellinger at York Barbell?

Wonderful man, with a long history there and many,

almost daily, chats with Grimek before they each started

work in the morning. I have been urging Jan to write

some of his wonderful memories. If you see him, tell

him I said he is not getting any younger, or handsomer

for that matter!

[Roark]

That name should be Lynn Rannels and

the water company is called, I think, The

Crystal Springs Water Co in either Adamstown or

in Reinhold, PA. Rannels / not Ranne. Still can't

access my data.