Published Saturday, March 1, 2003
lives of local folks
and Larissa Theodore
Herald Staff Writers
For 30 years, Mr. Rogers swung through his front door, singing, "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood," as he exchanged his suit jacket for a cardigan sweater and his dress shoes for comfy sneakers.
Fred Rogers' death on Thursday left many who grew up watching him on TV recalling fond memories of him and their favorite moments of his show.
"I remember when he started, probably because I grew up in Pittsburgh," said Bob Devlin of West Middlesex. "I remember every day at 11:30 a.m. sitting down with a sandwich for lunch and watching Mr. Rogers.
"I got to see his earliest shows before the rest of the world knew about him. My favorite part was the Land of Make Believe."
Devlin also recalled an episode in which Mr. Rogers told kids they can't go down the drain. He said it was timely because one of his brothers or sisters was afraid of going down the drain when they were young.
Devlin said Mr. Rogers was important "because he talked in a language that kids understand and talked about things that were important to kids. I still have fond recollections of him."
Paris Krouse, a sixth-grade student teacher at Oakview Elementary School in West Middlesex, said he remembers watching Mr. Rogers almost every afternoon in first and second grades.
"I felt so sad when I heard he died of cancer," he said.
Krouse said the episodes he liked best were when Mr. Rogers would take his viewers on a field trip, such as to a candy factory.
"I liked the Land of Make Believe," he said. "But some of the puppets scared me."
Krouse said Mr. Rogers was from a different time, compared to the popular children's shows now, such as "Barney" or any action cartoon.
"He was at a different tempo," Krouse said. "He was so mild compared to what these kids are watching now."
Valerie Morrison, a second-grade teacher at Farrell Elementary School, said she also liked the Neighborhood of Make Believe.
"I was so infatuated with the puppets," she said. "I would just like to watch it for the little trolley and the Neighborhood of Make Believe."
Some were even lucky enough to meet him in person.
"He was No. 1 for me," said Dr. Annette Theofilos, a dentist in Hermitage. "I met him at a wedding one time, and that was my highlight."
Lauren Sauer, 18, a senior at Lakeview High School, said she was sad after learning the news about Rogers Thursday at school from a friend who heard it on the radio.
"When I was little I watched him," the Sandy Lake resident said. "My mom liked that he came from Pittsburgh and because she came from Pittsburgh."
Melanie Baum, a sophomore at Sharon High School, remembered how much she loved Mr. Rogers when she was young. Melanie said she had a green sweater that she wore whenever she watched his show on television.
"I'm really sad he's gone," she said.
Herald Staff Writer Amanda Smith-Teutsch contributed to this story.