Indiana Town Takes Heart in Art

For 620 days, William J. Schroeder lived with an artificial heart, longer than any other artificial heart recipient. He died on Aug. 6, 1986, at Humana Hospital-Audubon in Louisville, Ky., after suffering a massive stroke, one of many he suffered after receiving the Jarvik-7 heart on Nov. 23, 1984. To commemorate his courage, the townspeople of Jasper, Ind., Schroeder’s hometown, will dedicate a 13 1/2-foot, 4,000-pound stainless steel sculpture titled “Gateway to the Heart.” The memorial, which was designed by Jasper sculptor Bernard Hagedorn, will be unveiled in November at the new Bill Schroeder Sports Complex at Jasper High School. It contains an arch that Hagedorn said represents both the gateway to the sports complex and the gateway to Jasper. Hagedorn said it signifies the triumph of Schroeder’s return to Jasper for its annual Strassenfest in August, 1985, a year before his death at age 54. Schroeder’s widow, Margaret, said: “I thought maybe someday there would be something, but nothing like this. It’s really overwhelming.”

--The members of St. Mary Magdalene Church in Mortehoe, England, had raised $18,500 in the last 18 months--but not enough to pay for the restoration of the church’s weather-ravaged, 900-year-old Norman tower, one of Britain’s oldest. This week their prayers were answered. An anonymous benefactor wadded up a money order worth $42,000 and stuffed it in a church collection box. “It’s what a lot of people have been hoping and praying for,” the Rev. John Butterfield said. “Perhaps the person saw how hard we were working and decided to lend a helping hand.” Church official Tim Lusten, who found the unsigned money order folded several times and pressed through a small opening in the church’s wall box, said he first thought it was a hoax. “But the bank confirmed it was authentic, although they can’t divulge who donated it.”

--Eighteen people with the “feet that made America great,” were inducted into the Foot Hall of Fame in New York City, an elaborate publicity gimmick to publicize the opening of the first American outlet of a Canadian firm called the Foot Authority. Those putting their best feet forward included Lou Brock, the former star of the St. Louis Cardinals, who holds the major league career record for stolen bases; former Deputy U.N. Ambassador Charles Cook, who watched as Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev banged his shoe on a table during a protest at the United Nations in September, 1960; Brenda Bufalino, world’s fastest tap dancer, and Herbie Kirsch, a waiter for 41 years.