Firefighter remembered as hero, all-around good guy

When I was growing up, I had a lot of heroes.

I especially liked the men on the show “Adam 12,” and “Andy” on the Andy Griffith Show.

Besides the fact that these men were talented actors and made me laugh, I really liked that they wore uniforms and helped people.

I still remember the first lines of opening credits of “Adam 12,” about a 10-11 in progress.

I still don’t know what a 10-11 is, but I know the police always showed up on time and the problem was solved.

This week, I lost one of my heroes, a person I always admired from the back seat of my old childhood school bus and my hometown church pew.

Dennis Cauthen, 54, the Fire Chief of Elgin Volunteer Fire Department, was my hero.

He died this week, unexpectedly, after fighting a blaze in the old mill village in Lancaster.

His last efforts saved the home next door from burning and helped get another family to safety.

But that is just the kind of person he was. Firefighters, no matter what town you live in, always look after other people.

You might not know Dennis, but he seems to represent the very best characteristics of a firefighter.

Dedicated to the end, he was still at the station when he became ill and had to be taken to the hospital.

I have known Dennis and his family for my entire life.

When I was a little kid, Dennis was the first person I would see in the morning as I boarded the school bus.

I thought he was cool, because he was a teenager and could drive a bus so easily.

My mom said I would even ask him to hold my blanket while I attended class.

There were very few people that I would have given that honor in those days.

I was always asking him questions, ‘Why, why, why?’”

He never got mad.

I know from talking to the folks back home that Dennis really was a go-getter when it came time to make the famous Elgin barbecue.

The barbecue, used as a fund raiser for the Elgin fire department, draws people for miles around. It’s grown beyond Elgin and beyond Lancaster, to attract people from all over.

In addition to all that, Dennis continued to be a presence at my hometown church, St. Luke United Methodist, and also worked with the local Boy Scouts.

He was a father and a business owner and also a grandfather.

I don’t know of many people who could have handled all of that with such finesse and always have a kind smile.

I remember the last time I talked to him, I said that “7” had always been my lucky number.

I recited the times that the number “7” had figured prominently in my life.

I also reminded him of the old days on Bus 17.

Probably, I was talking too much, as usual.

He gave me a look, like, “Kelly, you’re still a little different. I don’t really understand what you’re saying, but I’ll listen anyway.”

But that’s the kind of person he was.

My daughter, Jennifer, was also assisted by him this past summer while working with the Salkehatchie summer camp in Lancaster.

He told her that he knew me as a kid and helped her with a little side project she completed for the homeowner.

His father, Jimmy Cauthen, taught Jennifer how to nail shingles and put in caulking.

She is so proud of those accomplishments.

Dennis should be proud of his hard work, as a firefighter, bus driver, church member and all-around good guy.

He will be honored at St. Luke United Methodist on Friday with a special ceremony for firefighters.

I can’t think of anyone who deserves that kind of service more than him.

I’ll sure miss you, Dennis.

Me and the kids on bus 17, or many people in need, or in a burning home, wouldn’t have made it without you.

The barbecue won’t be the same without you.

You are, and will always be, a real hero to me.