just red the bio on murray franklin. i met murray in the mid 80s he owned a hotel in surfside and was , i believe partners with bud bailey . murray was a really nice man. i actually hung out with him over a two year period , when i came down from toronto to visit my parents. when i first met him he said your not a bad looking IRISh. i said no JEWISH. YOU DO NOT LOOK JEWISH. i answered and said, murray i just found out last month there was a goyum in the wood pile, broke him up. as a example. i seen many times , when somebody asked for the time pull down his zipper and nobody knew what to expect, pull out a pocket watch and give the time, male or female.i know he was good friends with big time entertainers, like Frank SINATRA., who wished him happy birthday on national television and apologized for not being at his birthday party. i could go on and on but i will leave with one last story. i drove murray around a few times in his red cadi. one day i help him out of the car and grab his arm and he says to me, you know murray i am thinking of getting a gun. i reply what are you nuts. at that time i believe was mid 80s. do you think that at my age i am going to get rolled or take a beating from some of these young punks. if i shoot them what are going to do give me life and lets out with that great laugh he had..normally i do not get into e mails, but i looked murray franklin and red the e mail from his grand daughter and out of respect , i thought a couple stories would bring a smile and a tear; barbara you were blessed to have a grandfather as loveable as murray

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A year passed and my Mother decided to relocate our family to Miami, Florida where she had earlier enjoyed avoiding New York winters with my sister who is ten years older than me. Driving South was a five day long adventure (1952 roads, etc.); reaching Central Florida we began to read signs simply stating “SeeThe Big Tree”.

Recalling the Ezekiel story read to me, I persistently implored that we stop to see The Big Tree. My Mother agreed and we looked with wonder at the majestic Cypress towering some 128 feet above us. It turned dark and we decided to stay in a local Motel nearby. Awakening to an orange blossom scented morning, my Mother decided to drive around and discovered a New England like town with 50-foot-tall Laurel Oak trees draped in Spanish Moss and a small Liberal Arts College (Rollins College). She decided then and there to abandon her plans to go to Miami Beach, Florida and settle instead in Central Florida!

Thus, I spent the better part of my next fifty years living and working in Central Florida. I graduated from Winter Park’s Elementary School, Glenridge Junior High, Winter Park High School, and have an undergraduate and graduate degree from Rollins College.

As Chairman of the History Department of Trinity Preparatory School I created and taught the first Afro-American History Courses in the State of Florida and taught many students who commuted from Sanford (Ezekiel’s home)!

Having most recently learned that Elvira Garner attended Rollins College for two years and resided in Sanford, Florida, it seems an incredible coincidence! Three of my children were born in Central Florida. In 1986 we enjoyed a picnic with Hand-Made Milk Shakes and Kentucky Fried Chicken while gazing in awe at The Big Tree. Were it not for “Ezekiel” and The Big Tree, none of the above would have occurred!

The Book was read to me often by my Mom and we picnicked at the Big Tree Park often in the 60s.