When an old person dies, a library burns to the ground. —Variation of an African proverb
In the mid-1990s, Mrs. Irene Harrison (1890–1999) from Akron, Ohio, stayed in my bed-and-breakfast in Western North Carolina. On her last visit, Mrs. Harrison, daughter of famed tire entrepreneur Frank Seiberling, was 105 years old. She was a petite, gracious lady of the old school who proved highly entertaining on some occasions. Once when I was passing through the living room, she was discussing politics with her son. I paused to ask her to name her favorite president.“Roosevelt!” she exclaimed.
