2025.05.14 THROW BACK THURSDAY - SHADOW LANE HOME OF HEROES

THROW BACK THURSDAY - SHADOW LANE HOME OF HEROES  

 PLUS CLASS NEWS

Shadow Lane - Home of Heroes - Thanks Jim Pfeifer!

Those who spent their childhood on Shadow Lane, a little two-block-long street stretching from Club Road to Cantrell, tend to fondly recall it as a “great place to grow up.” About a hundred years ago, the planners of Shadow Lane designed the road in a subtle lazy curve to encourage slower travel and they placed a small park at one end to give residents a more peaceful setting. Mary Allsopp’s recollection of her childhood on Shadow Lane goes back to when Cantrell was a low-traffic two-lane street, “We hit baseballs from the small park across Cantrell road where owners allowed us to hit balls into their yards. Amazingly, Cantrell was not too busy then for us to cross it and retrieve our balls!”

Some of the street’s handsome historic homes (shown here), continue to reflect the intent of their original designers and contribute to the architectural diversity of the neighborhood and the city. Equally interesting are the stories of the families which lived behind these handsome facades. They include heroes who sacrificed to protect our country.

By mid-1928 a home on Shadow Lane near Cantrell was first occupied by Col John R. Fordyce Jr. and his family, whose members would live there for the remainder of the century. Fordyce had graduated from Harvard University, and had served as a Navy pilot. By the early 1940s he had become a business executive, Arkansas National Guard leader, and state legislator while raising with Mrs. Fordyce four young children.... and then he was called to duty at the early stages of World War 2. He was sent to North Africa, where under his command, his unit captured a strategic air base in North Africa from the Germans. After advancement to further Allied leadership roles, he was killed in the plane he was piloting over North Africa in May of 1943. His loss was felt so strongly by the greater Arkansas community that plans to name Little Rock Air Force Base for Col Fordyce advanced as far as approval by the United States House of Representatives, before a decision was made to recognize our city name instead. His daughter Mary Fordyce Allsopp and her husband Billy remain valued Heights residents today. New owners have continued to respect the historic English Revival architecture of the Fordyce home which still stands in a handsome garden setting facing the small park where Mary batted baseballs decades ago.

Fordyce neighbor Dick Freeling, who lived on Shadow Lane for decades, also left a legacy which inspires us in our Memorial Day remembrance of those who protected our freedom. Photos of Mr. Freeling in early 1940s Razorback yearbooks show a handsome young member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, brimming with visions of beginning a career and a family, surrounded by the many friends he had begun to amass. World War 2 and the advance of Hitler interrupted his dreams. Freeling soon found himself in the midst of world war he had never expected. Shortly after D-Day Lt Freeling found his unit under attack in a village in Germany and according to reports, he “jumped on the top of a tank" and began firing a 50 calibre machine gun to protect his soldiers. He was shot in the head by the Nazi’s and was permanently blinded. While recuperating in a California hospital, he met Marie Hare, the woman who was to become his wife and bear his children.

He and Mrs, Freeling returned to Little Rock and Dick operated his own insurance agency for many years. After a brief retirement, he decided to try his hand at selling municipal bonds, but he had to first pass a difficult brokers' licensing exam for which the study manuals were all written. Mrs. Freeling read the lengthy manuals into a tape recorder and Dick memorized and passed the test through these tapes and he successfully entered the bonds business with his seeing eye dog, Chris. He also became an expert in amateur radio operation and spoke to people all over the world through this media. He swam and worked out at the YMCA, gave inspirational talks and messages to groups, and assisted in all kinds of training improvements for the blind. Just reading about the life of Dick Freeling brings inspiration.

The longtime home of Dick Freeling is no longer visible on Shadow Lane but his spirit and determination have to be there. I tried to breathe some of it in while walking the Street

Thanks are due to all the service men and women who have stood up for America, as well as the following who have assisted with this article: Rick Freeling, Mary Allsopp, Bill Allsopp, Dee Sullivan, and the desk staff at Roberts Library.

1956 CLASS NEWS

Had a lunch meeting today with some of the LRCHS Alumni Board members.  I sent everyone a flyer regarding

Tigerfest Tuesday.  We're working hard to gather donations and to sell tickets.  $25 each gets you all you can

eat Corky's BBQ, dessert and drinks (soft and adult).  A great band will be playing.  We'll be starting early enough

that you can come, eat, listen to the band for awhile and still get home before dark.  I'll keep nudgin' you!!!  

Obituary of Lloyd Kassler's wife, Beth Rice Kassler

Beth Rice Kassler Age 86

Passed away May 8, 2025 after a brief and hard-fought battle with Glioblastoma Brain Cancer.  
Beth was bom November 23, 1938, in Santa Rosa, New Mexico. Upon graduation from high
school she moved to Little Rock, Arkansas to attend SVI School of Nursing. It was during this
time that she met the love of her life during a church retreat to Petit Jean State Park. Beth and
Lloyd were married on February 20, 1960. After a break when she started her family she
resumed and finished her degree graduating in 1966.  Beth enjoyed a wonderful celebration
of her life with all her family on Easter weekend before she entered hospice care.  The family
will hold a memorial service at a later date.

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Sending a little early.  Granddaughter graduating from law school so I'll be on a plane to Pittsburgh

before any of you even think of getting up . . . I think!?

ML