Mary Trap Tjapkes: 1914 - 1995

Doug Tjapkes is a perfect example of a mother’s influence. 

At Age 4 

“If you’re going to keep banging on that piano, you might as well take lessons and turn that noise into music.” 

Started piano lessons at age 4, switched to classical organ lessons at age 14, and at age 84 still play the piano and/or organ in church every Sunday! Music has always been an integral part of my life! 

At age 12 

“Look at this magazine article about a kid getting on the radio! You’re always imitating radio announcers. Why don’t you try give it a try?” 

Had my first radio program at 12, my first part-time radio job at age 17, became Grand Rapids’ youngest radio News Director at age 19...and remained in the radio broadcasting business until 1983! One of my first loves, and radio is still dear to my heart! 

Influence on writing 

My mom submitted an exceptional poem to a teacher while attending Muskegon High School. The instructor insisted that she had plagiarized the piece, and gave her an F! Who knows what kind of a writer she might have become if that man had been an encourager instead of an ass? 

She and I loved writing then, and I still do. I think she'd like the books and blogs. 

Involvement with prisoners 

My mom established relationships with more than one prisoner, sending letters of encouragement and support on a regular basis, despite words of caution from other members of the family. 

Her influence no doubt led me to get involved in the Maurice Carter case, and in 2001 to create what is now HUMANITY FOR PRISONERS. 

Importance of personal notes 

When the memorial service was held for Mary Tjapkes in 1995, people showed up in droves to say that she had dropped them a note, baked them a pie, or invited them for coffee at a critical time in their lives. 

I’m still trying to live up to that! 

What a mom! Happy Mother’s Day, Mom...RIP. I’ll see you soon.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Doug...it shows! ♥
May 9, 2021 at 1:42 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Half-a-race!

The HFP Drag-Racing Fund-Raiser had the potential of being extremely successful, and could have raised several thousand dollars. Let's just say it was partly successful. For background purposes I'll explain that I was racing a 1963 supercharged Studebaker Lark that has a reputation of being one of the fastest stock Studebakers in drag racing today. The engine was built by one of the finest Studebaker engine mechanics in the country, and the car many times has achieved quarter-mile runs in less than 14 seconds! We promised to make at least ten passes in the Pure Stock Muscle Car Drags at Mid-Michigan Motorplex in Stanton, Michigan, this past weekend, and we asked for pledges ONLY ON THOSE RUNS REACHED IN LESS THAN 14 SECONDS. On Friday, here's how we fared: Run #1 13.936 @ 101.24 mph Run #2 14.027 @ 101.30 mph Run #3 14.091 @ 100.88 mph Run #4 13.805 @ 102.84 mph Run #5 14.058 @ 101.26 mph By the 5th run we discovered that ...
Read more

Gregory John McCormick: 1964-2008

Itchy is dead. The lifeless body of this talented rock musician, whose band Shock Therapy was a popular group especially in Europe, was found in a field in Detroit last Wednesday, November 5. The Wayne County Coroner's office informed father Glenn McCormick that the body of his son Gregory, better known to all of us as Itchy, bore no signs of trauma. Glenn said that Itchy, who had been living at his father's dental lab in Detroit, had been drinking to excess for some time. While the toxicology report has not been released yet, the general consensus seems to be that he drank himself to death. Our agency, while still named INNOCENT, first got involved with Itchy in 2005. The Detroit native, who called Germany his home, got involved in some unfortunate activity that placed him in the Michigan State prison system on a charge of arson of a dwelling. It was really just a bonfire in an alley, but an alleged parole violation placed him in prison for 1-20 years. I personally sat w...
Read more

Three lives, connected by a divine thread

My kids say it should be a book! The Doug, Pat and Mark story is a doozie!   About 25 years ago, while fighting to free Maurice Carter from prison, I read a newspaper column written by Pat Shellenbarger of the Grand Rapids Press on the topic of eyewitness identification. I contacted Pat re that story. That led to a friendship between Doug and Pat that continues to this day.   In subsequent months, Pat would go on to assist me in an investigation into the Maurice Carter case that eventually led to solving the crime.  That particular episode became a chapter in my book about the Carter case, SWEET FREEDOM, published in 2006.   Fast forward to 2009, A New York businessman claims wrongful conviction, and while serving time in a Michigan prison is handed a copy of my book. Mark Hartman, who was also convicted in Berrien County, was amazed at the similarity of these two stories and tried to reach out to me. His letters bounced.   Persisting in his efforts to c...
Read more