preview

The Heroes Of Joe Rantz

Good Essays

Heroes are leaders who are brave, strong-willed, and bold. Ordinary people can be heroes if they have the perseverance to extraordinary actions. Heroes are people who put others’ needs before their own. These individuals sacrifice themselves for others. They rise up from rock bottom to do ground-breaking actions that no one believed that they could. To many, Joe Rantz is considered a true hero for never giving up when others gave up on him.
The life of Joe Rantz was very hectic and filled with many changes. He was born on March 34th, 1914 in Spokane, Washington to Nellie and Harry Rantz. He lived a relatively easygoing and normal life up till the age of 4 when his mother died. After the death of his mother Joe Rantz moved many times …show more content…

So Joe’s life in exile began. Although Joe was able to care for himself, his life had become sad, narrow, and lonely. On a stormy day in November of 1924 Joe’s life yet again changed. Thula had gone into labor with their third child but it took all night for them to get to the doctor so that she could deliver their first girl, Rose. That was Thula’s last straw.. A few weeks later they packed up once again, picked up Joe from the school house and went live in Thula’s parent’s basement in Alki Point, Seattle. By 1925 Harry bought an auto repair and tire shop in Sequim, Washington. He was enrolled at the school in Sequim which he attended everyday, this is where he met his childhood sweetheart and the woman that he would eventually marry, Joyce Simdars. One day when Joe was coming back from school he saw his family in their black car as if they were never coming back. Harry told Joe that they were leaving and that since Joe was all grown up he was going to stay in Sequim, alone. So yet again Joe was abandoned in a half finished house with no money and no one to help him. Soon after, he got a job working for one of his neighbors to help cut wood. In the summer of 1923, Joe got a letter from his brother Fred who was now living in Seattle asking Joe to come live with them. So Joe left Sequim and went to live with his brother in Seattle. While attending the Roosevelt High School, Joe joined the gymnastic team.

Get Access