Staff Notes: Veterans Day Memory

On The Road Lending · November 06, 2020

My parents moved into our home at 6623 Wabash in Kansas City in the early 1970s. My dad, a Korean War veteran, got a mortgage through the G.I. Bill. They chose our home because of its proximity to major bus lines because we didn’t own a car. Like many other neighborhoods, ours witnessed the flight of younger white families moving to suburban school districts with only older white homeowners remaining. One of those friendly elderly neighbors, Mr. Niewald, a WWI veteran, had remained in his home with his wife where they raised their five children. He gave our family his Pontiac that he could no longer drive, which changed our lives.

After this generous gift, my brother and I didn’t have to carry bags all the way home from the grocery store up the very steep incline along Prospect Avenue. Now that we had a car ... we could go places. We were able to visit with family on Sundays and go to church without rides from others.

As we celebrate Veterans Day, I think of Mr. Niewald. He provided a gift to us that helped transform our lives. My dad, a proud, hardworking man, valued the car we named Jimmy. My dad, a Mississippi Delta native, paid forward this generous gesture by loaning our car to others and driving family members and friends where they needed to go.

While On the Road Lending doesn’t donate vehicles, we believe in people just like Mr. Niewald did and treat families and individuals with dignity and respect. If you’d like to learn more about our life-changing car loans, please REACH OUT to me.

#BelieveinPeople