Little Flower Carriers is a small local non-profit organization that initially got it's start in December of 2008. The inspiration for this project came one night through prayer and meditation of scripture...In the quietness of prayer, a local Toledoan by the name of Rose Dennis was inspired to send a bouquet of flowers to a Hospice patient anonymously for Christmas. This gesture was the seed that sprouted the beginning of the Little Flower Carriers Project...After a few weeks, Rose decided that it would be nice to do this on a monthly basis so she emailed various local flower shops requesting their support. However it was Glass City Flowers of Toledo, Ohio owned by Benadette Opsahl which generously came forward...Although the local flower shop struggles financially with competition and the pressure of the local economic conditions, shop owner, Bernadette Opsahl, still opened her heart and forfeited resources, profit and time to support this endeavor...Over time, Rose and Bernadette became good friends and discovered there were providential coincidences they shared; for example, at one time they were both affiliated with the same church, their daughters went to the same school and Bernadette's family, like Rose, had dreamed of setting up a non-profit organization in memory of their Father too...Thus Little Flower Carriers, which was initially dedicated in memory of Rose's Dad, is today dedicated to two very special Fathers. Their profiles are written below:
Harold Ronald Dennis (Rose's Dad)
Harold Ronald Dennis was a hardworking blue collar worker who was a Postal Carrier for Wernert's Corner Post Office in Toledo, Ohio...He was a excellent Father, loving husband but what Rose remembers most about her Dad is he was a follower of Christ not just in words but how he lived his life. Even after he was diagnosed with Cancer, he was full of love and compassion for others...
A year before he passed away, Rose and her Dad had a talk one Summer night...She asked her Father if there was anywhere in the world he could go on vacation, where would he like to go? After a few moments of quiet reflection, he said; I always wanted to go to Hawaii...At that moment, Rose decided to withdrawal her savings and plan a trip for Dad, Mom and herself to visit Hawaii...They had planned on taking the trip together in July of 1999, however Harold passed away in May 1999...
A couple months later, Rose and her Mom, went to Hawaii. One morning Rose drove to get groceries to bring back to the hotel...When driving back to the resort, she got lost...She found herself on a desolate road that dead end to a small old Church surrounded by palm trees...On an impulse, she decided to get out and try the door of the church...Upon entering the empty Chapel, she felt in her spirit the desire to pray there and light a candle for her Dad...
Later that evening, she found her way back to the beautiful little church because she wanted to show it to her Mom...However, when approaching the building this time, they saw something new; a beautiful little rainbow had sprouted up aligned directly behind the Church...Rose's Mom, (not knowing that Rose had asked God the night her Dad passed away for a sign that her Father was ok) said 'That's a sign from your Dad"...It turns out the Church's name was St. Raphael and the name Raphael means'God Heals'.
To this day Rose is so thankful for God's kindness and love that manifest itself all the time...It is for this reason that with each bouquet she donates, she says this little prayer; "It's out of love for your Sacred Heart Jesus, love for my neighbor and in memory of my Dad that I offer this gesture of kindness"...In addition, she prays for the Hospice patients that are the recipients of the bouquets as well as their families....Recently a new dream has been impressed on Rose's heart that one day she will be able to extend this mission of charity to the terminally ill children of St. Jude's Children's Hospital. It is her hope to send out these bouquets the first Friday of every month (a day some Christians practice reverance, prayer and adoration towards The Sacred Heart of Jesus).
Robert Joseph Gschaar (Bernadette's Dad)
Bernadette's Father Robert Joseph Gschaar (March 8, 1946 - September 11, 2001) was a victim of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. He was a 55-year-old resident of Spring Valley, New York, and worked as a Supervisor for Aon Corporation.
A Bronx native, Gschaar graduated from DeWitt Clinton High School in 1964 and later received a BS in Business from Long Island University. An avid reader and life-long history buff, he studied the military histories of numerous cultures and was particularly interested in the American Civil War. Gschaar worked for numerous insurance companies throughout his working career, on July 7, 2001, after several years of moving about as a temporary underwriter, he was hired as a Supervisor with AON Corporation, working on the 92nd floor of World Trade Center Tower 2.
On September 11, 2001, shortly after the first plane struck Tower 1, Gschaar spoke to his wife, Myrta, over the phone and related that his building was fine, but that he was evacuating his team of 30 employees. "I'll call you as soon as I can," he told her.
At 9:02 AM, a second plane struck Tower 2 where Gschaar and his co-workers were in the process of vacating their offices. According to survivors from AON Corp, Gschaar was last seen somewhere between the 40th and 50th floors. Robert Gschaar was killed when Tower 2 collapsed at 9:59 AM.
In November 2004, Myrta Gschaar was notified that Rob's wallet and wedding ring had been found at the World Trade Center site; a short time later, Rob's remains were identified through DNA. Robert Gschaar was interred in Oak Hill Cemetery in Nyack, New York on September 9, 2006 – nearly five years after his death.
Little Flower Carriers is also dedicated to the memory of this wonderful Father and American hero. Robert Gschaar put others before himself; for in his last moments of life, he was thinking of his employees first as well as contacting his wife in the spirit of love.
