ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, January 28, 1997 TAG: 9701280029
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG
SOURCE: KATHY LOAN STAFF WRITER
Two weeks ago, fire ripped through part of Jack's Garage, gutting an office and leaving heavy smoke damage throughout.
Spared from serious damage was a huge mural that adorns the building's front and aims to get customers and passers-by on busy Virginia 8 onto the right spiritual road.
Jack Peterson, 57, is a fundamentalist Christian. Baptized a Catholic, he chose the Baptist faith more than 35 years ago. He attends Auburn Baptist Church. After moving here in 1977 from New York, he ran Texaco and Shell service stations before opening his own garage 14 years ago.
Peterson serves up a measure of the Gospel with his mechanical services. He was noted for keeping a "God's box" by his cash register in which people would place IOUs when they couldn't pay right away.
Now, facing renovation bills with no insurance, Peterson is reaping what he has sown. Customers and friends are pitching in to help him restart the business and have opened a fund to help him pay for repairs.
The spared mural was painted in 1982 by a Galax man Peterson hired to re-create an image that Peterson first saw in a catalog published by the Bible Believer's Evangelistic Association. Self-trained artist Lacy Breeding copied the picture from a postcard.
"They have really lasted a long time. They have really weathered the storms," Peterson said of the mural, religious quotes and patriotic slogans that adorn the four-bay garage.
The fire is something Peterson plans to weather also. Friends, former workers and others are pitching in to help clean up the damage and get the shop reopened this week. Peterson said he didn't carry insurance on the business because he couldn't afford it.
"The smoke did more damage than anything," Peterson said.
With January's ice, snow and cold temperatures, the cleanup has been slow going. But the short stint of warm weather last week helped.
"This is where it started," Peterson said a week ago, as he opened the door to the office where hardly anything remains but charred walls and toilet fixtures
"It just ripped the whole office. It's condemned on this side." A new roof will be needed there.
Peterson said the fire was discovered at about 2:30 p.m. Jan. 11 when Scott Lynch, who stores parts in the basement, stopped by. The business wasn't open that Saturday.
Peterson credits Lynch, a maintenance worker for McDonald's, with saving the building.
"He just happened to come by and see smoke," and called the Fire Department.
Peterson is also a cattle farmer. The fire broke out when he was away feeding his stock.
He believes an electrical problem with a freezer started the fire. Christiansburg Fire Chief Jimmy Epperly has ruled the blaze accidental.
Electricity and telephone service were restored Thursday. Two friends and former workers, Lee Howell and Don Cox, have been helping him clean up debris and remove smoke damage from vehicles that were in the bays. Cox and Richard Oliver, a friend of Peterson's, cleaned up the office last week.
Losing two weeks of work has been a hardship, but Peterson said customers have been understanding.
One day last week, several dropped by to let Peterson know they wanted to help him. Peterson's approach to his predicament appears equal parts humor and faith.
"It makes a man a little humble," Peterson said. "I think it's done more for me in a lot of ways. But the Lord will provide, he'll take care in due time."
Longtime customer Roger Carpenter dropped by. "If you need anything, let me know," Carpenter told him, explaining to a visitor, "He's a good man. He's always been there for me."
Peterson returns his attention to an interviewer's questions, propping one foot on a wood stove and continuing to talk as Carpenter repeatedly tries to interrupt - "Jack, Jack" - but to no avail. Finally, Carpenter declares "Jack, your shoes are burning!"
Peterson takes the warning in stride, nonchalantly pulling the shoe off the stove and placing the other there for warming while continuing the conversation.
Thelma Hogge, another customer, said a benevolent fund has been set up for Peterson and his burned-out garage at First National Bank, P.O. Box 600, Christiansburg, Va. 24073, Attention: Peggy Long.
Hogge said she became a customer of Peterson's when he was suggested by her pastor at Cambria Baptist Church. "He's kept us on the road. He's just a good guy. He goes out of his way to help you," Hogge said.
Staff writer Kenneth Singletary contributed to this report.
LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ALAN KIM STAFF. Jack Peterson stands in front of hisby CNBsmoke-damaged Jack's Garage. A fire started at the right rear corner
of the business, heavily damaging the office in the front (under the
sign) and covering the inside of the garage with black soot. A mural
above the garage doors also was slightly damaged. color.