Ring one for Boyd

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The Friedens United Church of Christ bell tolled 20 times at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 19 as part of a nationwide tribute to the 400,000 individuals who died due to COVID-19 complications. One of those tolls was dedicated to Johnny Boyd Gabel, the man who rang that very bell for decades up to the point of his death late last year.

“At least one of those was for Boyd,” said Friedens Pastor Ford Craig.

Churches throughout the country last Tuesday participated in the bell ringing hosted by the Presidential Inaugural Committee. The ceremony was meant to honor those who lost their lives in the COVID-19 pandemic, including Gabel, who died from the virus on Nov. 10.

For more than 50 years, Gabel had been the man behind the tolls at Friedens. Before that, his father and grandfather served as the bell ringers for the church. Last Tuesday’s ceremony marked one of the few times a member of the Gabel family had not rung the bell in nearly a century.

“It’s an unfortunate, ironic thing,” Craig said. “Here we were ringing the bell

in remembrance of the 400,000 who have died and in support of frontline workers and the only person in our congregation who had passed away from (COVID-19) was our bell ringer.”

Long-time congregation member Don Pracheil assumed the role of bell ringer after Gabel’s death. The gravity of Pracheil’s new duty was not lost on him as he pulled the rope 20 times.

“I was definitely thinking of Boyd,” said Pracheil, who recollected that Gabel’s presence in the church was marked by far more than the sounds of the bell on Sunday mornings. “Boyd was a great singer, he had this really deep voice. I’d sit three or four pews in front of him and I could hear him really well.”

A member of the church his entire life, Pracheil said Gabel’s pride in Friedens showed through his dedication. Gabel rarely missed a service and spent his free time ensuring that the church was in tip-top shape.

“He was council president, he was an elder, he was a trustee….he was always involved,” Pracheil said. “I helped him fix windows and do electrical work. He did a lot of projects.”

Craig, who moved to the area from North Platte five years ago, immediately recognized Gabel as a cornerstone of the church.

“He was alway so upfront and welcoming,” Craig said.

Pracheil added that Gabel’s presence added to the atmosphere at Friedens every bit as much as his service as bell ringer and efforts to keep the church in working order.

“Boyd always had a smile on his face and always looked at the good side of things,” Pracheil said. “You hear that laughter has healing power and that was definitely Boyd.”