Two Weeks After Waking Up In Body Bag, Man Dies

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by Mark Memmott

Walter Williams, the 78-year-old man from Mississippi who two weeks ago “came back to life once he was put on an embalming table,” has died.

According to The Clarion-Ledger of Jackson, Miss., Holmes County Coroner Dexter Howard said Williams died around 1 a.m. Thursday. CNN adds that the coroner believes Williams died of natural causes.

As for mistakenly concluding in February that Williams had died then, Howard said that “every case I do is a learning experience.”

The Clarion-Ledger says Williams’ family is glad for the time he was able to be with them the past two weeks:

“We’re at peace; we know he has fought a good fight,” said his daughter, Mary Williams. “His sister was able to make it into town, and he got to see his last grandchild and all of his grandkids. That was a blessing.”

The newspaper reminds readers that:

“The father of 11, grandfather of 15 and great-grandfather of six had gone into hospice in late February because of congestive heart failure. He was declared dead by a coroner the first time in the early hours of Feb. 27 when neither the coroner nor others, including nurses, could find a pulse.

“He was transported to the funeral home, where he began to move. An ambulance was called, and shortly thereafter, he was back in the hospital, talking to family and friends.

“Williams told family members, when they asked about his experience, that he thought he had just gone into a deep sleep.”

Now, nephew Eddie Hester tells local TV station WAPT, “I think he’s gone this time.”

“The same coroner and the same funeral home director came this time, and when they got there, I said, ‘I thought y’all were going to send somebody else,’ and we laughed about it. Everybody laughed,” Hester also told the station.

He adds that his uncle’s story has been “a two-week miracle for me and I enjoyed every minute of it, and my family did too.”

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/03/14/290105529/two-weeks-after-waking-up-in-body-bag-man-dies

Thanks to Ray Gaudette for bringing this to the attention of the It’s Interesting community.

Dalls Cowboys’ emergency quarterback Jon Kitna will donate his pay to the high school where he’s teaching math.

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by Mark Memmott

Whether or not you like the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, this news may warm your heart: Jon Kitna, who is coming out of retirement to be the team’s emergency quarterback on Sunday, plans to donate his $53,000 paycheck from the game to the Tacoma, Wash., high school where he now teaches math and coaches football.

According to the Dallas Morning News:

“Much has been made of the Cowboys signing high school math teacher Jon Kitna out of retirement to figure into their quarterback puzzle against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. Almost every reference has mentioned the quarterback, who retired from the Cowboys after the 2011 season, will earn about $53,000 for his Christmas week’s work.

“Only Kitna, 41, is not keeping the money. It didn’t come up in his Christmas Day media scrum in the locker room. But later, while relaxing on a locker room couch and reconnecting with radio play-by-play voice Brad Sham, Kitna said he would be donating his NFL check to his school [Lincoln High in Tacoma]. He also told several teammates.”

Kitna has been pressed into service by the team because a herniated disc may keep starting quarterback Tony Romo from playing. Romo’s backup, Kyle Orton, is expected to start instead. Kitna has been tapped to be Orton’s backup and he’s helping at practices this week while Romo rests.

Sunday night’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles is important: Whichever team wins will get into the playoffs. NBC-TV is the broadcaster.

Lincoln High, according to The Seattle Times, is where Kitna went to high school. He guided his team “to an 8-2 record this season, but the Abes lost to eventual state runner-up Eastside Catholic in the district playoffs. Kitna is 13-7 in two seasons as head coach.”

He retired after the 2011 season. Kitna’s last three years were with the Cowboys — mostly as Romo’s backup. Earlier in his career, he had been a starter with the Seattle Seahawks, Cincinnati Bengals and Detroit Lions.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/12/26/257372387/cowboys-emergency-qb-kitna-will-give-away-his-pay

Thanks to Dr. Lutter for bringing this to the attention of the It’s Interesting community.