© 1993 Ruth L. Czankus
© 1993 The Fellowship for readers of The Urantia Book
THE AMERICAN MANSE
WHITNEY-HALSEY HOME
39 South Street
Belmont, NY 14183
April 5, 1993
Dear Janet,
Ihope this letter arrives in time for the spring issue. I received the 12/92 issue of The STUDY GROUP HERALD today.
As I will be 75 on Sunday, April 11th I thought it best to pass on my experiences at the above mansion. I did not recognize the house for what it is. Usually I converted large houses into apartments.
Because of the delay in clearing the deed I was allowed to move in. Once I settled (ha!) in, people kept knocking on the door asking, “Can we see the house?” After a few of these experiences I researched the history, then opened the house for public tours. I refurbished the house twice (updated), sold antiques, had a B&B (bed and breakfast inn), and I am still restoring the house.
In 1955 I had the awareness of the Urantia Papers, but due to my forthcoming world tour that year I felt I would not be able to read it due to limitation of space and time. Consequently, I did not read it until the winter of 1965 in Florida. The Urantia reader Joseph Katerina of St. Petersburg shared some of the knowledge and later gifted me with the book.
After reading The Urantia Book in 1975, I celebrated Christmas here in August, giving tours and Christmas parties on August 21 st at noon. The tree is up all year to remind me to share the Jesus Revelation. I give them some of the excerpts from the good book in hopes it will entice them to read it. A lady tourist from California mentioned that she reads The Urantia Book and an employee of mine said that he had heard of it. I feel this project exists to share this information of love and excellence.
My hope for the future of The Urantia Book is that the copyright be eliminated and that it be produced at a lesser price, produce movies, and give radio programs to widen the scope of readers. The Urantia Book and Concordex or Key Word Index should be sold as a unit to inspire further reading.
‘We’ have a study group in Waverley, New York outside of Elmira. Dr. Zehr and his wife Betty have a beautiful home overlooking the valley. I named it “Paradise II.” We had a meeting yesterday.
Because of this will of God project I am kept young in spirit, but at the moment I am very upset about the copyright contest. Eric Shaveland of Boulder summed it up in - “The Urantia Papers are a revelation!..‘Nooot.’”
The TRUTH will set us freel
In Christ I am
Ruth L. Czankus