Fred
was born in Crawfordsville, Indiana, to Kenneth and Doris Knox. His dad was in management at RR Donnelly Printing Co., a bible and road map printer and a major employer in the county. His mom was a part owner in a local diner and ran the business for 42 years. Fred has three older sisters (two deceased) and a younger brother.
At Crawfordsville High School, Fred participated in both wrestling and tennis on the varsity squads, and though one of the smaller schools, these teams excelled in these sports. In fact, due to his love wrestling, he began officiating after high school and even moved on to the college level for a time.
Fred’s career path led him to Indianapolis where he joined a sales training program at Van Camp Hardware. However, shortly after joining this company, he was drafted into the Army and spent six months active duty before joining a program where he could finish his obligation in the National Guard. After returning to his territory in Bloomington, Illinois, he spent six months there before being transferred to Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he lived for nine years. In early 1960, Uncle Sam came calling again, and Fred’s National Guard unit was called to active duty due to the Berlin Wall crisis. He spent nearly a year at Ft. Gordon in Georgia and by this time, two of his three daughters had arrived. Fred returned to Kalamazoo and resumed his hardware career and eventually moved into an office position to recruit trainees into a new sales program.
Fred finally made the move to Do-it Best (then HWI) as both a field salesman in Indiana and finally as a regional sales manager responsible for as many as eleven states. He retired in 2000 and continued part time as an advisor for Sullivan Hardware. He continues to represent Maze Nail Co., the only American made nail still being produced.
He credits his interest in calling on shut-ins to making sales calls at times when he would find a client that had been hospitalized or was undergoing rehab, and Fred would go to that location to visit with the individual. Upon joining Allisonville Christian Church, it was soon apparent there was a continuing need for that kind of visiting, and Fred has now called on shut-ins for nearly 20 years.
Fred was introduced to Carol Lu by a close friend and after a year of “dating” they were married in 1978 and have a blended family of five children, six grandchildren and, at last count, eleven great-grandchildren. All but one daughter and one grandson live in Indianapolis so their life has been busy with family over the nearly 42 years of their marriage.
Carol Lu
, was born and raised on the north side of Indianapolis, where she attended Broad Ripple High School and participated primarily in choir. She formed a trio that sang for school dances, even appearing on the old channel 4 at one time.
When her children were still young, Carol Lu joined Tri Kappa, a philanthropic State sorority and served the Indianapolis chapter first as recording secretary, then president. On the State level, Tri Kappa is responsible for making major contributions to Riley Hospital’s burn unit and donated the carousel that you can see there.
Carol Lu’s working life was spent in the life and health insurance business, where she worked first as a secretary, then office manager, and finally as an agent before retiring to help Fred with his ever increasing paper work. She also traveled with him when his work called for him to attend many state hardware and lumber events.
Fred and Carol Lu found ACC when traveling north on Allisonville Road one evening and noticed the sign advertising a Saturday night service. Since Carol Lu grew up and was baptized at Third Christian Church, and her family roots are deep in the denomination, this seemed like the perfect fit. Fred often left home on a Sunday in order to be in his territory on Monday morning (and okay, as anyone who knows Carol Lu will tell you, she is NOT a morning person) so they vowed that the next Saturday they would give it a try. Tried it, loved it, and the story continues . . .
