Brother Writes Book to Teach Children About Bullying
“This is the story of a kind giant. He lived near a town called Manheim.”
Brother Mike Gerhard, Manheim Lodge No. 587, was determined to tell the story of Jack Fasig, the 20th century strongman legend who lived in the Manheim area.
The 7-foot-tall, nearly 400-pound man, also known as “The Gentle Giant,” was powerful and strong, but also kind, using his great strength and stature to help others, not intimidate them.
“Jack was not a bully [despite his size],” Mike said. “He knew that with great power came a greater responsibility. Over the past few years, bullying people and disparaging others has been seen by many as an attribute of being a powerful, tough guy, when, in fact, the exact opposite is true.”
Mike had long heard stories about Jack and his feats of strength from his former co-workers at Raymark Industries, a former asbestos-based product manufacturer. Jack was known to lift cars out of ditches, carry 100-pound sacks of grain from Manheim to his house – over one mile away – and lift a child with just one finger. One day on his way home, with help from his mule, Stanley, Jack removed a huge rock from a farmer’s field, lifting it over his head and throwing it out of the way. More than just brawn, Jack could also recite Shakespeare and even the Gettysburg address.
Mike spent long days reading books about Jack and consulting with the Lititz and Manheim Historical Societies. When he grew frustrated with his 200-page manuscript, one of his daughters, a local newspaper reporter, suggested he write and illustrate a children’s book instead of a novel, especially since he liked to draw. That way, he could focus on the good things Jack did and teach children that true leaders “are kind, gentle and care about others and not just themselves,” he said.
Mike worked on the book, “Gentle Giant: A Story of Jack Fasig, Legend of Lancaster,” through the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, he self-published it. Today, it is still available in local bookstores and on Amazon.com.
“The book has been moderately successful,” Mike said. “At the local level, I still have some books left from my third printing. I think I sold close to 300 copies.”
Jack was born in 1894 and died of a heart attack at age 57. He had a brief boxing career and, according to newspaper stories written about him, would take up wrestling challenges from traveling circus strongmen and defeat them all. Mike shares a similar appreciation for the martial arts. He has a fifth-degree master’s belt in karate and taught martial arts out of his home studio for 34 years.
While he doesn’t consider himself a hero, in 2013, Mike aided two men caught in a riptide in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The story made national news, and Mike was awarded a citation from the Pennsylvania State Senate.
Mike plans to start a lecture series about Jack and has nearly completed a 135-page screenplay he’s marketing to production companies. (He toned down some of the details about Jack in the children’s book because it was geared toward younger audiences).
“Writing the book – it kept my brain sharp,” he said. “The screenplay has been a real challenge to write. I bought a book about how to write a screenplay in 21 days. And I finished it in nine months.”
When he’s not writing, Mike is active in the local community. He plays the “town crier” at local events in Manheim. The Manheim Historical Society also approached him to play “Belsnickel,” a crotchety gift giver (also known as “Bad Santa”) during the holiday season.
