From Oklahoma wheat fields to highly effective lightning reveals and bustling scenes of downtown Oklahoma City, dozens of lovely unique images line the halls of the brand new News 9 downtown workplaces, however one photograph specifically overlooking the newsroom caught the attention of a News 9 viewer on the very first morning present from 100 W. Main St.
“It was five in the morning. I was getting ready for work,” Helen Littejohn stated.
“Once I got to work, I turn the TV back on and you were saying ‘on this level’ and you pointed at this picture and said, ‘and this is one of my favorite pictures here,’” she stated.
Helen acknowledged the image immediately.
“I said, ‘that’s my daddy!’ and I just started screaming at work and crying, and people are saying ‘where?’ and I said, ‘the picture that he just pointed that that’s my father!’”
Helen reached out to News 9 on social media, saying the person identified to many as “the shoeshine man” was the truth is her father, James Littlejohn.
We invited her to the station to see the photograph for herself.
“He just passed away July 29th,” Helen, a self-proclaimed daddy’s lady stated, overcome with emotion. “I love you daddy.”
“He met a lot of people, and he always spoke about the Lord,” Helen stated. “He’s just a good hearted man all the way until the day he passed.”
Hellen stated her father started shining sneakers as a pastime at age six when Oklahoma City roads had been dusty – and clear boots price simply 5 cents.
After retiring from Oklahoma City Public Schools, Littlejohn took shining sneakers full time from the courthouse to the airport and the fairgrounds.
“Hi I’m Josh Welch,” stated a person rising from the gang that had gathered on the second flooring of the Griffin Media headquarters, “I took your fathers photograph in 2012 at the fairgrounds.”
“He remembered you as well!” Helen stated, giving Josh a hug round his neck. “He told me, ‘a young man I met at the horse show took a picture of me!’”
Josh stated it wasn’t till later within the day reviewing the day’s images that he realized how highly effective the image of James Littlejohn was.
“I was like wow that is a really, really powerful portrait,” Josh stated.
“His eyes do tell a story,” Helen stated. “My dad has been through a lot. He overcame a lot and he is a man of God. So, you see the Lord in him; he brings peace to a lot of people. You could have a bad day and you just got a look at and he’ll bring a peace.”
Hellen had first seen the photograph years earlier hanging in an Oklahoma City retailer entrance.
“I was going to purchase it, but it’s a little too expensive, so I told the people I was going to come back in about two weeks to get it, but when I came back somebody had already bought it,” Helen stated.
Josh had a shock for Helen and her household.
“News 9 has help me make sure that you guys get a copy of this image that you can hang in your house and have this memory of Littlejohn forever,” he stated.
“When I took the photograph, the lighting, and all that didn’t really matter,” Josh stated. “His face told a million different stories.”
“He was a great man,” Helen stated. “He took care of a lot of people; he was a man of God. He tried to help anyone. Nobody was a stranger.”
Helen stated she’s going to place her new {photograph} in her front room proper over the hearth.
“He’d like that,” she stated.
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