If there’s one thing that can be said about Bob Segula it’s that he definitely can keep a promise.
The Oxford Middle School seventh grade math teacher was flipping through the Leader in spring of 2006 when he noticed one of his past students, Brad Grunewald, had graduated with honors.
This may sound trivial to some, but for Segula, it was just the information he needed to fulfill a promise he made to Grunewald six years ago.
Flashback
Grunewald, who was in Segula’s seventh grade science class at the time, was having difficulty with the subject.
Towards the end of the year, the young student asked his teacher if he could have a Hot Wheels die-cast replica of the car from the television show ‘Dukes of Hazzard? that they frequently used for science experiments.
But being that it was technically school property, Segula told Grunewald that he couldn’t give it to him.
Then, he had an idea.
‘I said ‘I’ll make you a heck of a deal. If you graduate from Oxford High School with honors, I’ll give you this car,?? Segula recalled.
A quick shake of hands and the challenge was sealed.
Grunewald, now 19, remembers Segula hinting at the car every time he’d walk by him in the hallway.
The search
After Segula found out Grunewald graduated with honors (his GPA was 3.7, by the way), he began his search to find the coveted General Lee, but it wasn’t going to be an easy task.
Over the past few years, the middle school had moved from its previous location on N. Oxford Road, which is now the high school, to its current home off of Lakeville Road.
Segula said he tried to find the car he hid in one of his cabinets, but that it was nowhere to be found.
With the hopes of finding someone who owned the small, 1/64th scale car, Segula relayed the story to his seventh graders at the end of the 2006 school year.
As fate would have it, one of his students took a vacation to none other than Hazzard County, Georgia, where the show’s fictional characters lived.
‘And guess what they had all through that town? Nothin? but Dukes of Hazzard paraphernalia,? Segula said.
Knowing Mr. Segula’s ordeal, the student purchased the car and brought it to his teacher in the fall.
A promise fulfilled
Just before Thanksgiving of last year, Grunewald, who is now a student at Michigan State University studying finance, received a call from Segula, who was able to track down his cell phone number.
The two tried to set up a time during the holidays to pay-off the bet, but conflicting schedules pushed their meeting into the New Year.
Last Thursday, the two met at Segula’s middle school classroom for lunch, where he presented Grunewald with his toy car. ‘It feels good,? Grunewald said afterwards. ‘It’s a credit to me and to him for challenging me to set a goal and to achieve it.?
After six years of waiting for that orange car with the familiar Confederate flag painted on top, one would hope it doesn’t get tossed into some drawer to collect dust.
‘I don’t know if I’ll bring it up to school and put it on a bookshelf there, but it will definitely be displayed,? Grunewald said.