05/29/2026
Our father shared with us the story of his brother’s death, which occurred in 1951 at the Penn Hills Club in Bradford, Pennsylvania.
He and his brother Bernard regularly caddied there for the club’s elite membership. In those days, golfers were required to either hire a caddy or carry their own bag, and Penn Hills was an exclusive, members-only club frequented by some of the area’s most prominent and wealthy residents.
It was after World War II, and times were difficult for most families. The economy was struggling, and the boys earned very little for their work — $1.50 for eleven holes and $2.75 for eighteen — often carrying two bags at a time. Caddies would gather near the clubhouse and wait to be selected by a golfer or assigned by the caddy master.
Young Bernard would tag along whenever he could, hoping to chase balls and earn a little extra money. On this day he was chosen to caddy.
On this tragic day, Bernard was struck in the head by a golf ball. He was transported to Bradford Hospital by private vehicle, where he later died from a fractured skull and a blood clot. He was only eleven years old.
The golfer who hit the ball, for whom our father was caddying that very day, paid all funeral expenses. He was devastated by what had happened.
It is rumored that George G. Blaisdell, founder of the Zippo lighter company, was deeply troubled by the incident — particularly by the fact that Bradford had no ambulance service, which may have cost young Bernard his life had one been available to render aid on the way to the hospital.
In response, Blaisdell helped establish an ambulance service through the local fire department, one that continues to operate to this day.
In 2021, in Bernard’s memory, the Feiro family established a scholarship fund through the McKean County Foundation, awarded annually to a Bradford High School senior — boy or girl — pursuing their golf career.