The Patriot Community Christmas Dinner will be this Saturday, December 17th, at 6 p.m. at the Patriot Town Hall. The town will provide meat and drinks, everyone is asked to bring a covered dish. Special guests, Santa, and Mrs. Claus will arrive at 7 p.m. to visit with the children!
The Patriot Baptist Church will hold its annual Birthday Party for Jesus celebration this Sunday, December 18th, at 5:30 p.m. There will be special music, Christmas readings, and a special Christmas Devotion. Afterwards there will be food and drinks served. There will also be special gifts for children.
Sympathy to the family of Linda Green Poling of Posey Township who passed away this week. Linda was raised in a large family on Plum Creek near Vevay. She and her husband, Webb, raised their children on the beautiful farm where she resided until her death, located on State Road 250 just west of Antioch Road. Linda suffered many losses in recent years, with the death of two sons, Dale and Mike, and several siblings. Her husband, Webb passed away in 2002.
Patrick and Melissa Jones, Aruzhan, and Mason attended the Cross-Town Shootout basketball game between the University of Cincinnati and Xavier on Saturday. This year’s game was played at the Fifth Third Arena in Clifton.
Janet Cook Boggs passed away this past week. Janet was a cousin to my mother, Leah Cook Jones. My mother shared a story with me that I had never heard before. I was born on August 1st, 1957 at home and when I was a week old, Janet’s father, Harold (Babe) Cook brought Janet, her sister, Donna and their cousin, Mary Kay Duvall to visit me on Meades Ridge. My, how time flies.
Speaking of August 1st, 1957, I was born at home on Meades Ridge. Dr. Gordon Fessler and his nurse, Lena Buddenburg delivered me. Mom said the charge was $65. My grandfather, Marshall Cook burned the coffee pot that night!
Vera McAlister shared with me that when her oldest son Steve was born at home, Dr. Fessler and Lena came by and Dr. Fessler said it would be a while before delivery, and he had been out all day and asked Vera if he could rest for a while. He went to sleep on their couch! Lena woke him when it was time to deliver, and yelled at Whitey to come in from the barn! Lena Buddenburg was Dr. Fessler’s nurse for 50 years. Dr. Fessler practiced in Rising Sun from 1941-1994. He told me once that he delivered close to 6,000 babies during his years of practice. His son, Dr. Steve Fessler recently retired after many years as a Gastroenterologist in the Cincinnati area.
The Switzerland County High School Jazz Band played music on Saturday and Sunday at the Rising Star Christmas Celebration in Rising Sun. Rosa Jones plays the clarinet and saxophone in the Jazz Band. I attended on Sunday afternoon and was amazed by their talent! If you get an opportunity to hear our band, I would strongly advise going!
Marlene’s mother (my Mother-in-Law) Connie Adams passed away early Saturday morning after a brief illness. She and her husband, John lived near Centerfield, Kentucky in Oldham County. Connie was a wonderful person and devout Christian. Connie graduated from Belfry High School in Pike County, Kentucky, and studied accounting at Marshall University. She worked at her grandfather’s store, the post office, and 25 years for Weight Watchers. She lived for a while in Morocco, with her first husband and young daughters, while he was in the Navy. After her first husband’s death she remarried and moved to Louisville and later to Oldham County, Kentucky. Connie will be deeply missed for sure.
I see so many beautiful Christmas Trees around the community! I remember as a kid, we would always go out on the farm and cut a cedar tree for Christmas. The smell of cedar always reminds me of Christmas!
My cousin, Nicole Cook Ficaro and her family from New Orleans will be coming in for Christmas from New Orleans. Her sister, Shanna, will visit in early January. It is always great getting to visit with them. Their grandfather, Ted Cook, was a brother to my grandfather. They were all raised on Bodey Hill in Posey Township.
It was good to talk this week with a good friend from my college days, Dr. John Killian. John pastored churches for many years, and has been the Director of the Fayette Baptist Association in Alabama for several years. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees at the University of West Alabama.
Sympathy to Sean and Kin Janssen and their family in the death of Sean’s mother, Carol Lee Smith (Janssen) who lived in Dixon, Illinois.
Sean and Kim Jannsen have relocated their business, Janssen Ag Services LLC, from Illinois to Florence, Indiana. Welcome to the community!
Marsha Roeschlein was talking before church about some former teachers/coaches at Patriot High School. I would like to do a story sometime on them, so if anyone has information, please let me know! Coaches I remember are, Coach Nichols (he had a daughter Cheryl in my class), Coach Jim Buell, Wayne Daugherty and I remember Slim Conover, later in his life, he actually lived in the house where we live now in Patriot. Guy Harris also coached before he became a school administrator. My mother remembers Bill ‘Ed’ Couch also being a coach. Couch’s father was a barber in town. Mom also remembers Coach Ford, who was also her freshman class sponsor. I also remember Otis Noe coaching elementary and middle school teams after the high school students left to go to Vevay.
Christmas will soon be here, please take time during all the busy preparation to remember the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It should be a season surrounded by family and friends with thoughts of love, compassion, joy and peace. Also, we need to remember that there are so many living in our midst, who are going through battles in life against disease, addiction, loneliness, and other struggles. Our efforts to give them a helping hand could make a tremendous difference in their lives.
Please send me any news for next week at (812) 290-3088, or at mike1405@earthlink.net. You can also send information to Barry Watters at (828) 335-8270.
Until next week, in the words of Glen Campbell, remember “To show a little kindness, and shine your light for everyone you meet”.