The Patriot “Patriot Day Candlelight Walk and Ceremony” was held on Monday, September 11th. We have held this ceremony since 2002. There was a really good crowd, and it was so good to see so many young people there, walking with us and also helping with the flag ceremony. Thanks to the Patriot Town Board for sponsoring this event, the Vevay American Legion and VFW for their support and assistance, and also the Patriot/Posey Fire Department for participating. We have a beautiful Flag Park in town, and also there is a piece of steel from the WTC Towers there on display, as well as monuments honoring our past. Please come visit our town, and you will see the pride and patriotism that is evident all around our community!
Again, sympathy to the McAlister family of North Branch, with the loss of Lynn. Lynn — as has been described — was always there to help people in need, along with Cathy, and all of the family. A good example was a few months ago when my mother had a water leak at her house. I called Dan, and he was there that day to fix it for her. My mother and Vera talk almost every day, and are the very closest of friends. Vera is a 1949 graduate of Patriot High School and a great friend and neighbor to everyone. Please keep their family in your prayers.
It was nice to have a conversation with Dee Smith and Becky Purnell in town on Saturday. They were in town for the Patriot Pals gathering.
I was talking with the Kirks this week about Ruth and Glenn Wells who lived in Patriot during the 1970s and 80s. They lived on the east side of the corner of Front and Second streets, a lot that reached from 156 to the river. They had moved here from Michigan where Mr. Wells had worked for Westinghouse. He also served on the Patriot Town Board for a few years. Ruth was very involved in the Humane Society. They had their lot fenced off and raised a few horses in the lot as well as several dogs and cats. Ruth actually had an organization she headed up as a local chapter of the Humane Society. They met there at their house in Patriot.
I see a new house is going to be put in on North Branch where Sterling and Aileen Flood used to live. I understand it is some of Tony Gregory’s family. That is a great site, and it will be great to see a home there again. Sterling and Aileen were great people, hard workers for sure! My first job off our farm was working for Sterling putting in hay. Needless to say, it was hard work and keeping up with Sterling was hard for sure! You could always count on a great noon meal! Aileen drove the tractor while we hauled in hay and still managed to have an unbelievable noon meal fixed! We would always eat too much, which didn’t help when it was time to go back to the hay field!
Bill McClure was a very good friend of my grandfather, and my family. Bill and his wife, Jean Humphrey McClure lived in Switzerland County for many years, even though his business career was mainly in Rising Sun. If you are from the Patriot/Posey area, you know that our area is very closely tied to Rising Sun, even though we are, of course, in Switzerland County. Bill was born in Dearborn County, and graduated from Bright High School. Bill also graduated from Purdue and served as a Captain in the United States Army during WWII. Bill worked as a teacher and salesman following the war, and in 1957, he and his wife, Jean bought the Humphrey-McClure Funeral Home in Rising Sun. Jean’s family, the Humphreys, had operated a funeral home in Rising Sun, and Patriot for many years. They operated the funeral home for 16 years, and Bill served for a term as the President of the 9th District Indiana Funeral Directors Association. Bill was also an original member of the Rising Sun Life Squad, and served for a while as an instructor for the Patriot Life Squad. Bill and Jean had three sons, Bill, Michael and Steve. Bill passed away in 2015.
My mother often talks about when she was a little girl, and they traded goods to the huckster in exchange for goods they needed. It was common back then to trade farm products for goods you needed. An example would be talking eggs to the huckster or store and trading for coffee or sugar. My Grandmother Cook would always say, can you stop at the store and do my trading (?), meaning to buy her some groceries. Some stores in early times were referred to as “trading posts”. Most people back then tended to be very self-sufficient. They raised animals for their own meat, their own chickens produced their eggs, they made their own butter, milked cows for their milk, and when they went to the store they only bought, or traded for goods such as sugar, coffee, flour, corn meal, etc. My grandparents referred to store bought bread as “light bread”, I still hear that term, even in today’s times. They raised their own potatoes and had a potato bin in the underground cellar. Of course there were always vegetables to can, blackberries to pick to make jam or jelly, and many other products they made there at the farm. I can still remember the smell during tomato picking and canning time. Tomato juice, whole tomatoes, homemade ketchup, pickles, relish, all of these products were made at home. My grandmother would make ice cream in the metal ice trays, does anyone else remember that? Times were so much simpler back then, lots of hard work for sure, but I do believe that families were closer and people took time to visit each other and help each other. Please send me any memories that you might have.
I would like to mention teachers from Patriot or Quercus Grove schools. Please send memories to me. I will begin by mentioning my first grade teacher, Mrs. Lillian Bosaw. I do not think any of my fellow first graders went to kindergarten, so the first grade was our beginning in school. Mrs. Bosaw was an excellent teacher. I can remember sitting in the little chairs in reading groups, learning to write, exchanging Christmas gifts, valentines, holiday parties, the Christmas Program, recess and all of the students I started in school with. Mrs. Bosaw and her husband were both educators.
Every year during the honors program at Switzerland County High School, I hear the Bosaw scholarships being awarded. These scholarships were set up by the Bosaws and have helped many students be able to attend colleges and universities. I am proud to say that Mrs. Bosaw helped me get my start in education. I invite readers to send me names of former teachers at Patriot or Quercus Grove Schools who had positive influences on you or your family.
Well it’s mid September, and my beloved Cincinnati Reds are still in the chase for a wild card spot in the National League Playoffs. At my writing of this column, the Reds are tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the second wild card spot. I would never have thought that was possible this year with last year’s 62-100 record. They have managed to be competitive this year with some exciting young players, even though they have had a lot of injuries, especially with their starting pitchers. Here’s hoping for an exciting finish to the regular season, and a spot in the playoffs!
Mason Jones of Meades Ridge traveled with the Rising Sun Middle-High School Band to participate in marching competitions at Taylor High School in Cleves, Ohio. Pat Jones pulled the band trailer to the competition.
Rosa Jones enjoyed attending the Homecoming Football game on Friday night, and also attended the dance following the game.
I attended the visitation service for Joey Wainscott, a former student of mine. Joey is the son of Pam Bailey Wainscott and the late Jerry Wainscott. His grandparents on his mothers side were Denver and Anna Emery Bailey. He also leaves a daughters Krislyn and Maizen and a son, Julian, as well as his sister, Angela and his brother Chris.
It was good to see Joyce Bailey and her sister Betty Bailey Oesterle at Joey’s visitation. Joyce recently had hip surgery, and is doing good.
I had the honor of doing a wedding for a former student of mine, Summer Dickerson, and her fiance, Kenny Huff. Summer is the daughter of Mark Dickerson and Bridget Shaw. She is also the granddaughter of former Patriot resident Rod Dickerson and the Great Granddaughter of former Patriot residents Bill and Judy Dickerson. Summer and Kenny held their wedding on the farm of her father, Mark Dickerson, located on Elmo Rayls Road near Center Square. It was a beautiful setting for sure, and a beautiful day!
We held a baptism service after church on Sunday, “down by the riverside”. We baptized six people: Garry Boston, Patty Bansbach, Debbie Vann and Holly, Amber and Kylie Koons! It was a great day in the service of the Lord!
I spoke with my cousin Shanna Cook on Friday. Shanna lives in New Orleans as does her sister, Nicole Cook Ficaro. Shanna said that they have been having rain in New Orleans, in recent days.
I had a message from Aruzhan this past week. She is attending college in Kazakhstan right now. She had been accepted at the University of Cincinnati and had hoped to attend there this fall. She was not able to attend due to issues with having dormitory space there. She is still hoping to attend UC and return to the United States. She said to tell everyone hello!
They are working on the bridges east of Patriot six days a week now. Hopefully, they will be ahead of schedule and open sooner than the projected date of mid-November. It will sure be nice to be able to drive east and west on a56 from Patriot. The decision by INDOT to close our community on both sides has had a major impact on our community. One example is the effect it has had on the farming operation at North Bend Farms, west of Patriot. They farm land east of Patriot, as well into Dearborn County. The road closures have forced them to drive many more miles to move their equipment, which has been costly with the price of fuel, as well as their time. There has been talk of work that will be done east of town near the Ohio County line. Here’s hoping they will keep a lane open instead of shutting the entire road down again.
We had a new air conditioner/heat pump installed at the Patriot Baptist Church this past week. Hopefully, this will last many years!
Glad to report that Joe Brady of Patriot, is back home after a recent hospital visit.
I spoke with Dale Rose on Sunday. He said that Dennis is doing better, but has to go to the doctor on a regular basis for medical attention. Dennis lives in the apartments east of Rising Sun.
Barrie’s Tidbits
Unfortunately, Barrie was not able to send any information this week due to a health issue. He called me from the hospital where he is having tests run. He is hoping to be home soon, and says to tell everyone hello!
Mike’s Closing
That’s all for this week! Please remember to send me news to use to (812) 290-3088, or mike1405@earthlink.net. You can send news to Barrie at (828) 335-8270, or barrieleewatters@charter.net.
Until next week, in the words of Glen Campbell, remember to “try a little kindness, and shine your light for everyone you meet.”