Commentary

My Turn By Bob Jackson

Listen and silent are spelled with the same letters.

CHURCH SIGN: Be the Person Your Dog Thinks You Are.

I found that growing up in the 1960s was a lot more fun than being in my sixties.

I am just mad. I waited my whole life for 2020. Not a single George Jetson car in sight. You have to be at least 50 years old to know the Jetsons.

Too busy is a myth. People make time for things important to them.

False friends are worse than bitter enemies.

MORE COUNTRY WISDOM

Some folks would say a lot more if they didn’t talk so much.

Advice most needed is least heeded.

An ounce of doing is worth a pound of talk.

Don’t try to hold a barn cat against his will.

If wishes were horses, some folk would need a lot of hay.

When you feel neighborly, dust a little sugar on your words and cookies.

GREAT IDEA

A man from Neodesha, Kansas, will provide free college tuition for families that move to the town and graduate from high school there.

LOOKING BACK

JANUARY 2000

Lockwood Tiger boys basketball team wins Golden City Tournament

Doris Lillenkamp named director of Good Shepard Nursing Home.

Gary Banta celebrates working 20 years at Coose Trailers.

Missouri State Representative Ronnie Miller (R) Stockton will run for third term.

Nelle Hunt turns 112 years old.

Fred’s Fish House opens in Ash Grove.

Don Griger named new director Dade County Nursing Home.

QUESTION OF WEEK

Pat Kriesller of Greenfield won the malt at Red’s last week on the question about the cave east of Neola. It was Martin’s Cave or Emral Lake Cave. Question this week: What was the name of the Ford auto dealership on South Allison Street in Greenfield? Winner gets a malt at Red’s. Send answer to johncoffeecsa@gmail. com or call 417-8606656.

Coach Jackson Named Mr. Irresistible 1969-70

The Vedette’s very own reporter Bob Jackson as “Mr. Irresistible.” Then Coach Jackson, he was named as Mr. Irreisistible for 1969-70 due to his great ankle wrapping ability. (Submitted photo, originally printed in the Greenfield High School ACTA of ‘70)

Assumption

By Frank Berry

Backroads of So. Greenfield By Carmen Hargis Baker

Birthdays: January 9th-Robin “Johnson”, twins-Emmett and Mikah Anderson 6, Paige Hargis 25, Molli Shaw 26, Sophia McDowell 28, Gerry Ruark 49 and Charles Kramer 79; 10th-Kinley Nash 5, Dylan Noad 23, Carrie Staudt 34, Grant Ruark 51, Tonia East 57 and Uncle Terry Myers 72; 11th-Charles Gass, Brittany Bean 27 and Michael Brown 66; 12th-Billy Judd, Jennifer Friend, Rylan Holman 5, Haylee Holland 5 and Janet Burns 69; 13th-Randy Feasel, Brennan Anderson 6, Colton Beckley 9, Caden Duke 17, Robbie Jackson 52, Bill McKinley 61, Donald Gillen the big 70, Jackie East 76, Howard Thieman 78 and Nelson Marlowe 86; 14th-Briar Wallen, Kim Kinder, Bodhi Gladden 1, Josiah Keene 16, Isabella Young 10, Colin McMasters 16, Jamie Baker 37 and Nikki Pickett 62; 15thLandon Wilmoth 10, Kya Meyers 12, Jennifer Essary 20, Kelby Davis 24, Grace McMasters 24 and Glenn Kramer 73. Wishing you all a wonderful birthday!

Anniversaries: January 9th-Mark and Stephanie Davis 27 years; 10th-Junior and Becky Hurd 7 years; 12th-Nick and Renae Brown 25 years; 14th-Tyler and Stacey Roby 3 years. Wishing you many more years of happiness!

In Memory: Mae Menzies 1-9-2009, Ruth Trost 1-9-2014, Rev. Bill Good 1-9-2016, Aunt Mary Frieze 1-10-2008, Joker Hall 1-11-2013, Sheila Newkirk 1-11-2017, Karen Royster 1-12-2012, Marlin Dodd 1-12-2008, Shorty Ennis 1-12-2000, Joan Emery 1-13-2011, Harold Ray Gayer 1-13-2017, Anna Marshall 1-13-2018, Guy Killingsworth 1-14-2006, Grandma Elizabeth Hargis 1-14-1998, Jennie Gilmore 1-14-1996, Marilyn Myers 1-15-2002, Macky Davis 1-15-2012, Larry Spain 1-15-2015 and Goober Estep 1-15-2019. Gone but never forgotten.

I guess everyone made it through New Year’s Eve. I visited with Sherry Hargis that afternoon and then came home to babysit Bodhi Baker while his parents went out with Logan Baker and Cheyenne Clark. This was the first time in a long time that I made it till midnight.

Chelsey Martin has really enjoyed her break from work for a week spoiling Bodhi. But all good things come to an end and back to work she went on Thursday. Without Bodhi at the store this past week, it seems like we have got a lot accomplished, too. But he was missed by our customers and we are all back to our routine now.

New Year’s Day was quiet around my house and I got some cleaning done.

Thursday was Mom’s 88th birthday and Janie and I treated her to Krispy Kreme donuts and lunch. She received lots of phone calls and had a good day.

I understand some parents got an awesome Christmas present when they were told they were going to be grandparents. Nathan and Karen Roby are delighted with the news from their son, Tyler and Stacey that they are expecting in July. Not only that but it will be twin boys. Congratulations to you all!! What a bag July will be!

Also, Kelby Davis and Sierra Watson are happy to announce they will be having a baby in July, too. Nothing like little ones to bring a smile to our faces.

Vi Davis is busy making quilts for all her little ones coming. I believe she has three new great-grand babies coming in 2020.

Congratulations to the Greenfield third grade girls basketball team on their first game Saturday against Liberal. In a close game, they won 11-10. Those scoring for the Wildcats were: Khloe Niehoff, seven pts; Mia Thompson and Maliyah Mandley both added two.

Jerry and Ann Glenn and their two children and two granddaughters are enjoying a wonderful vacation together on the beach. What a way to start the new year.

Was sorry to see in the paper where June Richter, 98, of Ash Grove, passed away. My dad used to haul cattle for her and her dad, George Crussell. She leaves behind one son, David Richter and one daughter, Kathy Tipton and many grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Warren, in 1995; son, Danny Richter; and sisters, Jean Richter and Shirley Christian. Her service was Monday at Center Baptist Church in Ash Grove.

Also, long-time friend of my sister, Kaki Payne, lost her husband, Kenneth Payne, 73, to cancer on December 23, 2019. Kaki has been to every birthday party Tassy has had for her kids and to lots of ballgames, too. She is like part of our family. I want to extend sympathy out to all those who have lost a loved one.

Bodhi spent a few hours with us on Saturday night while Stormy and Chelsey tried out the new restaurant in Dadeville. They reported it was very good.

Tassy went back for her check-up last week and her leukemia is still in remission. They are still trying to wean her off of some of her medicine but decided to leave the dose where it is at for now. Every time they try to lower it she gets sick so decided this was best for now. She won’t have to report back for a whole month. She was thrilled to hear that; the weekly drive to Kansas City was getting old.

Sunday Stormy, Chelsey and Bodhi went to visit Papa Baker in Ash Grove. Papa had a wagon re-done for Bodhi that has been in the family for 125 years. It is a real nice heirloom that should last thru several more generations. Rick Baker also visited with his dad Sunday, too.

Can you believe this January weather we are having? I know it won’t last but it sure is nice for this time of year. But I’d say come calving time in February and March we will be wishing for this nice weather.

Steve and Tracy Lasater took advantage of the nice weather and went hiking at Roaring River State Park over the weekend.

Wishing Dalson Meyer a speedy recovery from knee surgery he had over Christmas break.

Congratulations to little Miss Sophia Wilmoth on going to Memphis for her first Blues & BBQ Gymnastics competition. She came home with a first and three seconds in her events and a First Place All Around. Sophia is the daughter of Chase and Chelsie Wilmoth and the granddaughter of Doug and Karen Sexton and Shirley “Jones” Wilmoth.

Everyone have a great week. Unless he specifies, never assume a writer is writing of you. You may know also the writer does not write of anyone else you have heard of. He writes words of life, surely so, events and places, if any word touches your heart, it is you - not he - who has arranged the touch. He merely draws your heart out - for you to hold and see - to act. Look at his words. He cobbles one at a time.

We Know

Though they have always carried us, we cannot take our heroes with us.

If you’ve learned, you’ve learned. And you have won!

God is the essence of all truth.

We must learn what truth means.

Love will always carry you. It is your buoy. It is your hope.

See that star? It is for you. Go to it! Now!

What is a whale but a great large fish? What is a thought but a great large universe?

We know whales are not fishes. We know many things that are not!

If your whole essence is pure love, you are winning the game!

Do not blind yourself. Go look. See. And hear.

Be in the know wherever you go! Sign up for text alerts by texting “START” to 417-323-6833.

Saving Memories (Continued from front)

community together, and I want to make sure that whoever wants to have a piece of can have it.”

The church is a familiar landmark not just to the congregation meeting there, but to residents across northeastern Jasper County, as it has served as the polling station for Sheridan Township for decades, as well as that for Lincoln Township since Jasper County consolidated polling places several years ago. A graphic designer by trade, Carter is carrying on a family tradition of woodworking and tinkering, and makes art from salvaged wood. He decided to use those skills to memorialize Zion Church in the best way he knew.

“Where other people might see trash or something to throw away, I see old wood with scuff marks and nail holes and I see a story,” said Carter. “So I try to change the wood as little as possible in the pieces I make.”

Over the past few months, Carter has been slowly deconstructing the original, woodframe portion of building, which had originally been dedicated in March 1882.

It’s a testament to the workmanship of the original builders that a church building 137 years old remained standing after a tornado while the church parsonage next door, built in 1960, was leveled down to the ground.

“The tornado was actually closer to the church [than the parsonage], so it was built sturdy – and so much different than the way we build things now,” said Carter. “You can tell what was the original construction from the square nails that they used.”

The church building lost a large portion of its roof and the steeple when the tornado hit. Preliminary surveys from the National Weather Service in Springfield estimated the tornado was up to a half-mile wide, with maximum winds of 142 mph. It 12 miles in 22 minutes on a path that took eventually took it near Golden City and Lockwood, causing significant damage in the countryside.

Carter said that while the building is still standing, it will eventually get to the point it could collapse, at which time it will have to be brought down.

“I’m thankful they’ve allowed me to do this, and I’m glad I’ve been given the chance,” said Carter. “A lot of it will live on – some may get lost as time goes on – but as long as we keep the memories alive it’s not a futile effort. I care about doing what I can.” (The Scripture quoted is Proverbs 22:28, King James Version, for those wondering.)

Opera House (Continued from front)

“The vision for the Opera House is to have it become a destination venue that would draw folks from miles around,” said Wilkinson. “Owners ‘B’ and Kim Rhodes and Jack Pugh are hoping to attract people coming to Stockton Lake for the weekend or holidays, people looking to go out on a day trip – but most importantly to offer a venue that Dade County folks can call their own.”

Wilkinson said there are several events in the works, with a kickoff “Open Mic” event on March 14. A website for the facility has also been launched, www. greenfieldoperahouse. net, featuring a video with some history on the building and its restoration.

“We are working on having some other events scheduled during the year and would like to get local businesses as sponsors,” added Wilkinson. In the cafe, Margie Bishop has been making pies a couple days a week for the past couple months – in what started as a way for her to get out of the house more often.

“I enjoy getting out, you can probably see me driving my golf cart around everywhere,” said Bishop.

Bishop said she needed to get out more often while she has been recovering from injuries she suffered in an automobile-train collision in January 2018. Her husband didn’t survive the accident, and she spent two months in intensive care after suffering a sub-dural hematoma, followed by weeks of rehabilitation and physical therapy, and staying with family for a time before returning to her home.

“It took a while for things to come back to me, and it kinda looked iffy whether I would make it for a while,” said Bishop. “I worked hard to get back home.”

Bishop was neighbors with Sharon Drew, who helped make some of the soups served at the cafe prior to her passing from cancer. Bishop said she would come in and eat at the cafe and would visit with the people there. When she decided to find a job to have another challenge besides working around her house and yard, it seemed natural to see if the cafe needed any help.

“I came in and asked for a job and ‘B’ said, ‘Can you make pies?’ and I said ‘If it’s in a cookbook I can make it,” said Bishop. “I hope the pies are getting better and prettier.”

Bishop said she appreciates hearing what people think of her pies, so feel free to leave comments or notes at the cafe.

“I wasn’t much of a ‘kitchen person’ before, I liked to work outside – this is just another challenge I’ve set for myself,” said Bishop. “I’m thankful for the folks at the cafe giving me this chance, and just know I couldn’t do any of this without my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

Golden City Bank

(Continued from front)

looking forward to adding the Golden City Eagles to the lineup.”

Harvey said the Golden City facility is expected to completed this spring and will be open shortly after. The facility is being constructed with enough space to house a full-service bank branch complete with drive through. The building contractor is LaForge & Budd Construction out of Parsons, Kan.

Headquartered in Chanute, Kan., Community National Bank & Trust was chartered in 1987, and has expanded via growth and acquisition since that time, with facilities in Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. The bank entered the Southwest Missouri market when it acquired Heritage State Bank and its locations in Nevada, Lamar, El Dorado Springs, and Carthage

“We’ve enjoyed tremendous success with our expansion/merger and acquisition of Heritage State Bank in mid2018,” said Morey. “Our Lamar Banking Center, also in Barton County, has enjoyed substantial growth, and we look forward to Community National offering banking services 20 miles east of Lamar in Golden City.”

Harvey said that CNB&T places an emphasis on excellence in service, strong support of local needs, superior account and lending products, and a passion for community service are cornerstones in serving our growing customer base. Morey said that expansions currently in the works will lead to the bank having a total of 36 brick-and-mortar locations with 39 ATMs.