Worship Dir

Antioch Pilgrim News By Lesia Jones

Friday, I worked late as it was end of the month. Thankful that Kim had my supper ready. I was beat. Used my brain too much that day.

On Saturday morning, Melinda Jones took Wade and Guerin Brown to Springfield to do basketball practice. Kim wanted to get him on another team for more practice. So, Melinda took him and now Papa Kim and Papa Richard McMasters will be doing the shuttling on Tuesday evening and they will have a game every Friday night. We are so excited. This is getting these boys ready for junior high basketball next year. Put forth the effort to be the best you can be and these boys are doing it.

Up early Saturday morning and went over and got Stran and Jasper. Kelbey had to work the weekend and Asa had different ones coming to load out and then a large group of men gathered at the home of Pastor Kurtis and Melissa Estes home to cut wood as he had injured his shoulder and pending surgery. What a blessing to all who took part in this. I have seen this miracle several times in the past for our own family and they have no idea what a heartfelt blessing it is. Humble blessing. But we have to remember it is easier to give that it is to receive. Met Asa at Pennsboro at 4:30 p.m. to drop off boys and then Kim and I headed to Billings to watch our grandson, Wade Jones, at an archery shoot at the high school along with 10 other Greenfield High School students. He did very well and will be going to state in Branson. Oh, my how this sport would have been right up my boys’, Dustin and Jacob, alley. Dustin would be so proud of this and he is smiling down from heaven watching all of this. Afterwards, we stopped at Mt. Vernon and enjoyed Mexican. I think this is the first time, we did not know a soul in that place. When we got home, Kim loaded his dog and went to Wentworth to an 11 p.m. hunt and met up with a couple of his hunting buddies. Oh, the love of this sport this man has. But it does give me that quiet time.

Dwain Mallory has been really sick and spent some time in the hospital. Keep him in your prayers.

I visited with Martin Jones by phone on Monday night. He reported he still didn’t have any information on his uncle Carl Jefferys who passed away in Idaho. We had a good visit and caught up on some of the Pilgrim news. Martin lives in Arkansas.

Boy was Sunday a hard day. Kim and I went to church at Main street. First time back there since Dustin’s funeral. So many emotions, so many milestones. Didn’t realize how many there were. Couldn’t hold back the tears. I know it will get better with time, but this first year is going to be rough. We stopped by the cemetery afterwards to look where we want to set the bench. Kim and I have made many trips through that cemetery in the past several weeks. I feel closer to him there. Talk to him often. Just when I needed it, classmate Phillip Graham checks in with me. As he is so good to do. We grew up as neighbors and went through all 12 years of school together. I so appreciate him thinking of my family and keeping in contact. I did get some more done on my basement. I love to clean house and tear out and deep clean, but I just have not had the want or drive. Time and prayers and it will get better. Never go away, but better.

Thoughts and prayers for Tassy Hargis White and all the others battling health issues of any kind.

Don and D.W. Bishop came to our home on Sunday evening and brought back my pie pan and container and just said they needed a refill. Kim ask them if chocolate was their only kind, and they both go “Oh, no, we will eat any pie.” I told him I had made a mincemeat and Don said he will eat one of those, also.

Saturday night, Kim and I had to miss the visitation for Sue Wynes as we followed Wade to Billings. Our prayers continue with these families.

Wishing Nancy Lowe a great celebration as she is done with her treatment. Not a journey anyone wants to go thru and it includes the whole family.

On the way into work Thursday morning, I was listening to the St. Jude’s children marathon. Of course, I cried all the way to work. Cancer is so hard, but as a child. St. Jude’s is a great place as the families of Ali Maxwell can be proof of that. Also, one of the NP that I work with, her son just turned 16 and he had cancer at nine months and spent two years at St. Jude under extensive treatment. You would not know it now. Baseball star, football, golf, colleges already looking at him. What a happy ending. Look around. Someone has it worse than you. That is my motto left to me by Dusty.

Betty Jones has been in the hospital and recovering at the Ash Grove Care Center. Wishing her a speedy recovery. Betty will be 90 in July. I enjoyed a phone visit with her daughter, Linda Frost and she reported her mom is all settled and doing good.

Wayne Ringenberg got released from the hospital after having heart surgery and is home. His wife, Betty, was moved to the Ash Grove Nursing Home and not doing very well. They need our prayers.

I have enjoyed so many beautiful pictures of baby Presley. Between Lauren and Suzanne Steeley, they have kept me posted. Big sister is really getting her bonding time also.

Wilma Jones Mallory will be turning 90 on March 27. She is the sister to Bill Jones of Everton and Jerry Jones of Ash Grove. Wishing her a very happy birthday.

Rex Jones went hunting Sunday night and got caught in that storm. Kim was having a good time teasing him about that. Kim went hunting on Monday night. Asked Rex to go, but I think he was still drying out his hunting gear. Ha!

Deepest sympathy to those that have lost loved ones. It is not easy to say good bye, but we have to stay strong and keep the faith and know we will see them again one day.

Thank you to Carrie Olsen and Leona and Nancy Daniel of Stockton for the beautiful card and notes. It means so much to me. I know our families have so many prayers being said on our behalf and we do appreciate it. Just didn’t know how hard this hits a family. You don’t just shake it and move on. I know they say time heals, but each day puts me farther apart from my son. Still hurts.

On Tuesday night, Kim Jones and Richard McMasters picked up grandsons, Wade Jones and Guerin Brown and took them to Springfield for basketball practice. They will do this each Tuesday night and Saturday morning and have games on Friday night at the field house in Springfield. I took the chance to run over and see my mother and do a few things for her. Then we enjoyed supper out at the Opera House and ran into Tammy McMasters and granddaughter Bailey. Kim made it home around 9:45 p.m.

On Wednesday, Mary Lee Marsh of Springfield came down and spent the day with her sister Betty Vandegrift. They enjoyed lunch at the Intermission Cafe and the owner took them on a big tour. Aunt Mary Lee really enjoyed that as she has been a part of the Springfield Museum for years. She loves history. Aunt Mary Lee will celebrate her 92nd birthday on March 11. She does so good for her age. Mom’s other sister, Lavon Rapp of Minnesota, is 95 and mom will be 90 in September. I plan to be around that long to drive my children crazy. Jacob tells me there are nice nursing homes, so that means Asa is going to have to deal with me. Sorry, Asa.

Sympathy to the families of Lynn Little. I believe he was in his 40’s. He was raised in the Everton area. He was the son of the late Joe and Eileen Little. May God comfort them at this time.

Kelbey sent this to me and I ask her if she wanted me to cry some more, but so very true of our life event. We watched you suffer, We saw you die: But all we could do was sit close by and hold your hand. You went away we had to part - God eased your pain but broke our heart.

Have a blessed week.

My Turn By Bob Jackson

I was going to throw in the towel but I remembered how much laundry I already have.

Life humbles you as you age.

You realize how much time you wasted on nonsense.

“You will be amazed how capable people think you are if they don’t know you well. Don’t waste that advantage.” – Baxter Black

Every box of raisins is a tragic tale of grapes that could have been wine.

If you come home from the dump with more than you took, you might be a redneck.

“We need to stop pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they are falling in.” –Desmond Tutu

Dan Decker, a Lockwood grad and former coach at different schools will be the high school principal at College Heights High School in Joplin this fall.

Have you ever looked and listened to someone for a while and thought “Who ties your shoe laces for you?”

Great turnout for Dade County Economic Development on March 4.

First step; more to come.

LOOKING BACK

MARCH 1992

10th Tri-County Lincoln Day GOP Rally at Red Barn.

Two Dade County Trammel netters fined $2,500.

Haubein’s Implement, Meinert, celebrates 90 years in business.

John and Carrie Olson open a cafe in Everton.

Eric Schnelle, Lockwood, attends Missouri Farm Bureau Young Farmers Convention.

New Taco Ria Cafe opens in Greenfield. Greg and Joy Taylor, owners.

County Government Day has 60 students from all four schools in Dade County taking part, sponsored by American Legion Posts.

Something to Think About

By Jim Johnson

What are folks thinking? It is the flu! A new variety, but still the flu. Like the old flu, some folks, generally those that are infirm in some way, do pass away. There is just no excuse for the current panic.

From China, the data are in question from the start. Remember China is a socialist, command and control state and one just does not tell the emperor that he has no clothes on. Disease is very difficult to command and one does not just shoot it, and, reeducation is near impossible. Indeed, its origins are unknown. It might be a Chinese government concoction or maybe just something that developed in the filth.

We need to practice what our parents taught us when we were kids: wash your hands! Scrubbing of the hands was essential, mandatory and death to the backside of the slacker. I know from personal experience that the washing did not stop measles, mumps and chicken pox. In the mid 1950’s polio cases were receding with the availability of Dr. Salk’s vaccine. It was shots in 4th grade and sugar cubes thereafter thanks to Salk.

The opinion of this old goat is that this “crisis” is “Much to do about Nothing.” Lots of sound and fury for nothing.

Certainly for you youngsters it is different, but, give it some thought.