Beanblossom Teacher of the Year
Gable transfers to Charleston
Garst Gathering plans
LOCAL • 3B
SPORTS • 7A
LOCAL • 1B
THE EARLY BIRD Weekend Edition of the Daily Advocate
Online at earlybirdpaper.com
Weekend edition
Sunday, April 26, 2020 • $1
Ignaffo leads state Elks By Linda Moody
DarkeCountyMedia.com
Phyllis Mong was one classy lady and dressed for the occasion. Here, she is at the fire department when she was honored on a special occasion.
Courtesy photo
Broadway supporter gone
By Linda Moody
DarkeCountyMedia.com
GREENVILLE — Darke County, and especially Greenville, lost a dedicated citizen in Phyllis Mong, when she recently died as the result of a stroke. She, at one time, penned The Daily Advocate column “Out and About Broadway,” because she worked in probably about every business in downtown Greenville, not only on Broadway but some on side streets. Yes, she will be missed, and here is what others had to say about her: Debby Sodders: “She was one of a kind! Will miss her smile and friendliness. She deserves to be recognized as a wonderful woman and friend. Phyllis was our neighbor for many years and her son, Don, hung out with my brother playing crochet in our backyard. Years later is when I got to know her best though. She worked at
many downtown Greenville businesses, always had a smile on her face, and a funny story to tell. Her impact of lives was huge.” Sherry Mong: “Both Deb and Don (Mong’s Mong children) are planning a memorial and celebration of life in August. Phyllis, my mother-in-law, was one of a kind. You wouldn’t find a prouder person of downtown and all about Greenville.” Susi A Thompson: “She will be missed!” Lelah Shoop: “She was a very special friend. I will miss Phyllis.” Diane Billenstein: “So sad. She was a friend to all and cherished by those of us who knew her at the time of our Broadway business meetings.” Kay McCarthy Reall: “When I was younger, I was in a sorority and Phyllis was in the older group of the same sorority. She was a
very sweet lady…and a lot of fun! She will be missed by her many many friends.” Elizabeth Mcnamara: “So sorry to hear she died… worked with her at Uhlman’s.” Carole Schafer: “A very special lady!” Debbie Nestor Baker: “She was a beautiful, classy lady who had a beautiful smile and could strike up a conversation with anyone. I didn’t get to know her until the last year, but her memory will always remain in my heart. She will forever be missed.” Ginger Gilbert: “Most of my memories of Phyllis was seeing her in church on Sunday mornings. Always with a smile and kind words. She was one of a kind.” Brenda Norton: “Sending prayers to the family. She was a sweet lady and was very kind to our mother.” Marilyn McMiller: “God Bless
Phyllis…a wonderful person with a heart of pure gold for all she knew.” Jean Young: “Phyllis was classy, always nice and the best dressed lady in Darke County.” Karen Taylor: “Such a lively woman.” Kathy Cipriani Lockhart: “Oh my! She was a lovely lady! It’s been a while since I’ve seen her. So sorry to hear this.” Stephanie Adkins: “Oh so sad. I used to deal with her when I worked at my old banking job. She was a sweet lady.” Becky Garrett-Ress: “I got to know her while I recovered from an auto accident there in 2018. When I was at Heartland recuperating from our accident, I got to know her quite well. She was a sweetheart. I also remember her working at the Palace. I loved walking by her room and talking to her. She had such little space See GONE | 3A
Poultry Days Festival moves to August VERSAILLES — Mark your calendars now! After 68 years the annual Versailles Poultry Days festival will be held in August. The annual festival which has been held in June since 1952 will be rescheduled to the weekend of August
14th. Festival Chairman Lucas Subler emphasized the importance of continuing this annual tradition despite recent COVID-19 impacts. “A year without the festival and chicken dinners would be like a year without Christmas
for many festival-goers. We want to do everything possible to maintain the tradition and support our community organizations.” Subler continued, “The festival theme of Loaded Up & Cluckin has special meaning this year.” The
2020 festival theme is a salute to all those hardworking drivers, dispatchers and mechanics who keep the freight moving and have contributed to the growth of Versailles. In the last few months, we have been reminded of the
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importance of the transportation industry. The festival website (versaillespoultrydays. com) will be updated with a revised festival schedule as decisions are made. See POULTRY | 2A
GREENVILLE — Lugene Ignaffo of Greenville was installed as president of the Ohio Elks Association State Officers this past weekend. Typically, the installation of state officers takes place in Columbus at a Marriott during the annual Spring Convention with the state officers dressed in white tuxedos and the women in formal gowns. This year, of course, the convention was cancelled as hundreds of people would have been in attendance. “This year, many modifications had to be made in response to the pandemic,” Ignaffo said. “Myself and the other traveling state officers from our Southwest district were installed in a brief ceremony on Saturday at the Dayton Elks Lodge with only the officers and spouses in attendance. We took the oath of obligation led by a past state president.” Ignaffo, who has been a member of the Greenville Elks #1139 for 23 years, has held every office within the local lodge, including being exalted ruler for five yearly terms over the years. “In addition to being an officer at our local lodge, I help organize events at the lodge including monthly breakfasts and other special dinners at the lodge,” he said. “I also assist as grant coordinator in applying for and distributing grants from Elk National Foundation which we use to support our local community.” He will serve one year as state president. “I have been moving up through the state chairs over the past seven years to get to this position, which included being a state trustee for three years, among other positions,” he said. Ignaffo said he is the second person in Darke County to serve as president from the Greenville Lodge since it has existed (118 years). “The first was Gene Buchy, who served in See ELKS | 3A
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