Commun ty Matters Fort Scott Presbyterian Village
COMING UP IN COMMUNITY MATTERS:
What are your new beginnings traditions?
We will focus on new beginnings in an upcoming issue of Community Matters. As we approach the new year, what resolutions are you making? Have you ever made a resolution that changed your life? What are your hopes for 2017? If you’ve got a story to share, contact David Sorrick and your story could be featured in an upcoming edition of Community Matters.
A Boy and His Bike
November 2016
Pete Allen, cousin to tenant Russell Johnson, shares a story about a beloved bike and the many miles it’s seen. (Reprinted with permission from Fort Scott Tribune) This picture was taken Oct. 2, 1938, in Fulton at the Johnson home and “the boy” is Russell, who is nearly 11 years old at the time. That’s him just inside the gate sitting on his bike. Standing behind him is “Grampa Gump.” One of Russell’s friends and a neighbor is on his bike by the front porch. There was a saying at the time that “A boy is only half a boy without a bicycle.” That was from an advertisement by Schwinn Bicycles. Russell has his bicycle. It is a teen’s era model and although there is no name tag on it, through our research we have determined it to have been made by the Elgin Bicycle Co. Russell’s father owned a gasoline station across the street from where this picture was taken. He had a tank truck and delivered gas to farmers in the Fort Scott area. One day in 1937, he bought this used bike for “$3 or $4” and brought it home to Russell in the gas truck. It was red and had wood wheels with solid rubber tires. The manufacturer’s name tag was missing from it. He was always embarrassed by the fact all the other kids knew what kind of bicycle they rode and he didn’t. Russell rode the bike with the wood wheels
Bicycle continued on page 2
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Russell Johnson sits on the Elgin bicycle he has owned since he was a youth.
Bicycle continued from page 1
and solid rubber tires until after the war. He then changed out the wheels to new, modern chrome wheels with white sidewall tires in about 1944. That same year, he had it painted blue and changed out the bike stand for a modern “kick stand” he bought at Montgomery Ward. He had already installed a basket on the front to haul items from the store for his mother. Also, he changed out the handle bars because he “didn’t like the original ones.” Russell admits to having a sweetheart at the time and he hauled her around Fulton. She sat on the cross bar in front of him in her skirt. This did not last long
before he bought a car. He said “It was not cool hauling your sweetheart around on a bicycle.” Another time he was sweet on a girl who lived in Mapleton, nine miles away from Fulton. One day he went to visit her. In those days the roads were all gravel and full of chuckholes. He thought he was never going to get there but he did. And then he had to ride back home. He did that as well and arrived home before dark. Russell worked part time at the train depot in Fulton while going to high school. He graduated in 1945, and at that time the bicycle was replaced by a car. Russell kept the bicycle in the basements of three homes he has lived in over the past 70 years or so – Paola,
Pleasanton and now Fort Scott. I found the bicycle in his basement. It was covered with dust and cobwebs, and the tires were flat. I brought it home this past week and cleaned it up, aired up the tires and put some wax and chrome polish on it. I found the original handle bars hanging in a shed at Russell’s and I put them back on where they belonged. Russell came over yesterday and couldn’t believe his eyes. He did not ride on it but did sit on it for a picture. He said “I never did like these handle bars.” His daughter told us she had tried to get him to give the bicycle away years ago “to someone who could use it.” This is a pre-1920 Elgin bicycle that is, or nearly is, 100 years old. The bicycle has had one owner – Russell Johnson.
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POET’S CORNER
Time
Community Matters is published monthly for residents and friends of Fort Scott Presbyterian Village by Presbyterian Manors of 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at PresbyterianManors.org. Ginger Nance, executive director
To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact
@pmma.org. Telephone: 620-223-5550 Fax: 620-223-7800 Address: 2401 S. Horton, Fort Scott, KS 66701 Our mission: We provide quality senior services guided by Christian values. FortScottPresbyterianVillage.org
2 COMMUNITY MATTERS NOVEMBER 2016
by Estella Meech
Time is something we take for granted,
Since it is renewed every day.
So we go ambling on thru life,
Estella Meech
We hurry everywhere we go,
But we seem to always be late.
We say we have more time than money,
While the hours away.
But this really isn’t true.
When we are young and at play.
We need time for everything we do.
The hours seem to be endless,
It seems time will go on forever,
Tomorrow is another new day.
As we reach the middle years,
Time starts to accelerate.
Time stands still for no one.
Time is our most prized possession.
This we know is a fact.
Because when a moment is gone,
We can never get it back.
Sponsor spotlight:
Annie Sewell
Thank you to our Good Samaritan sponsors
For tenant Annie Sewell, becoming a Good Samaritan sponsor was an easy decision. After all, she and her late husband, Glen, were instrumental in bringing Presbyterian Village to Fort Scott. “I was all for getting this Presbyterian Village built and even served on the board at one time. I liked working with the people. I was 100 percent for it. I’ve lived here 11 years now. We moved in a few years after it was built,” said Annie. “People in the community were ready for something like this. My parents had looked for a place before where they could retire, and there wasn’t anything comparable to this in Fort Scott. They went to Kansas City to retire, but they wanted to live here.” Annie enjoys her experience at Presbyterian Village and believes others should enjoy theirs, too, even when unexpected life circumstances bring them financial hardship. That’s why she and Glen decided to sponsor the Good Samaritan fundraiser. This fundraiser helps tenants who have exceeded their financial resources through no fault of their own. We appreciate her generosity! To become a sponsor for the 2017 Good Samaritan event, contact Ginger Nance at 620-223-5550 or gnance@pmma.org.
Glen and Annie Sewell
Art is Ageless® Winning Entry on Display
We respect the privacy of residents and ask that you respect their privacy, too.
This photo by Paul Milks won first place in the Ft. Scott Presbyterian Village Art is Ageless juried event, and it is now on loan for you to enjoy! Marketing Director David Sorrick acquired the photo and now proudly displays it outside his office door. Call David at 620-223-7878 to view this wonderful image and to tour Ft. Scott Presbyterian Village.
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November 2016 Calendar of Events 1 Tuesday
DONUTS & COFFEE 8:30a.m. Groceries delivered today Dollar General Shopping 2:00p.m. BISTRO 4:15p.m. Hamburger & Chips 2 Wednesday Exercise 10:45a.m. Bible study 1:30p.m. Pumpkin pie & coffee 3:00p.m. 3 Thursday Travel to Kiwanis Chili Feed 11:00a.m. Thanksgiving word search puzzle 1:00p.m. BISTRO 4:15p.m. French toast night 4 Friday Exercise 10:45a.m. National Stress Awareness Day- hand massages 2:00p.m. Travel to Holmtown Fort Scott 4:00p.m. 5 Saturday Bingo 2:00p.m. Game night 6:00p.m. 6 Sunday Church 1:30p.m. Rev./Dr. Jared Witt Daylight Savings Time changes. Set your clocks back when you go to bed 1 hour. 7 Monday Exercise 10:45a.m. Painting Pumpkins with CLC Kids 3:20p.m.
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8 Tuesday
Donuts & coffee 8:30a.m. Groceries delivered today Election day travel to the polls 2:00p.m. BISTRO 4:15p.m. Vegetable stew 9 Wednesday Guest speaker from Southeast KS Magazine 10:00a.m. Bible study 1:30p.m. Walmart 3:00p.m. Art is Ageless® Committee meeting 5:00p.m. 10 Thursday Matinee w/popcorn The Straight Story Richard Farnsworth 2nd floor 2:00p.m. BISTRO 4:15p.m. Meatball sandwich 11 Friday Veterans Day Exercise 10:45a.m. Veterans Day program 2:00p.m. 12 Saturday Bingo 2:00p.m. Game night 6:00p.m. 13 Sunday Church Music ministries 1:30p.m. 14 Monday Exercise 10:45a.m. Flowerpot pilgrim hat centerpiece with CLC kids3:20p.m. 15 Tuesday Donuts & Coffee 8:30 a.m. Happy Hour Hot Cider 3:00p.m. BISTRO 4:15p.m. COMMUNITY MATTERS NOVEMBER 2016 Chicken & Noodles
16 Wednesday Exercise 10:45a.m. Bible Study 1:30p.m. Authors club w/coffee 3:00p.m. 17 Thursday Cowboy Legends John Wayne Matinee with popcorn 2nd floor/1:00p.m. BISTRO 4:15p.m. Turkey panini sandwich 18 Friday Exercise 10:45a.m. Travel to Russell Stover Iola, Kansas 1:00p.m. 19 Saturday Bingo 2:00p.m. Game Night 6:00p.m. 20 Sunday Church 1:30p.m. Rev. Larry Stevicks 21 Monday Exercise 10:45a.m. Birthday party with tenants and CLC kids 3:20 p.m. 22 Tuesday Donuts & Coffee 8:30a.m. Groceries delivered today Walmart shopping trip 2:00p.m. BISTRO 4:15p.m. Chicken, broccoli, pasta & cheese salad 23 Wednesday Exercise 10:45a.m. Bible Study 1:30p.m. Memory game 3:00p.m. 24 Thursday Happy Thanksgiving Office closed no bistro tonight
Calendar items may be subject to change. 25 Friday
Exercise 10:45a.m. News - Current Events 1:00p.m. 26 Saturday Bingo 2:00p.m. Game night 6:00p.m. 27 Sunday Church 1:30p.m. Rev. Joan Koller 28 Monday Exercise 10:45a.m. Guest speaker: Judge Gerald Hart 3:00 p.m. 29 Tuesday DONUTS & COFFEE 8:30a.m. Guest speaker from new business: Velocity Tactics 2:00p.m. BISTRO 4:15p.m. Pizza & Salad 30 Wednesday Exercise 10:45a.m. Bible study 1:30p.m. Make scented holiday candles 3:00p.m.