Father's Day celebrated in different ways

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Autumn Leaves Senior Citizens met in Arcadia Community Center on Monday, June 13, with 21 present for the fine dinner and business meeting. Beth Popejoy, administrator, Megan Harris, coordinator, and Janice Mayfield, activity director, all from Arma Care Center, took blood pressure readings before they joined members at dinner time. Others are welcome to come for the readings. Club members are thankful for this extra activity so freely given each month.

President Lilly Coonrod conducted the business meeting and has high hopes of being back in their own cottage before the summer is over.

City Hall is now back downtown in its new building. An open house will be held in the near future.

Mary Lee Payne closed the meeting with her usual funny stories. Others present were Raymond Kalm, who gave the blessing, and his brother, Lewis Kalm and son Kevin Kalm from Fort Scott. These special guests were welcomed: Jessie and Hardy Dunn, Pittsburg; Mary V. Shead, Bob Prettyman, Jack Payne, Ava Mae Adams, Patty and Gary Peterson, Jerry Coonrod, Jobe Campbell, Carole Garrison and Helen Sisney.

A special announcement made by Secretary Carol and David Bridgewater for the July 11 meeting was an invitation to their home for a cookout, including hot dogs and hamburgers, etc. This will give members an opportunity to see their "new home" as they now live in the former Old Sheffield School House, south of Sheffield Cemetery in Coalvale, Kan.

Guests at Arcadia Christian Church on Father's Day were Janet and Mark Van Leeuwen, St. Paul, Kan., with her parents, John and Vera Parrish and Janet's brother, Wayne Parrish. Also. Shirley Applegarth from Tulsa, Okla., was a guest of Mary V. Shead.

Bob Cable, from Lamar, Mo., son of pastors Charles and Willa Cable, was guest minister for this special day.

In spite of it being an honor day for fathers, Wayne, a father, still brought his homemade Sunday treat to JOY class.

Forrest and Ernestina Berkey attended St. John's Lutheran Church where he serves as an assistant. On Father's Day they enjoyed the Sunday lunch and pie auction following. Funds went to the Vacation Bible School.

That night they enjoyed a lasagna dinner in the home of Angela Redd and daughters Kristen and Bethany where Forrest was presented Father's Day gifts. He also received greetings from daughters Gracy Berkey, Milwaukee, and Kelly Ballard from Tennessee. To honor him as their grandfather, he heard from granddaughters Michaela and Hannah Ballard who were in Atlanta, Ga., attending a swim meet.

Mark and Larry Shead were honored on Father's Day in Haley and Mark's Fort Scott home. Dinner by the ladies was served when the guests arrived after attending their own church services. The two little ones, Katy and Benjamin Shead, entertained the adults by reading to them, playing with the toys and showing their kittens.

The guests were Vickie Shead, her mother, Shirley Applegarth from Tulsa. Okla.; Vickie's cousin, Chris Nickerson, Joplin, Mo., and Mary V. Shead, Arcadia. Before returning to their homes, they enjoyed strawberry and chocolate milk shakes mixed with homemade ice cream.

After shopping in Pittsburg on Friday, in line to order lunch at Wendy's, Mary V. Shead met with Linda Leist Henderson, a former classmate of Larry Shead in Arcadia schools. Linda says she keeps track of her Arcadia friends by reading the Arcadia News. For many years, Linda's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Leist, owned and operated the State Line Store.

On Sunday morning following the AHS alumni dinner in Pittsburg, Mr. and Mrs. Larry Gentry of Branson, Mo., were guests in Arcadia Christian Church with her old-time school friend, Judy and John Rawlings.

Sarah and Larry Gentry were married in the Arcadia Christian Church many years ago when Leon Weece from Ozark Christian College was pastor in the 1960s.

Betty Jewel Dehon, with her daughter Debbie and James Stacy, from Nevada, Mo., visited the Sheffield Cemetery and then spent time in the home of her friend Ava Mae Adams on a recent Sunday afternoon.

Our Gang of AHS fame will have their monthly potluck dinner in the Arcadia Community Center on Saturday, June 25, at 6:30 p.m. All students who attended the Arcadia schools are invited to bring a covered dish and attend these dinner meetings.

Since all fathers hold a special place in the heart of someone, even if it is not their biological child, the Presbyterian Village in Fort Scott honored all the village men with a delicious meal on Father's Day, Sunday, June 19.