DOGWOOD ACRES, 06/15/08, ELANE CRUM
Hello friends. This week has been a change of pace for me, although not necessarily what one would call a vacation. Neal and LeaAnn were directors for the Jr. High Church Camp at White River Association Youth Camp and talked me into helping out with crafts. I have always been a rather crafty person and felt like this might be an area where I could be useful, so committed myself.
Ashton and Erin helped choose some projects and with Ashton as a helper, I felt somewhat prepared when craft time rolled around Tuesday afternoon. Although there was over 60 campers, Neal had told me to expect 10 or 15 to choose crafts over outside games, so we were ready. Twenty-six sixth, seventh and eighth graders came to that first craft session but by the Grace of God and extra help from Becky Chambers, Samantha Dobbs, and Neal Crum, we got it done.
Camp really was a rewarding experience and gave me an opportunity to give back the blessings that camp had given to me as a young person.
Erin is looking forward to attending camp this week but stepped on a nail in the chicken yard Sunday night. She and her mama spent the rest of the night in ER so don’t know yet if she will get to camp or not.
While Dawn’s foot is almost back to normal after a nail incident, Trent got a nail in the arm this week. I have to tell you, I am just a little paranoid about nails after the body piercing experiences my family has been having.
I was telling Christie about Erin’s accident and she recalled a time when she was Erin’s age and almost missed camp. It was not a nail in the foot, but a bicycle wreck the day before she was to leave for camp at Baxter Springs, Kansas. At that time the road in front of our house was gravel, so she had a lot of wrecks, but this one was a doozy. She said her goal was to see how fast she could ride up the road and still make the turn into our driveway. Well, she did not make the turn successfully, but Mother patched her up with lots of gauze and tape and off to camp she went.
Rick and Harvey Westfall have been doing a little Wall-Eye fishing and catching one every now and then. I have fried some and they are really good.
We went with Harvey and Sherry to Ridgecrest Thursday night for the “Little Hosea and Big Smith” concert. There was a big crowd and we sat with Aunt Bonnie Bilyeu, second pew from the front. I think she enjoyed hearing Mark play Uncle Chester’s old Martin guitar again. It holds years of memories for all of us but still has a lot of music left in it.
As expected, Hosea and his nephews, along with Miss Molly Healey on the fiddle, gave us a wonderful evening of music that blessed from the top of our heads to the bottoms of our feet. I would not have missed it for the world, although now I have the new CD and can listen anytime I want.
Rick and I took Ashton and Erin to Silver Dollar City Saturday for the Kids Fest. Ashton talked PaPa in to riding Thunderation and Erin talked me into going through Grandfather’s Mansion. I had been through it several dozen times in the last 30 or 40 years so knew it was pretty tame. We were afraid the girls would be bored with us, but I think we all had a good time.
Brother Jim and Dawn had a big Sunday dinner with Elk rib steaks, Pheasant and Chucker on the grill with potatoes and onions. They do know how to cook and just hearing about it makes me hungry.
I need to share a belated Happy Birthday greeting to Elsie Jennings in Rockaway Beach. Her sister-in-law, Henrietta Wallace, called to tell me that Elsie turned 92 years young on May 21. Her daughter, Juanita, came from Texas and spent a week and they had a family dinner at Lambert’s in Ozark. Elsie is the oldest sister of Henrietta’s husband, Dale Wallace.
Just over a year ago, our good neighbors, Larry and JoAnn Rice with her mother, Henrietta, moved to Nixa and shortly after, Larry passed away. Today I received an email from JoAnn. Really, it is an email to our entire community so; I will share it with you as JoAnn has a wonderful way of expressing her thoughts.
“Elane.....I know you are sitting at home taking time from Rick's Father's Day, just to write your article for the newspaper, so I hope I get this e-mail to you in time. You don't know how much we appreciate the time that it takes from your family time to write your articles. Mom and I will keep in touch 800 miles north (UGH....BURR) with your article as well as Alice Wymans and Marilyn McDaniels.....as they mail our paper to us. God Bless all of you for your time and effort to keep us all close and to keep us up on the hometown news. I go back about 30 yrs. ago, with the Taneyville article of Thelma Bilyeu’s and then your Mom's and now yours.....what a blessing you all have been and how we have grown up with your family through the articles.
Mother and I are very sad to leave this area, but just like Jeremiah 29:11 says, God has plans for us and I think this plan was His, before we were even thinking or talking about it. It has been a very lonely year for Mom and I since Larry's death Memorial Day last year.....no family close by, only friends and our church families.....but the holidays have been Mom in her room and me curled up in an easy chair watching the parades and footballs games eating by ourselves.....so this move will be by family and we will have all kinds of laughs and hugs from them as we move.....which we need.
We have been so blessed to have spent 30 yrs. in Forsyth and in Nixa.....wonderful friends made through 25 yrs at The Junction running our business.....and what beautiful neighbors and friends we have from "H" Hwy (even our dear Republican friend, Harry....we love him too) and now our friends and neighbors in Nixa. Please "THANK" everyone for being there for us.....we love each one of them in a "special" way. Please thank also Forsyth United Methodist Church.....they have been such comfort, love and friends to all of our family. I couldn't have made this past year in moving without them.....they will always have a special spot in my heart and in my prayers. My last couple of days here packing have been in tears, as I am so sad to move, but know this is the best for Mom and I for care and love, but I don't think I will be able to tell anyone "goodbye", I will just get in the car and drive, so please say a prayer for us as we travel to our new home and family close bye....it is too hard to say "goodbye"....but we know we will see them as God takes our hand and we go home to spend eternity. I will never forget when Larry was told he had 4th stage cancer.....he told Dr. Johnson, as sick as he was, "no big deal, life is short, it's not eternity"....so we will all see each other in our new life in heaven.
The last thing that Larry said as he was dying to our daughter, LaDona, was "I am so proud of you!" At 47 yrs. old and with her family grown, she went to work for the Kentucky Women's Crisis Center as a counselor for abused and unfortunate women in this life. It inspired her to return to college and as she just completed the second year, she has excelled by making "A",s, 4.0 and the Dean's List 3 semester's.....at Northern Kentucky University. Larry and I were so proud when we got the letter from the University telling us about our daughter and I wanted to put it in the paper but with his sickness and me so busy caring for him and Mom, I just didn't get it done. So many people in Forsyth knew her and I would love for them to know that she is the happiest I have ever seen her and she is making a future for herself.....she is planning on not only this 4 yrs, but the second 4 yrs. in college.....she knows her future is hers and she is going for it....our God is so AWESOME and I know he is guiding her in her path of life.
Didn't mean to write a book, but I wanted you to know just how much our family has loved living in a wonderful place as Forsyth, with many friends and church family, but also to tell you how much we enjoy your column, Alice's and Marilyn's.....Thanks gals for all the time and work.....we love you for it.
Love, JoAnn and Mother Henrietta.....95 yrs. old this November.”
Goodbye and God Speed to you both. You will be missed, but not forgotten. Bye for now.
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