If Dad and Mom (Lee Jr. and Beatrice Riffell Moody) were alive, they would be celebrating their 79th wedding anniversary on Sept. 5.
To me, they were the best parents a child could ever have. I know I’m prejudiced but life was great back then and we had very little worries because we knew we were safe.
Dad taught us a good work ethic by going to work and hardly ever missing. He had worked at New Idea in Coldwater for more than 43 years. At one time, he was president or vice president of the union and when he was forced into early retirement, he was a foreman.
Then in retirement, he worked at his brother Jim’s gas station in Ansonia for a number of years.
He had a love for horses and spent a lot of time with them over the years. He bought, trained and sold the animals for quite a number of years and made sure they went to good homes.
And, then, there is Mom. She could do anything….sew, cook, build and do outside chores, including playing softball with us in the front yard. She also liked board games and cards.
Both of them were helpful when it came to advice. I’m not going to say we always followed that advice but I’m pretty sure we knew right from wrong.
I didn’t want to disappoint them but I’m sure it happened a few times. For that, I am so sorry.
Now, I have to make sure I make the right decisions since they’re no longer here in life but in spirit. Look out, world!
Dad was the oldest of five children and mom the youngest of nine. It was a perfect match for them to meet and stay together for all those years if I do say so myself. I can still see them holding hands. They met at the Great Darke County Fair, I believe, before Dad went into the Army during World War II. That has to be true because we’ ve seen letters they exchanged during that time.
Everybody in our family had birthdates divisible by three. Dad was born on the 21st (of September; Mom, the 27th (of December); brother Ron and sister Bev and myself each born on the 6th (of May) and Brenda, the youngest, the 24th (of November).
Dad passed away July 20, 2016, and Mom on Sept. 25, 2019, while brother Ron just passed on May 9, this year.
They not only loved us four children but also their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Dad was the son of the late Clarke Leroy and Laura (Shook) Moody and Mom was the daughter of the late Emery and Mary Catherine (Stoner) Riffell.
Happy heavenly anniversary to them!
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Jamie and I extend our condolences to the families and friends of: Larry Michael Young, Jeremy Cook, Robert “Bubba” Hicks and Jody Summers Christman.
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Please pray for Jason Bowers, Dave Brewer, Clarence “Sam” Wilker, Chuck Cruze, Vicki Wilker Gibson, John Gibson, Roan Brubaker, Vic Bothast, Tom Brewer, Todd Anderson, Dawn Dilworth, Carol Schuh, Sunni Jones, Eddie Anjos, Gloria Hodge, Ralph Byrd, Jeff Brocious, Norma Kretschmar, Beth Davis, Terry Overbay, Michelle Young, Terry “T.A.” Anthony, Jason Kelch, Corinna Alexander, Katie Cothran, Lynne Bruner Hinshaw, Tom Everhart, Donn Thornhill, Carissa Rodriguez, Kevin Christman, Ivan Christian, Roger Fleckenstein, Bob Jackson, Penny Hopkins, Sherry Lawrence, Jerry Gower, Barbara Alexander, Kierra Reichert, Evelyn Manning, Becky Shultz, Kevin Schlechty, Darla Printz Whittaker, Sandy Partin, Sandy Gunckle, Tonya Kelly, Robert Christman, Mike Hopkins, Bob Christian, Linda Johnston, Terri Hunt, Patricia Maier, Ken Wombold, Dan Lockhart, Delores Beisner, Jodi Gilpin Snyder, Charlie Bulcher, Charlyee Severance, Justin Fritz, DeWayne Yohey, Katrina Hoening, Kara Didier, Carl Francis, Craig “Cheese” Thompson, Bridget Brown, Don DeBord, Otis Stewart, Slug Midlam, Bob Peters, Judy Collins, Linda Gasper, Carol Hemmerich, Roberta Hall, Kelly Kelch, Mike Mayse, Nikole Baldridge, Mark Lovejoy, Judy York, Connie Stachler, Randy Heck, Ronnie Norton, Gary Eichler, David Pretzman, Clinton Randall, Bruce Kaiser, Amanda Mote, Doug Whittington, Neal Gray, Randy Garrison, Kathy Gragorace, Donna Bixler, Cathy Melling and all others who are suffering from other life-altering illnesses.
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Happy birthday:
Sept. 2 to Karen Bucholtz, Lee Everhart, Jamie Cook, Bonita Stewart, Chantelle Sebring, Tina Woodard Scarberry, Marlene Riffell and Katie Davis DeLand.
Sept. 3 to Tom Liette, Marlene Riffell, Georgette Thornhill, Sharon Lyme, Susie Riegle and Chad Denniston.
Sept. 4 to Jason Bowers, Karen Holsapple, Joe Widener, Chris Lennon and Dylan Hathaway.
Sept. 5 to Steph Helmke, Judy Cox and Jill Walters.
Sept. 6 to Charlene Thornhill, Kathy Boggs, Traci Treon and Rose Wooten.
Sept. 7 to Karen Long, Tyler Martin, Dave Keiser, Kelly Williamson, Kendra Hess, Linda Mikesell Schatz and Ginny Nieport.
Sept. 8 to Myron “Bud” Caupp, Eric Elliott, Roxann Barnes, Mark Miller, Craig “Cheese” Thompson, Keith Green and Duke Gibbs.
Happy anniversary to: Gary and Sharon Deeter on Sept. 3 and Paul and Rhonda Gigandet on Sept. 5.
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Think about it: “Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them”–Albert Einstein
