I mentioned before that I am going to downsize our apartment. This includes a lot of paperwork I’ve accumulated over the years, not to mention photos and other items that I no longer need.
My Easter morning was spent going through just some of those things.
I think I kept everything over the years, including while I was in school and then when I went to work in the newspaper business. I even have my grade cards from each year. What do I need with them? They were interesting to read but I won’t share all of them.
However, this venture did bring back a lot of memories. And, I will share them with my readers. I don’t mean to boast but I was reminded of what has happened to me over the years.
I will start with school accomplishments.
I recorded perfect attendance awards…for 1956, 1960 and 1963, and I had spelling bee ribbons from 1959 for second place and for competing in 1962 and 1963 while in school.
Among the awards I received from the State Department of Education were: third in English in 1963; second in Latin II in the district state scholarship test in March 1964; third place in Algebra II in 1965 and tying for third place in English 12 in 1966. And, a note on my grade card from my fifth-grade teacher the late Ruby Burns, I placed second in the county in 1959 at Woodland Heights School in the spelling bee and won the ciphering match for fifth graders in that same year in Greenville Township, and if I’m correct, it was held at the old one-room school in Woodington.
Then, once I got into journalism, a career which lasted more than 60 years and still continues on a part-time basis, I will just list them, not in any particular order, I also was named Employee of the Year for the Daily Advocate one year; won second place from Brown Publishing Co. in 1998 for news writing/photography and a second place honor for breaking news in another award for deadline writing, I believe.
Community-wise, I was honored by various organizations: Honorary membership from the Ohio Office Education Association in 1989; a certificate of appreciation “for valuable contribution to the Ansonia Parents Association” in 1983; honorary chapter member of Ansonia FFA in 1983; honorary member of the Greenville FFA in 1994; an honorary member of the Ladybug Garden Club in 1989; a certificate of appreciation from the Daughters of the American Revolution in 2017;l was named grand marshal for the 2012 Annie Oakley Days parade; a certificate of attendance for successful completion of the CSX Transportation/Darke County Hazardous Materials Terrorism Exercise in Versailles in 2002; and a certificate of appreciation in recognition of “valuable contribution and participation in the facility exercise in 2000 with Harvest Land Co-Op at Pitsburg Firehouse from the Darke County EMA/LEPC and the Pitsburg Fire Department. And, last July, I received what they called the Legendary Journalist plaque for my decades of community service from my present employers Gaylen Blosser and Dale Barger, at My County Link.
Whew! I hope I didn’t miss anybody or any organization. It was all appreciated. I’ve enjoyed my work and still do.
I’m not done going through all of my stuff, so I may have more to report in a later column.
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Jamie and I send our condolences to the family and friends of: Carmen Claywell and Jillian Geyer.
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Please pray for Trendon Spence, Rick Elliott, Terri Hunt, Michele Good, Carol Schuh, Carol Martin Price, Nancy Kelley Eardly, Daniel Gibson, Evelyn Riffell Sebring, Beverly Brumbaugh, Jeff Sanders, Gary Gilmore, Dennis Riffell, Carol Good, Katie Cothran, Margaret Bonifield Middleton, Debbie Isaacs Miller, Melissa Anderson, Rick Beam, Kathy Stone Brewer, Carl Francis, Katrina Hoening, Rick Riffell, Vickie Martin, Jim and Amy Hanes, Tom Everhart, Fred Dakin, Ted McCabe, Tracy Pratt, Kierra Reichert, Eddie Cline, Sharon Lapp, Terri Baker Buteau, Judy York, Roxie Thornhill, Sharon Miller, Allen Whittaker, Mike Hopkins, Don Rhoades, Dave Brewer, Clarence “Sam” Wilker, Chuck Cruze, Roan Brubaker, Vic Bothast, Tom Brewer, Gloria Hodge, Ralph Byrd, Beth Davis, Terry Overbay, Katie Cothran, Lynne Bruner Hinshaw, Donn Thornhill, Carissa Rodriguez, Kevin Christman, Ivan Christian, Roger Fleckenstein, Bob Jackson, Penny Hopkins, Sherry Lawrence, Kevin Schlechty, Darla Printz Whittaker, Sandy Partin, Sandy Gunckle, Tonya Kelly, Bob Christian, Linda Johnston, Patricia Maier, Dan Lockhart, Delores Beisner, Jodi Gilpin Snyder, Charlie Bulcher, Charlyee Severance, Justin Fritz, DeWayne Yohey, Katrina Hoening, Kara Didier, Don DeBord, Otis Stewart, Slug Midlam, Bob Peters, Judy Collins, Carol Hemmerich, Roberta Hall, Kelly Kelch, Nikole Baldridge, Mark Lovejoy, Connie Stachler, Randy Heck, Ronnie Norton, 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:
April 8 to Gary Essser and Rick Mayo.
April 9 to Roger Harter, David Bonar, Alysha Oda, Karen Johnston, Marc Saluk and Jeff Mayo.
April 10 to Apolonio Perez, Gail Moody and Ava Kammer.
April 11 to Dan Turner, Beth Ann Davis, Amber Kramer Barbour, Greg Zechar and Dalton Horne.
April 12 to Randy Waymire, Rita Rinderle, Patty Thwaits.Tammy Klipstine and Dean Husted.
April 13 to Betty McCluskey Birt, Robin Hesson, Diane Summer, Rick Rose and Clarke Moody.
April 14 to Dave Knapp, Meredith Smith, Holly Hill, and Nathan Cox.
Happy anniversary to Jeff and Jackie (Moody) Sanders on April 8 and Tom and Annette Livingston on Aug. 14.
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Think about it: “You’ll never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have..”– Author Unknown
