Sugar Grove
By Paula Mitchell
Summer weather exploded in these hills and valleys like a Fourth of July fireworks display, bringing in blazing hot days. June is a growing month and the bearer of good things.
She is such a beautiful month. She nestles a multitude of baby wild creatures in her arms. She wears a crown of puffy white clouds, and she glides through the hills that are clothed in a gown of emerald green. Frogs croak in a never-ending chorus from the ponds, interspersed with the cry of the tree frog. From the distant hills, the plaintive call of the whippoorwill floats on the cool air.
Flowers are blooming. June is perfumed with roses and wild grape bloom and the incomparable scent of viney honeysuckle. The rhododendrons (West Virginia’s state flower) gave a splashy show of beauty. And now it is the mountain laurel and dogwoods’ turn! Birds, too are chirping, each in their distinct melodious sounds. Hummingbirds and honey bees keep up their busy pace. One can just step outside and smell that freshly cut grass.
School is out. There is no feeling like that last day for a group of children, and teachers, glad in the freedom of school let out. A summer with “no school tomorrow” meant successive days of play in the woods and creeks. Lots of memories…running after dark…catching flitting fireflies rising up from the grass…dodging the unexpected hop toad that is intent on catching his own insects…picking up those endless rocks out of the garden that the winter seemed to spawn every year…picking ripe blackberries, to eat and smear the black juices around the mouth…fighting sweat bees…running, running, running. Always feeling secure in the bed at night, knowing that whatever happened, mommy and daddy would take care of one.
June makes the half-way point of the year’s calendar, hard to believe. She heralds in summer. So many memories to make and add to the scrapbooks of life.
Instructions for everyday living that is part of the American culture include the following:
- Practice saying “please” (and teach one’s children).
- Practice saying “thank you” (and teach one’s children).
- Take off one’s hat when saluting the flag and saying the flag pledge.
- Take off one’s hat when entering a room.
- Stay humble and kind to everyone!
Showers have been received this past week. Even hail was in the mix. Sunday evening, a storm blew through giving about four-tenths inch of rain. Some gardeners have potatoes up about 6 inches, whilst other gardeners have not even started planting. Either way, the ground will get warm and vegetables will thrive.
This week’s quotes are as follows:
“That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.” — Jhumpa Lahiri, The Namesake
“Use what talents you possess. The woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best.” — Henry Van Dyke
“Some of us were born to be truth tellers in a world addicted to comfortable lies.” — Unknown
“One flag, one land, one heart, one hand, one nation, evermore!” — Oliver Wendell Holmes
“A hero is someone who undertakes the responsibility that comes with his freedom.” — Bob Dylan
Sitting by the air conditioner is the best place to hear the “Talk of the Grove.”
Dover Paul, the emu, had his feathers ruffled last week, when he was erroneously called Dolan Paul.
Eddie Rader of Davis visited last Tuesday with Willard and Judy Rader.
Sunday visitors in the home of Willard and Judy Rader were Benny and Linda Custer of Verona, Virginia. Willard and Judy Rader, Benny and Linda Custer and CJ Eckard enjoyed attending the historical society program Sunday at the VFW Park.
Visiting with Tom and Paula Mitchell Sunday afternoon were Emily Propst and Jake Sibold of Bozeman, Montana, and John Propst.
The Pendleton County Historical Society held its second public meeting Sunday afternoon at the VFW pavilion. The event commemorated the 80th anniversary of Sugar Grove’s loss of Our Five Boys and Pendleton’s Normandy losses. Little Carly Mitchell, a great-great niece of Frank Pitsenbarger (one of the five boys) led the flag pledge. A crowd of about 80 enjoyed Brenna Mitchell’s power point presentation of the World War II casualties, which included the Five Boys from Sugar Grove. Information was given surrounding the topic, which included maps and the need for the soldiers to secure unfamiliar terrain even though hardship stood in their way. Families in attendance, represented each of the Five Boys, (Paul Smith, Roscoe Eckard, Albert Leo Mitchell, Frank Pitsenbarger, and Oather Simmons) including the last surviving siblings (Judy Rader….Roscoe Eckard, and Eddie Smith…Paul Smith). It was noted that this “close” farming community had felt and was very much impacted upon the death of these five boys. A variety of delicious refreshments was served following the presentation.
Memorial Day was celebrated Monday at the VFW Post 9666. The principal speaker, Richard Ogden, gave rise to those either missing in action or killed in action who gave the supreme sacrifice for our freedom. Refreshments, courtesy of the VFW Post 9666, followed the reading of the names of the fallen from Pendleton County in World War I, World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War, and the laying of the wreath.
Clickety-clacks for the chin waggers for this week are as follows:
- Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day.
- Waterloo, New York, is considered the birthplace of Memorial Day.
- Memorial Day was recognized as a federal holiday in 1971.
- The flag is flown at half-mast from sunrise until noon on Memorial Day.
- Red poppies are a symbol of remembrance for Memorial Day.
Birthdays upcoming for June include Geneva Varner, first; Mary Frances Wadsworth, Brian Simmons, Linda T. Rexrode and Brenda Simmons, second; Carolyn Pitsenbarger, third; Carolyn Sponaugle, fourth; Dinah Mitchell and Dale Wilfong, sixth; Kaisley Kiser, eighth; Marsha Keller and Bryard Mitts, nineth; Breanna Roberts, Paden Rightsell, and Mike Armstrong, 10th; Jaden Roberson and Betty Rexrode, 11th; Barbara Hoover, Ed Keller, Kelly Hartman and Carolyn Wilfong, 12th; and Betty Gail Hartman, 13th.
Concerns for this week are as follows: Bob Adamson, John Ashley, Roger Ashley, Mercedes Aumann, Richard Bennett, Ed Bodkin, “Bo” Boggs, Elsie Bowers, Marie Cole, Christian Dasher, Benny Evick, Isaac Eye, Linda Eye, Marie Eye, Mary Eye, Carl Gant, Lola Graham, Patsy Green, JC Hammer, Marlene Harman, Marvin Hartman, Steve and Armanda Heavner, Grace Hedrick, Jim Hiner, Evan Hise, Tim Hively, Edsel and Mary Ann Hogan, Virgil Homan, Jr., Adalbert Hoover, Keith Hoover, Myrtle Hoover, Debbie and Enos Horst, Lisa and Mike Jamison, Jessica Janney, Alice Johnson, Richard Judy, Marsha Keller, Kim Kline, Ginger Knight, Tracie Knight, Melissa Lambert, Robert Lambert, Ronnie Lambert, Rex Landis, Roger and Skip Mallow, Yvonne Marsh, Ed May, Gary McDonald, Neil McLaughlin, Rose Miller, Bruce Minor, Tom Mitchell, Barbara Moats, Gloria Moats, John Morford, Bill Mullenax, Helen Nash, Aaron Nelson, Ruth Nelson, Cheryl Paine, Wanda Pitsenbarger, Amy Pond, Eldon “Butch” Puffenbarger, Alda Propst, Mike Propst, Sheldon Propst, Stanley Propst, Tom Rader, Brandon Reel, Charles Rexrode, Jason Rexrode, Linda Fay Rexrode, Pam Rexrode, Dennis Riggleman, Mike Roberts, Donna Ruddle, Jenny Ruddle, Brittany Shriver, Annie Simmons, Phyllis Simmons, Erin Simmons, Eva Simmons, Judy Simmons, Nelson Simmons, Robbie Sites, Mike Skiles, Tina Stuben, Steve Stump, Elizabeth Terry, Rosa Tichenor, Linda and Larry Vandevander, Sandra Vandevander, Raymond Varner, Amy Vaus, Estelle Wagner, Rene White, Judy Williams, Ann and Jerry Wimer and Margaret Wimer.
