Sugar Grove
By Paula Mitchell
Not many folks, who have achieved the age of 97, are able to get around, drive a car, do their own cooking, and recall so much of days gone by. The writer is talking about Gernon Hoover, who can do all of the above.
Gernon was born on March 17, 1929, in a Washington, D.C., hospital. His mother was working in DC at the time. He came back to Sugar Grove and began first grade. He remembers having Leona Mitchell as his teacher. He attended second through fourth grades at Parnassus, Virginia. He returned to live with Frank and Beulah Rader and attended the Propst School (to keep it open), until the school superintendent, I. Bennett, said that he had to attend the Mitchell School. He went to do work at Columbia Rader’s farm, often staying there. He would come home to the Mitchell household, with the dog, Sebastian, barking to signify his arrival and to let him in.
Gernon graduated in 1947 from Franklin High School. He worked in Staunton, Virginia, and stayed with his aunt, Lottie Simmons. In April of 1948, he joined the Navy and got his training at Great Lakes. When the Korean War broke out, he boarded the aircraft carrier to sail to Korea. He could see land, but never went ashore. He originally signed up for three years, but since the war was ongoing, Truman extended his duty another year.
Upon his discharge, Gernon worked for one year with Smith Transfer out of Charlottesville, Virginia. He then worked with the Staunton Cleaner, picking up clothes to wash along his route. He did this twice a week, doing other work in the meantime. Construction work was his next gig. For 10 months or so, he stayed with his brother, Emmor, and worked in the Quantico, Virginia, area.
He retired after 24 years from Reynolds which was located in Grottoes, Virginia.
Lawn parties are great to see lovely attractive ladies. Gernon saw that Myrtle Karicofe was beautiful…she had such beautiful black hair. Long story short, they married on July 7, 1956, and made their home in Staunton, Virginia, where Myrtle taught school and he worked.
Myrtle and Gernon moved to where their present home is near the West Virginia/Virginia line in the Doe Hill, Virginia, area. They both created a dream home with extensive landscaping. They both enjoyed bringing beauty to their home, which could easily be featured in the Better Homes and Gardens magazine.
Following worship service on Sunday, St. John Lutheran Church celebrated Gernon’s birthday.
Wishing Gernon a happy birthday this past Tuesday…St. Patrick’s Day.
Life’s instructions for a happy day include the following:
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Pay for someone’s morning coffee.
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Take the time to listen to someone.
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Ask the person who’s serving one how their day is going.
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Take the day not to complain.
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Be the things one loved most about the people who are gone.
The wind has been running like a scalded dog in this community. For several days, the weather has warmed to the point of “leafing” weeping willow trees, flowers, and forsythia. Monday’s weather was quite fickle, with warm temperatures in the morning, and winds flying lickety-split to bring in rain, snow and freezing temperatures by evening.
This week’s quotes are as follows:
“Life’s too short to live the same day twice.” — Jennifer Lopez
“Life doesn’t stop because something happens to you.” — Magic Johnson
“You look ridiculous if you dance; you look ridiculous if you don’t dance. So, you might as well dance.” — Gertrude Stein.
“A teacher’s greatest lesson isn’t found in the curriculum; it’s found in the way they make students believe they matter.” — Rita F. Pierson
“When we understand that each day isn’t one more day, but one less, we’ll start giving more value to the things that truly matter.” — Anonymous
Clickety-clacks for the chin waggers are as follows:
Barbie’s little sister is known as Skipper.
The “hallux” is the big toe.
In 2014, baseball was featured on the first curved United States coin.
Honey is the only food that won’t go bad.
The “father of relativity” is considered to be Albert Einstein.
Just sitting and relaxing is the best way to hear the “Talk of the Grove.”
Bob and Marti Fisher of Romney were visitors last Friday of Willard and Judy Rader and enjoyed a trip to the Amish Bakery and High’s Restaurant in Monterey, Virginia.
Chloe Simmons and her friend, Faith, enjoyed a day at the Massanutten WaterPark for her 10th birthday.
A Friday visitor in the home of Willard and Judy Rader was Eddie Rader. Saturday visitors were Mike and Robin DelBiondo.
Linda Rexrode has been very busy making maple donuts with 60 dozen made on Saturday.
On Saturday, Phil Downs accompanied Beth McNulty and Danita Kiser to the Maple Festival. He passed this gem along, “Let Jesus put a little spring in your step.”
The race to have the first mess of dandelions was won by Eugene Varner who found his on Feb. 26. He and Evelyn sure had a delicious meal with dandelions on the side. Second place winner was Wanda Pitsenbarger who found lots of dandelions in her garden this past Wednesday.
Concerns are for Mercedes Aumann, Dave Basagic, “Bo” Boggs, the Dot Brown family and friends, Larry Byers, the family and friends of Linda Reese, Stanley Dahmer, Isaac Eye, Carl Gant, Marlene Harman, Armanda Heavner, Keith Hoover, Cynthia Hurry, Melissa Lambert, Roger Mallow, Yvonne Marsh, the Jeff Mitchell family and friends, Sheldon Propst, Bernie and Margaret Sasscer, Robbie Sites, Rene White and Ed Wimer.
