Brick requests, Chaffee upkeep and memories of misdeed informants

By Darla Buckhannon

Happy birthday to David Schaefer, Robert Ross, Gordon Atchison, Josh Boley, Joe Kinder, Jerry Beck, Alex Bader, Billy Phillips, Jane Cook, Casey Graviett, Mark Siebert, Maria Lynn, Doc Moudy, Crystal Owens, Monroe Richardson, Ginny Ruiz, Richard Waither, Christopher Trost, Jamie Holland, Amy Hooker, Shari Hargrove, Candice Lee, Jamie Duncan, Erica Cobb, Blaine Swinford, Forrest Lynn, Daniel Bridwell, Aiden Owens, Michael Spies, Charlean Hawkins, Jason Pobst, Randy Dumey, Sue Nunnally, Lance Acey, Amy Pobst and Andy Sadler.

Happy anniversary to Hank and Eva Golightly on their 70th, and Danny and Gail Walter, Tim and Kathi Stone, Doc and Mildred Moudy and Dan and Gail Ballard.

Congratulations to Albert and Evaline Morris, whose home on Southbrook was chosen as chamber of commerce residence of the month.

Brick requests due

Last call for memorial bricks! The deadline for personalized bricks to be placed in front of the Historical Society building is Oct. 31. Place your order with Ronnie Eichhorn at (573) 318-6011 or mail your check, complete with names to be engraved, to 109 S. Main, Chaffee, MO 63740. The cost is $50 per brick.

Banquet review

People are still raving about this year's Chaffee High School Alumni Banquet. In addition to Harlan and Charlotte Sadler, we also would like to thank Reba Davenport for the nice programs. The image of the 1956 Mogul on the front was brilliant! I was curious as to when the locomotive image on the front of the annuals was changed to a diesel. In checking the yearbooks I have, a diesel appears on the 1954 cover. Burt Blanton writes in his book "400,000 Miles by Rail" about trains being headed by an American or Mogul locomotive.

Did you see the Union Pacific No. 844 rumble through our area?

The city library is digitizing Moguls and is in need of the following years: 1930-38, 1941, 1943-44, 1964-67, 1979, 1980, 1988 and 1993.

City respect and upkeep

The city reminds us not to blow lawn clippings into the street. There are those who continue to ignore this city ordinance. Even though lawn mowing is winding down, people will be mulching leaves. Yard debris clogs culverts!

The grass clippings issue leads me to another observation: litter; especially those 32-ounce cups and juice containers. What kind of person intentionally throws trash on the ground? The scenario reminds me of a reader telling me about calling out a girl for throwing her drink cup on his lawn right in front of him. When he asked her to pick it up, she made an obscene gesture, cursed him and proceeded down the sidewalk.

Through the grapevine

Back in the day, he would have known the girl and called her mother. In those days, mothers communicated with each other, holding young people accountable.

I experienced that whenever I was not on my best behavior at First Baptist Church. As I grew up, I sang in the choir and played the piano and organ, so I didn't have time to get into much mischief. I don't know who the leak was, but my mother always knew about any misdeeds before I walked in our front door.

Sunday informants abound

My two older sisters were organist and pianist, and as each graduated, the next in line would take the vacated spot. I played piano when Ruth Ann was organist, so when she went to nursing school in St. Louis, I became organist. I was thrilled! I had taken organ lessons from the CHS band director Walter Parks and Mrs. Ludwig for years. On one occasion, however, I was tardy for church service. Instead of interrupting the ongoing service, I thought in my young mind that I would do the proper thing and sit in the balcony near friends. Much to my astonishment, the preacher, Rev. Ed Walsh, interrupted the song director, Durwood Lawson, and told me to take my place at the organ. With great embarrassment, I descended the wooden staircase in my high heels, walked to the organ in front of a hushed congregation and took my place. The pianist was present, but apparently Brother Walsh wanted both instruments playing. Thankfully, my mother was busy at home taking care of my dad, but she'd been given the full story by the time I got home. Who was that?

Final thoughts

Remember to tell those special people in your life that you love them -- those three words mean so very much and are so nice to hear.

Email your news to darbuck2@airmail.net or leave a message at (573) 887-6430 or (214) 207-7839.

And then ...

Then there was the lawn guy who has the grass catcher in place but doesn't engage it.