TLC logo TLC #82:  Nov. 20, 2005



 
Dear Hearts & Gentle People:
 
Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!! I hope you have much to be grateful for. Personally, I have many blessings. Right now I am feeling particularly grateful because I just mailed my last Christmas package. (Don't hate me!)
 
News of the old home town first...and then the mail.
 
New restaurant! It is called V.P.'s Grille & Bar. The V.P. stands for Victorian Peddler - and V.P.'s is just next door, to the east, of the original establishment. It is an expansion of, not a replacement for, the tearoom. I cannot give you a personal review yet, because I'll be going for the first time tonight. But early reports are very positive.
 
Lots going on down at 18th & Franklin, former site of Dave's Cafe, but I understand that new restaurant will not open until spring. We have 2 or 3 more neat shops since TLC #81, featuring gifts and antiques. The River Reader Book Store is a big hit as well. The Mom&Pop owners are very community-minded, and often there are small meetings held there. It's a popular gathering place, what with the coffee bar and confections. Also Strictly Victorian has put in a small dessert cafe. Come see us! This is a super place to Christmas shop - unique items, and not a lot of crowds or traffic to battle. Plus you can eat your way up and down the street. (And, no, I'm not with the Chamber of Commerce.)
 
The old bridge is but a memory, but many other buildings are being restored. Many exciting things happening here, and the main one right now is the Lexington 4 Life Center. Today there was an Open House, and people were walking around with their mouths hanging open. It's the first glimpse the public has had of this pace-setting project which is being watched by the whole state. In fact, it is a national model for rural areas.
 
The Center will be opening in phases, as different entities are completed. First will be the Early Childhood Education program on 12/12.
 
On our web page you can see photos supplied by Snaps Hulver. Wally is the general chairman of the project - and he even took the pictures.
 
For those of you who don't know, Lex4Life is located in the shopping center on Highway 13 - the former location of Place's, later Pamida. The "4" stands for the 4 partners: Lexington Senior Center; Rogers-Lafayette Community Health Center (medical & dental); Lexington R-V Pre-School and Vocational Class; and Early Childhood Education.
 
This project and several others were reported to the state judges for Missouri Community Betterment. We won 3rd place in our category, but if we could have shown the judges the building in progress, I believe we'd have placed higher. Not to sound ungrateful for our 3rd place recognition, but we're pretty durn proud of what's going on in your old hometown.
 
By the way, if you would like to donate to the Lex4Life project, there are YOP tax credits available. At 50%, half of your donation will reduce your state income tax liability by that amount. No restrictions - personal or business - for any contribution of $500 or more. Any donation would be put to good use, though. Let me know if you would like further information. Their phone number is 660-259-9019.
 
This in from Jan Rider McCoy:
 
Memories began to flow when I read TLC.  My Granddad Rider's farm was in Sunshine (where I was born) so we made many trips over the old bridge.  Coming home late at night I can remember looking up from my Dad's lap and seeing all the bridge lights and what a beautiful sight to a little girl. 
 
When my Granddad Rider was a boy he was raised by his older brother and they were mule traders.  They bred matched sets of mules (the Cadillac of mules).  When my Granddad was a young boy he began riding the ferry with his wagon and team of mules over the Missouri River to Lexington and would meet the steamships at the bottom of 10th St.  They would unload the ship with merchandise onto his wagon and he always had a team of six mules (matched of course) and they would pull the load up the hill of 10th and then the merchants would meet him at the top and unload their merchandise and take it to their stores.  I think now how scary it would be to ride across that Missouri River with a wagon and a large team of mules.
 
In the 1951 flood I remember walking across the bridge with, I think, Bessie Hackley Hoeflicker.  There was a little service station then just on the other side of the bridge.  We walked up to it and waded through the water there.  No sooner had we walked back up on the bridge when the levee broke and a big wall of water washed through just where we had been standing.  We stood and watched it go by and home never looked so good.
 
Thanks again for all the time you take to keep us all informed.  We do appreciate you!
 
From Lucia Cope '59 Hulston:
 
I am just back from a fun, fun, fun cross-country drive with Anne Thomson Johnson.  She and her husband have been in California for the year, as Mike had a fellowship at the Huntington Library.  He hates long distance driving, and I love it, so I flew out there and Anne and I headed east.  Had a wonderful visit with Judy Cameron in Las Vegas, and had intended to see Charlotte Skelton Dallman in Texas, but between Susan Skelton's funeral and the hurricane, we weren't able to get together.  I say "hurricane," because Anne's son and daughter-in-law, who were expecting their first child on Sept. 2nd, live there.  Communications were few and far between, so our trip was a bit upstaged by concern.  As it turned out, they evacuated to friends in Birmingham and had the baby on the 3rd. 
 
We spent the long Labor Day weekend in this area (my son was home from Washington, D.C.), then headed out for the second leg of the trip.  Relieved and joyous about Anne's first grandchild, we really enjoyed the trip east.  I got to spend the weekend with son J.F., helping him get settled into his new "digs" which was really fun.  J.F. is working for a congressman from California, and since he's going to be taking an LSAT prep course, he'll not be home for Thanksgiving.  Anne and Mike have invited us all to break bread with them in Baltimore, so we'll be ending the long run of Thanksgiving at their house.  Yea! Yea! Yea!
 
Mary Pat Gueguen '58 Miller:
 
For TLC :  What a wonderful, newsy, emotional, poignant #80, Susan.  Will keep your kids in our prayers as well as the thousands of others affected by the flood.
 
With regard to my brother's recent comment about the '51 flood, I have a vivid memory of seeing millions of teeny, tiny frogs while walking along the railroad tracks down by the flooded river.  They were almost cute.  Only Joyce was brave enough to want to catch them.
 
I am sending Bob Ball a picture of Irma Boldridge Ingram (class of '58), her sister Effie Jo (class of '60), and me when we got together a few weeks ago.  She now lives in CT and works at a Cancer Center as med. tech. and Effie is a professor of Modern Languages at Howard Univ. in Washington, D.C.  They still have their family home in Lexington and come yearly.  It was SO good to see them, (along with another younger sister, Barbara, whom I didn't remember,) after all these years.  You might remember I wrote about Irma in my book.  Hoping that Bob will be able to put the picture on the web site.  Irma is now getting the TLC and loving it.
 
Also sending Bob the column I wrote that was in The Lexington News about Mr. Carroll Lewis, our old band director.  Maybe he could put that up too.  Might inspire some memories from old band members out there.  And lastly, Thank you, Faithful Scribe, for all your good work. 
 
Her brother, Jack Gueguen, sent his news too:
 
Hello, "Gentle People,"
 
The work I went to Illinois to do 33 years ago is at an end; last Monday a former student loaded me up at the residence I helped to start at the U. of Illinois, and I said farewell to the prairie land of the Illini.  So here I am greeting you from metro St. Louis (Kirkwood, to be exact), at the Opus Dei residence which was my weekend base in the mid-80s--and back in "river country."  Here I'll be working mainly with university students, parents of h.s. boys, and young professionals--while continuing various writings and consultations (e.g. two e-mail seminars with former students are in progress); "gladly would he teach and gladly learn" is the motto of Illinois State Univ., where I was disguised as a political science professor for 24 years.  And even more "gladly" when you can convene your seminar any time of day, and all the students will be there.  I left the Urbana residence, by the way, in good hands.
 
Some of Loretta's family is nearby; my second day here, Russ and Sarah took me to see premature baby Nicholas, who has to stay in newborn intensive care a little while longer.  We also saw his older brother, Jacob, and got a tour of his Montessori school only 5 min. from here.
 
Also 5 min. from here is an Amtrak that can take me to Warrensburg and Lee's Summit in a few hours.  Maybe some of us can have a visit one of these days--what about Aunt Clemie's house?  (The same Amtrak can bring you here for a visit!)
 
Charlotte Skelton '59 Dallman:
 
To the Class of 1950:  Congratulations on celebrating your 55th anniversary graduation from high school. You all have done very well to keep in touch with each other through the years. I know Arch would be there if he could. He will be watching over you as you celebrate this occasion.
 
While I was back for Susan Skelton's funeral I asked Bob and Jerry Warner to please take Lee Ann and their son Sam Skelton out to the Boy Scout cabin so that we might see the lovely cabinet that your class donated in Arch's name. It was very kind of the Scout Leader to open it up for us to see. We are very pleased to see that you have left something of Arch to be remembered.
 
Thank you so very much. Lexington will always have a big part of our memories and a special place in our hearts. Thank you again for remembering Arch.
 
I believe Arch was president of the LHS class of 1950.
 
Several personal notes brought news of old friends:  Jerry '56 Mischon spent more than three weeks in Australia this fall. Lovella Yates '56 Damborg and her college professor husband stay busy enjoying weather and events in the Seattle area. I suspect they will both be here in the fall for their 50th class reunion.
 
Please keep sending any memories or current news that you would like to share with those who are interested...even hungry...for same.
 
Your devoted scribe,
Susan


 



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