B2»Lanc«Bter Farming, Saturday. January 29, 1994
Spotligh
Mother’s
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
HALIFAX (Dauphin Co.)
Ruth Ann Miller is spending anxi
ous hours around her two-year-old
grandson’s bed in Philadelphia
Children’s Hospital.
In August, the toddler started
running a fever. At first, the doc
tors suspected appendicitis but
some symptoms puzzled them. By
the time the doctors did explorat
ory surgery, the toddler’s stomach
was so swollen they couldn’toper
ale on the tuhnor they found
attached to several vital organs.
“He was so swollen, he looked
like a malnourished child from a
third-world country,” Ruth Ann
said.
Since then, doctors have oper
ated and started radiation treat
ment. A bone marrow transplant is
scheduled, and the toddler will
need to remain in hospital isolation
for two months to rebuild good
cells and to strengthen his immune
system.
The prognosis is better than
before, and the family is eagerly
hoping for full recovery.
In the meantime, family mem
bers frequently travel the 2'A hours
to the hospital and take turns stay
ing overnight.
“He is never alone. A family
member is with him at all times,”
Ruth Ann said.
“The ordeal drew our family
closer together. We are all suppor
tive of one another,” Ruth Ann
said.
It is not the first crisis the family
faced.
Ruth Ann’s husband died about
12 years ago.
“We lived on a farm. I wanted to
keep it and I did for 1 'A years after
his death, but it was too expensive
to pay help so 1 sold it,” she said.
Ruth Ann misses the dairy farm.
“I miss being outside and work
ing with the animals. It required
long hours but it was very reward
ing. I wish I could go back to that,”
she said.
Instead, Ruth Ann needs to be
content with her cow collection,
which includes ones made from
isman
Cambria Co. Farm Wbmen president
t On Farm Women Around The State
Work Is Never Done
ceramic, cloth, wood, and even
two from cement that she estimates
weight 500 pounds and are kept in
Iter yard.
Most of her cow collection are
gifts from her five adult children
and 10 grandchildren.
Soon after Ruth Ann moved off
the farm, she began work at Poly
clinic Medical Center as nursing
assistant.
She is active in Society 10 of
Dauphin County Farm Women
and is now president of the coun
ty’s 14 societies and its 256
members,
Ruth Ann first became a Farm
Women member about 25 years
ago, but dropped out for several
years when the children were
small. Ten years ago she rejoined
with the cncouragment of her
mother Edna Snyder, who is a
charter member and still active.
“Our Group 10 had 32 members
and now it’s 25. It’s hard to.rccniit
young people and 1 think that is
Ruth A. Miller
Dauphin Co. Farm Women president
cause for concern. I’ve been a farm
girl all my life and enjoy it and I
think others should join to pass on
the traits,” she said.
She said her society helps those
in need, provides fruit baskets,
gives donations, and entertains the
elderly.
“We are always looking for
money making projects,” she said.
The group operates lunch stands at
public sales, panics, and soup
sales, and holds white elephant
sales to raise funds.
Ruth Ann attends St. Paul’s
Lutheran Church where she is on
the church council and is the Sun
shine lady for her class. She espe
cially likes to help with the Bcthes
da Mission, a home for the home
less. This past Christmas, her class
supplied gifts for 60 men and 24
teen-agers.
Crafts, sewing, and baby sitting
the grandkids are other favorite
activities for Ruth Ann who said
that she likes to keep busy.
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
EBENSBURG (Cambria Co.)
When Mary Rossman was
growing up, she adored her older
brother who was bright, responsi
ble, and perfect at least from
Mary’s point of view.
“I was dyslexic and irresponsi
ble. I needed to make a place for
myself," Mary said.
So she developed a keen sense
of humor that endeared her to her
family and keeps people laughing
until this day.
“Bashful Mary,” as she is
referred to by members of the state
Farm Women’s organization, is far
from shy. Outgoing, witty, and
imaginative, Maty bubbles with
ideas to make people laygh instead
of cry.
As a three-year-old, Mary was
taught to recite poetry, songs, and
stories by rote, and play accordian.
“My mother was determined to
have me make public appear
ances,” Mary said.
Mary became so adept at enter
taining that she decided io study
theater in college>
That idea appalled her parents,
who threatened not to pay for her
college education.
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
DILLSBURG (York Co.)
Angels are watchin’ over you
when you visit Carolyn Neal on
her Dillsburg farm. *
Carolyn collects angels and dis
plays them yefi- ardund in a coun
try setting. She admits to not being
able to pass up a craft show in
search of one more unique angel.
She estimates that she attends at
least one craft show a week.
Carolyn’s angels are fashioned
from paper, crochet thread, wood,
and other materials. She even has a
few cow angels with Holstein
bodies and angel wings. Carolyn
has one requirement for herangels:
they must have either blond or red
Bashful Mary Isn’t Shy
“My father was very strict, but I
always knew I was loved,” said
Mary who discarded her theater
studies to become a teacher and
librarian. While in college, she
participated in the forensic club,
and placed second in western Pen
nsylvania in the oratory declama
tion contest. This victory was
made more distinquished since
Mary was the only female compet
ing against the 12 male finalists.
Mary married Richard Ross
man, a forester, and the couple has
five adult children and four
grandchildren.
Twenty years ago the Rossmans
purchased a small farm in Ebens
burg. Of that purchase, Mary said.
9i (omesfpad
* Carolyn Neal
York County Farm Women president
Angels Watchin’
Over You
tA/o(es
hair, representive of her two
daughters, one is 25 and the other 7
years old.
Carolyn’s favorite angel is one
given to her from her oldest
daughter. The angel is made from
mauve country rose paper twist.
The angel holds tiny candles and
wears a grapevine wreath for a
halo.
For 28 years, Carolyn has work
ed full time for Mellon Bank where
she is now an operations
supervisor.
To help balance her personal
and professional life, Carolyn
finds stability in being a Farm
Women member.
(Turn to Page B 3)
“We’ve been happy as clams ever
since.”
The Rossmans raise beef cattle,
but “its mostly play,” Mary said of
her melange of chickens, geese,
two sheep named Esperaldo and
Rambo, and a goat.
“I can’t get along without a lab
retriever in the house,” Mary said
of her lab Katy.
Mary taught herself to dye,
weave, spin, and card wool. After
she accomplished those skills, she
sold her wool producing sheep to
concentrate on other activities.
After the Rossmans moved on
the farm, Mary was .invited to join
the Farm Women organization.
“Farm women are special peo-
(Turn to Pago B 3)