RS ER —— STRAIT EES or he it DALLAS, pins RIA William M Beaumont Man By Vivian McCormick Pr” SV ~~ Mrs. McCormick is the wife of Fred McCormick, district representative for Hallmark Cards. They have a five-year old son, Brad, and live at Shrine Acres where they moved five years ago from Carlisle. They grew up in Irwin a suburb of Pittsburgh. Mrs. McCormick is a graduate of Kent State Uni- versity, Kent, Ohio, where she studied journalism. a TT TAT RT TT FEAT JL. was a pleasant afternoon as Will Phillips sat in his immaculate home, at Beaumont recalling tales of the Cynofardd Eisteddfod of * years past as well as the #3rd Eis- teddfod held Saturday, M:rch 16 at T. C. Edwards Memoria| (Church in Edwardsville, where he won first place with a recitation, ““Some- times”. At eighty-seven he is still exhibit- ing his exceptional talent in all . phases of speech, elocution, and in- terpretive poetry. Will has fifteen Eisteddfod first prizes, including a gold medal. A man of remarkable memory, he has breezed through as many as twenty-two verses to capture a first place, as he did when he recited, ‘“‘Hostler Joe’ at fourteen. Will was one of eleven atthe 73rd Eisteddfod who were present at the very first one seventy-three years ago. He has attended most, competed in many and acted as judicator sev- eral times. Two of his first place prizes were won with Shakespear- ian readings. Speech judicator of the recent Eis- teddfod, Natalie Nyhart, English supervisor of Hanover Township Schools, said, “Will ‘Phillips’ de- livery was remarkable; he spoke with the voice of authority”. Will proudly reflects that he has never experienced nervousness but has always had the confidence which carried him so often to the winners’ circle. He occasionally cups his ear with his hand to better catch his visitors’ words but this is the only evidence of his eighty-seven years. As this tall, slender man rises briskly to take a picture from the wall and point out a detail of half century ago, it is easy to imagine the many interests that made up his robust youth. Born in Edwardsville in 1875, he lived most of his married life in Kingston, then in Dallas before moving to Beaumont fourteen years ago. Both he and Mrs. Phil- lips, the former Celia Davis, cele- brate mutual birthdays on January 23rd. Their twenty-seventh birth- day anniversaries were also the birthdate of their son, Bill, the late well-known radio announcer. The Phillips’ had a fine family of i ! HALA OST — THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 1962 ’ Phillips—Eisteddfod Winner also Coached Four Children to Win Will Phillips, immediately be- hind the trophy, is surrounded here by members of Hillside Lodge 1.0.O.F. of Edwardsville, a group he coached years ago to win forensic honors throughout the State. emorial Church as were Is his visit to Wales be- ages of two and seven parents, when his father apoplexy. The late Rev. T. C."™idwards, who was also in Wales, conducted the funeral there and in later years buried Will’s mother in Edwardsville. The ‘Little Red Schoolhouse”, now a playground in Edwardsville, was the source of Will’s entire for- mal education. He attended first and second grades inwhatwasthen a four room building and recalls his second grade instructor, George Powell, who was a “wonderful teacher”. Beyond thesecond grade, Will is entirely self-educated and leaves many listeners in awe when they learn that he never had formal speech training. He has taught many speech stu- dents, and one of forty yearsagois a Baptist minister in Harrisburg. Four of the Phillips children have been Eisteddfod prize winners through the patient coaching of their father. Among them “Little Bill”. Will began his children’s speech training at an early age. He was very proud of Little Bill’s suc- cess as a radio announcer. Will began working in the mine of Kingston Coal Company at four- teen. He was a shaft engineer twenty-eight years and after thirty- , five years as a company engineer. seven children, two of whom arede- ceased; Mrs. Beverly Symons and Bill. Mrs. Anna Lloyd now lives in Endwell, New York, Tom, Johns- town, David, Newark, New Jersey, Mrs. Elizabeth Walters, Vestal, New York and James, Kingston. There are also fifteen grandchil- dren and thirty-four great-grand- children. Will is a lifelong member of T.C. Always enthusiastic and active, Mr. Phillips did not limit himselfto speech training although he did coach the degree staff of Edwards- ville Odd Fellows Lodge in inter- county recitation competition. Three of four teams coached by him took first place and the lodge then boasted of the bestrated teams in all Pennsylvania. He sang baritone with the Gwent’s Glee Club of Edwardsville for twenty-five years and was vice- president for fifteen years. He was also with the Columbian Volunteer Fire Department in Kingston. He always enjoyed sports and played tennis until he was sixty-three. His most pleasant memory is his first visit to Harvey’s Lake. Hewas twelve when his group walked from ‘Edwardsville to Luzerne where they took the Lehigh Valley train as far as Alderson. From there a steam- boat took them to the Lake Grove House, now torn down, owned by Captain Rice who enjoyed enter- taining children. Will remembers with pleasure that never before, nor since, has he seen more delicious food than on that wonderful Sun- day. Today Will credits his wife’s ex- cellent cooking for his good health. He would make only onechangein- his life if he could go back through the years; rather than going towork in the mines, he would enter private business, probably real estate. The Phillips’ home doesnothave television but he keeps abreast of current events through newspapers and radio and intently followed Colonel John Glenn’s orbital flight. Will feels our nation’s space pro- gram is a necessary and wonderful project. ; 2 A well-loved husband and father; an admired and respected teacher; an eloquent public speaker; a help- ful friend and neighbor —these phrases only begin to sum up the fine gentleman that is Will Phillips. WORTH REPEATING: “Great ideals and principles do not live from generation to gen- eration just because they are right, nor even because they have been carefully legislated. Ideals and principles continue from generation to generation, only when they are builtinto the hearts of children as they grow up. "EVANS DRUG STORE =~ ©“ GS; 7 9” — May Riley Smith This is the poem which all contestants were on required to recite at the 1962 Eisteddfod. Sometime, when all life’s lessons have been learned, And sun and stars forevermore have set, The things which our weak judgments here have spurned, The things o’er which we grieved with lashes wet, Will flash before us out of life’s dark night, As stars shine most in deeper tints of blue; "And we shall see how all God’s plans are right, And how what seemed reproof was love most true. And we shall see how, while we frown and sigh, i God’s plans go on as best for you and me; How, when we called, He heeded not our cry, Because His wisdom to the end could see. And e’en as prudent parents disallow Too much of sweet to craving babyhood, So God, perhaps, is keeping from us now. Life’s sweetest things, because it seemeth good. And if, sometimes, commingled with life’s wine, We find the wormwood, and rebel and shrink, Be sure a wiser hand than yours or mine Pours out the portion for our lips to drink; And if some friend we love is lying low, Wid Where human kisses cannot reach his face, Oh, do not blame the loving Father so, But wear your sorrow with obedient grace! And you shall shortly know that lengthened breath Is not the sweetest gift God sends His friend, And that, sometimes, the sable pall of death Conceals the fairest boon His love can send. If we could push ajar the gates of life, And stand within and all God’s workings see, We could interpret all this doubt and strife And for each mystery could find a key. But not to-day. Then be content, poor heart; God’s plans like lilies pure and white unfold; We must not tear the close-shut leaves apart, Time will reveal the calyxes of gold. And if, through patient toil, we reach the land Where tired feet, with sandals loosed, may rest, When we shall clearly know and understand, I think that we shall say, “God knew the best!” SHAVERTOWN ? Where you find those matchless Fanny Farmer Easter Candies ~ EASTERTIME IS PURE FUN WITH : FANNY FARMER CANDIES They're sure to be the favor- ites in every Easter Basket. Chocolate Easter Bunnies, pure Buttercream golden yolk Easter Eggs, Miniature Bunny box, chocolate-covered Marshmallow Eggs, and a delightful combination box of Bunny and Eggs. Foany Former candies PURE CHOCOLATE EASTER BUNNY. Made from Swiss-style milk chocolate. 65¢, 4 oz.; $1.35, 8 oz. PURE BUTTERCREAM GOLDEN YOLK EGG. Bitter- sweet chocolate outside. Or chocolate nut butter- cream with milk chocolate. 45¢, % lb.; 75¢, % 1b.; $1.35,1 1b. )
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers