How does one measure a birth-
day party?
How can I measure the sheer
joy of an 80th birthday? I
suppose the years at least
should be counted. Eighty is a
pile of years: But don’t begin
telling me that from Pslam
90:10 I am only living on
borrowed time, that “three
score years and ten’’ are the
divinely allotted number. That
is only 70 years! Read Genesis
6:3 for another slant on the
divine gift of years: “man is
flesh . . . but his days shall be
120 years!”
If you drive a car at any age,
you are living on borrowed
time. Better take care of it! Or
if you are crossing a street—
How about the years of that
man’s life which ended at 33?
Well now, about how -to
measure the joy of an 80th
‘birthday. First of all, count the
devotion plus the ingenuity of
‘the covert preparation and
friendly cqggpiracy that con-
trived a superb birthday cele-
bration with cakes, speeches
from district superintendent
and the local pastor, and the
lusty hymn-singing of many
friends; and I say no one can
estimate the value of the love of
such a daughter as did all that
for me!
Other than by numbering the
years of life, there is the matter
of numbering and weighing the
greeting cards that came in the
past wezk. By April 28 there had
come 149. ‘4little daughter” had
much to OF
senders knowing about this
epochal date of April 22. Just for
the fun of §, I not only kept
count of the number but I even
weighed the stack! Every
trying weighing love? Anyway
these cards came to four and a
quarter pounds! So!
There were also gifts, all of
which had some commercial
value. I'm just not mercenary-
minded enough to try estima-
ling the packages from which
price tags had been removed
from such blessings as shirts,
ties, socks, Irish linen, writing
paper, and how much devotion
goes into the gift of a sword in a
lovely leather scrabbard from
which it can, be drawn when a
letter needagopening.
It will be Some time before I
can dispose of this stack of
cards. For first I will have to go
through th§'n again and again
and visualize—with love—the
writers whom I call to mind in
tenderness for having known
them and been remembered by
them.
Some greetings came from
churches I served over 40 years
ago, some more recently. In
1965 I completed 10 months of
service as interim pastor in the
United Church of Christ (Con-
gregational) in West Pittston.
Then there were four and a half
years at First United Methodist
Church in Pittston. Still going
backward: the calendar there
was Oak Street Methodist in
Binghamton, and the Great
Bend and Halstead churches in
Pennsylvania, and the Kirk-
wood MetRidist in New York
state, and Flemingville and
then the Lisle church. The
pastors of these churches had
.been alerted by Catherine at
some time I was unaware of.
with many of the
The greetings of course are
something more than a stack of
cards. One especially touched
me because the man does not
know me from Adam or Abr-
ham! But it touched me perhaps
all the more. It was from the
president of Wesleyan Universi-
ty who would know names from
files of former students, even
college drop-outs of whom I was
one. Dated April 20 he wrote
“Dear Rev. Gilbert: This is just
a note to express warm good
wishes from all of us at
Wesleyan as you celebrate you
80th birthday. Sincerely, Colin
G. Campbell, president.” It was
mailed to Maine N.Y., but of
course, forwarded to me.
This letter was of value to me
for the memories it called up.
My diary records in September
1915 (that was 56 years ago!) in
my Vol. I of my 41 volumes I
have kept, that I was not having
a good time in my freshman
year. I was quite depressed, but
I did enter a comment that I
liked my Greek class best. Prof.
Heidel was my teacher and I
loved that man, and my diary
has some expressions of what
he was doing to my mental and
spiritual life. I had almost for-
gotten some of those things, but
now as I think of it, perhaps it is
no wonder that my retirement
hobby has come to be an at-
tempt, enjoyably so, at working
through the Greek New Testa-
ment. But after I had dropped
out of college, (I just couldn’t
beat enough carpets to make
any headway with the finan-
ces! ( I went back to the farm
and brooded over what a won-
derful man I had left behind,
Prof. Heidel. Why should I not
tell him how much he meant to
me? I am sure glad I did, for he
has now long since gone to
Heaven and I am sure is having
a wonderful time with Plato and
Socrates and Christ!
But the letter I wrote brought
a warm reply in the most beau-
tifil and tiny handwriting in
which he disclaimed any
worthiness of my ‘‘encomium”
I had written. Until then I did
not even know what an “‘encom-
ium” was. But I did and do
know Prof. Heidel was worthy
of what I had written. I have
used that word ‘‘encomium”
very seldom but I cherish it, for
it means according to the di-
ctionary ‘‘high praise; eulogy.”
This official letter from
Wesleyan University contribu-
ted greater warmth to my 80
years of memories than prob-
ably was ever expected. How
would you evaluate such a
letter? Not by its weight of one
ounce!
Right here I want to say that
this present group of churches I
once served for 10 years over 30
years ago and still live among in
Mt. Zion in gladness and health
has contributed unnumbered
and unweighable blessings to
many of my 80 years.
My feelings were deeply
stirred by a letter with a wish
for a happy birthday which
came from a parishoner of 40
years ago who apologized for
being a little late with greetings
and enclosed a newspaper
clipping showing why. It was an
obituary of her husband who
had died five days before my
birthday! She used to be the
organist in that church and her i
= Shadow Brook
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May the 9th 12 p.m.—7 p.m.
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Reservations
now for
MOTHER'S DAY
Wide selection
of Gifts for
Mom on her day
Open Everyday :
From 11 a.m. til 11 p.m.
Except Mondays
Phone 836-2971
© Rte. 6—Tunkhannock
My Typewriter Talks
BY Rev. Charles H. Gilbert
husband sang bass in the choir
and sometimes played his flute
on occasion. Hers was the first
card Ireplied to, and it was with .
a letter of deepest sympathy.
She is a woman of sufficiently
deep spiritual faith that she is
not utterly cast down.
A letter from a couple from
the Lisle parish brought, the
news that the first two couples I
had married were now gone,
and this couple is the third in
my ministry. The lady of this
couple gave us a chocolate cake
recipe which Ruth always said
was the best one she had. Cathy
made a cake from it and contri-
buted it to the collection of
birthday cakes at our party!
This couple can celebrate June
16 of this year, their 51st anni-
versary.
A letter from another of that
same town wrote, ‘I will be 85
years old my next birthday. I
still live in Lisle. I still go to
church.” I remember that lady
very well. She lived up the other
end of our street. She had a little
boy. All I remember about him
was that he was very little and
. his name was Bruce. He also
wrote me a letter saying he’d
like to see me sometime. To him
I must have been a kind of
mythological person! Anyway
he wrote me that he was
married and that he and his
wife had one child. Wait a
minute! Yes, that means that
little Bruce is a grandfather!
Just see what happens in 80
years! Some letters were from
people whose names I knew but
from whom I have had no word
in over 50 years! I still can not
estimate the worth of such
letters—or any—by the ounce!
Nor shall I overlook one of the
latest birthday wishes to come
in. This familiar blue air-letter
from 7500 miles across from
mid-Congo mailed April 17,
arrived here April 27. “The
plane is coming unexpectedly so
will dash off a note . . .I am
putting my midwifery text into
the pilot's hands to carry ten-
derly to the printer . . .Happy
birthday! Lots of love, Dottie.”
And what of that crowd of
friendly faces I saw in a blur
when I opened the choir door to
step into church that night! My
love for the whele: gathering—I
could have hugged all of them at *
once if—only I didn’t have arms
long enough!
Misericordia Holds
Events for Parents
The dinner-dance at Hotel
Sterling in Wilkes-Barre
last week was the first of a
series of events held for College
Misericordia parents last week-
end. The affair, held in
the Blue Room, was attended by
25 couples. The Herbie Green
Orchestra provided the music.
Cochairmen of the dance were
Mr. and Mrs. George C. Arzente
Jr., Kingston; and Mr. and Mrs.
John McDermott, Kingston.
On Sunday morning, a special
Mass was held at the college for
parents and students and was
followed by a Parent-Daughter
Communion Breakfast in Mer-
rick Hall on campus. Mr. and
Mrs. McFadden, Dallas, were
cochairmen:.
GUS GENETTI'S
make your reservations
early for our
MOTHER'S
DAY s4.65
SMORGASBORD
OR
Mother’s Day
Dinner
in the Ballroom
in oyr main Dining room
Full Course Dinners
Specials
Prime Rib of Beef
Aulus $4.65
Tom Turkey with
Stuffing $2.90
Other Dinners Available
Children’s Portions
THE DALLAS POST, MAY 6,
Xe
1971
Chuck Hann, Kevin Harter, Ronny Vanderhook, Wayne Goode,
Jack Thompson, Dave Thompson, Bret Hunter, participating in
the recent Troop 132 camp-out.
SHAVERTOWN
King’s Daughters of
Shavertown United Methodist
Church will meet May 10, at 8
p.m., in the social rooms of the
church. Girl Scouts will present
a program for the members.
Members of the hostess
committee are Fred Troup,
Jean Linker, Alice Borthwick,
and Leona Watkins.
Deborah Circle of the Shaver-
town United Methodist Church
will meet May 10, 8 p.m., at the
home of Mrs. Ross Williams, 96
N. Lehigh St., Shavertown. Mrs.
James Thomas is hostess. Mrs.
Jack Porter is program chair-
man.
Junior High group of the
Shavertown United Methodist
Church will hold their Spring
Planning Retreat at Sky Lake,
May 8 and 9. Allayne and Steve
Hayes, Gerry and Carl War-
mouth will spend the weekend
with the group.
Mrs. Charles Riegel, Mrs.
John Eisenhower, Mrs. David
Zimmerman, Joan Meyers, and
Glenda Wagner were among the
local bowlers who attended the
Pennsylvania Women’s State
Bowling Tournament in Pitts-
burgh this past weekend.
Members of the Dorcas
Society of St. Paul’s Lutheran
Church met recently to discuss.
‘plans’ forithe coming months.
‘Mrs. Leonard Andes, president,
presided at the meeting.
The society will conduct a
hoagie sale, May 12. Mrs.
Robert Voelker is chairman of
the sale. Orders will be accept-
ed until May 8.
Members will publish a birth-
day calendar for 1971 and
during the summer months,
they will contact all congre-
gational members and friends *
TORLTALE
TAKE OUT FOODS
Fura aut
Shrimp Special $1.25
FRESH
LONG ISLAND CLAMS
STEAMED
ORDER $1.25
CHERRYSTONE (% shell)
CLAMS doz.
Please Arrange
First Holy Communion
& Graduation Parties
Early
458 Main St. Edwardsville
|_Phone 288-5601—287-9450 |
by C. Denmon
675-0419
for birthday and anniversary
dates.
In the month of August, they
will have a table of White
Elephants, baked goods, candy,
etc., at the Flea Market,
Kunkle. Persons wishing to con-
tribute suitable items may call
Mrs. Fred Templin.
In the early fall, they will con-
duct their annual rummage
sale, the date to be announced
later.
Mrs. Fred Anderson Sr., 116
N. Pioneer Ave., Shavertown, is
still a patient in Nesbitt Mem-
orial Hospital, Kingston.
Charles Sieber, major of the
guards at Chase Correctional
Institute, is convalescing at his
home after returning from Nes-
bitt Memorial Hospital.
Mrs.
Fred Dodson, East
~ Demunds Road, has returned
home from Polyclinic Hospital,
Harrisburg, where she was a
medical patient.
Fred Anderson Sr. has
returned to his home at 116 N.
Pioneer Ave., Shavertown,
after being a patient in Nesbitt
Memorial Hospital.
May Fellowship Day of
Church Women United will be
held May 7 at Shavertown
United Methodist Church.
8
PAGE ELEVEN
Youth of Saint Paul's
Thirty four young people and
adults left last Thursday from
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church by
Martz Trailway bus to spend the
weekend in Washington, D. C.
The trip was planned to be
both educational and
recreational, and designed to
meet the varied interests of the
group.
Friday the tourists took a
walking tour of the city, visiting
the White House, Corocoran Art
Gallery, Museum of History and
Technology the Washington
Monument, Reflection Pool,
and Lincoln Memorial.
They boarded the bus at 2:30
p.m. and toured the Capitol
area until 5 p.m. when they
traveled to St. Luke’s Church
where they had dinner and
spent the evening. St. Luke’s is
the largest Lutheran Church in
the Maryland Synod. It is
known for its ‘hot line’, a
telephone service which any
youth may use to discuss their
problems with someone at the
other end. The problem may
relate to any subject including
home, school, drugs, emotional
disturbance, etc.
Later, the group returned to
Luther Place where they stayed
while in Washington. Luther
Place Church sponsors a hostel
for youth groups coming to visit
Washington. The groups may
stay there for the nominal fee of
50 cents each per night. Luther
Place also sponsors a coffee
house where the young people
may gather and discuss sub-
jects of interest and exchange
ideas.
On Saturday, the group
visited Lincoln Museum, Ford
Theatre, National Collection of
Fine Arts, F.B.I., and the
Museum of Natural History. In
the afternoon they visited
Arlington and Mt. Vernon.
They had supper with the
Paulist Fathers that evening.
The Paulist Fathers initiated °
the idea of communicating the
Gospel through films and mass
media to those not reached by
4 Enjoy Washington Trip
the church. That evening
members of the group had an
opportunity to swim at the
YMCA.
Following Sunday morning
worship at Luther Place, the
group left Washington for home.
Members of the Luther
League, other youth of the
church, and advisors who went
on the trip were Roseann Scutt,
Bill Dierolf, Wayne Long,
Karen Long, John Kitchen,
Susan Woodling, Cindy Duncan,
Andrea Coyle, Danny Williams,
Rick McCarty, Rick Amershaw,
Carl Rother, Billy Bispels,
Judian Bispels, Harry B.
Davenport, Chrisan Pyle, Topsy
Warden. Andy Chacko, Nancy
Fink, Barbara Pichert, Bonnie
~ Baird, Ruth Owens, Tom Swain,
Brenda Gelschleicter, Megan
Delaney, Mary Ellen Berlozan,
Debbie Bulford, Karen Davis,
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Davenport,
Gail Hochhalter, Lorraine Wol-
verton, and the Rev. William C.
Bispels.
Worthy Matron Hostess
To Eastern Star Members
Mrs. Stephen L. DeBarry Sr.
recently entertained her offi-
cers, substitutes and choir
members at a dinner at the
Franklin House, Shavertown.
Mrs. DeBarry is Worthy Matron
of Dallas Chapter 396, Order of
the Eastern Star.
Tables were decorated in red
and white, the matron’s colors.
Each guest received a paper
weight containing red and white
flowers. The choir presented
Mrs. DeBarry with a ceramic
plate on which was inscribed
the Eastern Star with the names
of her officers and substitutes
surrounded by ‘Singing Stars”.
Attending were: Thelma
Lamoreux, Ruth Coburn, Irene
Cook, Marie McCoy, Margaret
Johnson, Elizabeth Layaou,
Ruth Bennett, Layiah Martin,
Dorothy Dodson, Elma Price,
Helen Traver, Lois Owens,
Season's
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Phone
Reservations
829-1700
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Her to a Fine Dinner
at the Montrose Inn
CHOICE OF APPETIZER
French Onion Soup
Chilled Fresh Fruit with Sherbet
Chilled Fruit Juices
Variety of SALADS include
Shrimp Salad Salmon Salad Fruit Salad
ENTREE
Steamship Roast of Beef
Roast Turkey with Dressing
Swedish Meat Balls
CHOICE OF HOMEMADE DESSERTS
Homemade Pies
Strawberry Shortcake
Jello Parfaits
Ice Cream and Sherbet
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12 TO 5:00
RESERVATIONS APPRECIATED
278-1154
Special Children’s Prices
Elizabeth Davies, Alice Scott,
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Davies, Elsie Jolley, Gloria
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line LaBarre, Irene Transue,
Betty Meeker, Eva Allen, Mil-
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Barry, and the hostess.
For Police
Call 675-5251
Dallas Township
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a
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The Band That Pleases All Ages
COME TO THE
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Wed.
Special g Friday
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Tuesday
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Wednesday
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MOTHER'S DAY
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Person Under 12
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