Fa by the Rev. Charles H. Gilbert On a recent visit to a cousin of mine up in the hills between Great Bend and Susquehanna my mind was set a-wandering over the hills of time. I've always known her as Cousin Mable; as a matter of faet it was her father that was the cousin, and he was first cousin of my mother. They were of the Stowell side of our house. Mother was Cousin Sarah to them. To go back to my early child- hood in Binghamton, we lived over on the west side of the city. The house is still there but now is surrounded by many other re- sidences, and no large fields to play in. There is still what I re- played as a boy, but now is merely a few maples among which are dwellings. To that house of my childhood there used to come for a visti Uncle Almon and Aunt Phoebe Stowell from their home in Candor up beyond Owego. Uncle Almon was the sexton of the Congregational church for so many years that in gratitude for his long service the officials erected a marble plaque in the church to the memory of their church janitor. I do not know of any such memorial anywhere else. But I got the idea that ‘was fully as important as the minister. Well, Uncle Almon was my mother’s father’s brother of New England. And his son, Clyde Stowell, lived in Great Bend in my memory days. We ‘used to visit there sometimes. Great Bend was 15 miles from Binghamton on the Erie Rail- road, and when Clyde’s folks Erie depot with horse and buggy. I have the impression that when Uncle Almon visited we met him at the Lackawanna from Candor through some changes in trains. My mother and my brothers and I used to visit Cousin Clyde at Great Bend. We always had a wonderful time, for Cousin Mable was a lively girl and a ‘good entertainer. How she could sing! And her mother (we knew her always as cousin Edith) was a good cook and it was a jolly household. We liked to read our names in the paper after we had visited, for Cousin Clyde was the editor, manager, typesetter and all the rest of the weekly newspaper which we remember _as the Great Bend Plaindealer. I used to enjoy watching him set the type for the paper, for it was hand set and a mystery to me how he could do it so fast! Cousin Mable in later years married a handsome young man by the name of William Ely and the two are now living up a winding dirt road on Locust Hill, about seven miles out of Great Bend from which they moved to this farm. They en- joyed the country and Will did considerable farming as long as he was able. There is a con- nection between these people besides the cousin ties, for I was pastor of the Great Bend church before they moved up to Locust Hill. There is still more con- nection in the fact that Clyde Stowell was an official of that church when 1 was a young farm laborer down the road at Kirkwood. I felt a “call to preach’ and in order to get some more schooling, the district superintendent told me I should apply for a local preacher’s license which would entitle me to ministerial student rates at Wyoming Seminary. The license was to be granted by a quarterly Conference, and in order to let me get that Strawberry Festival Aids Flood Victims A strawberry festival and bake sale will be held on the lawn of the home of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Crispell, Tunkhan- nock Road, Noxen, the after- noon of Aug. 13. Serving will ‘begin at 1 p.m. The festival will be sponsored Luke’s Church for the benefit of the Lutheran Disaster Relief Fund. In the event of inclement weather, the social will be held in the church’s parish hall, Main Street, Noxen. Hilda Oliver, chairman of the bake sale, announces that there cookies, pies, ice cream and strawberry shortcake for sale. —————————————————————— Subscribe to The Dallas Post license the district super- intendent told me to appear at the Great Bend quarterly con- ference which would be meeting that summer in time for me to get the license and then attend the fall term at Wyoming Seminary. So I went to that quarterly Conference and the district superintendent explained to the officials how come I was ap- plying there for a license in- stead of at the Kirkwood church. It was a matter of con- venience. Someboby would have to speak on my behalf for the granting of that license. I was not an entire stranger, for here was Clyde Stowell, editor of the town newspaper who would make the motion.I thought there should be some intellect- ual qualifications, and questions about my belief in God. But Cousin Clyde Stowell stood to make the speech and the whole theme of his speech was what a wonderful mother I had. The Stowell family all thought a great deal of Sarah, for I have often heard others speak of her. Clyde spoke elo- quently, said nothing about my orthodoxy, nor gifts as a public speaker, but what a mother I had! The motion carried and I was granted a local preacher’s license in the summer of 1912. I still think I was lucky to have a mother about whom her cousin could speak of with eloquence! I guess her character was far better than my orthodoxy! May God bless this Cousin Clyde who spoke for his cousin! Later on, after I had some schooling and some experience in other churches I became pastor of Great Bend and Halstead. Cousin Mable was the organist, her husband Will Ely was a tenor in my choir. One number I used to be thrilled to hear Cousin Mable sing: it is in our Methodist hymnal but she had a solo arrangement and her voice could fill that rather large building, ‘‘Spirit of God, descend upon my heart’’! Three years I was their pastor. Apparently I enjoyed preaching and sometimes did not know how to end a sermon. My dear wife suggested that she was going to get one of the men in the choir to drop a hymn book when she gave the signal and I was supposed to stop preaching, for she could not get my eye once I was going on and on under the intoxication of my own eloquence! That next Sunday I had only just got started on my sermon, not more than 5 minutes along in it, when (by sheer accident, maybe!) Will let go his hymn book and it fell to the floor with a proper loud bang! But I fooled them, I pretended not to hear it--until I had got along a bit further! Eighteen years later I was guest speaker at some cele- bration the church was having. “Grandma ’’ Williams, Mabel’s mother, sat at the other end of the table from me at supper at the church. I was having a good time reminiscing about the ‘‘old days’ and was telling about the hymn book signal which was supposed to stop any speaking, and just then Grandma William’s big purse slid from her lap to the floor with a loud bang! The connection with the past was quite apparent and we all had a good laugh about it— and I did bring my speech to a close! We drove up to visit Cousin Mabel and Will, for we knew they had not been well. Cousin Will is close to 90 and Mable is having serious trouble with some growths in her throat, and I thought it would be a good time to visit. We enjoyed the visit, for in spite of her difficulty in speaking she is still a lively minded person, and even over I gladly remember how she used to fill the church with her voice on occasion. Cousins are nice people to have in the family! —_— The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission is working out a plan to identify all private clubs in the state and to monitor their practices with respect to treatment of guests. Homer C. Floyd, executive director of the State’s anti- purpose of the project is to prevent and eliminate any discrimination against persons admitted to clubs as guests of members. Mr. Floyd said the Com- mission has asked the Liquor Control Board and the Cor- poration Bureau of the Department of State to assist in identifying private clubs, and in working with the Commission in reviewing their policies and practices to secure compliance with the law. The Commission acted after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled July 31 that Moose Lodge 107 of Harrisburg, which limits its membership to whites, cannot refuse to serve a Black person in its dining room if it permits non-members to use the facilities of the club. Mr. Floyd said the Court’s decision means that all private clubs in Pennsylvania now must be non-discriminatory in their treatment of guests. “It means,” Mr. Floyd said, “that a private club must decide whether it wishes to retain its privacy by excluding guests, or to accept guests and the responsibilities that go along with admitting the public to its facilities.” Mr. Floyd added: “As see it, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has made it abundantly by Charlot Denmon 675-0419 Mr. and Mrs. George Voor- hees and family, 67 E. Center St., Shavertown, are vacation- ing in Florida. Mr. and Mrs. John N. Graves, 90 E. Franklin St., left Sunday for Alabama where Mr. Graves will undergo surgery at Bir- mingham Medical Center. Persons interested in corres- ponding with the former pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church may do so by sending mail to the Rev. William C. Bispels, Trinity Lutheran Church, 357 West Main St., Kutztown, Pa. 19530. Dr. Howard Swain was guest organist at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church last Sunday in the ab- regular organist. Best wishes to Jane Caffrey, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Michael F. Caffrey, 22 Division St., Shavertown who recently announced her engagement to John Pickett, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Pickett, Demunds Road, Dallas. Miss Caffrey, a graduate of Dallas Senior High School, re- ceived her B.A. degree in sociology from College Miseri- cordia. Mr. Pickett, also graduated from Dallas Senior High School, and attended Luzerne County Community College, where he received his associate degree in hotel and restaurant manage- ment. He is employed by Saga Food Service. The Rev. Frederic H. Eidam, former pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, will conduct the service Aug. 13, 9:30 a.m. at the local church. Kingston Township Ambul- ance crew for this week consists of Ed Carey, Captain; Bill tv-Yan Open Daily 1-5 P.M. Except Monday EVENINGS CALL: 675-2504 Youngblood, Frank Roginski, Allen Nichols, Tom Schmidle and Chuck Woolbert. Mrs. Harold Rittenmeyer, Wyoming Avenue, Kingston, is staying at the home of her daughter Mrs. Martin Moore, Shavertown, where she is re- cuperating from surgery. New families in the Shaver- town, Trucksville and Carver- ton area who have daughters desiring to become Brownies or Girl-Scouts are asked to contact Mrs. Elwood Swingle by Aug. 14. This also applies to evacuees who are staying with friends and relatives and to families living in temporary trailer homes. Included are families who moved into the area since May. clear that a private club can remain a private club only as long as it acts like one. When it doesn’t, the public ac- comodations provisions of the State Human Relations Act apply and will be enforced.” The State Human Relations Commission filed a complaint against the Moose after K. Leroy Irvis, majority leader in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, was denied service in the dining room of the Harrisburg Moose Lodge Dec. 29, 1968, because he is Black. Rep. Irvis had been invited to the Lodge by a white member of the Lodge who also is a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Judge Henry X. O’Brien who wrote the opinion for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, said the Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas and the Pennsylvania Superior Court erred in reversing the order of the Commission, which directed the Moose Lodge to serve Blacks who were brought as guests by. members of the organization. Judge O’Brien said that when the Moose Lodge ‘‘made its facilities available to non- members’’ it could no longer discriminate against Caucasians. Last month the U.S. Supreme Court, by a 5-3 vote, ruled that the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board did not violate the Equal Protection clause of the U.S. Constitution by granting a liquor license to all- white Moose Lodge 107. Chief Justice Benjamin R. Jones of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court said in a con- curring opinion that the issue raised in the state court was ‘entirely different than the issue determined by the United States Supreme Court.’ Shavertown United Pioneer Avenue | Shavertown, PA 675-0630 Monday thru Saturday Kingston, PA 287-1126 Methodist Church Page 16 aid school officials in identify- ing attendance areas of stu- dents who have relocated to various forms of emergency housing following the flood. Parents are asked to furnish answers to such questions as pre-flood and present address; children’s names and fall atten- dance grades plus the school district they are expected to attend for the 1972-73 school year. ; These questionnaires are being distributed by HUD of- ficials when applicants are located in some form of emer- gency housing, at the present emergency mobile home sites by personnel assigned to those locations and through apart- ment managers where dis- placed valley residents with schoolage children are quarter- ed. Suitable procedures for reaching families in individual and duplex houses are also set. Mr. Riccetti said it is most important that parents com- plete the questionnaire as soon as possible so that county school officials may make firm plans to adequately serve all Wyoming Valley children this coming school year. Irem Auxiliary Plans Luncheon The Irem Temple Women’s Auxiliary will hold a summer luncheon Aug. 17 at 1 p.m. at the Irem Temple Country Club. Mrs. William Ramsey will preside. Back Mountain residents may make reservations for the luncheon with Mrs. Harry A. Smith at 675-5767 or with Mrs. William A. Austin, luncheon chairman, at 639-5138. School officials in the Wyoming Valley have launched a campaign to pinpoint school age children displaced from normal school district boundar- ies by the June flooding. This effort is designed to cover the eleven Luzerne County school districts and the Tunkhannock area district of Wyoming County. Luzerne and Wyoming County officials, in conjunction with re- presentatives of the President’s Office of Emergency Prepared- ness, Housing and Urban De- velopment and the Department of Health, Educationggnd Wel- fare, have prepared” simple questionnaire that is being widely distributed to parents in The one-page questionnaire, from Nello A. Riccetti, execu- tive director of the Luzerne In- termediate Unit, is designed to Prima facie cases were established against two resi- dents of Connecticut following a hearing before District Magis- trate Frederick W. Anderson a week ago Wednesday. The defendants, Steven ‘A. Larsen of 338 East Ave. Bridgeport, Conn., and Roger Mariani, 570 Ruth St., Bridge- port, Conn., were charged with assaultand battery following an altercation July 28 at approxi- mately 12:15 p.m. with Kenneth Martin of RD 1, Dallas. According to Mr. Martin, Mr. Larsen ran into him after he man to leave his property. Mr. Larsen was travelling with Mr. Mariani and another com- panion, Lawrence Persico, on motorcycles. Mr. Martin, owner of Martin’s Mobil Service Station on Rt. 309, Dallas Rd 1, claims that the de- fendants got off their motor- cycles and attacked him with their fists, breaking his glasses and lacerating his face. The defendants denied initiating the scuffle, asserting that they hit Mr. Martin only in self defense. Both men were released on $1,000 bail. # : Mr. Martin was represented by Atty. John Zabotak; Mr. Mariani and Mr. Larsen were represented by Atty. Bruce Miller, assistant public defen- der. Persons who testified at the hearing included Sandra L. Newell, RD 1, Dallas; Nancy Derhammer, RD 5, Tunkha- nnock; Michael Hakim, RD 1, Noxen; Dallas Township Police Chief Frank Lange; Mr. Per- sico, Ernestine Rob RDM, Dallas, the defendants and the affiant. | Debbie Wasserott Debbie Wasserott of Dallas is enjoying camp life at Camp Louise, the Girl Scout facility located north of Berwick. Daily activities at Camp Louise includes swimming, arts and crafts sessions, badge work, singing, cook-outs and campfire gatherings. ; goals. looking up. Member F.D.1.C, a time for SE EER TIRE
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