October 24, 1979 Frances Ebersole visits AK with Phoebe Rutt Frances Ebersole recently visited Alaska and saw some cabbages that weighed more than 50 pounds. Frances felt especially lucky to be able to see those cabbages—she almost went blind a few years ago. Frances entered a retire- ment home in 1973, at age 70, thinking she was going blind. She had developed cataracts in both eyes. “l am without an immediate family,”’ Frances explains, ‘‘so I thought the rest home was my only answer.” However, eye operations and corrective lenses clear- ed up her vision, to the point where she was again able to drive her car. With her sight inproving, Frances decided on her doctor's advice to get her own apart- ment. She now lives in Marietta. Her pastor helped her to find a place and move in. ; Soon after what Frances calls the ‘‘miracle’” of getting her vision back, a friend, Phoebe Rutt, asked Frances if she wanted to accompany her to Alaska to visit Phoebe’s son. Frances naturally accepted the offer, and two weeks after moving into her new apartment she left on a plane for Fairbanks. The trip north took 10%: hours, including a stop-over in Seattle. On arrival, Frances and Phoebe and two other women and a dog took a camper 400 miles south to Anchorage and visited the state fair then in progress. They also saw Mount McKinley, the highest poini in the Americas; Valdez, still recovering from the great earthquake of 1967; and North Pole. The cabbages were seen at the state fair, where Frances also saw squash weighing 19 pounds. Many vegetables grow in Alaska, reaching gigantic propor- tions in spite of the short, but hot, growing season, because crop-eating insects can’t survive the climate and the water table is very near the surface, so that little rain is needed. Flowers grow in abund- ance during the few warm months. Frances saw wild roses, forget-me-nots, fire- weed, and ‘“‘Alaskan cotton.”’ Mrs. Ebersole has travel- ed widely in the past, also. She went to Israel several years ago, and witnessed an Arab terrorist bombing that made headlines in the U.S. at the time. She saw a wagon load of fruit, and three people, blown into the air. There were also bullets flying during this incident in Hebron. She was on a bus at the time, and recalls the driver ordering everyone onto the floor. “I feel as though I have moved home,”” Frances Ebersole says of her new apartment. She lived in the Marietta area for many years: her husband was a teller at Farmers First Bank for 40 years. He is now deceased. Her parents, the late Jacob and Emma Heisey Shank, were natives of E-town, but they passed through Marietta frequently on the their rounds, delivering their fresh produce, eggs, and baked goods. Her parents’ route passed through Maytown also. As her parents aged, Frances picked up more of the work. But the business was terminated in 1949. Frances is a member of the Congregational Bible Church, but doesn’t belong to any other organizations. “I'm too busy,”’ she says. Frances spends lots of time stitching quilts, and is planning a complete cover- let now that she has plenty of room. She crochets coat hangers, afghans, and doilies; sews her own dresses; and is canning many types of fruit for the winter. Mount Joycee-ettes to hold fashion show The Mount Joy Joycee- ettes will sponsor a fashion show and card party on November 14, 1979 from 7:30 to 11:00pm at the Mount Joy American Legion. This year’s theme is “Holiday Splendor,”’ which will combine the holidays of Thanksgiving and Christ- mas with the latest fall and winter fashions. Fashions for this year’s show are being provided by Chap- man’s Apparel and Grace Blough’s Dress Shop. Models will wear fashions from the junior sizes to half sizes. In addition, various holiday outfits will be worn by the children of the Joy- cee-ettes. Door prizes, hand made by the Joycee-ettes, will be awarded during the evening as well as a gift certificate from the stores. Dessert and coffee will be served following the fashion show. After the dessert, a card party will round out the evening's activities. Admission is $2.75. All seats are being reserved in groups of four. For tickets, please call Mrs. Dennis Fry- moyer at 653-2604. ; —Nancy Nestleroth aL 2 4 Phoebe Rutt and Frances Ebersole at Anchorage State Fair where a 56 Ib. cabbage took first prize. flowers in Anchorage, Alaska. JOIN OUR CLUB. Now paying 5.25% interest on Christmas Clubs. paid according to schedule We suggest you plan ahead for the holidays now. Join our . Christmas Club and save in a systematic manner for the next holiday season. Save $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, or more, each week. Save whatever weekly sum your budget can best handle. You'll be surprised how fast you savings will grow. Stop in and see us soon. We'll help you put together a Holiday Savings Plan of Action. UNION NATIONAL MOUNT JOY BANK 101 E. Main Street 100 W. High Street 190 Stony Battery Rd. Mount Joy, PA 17552 Maytown, PA 17550 Salunga, PA 17538 653-1441 426-1512 898-2478 MEMBER FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM MEMBER FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION Frances Ebersole and Phoebe Rutt admiring the
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