FINALLY....

The Novelty Senior Citizens’ got to have a monthly meeting—first time this year!  On March 3, 2022, they met at the Senior Center for the carry-in dinner and business meeting.  Eight were present, with a couple sending their regrets as they felt “under the weather”.  Diana led the pledge and Denis gave the blessing for the food.  We sang Happy Birthday to Dorothy and David, and they blew out candles on a delicious pineapple upside down cake made by Edra.             

 

We also celebrated Jim and Edra as their birthdays were in January but they both felt it was too far past their celebrations.  Others present were Marsha and Judith.  The center was decorated with Irish green decorations.  We all decided we very much ready for spring to get here! 

At 1:15, Diana called the business meeting to order.  Marsha read “minutes” from December, January, and February which were posted on our blogsite.  After her motion to approve all of them, Judith seconded.  Motion passed.  Judith then gave the treasurer’s report.  She had deposited a check from WAA for the first month’s wreaths purchased.  Dorothy seconded Judith’s motion to approve the treasurer’s report.  Motion carried. 

Unfinished business: 

1.     A re-wrap of the WAA BoGo promotion.  We sold 141 wreaths during that time frame.  All of Bee Ridge and St. Aloysius cemeteries are already covered.  We feel that Novelty, Mt. Salem, and Locust Hill will all be covered as well after the December ceremony.    Also a reminder has been placed on Facebook for individuals to pick up their wreaths from the 2021 ceremony before the first mowing of the cemetery.   Novelty youth group will be contacted soon to pick up that cemetery.  

2.    No one has been contacted yet about the guttering on the building.  Judith’s grandson works for Orkin and they also do that type work, so she will have him give an estimate for what we might need. 

3.    We will not have a spring breakfast:  none has been had the last couple years due to the pandemic.  Before that, we felt it was a great deal of work and not many came to help support it other than  those who generally attend our activities.

Marsha will make the birthday cake for April, with Judith making it in May.  Coffee makers for the month will be  8^th—Marsha; 15^th—Judith; 22—Diana; 29-Marsha;  April 5—Judith. 

Judith made motion to adjourn, Denis seconded.  Meeting adjourned.  Glad to have Edra come join us:  and she’s been coming to coffee as well!

😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢

We will truly miss friends Jeff and Leah Otto, who passed away this past month.  They rarely missed a luncheon when they were residing here at Novelty.  Condolences to their children and grandchildren.   

                                             AGAIN POSTPONED!!

The monthly luncheon for February will again be postponed this month due to the weather conditions.  We've had several inches of snow, and blowing winds which has caused drifted side roads, and single-digit temperatures.  

Stay safe everyone, and hope we can have it next month.  No February birthdays to celebrate, but we can hope to celebrate the January birthdays as well as March birthdays next month.

                 THEME FOR 2022 WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA CEREMONY

“You don’t have to be in military service to serve your community and country,” said Karen Worcester, executive director, Wreaths Across America. “Serving others, or being in service to others, gives purpose and I’ve seen first-hand from Gold Star Families to Veterans, how it can help people heal.”

         JANUARY, 2022

There was no monthly luncheon/business meeting on January 6 due to the weather.  We felt it was too cold, and slippery for us old folks to be out !!!  So we canceled!!!  But planning on the February 3 luncheon to celebrate the January birthdays as well.

Coffee was held on Tuesday January 11 with guests Edra and Walla.  Walla brought delicious rolls to enjoy with the coffee!!!  Thanks Walla.

As of now, January 14, the BUY ONE/GET ONE promotion for the 2022 wreaths is over.  We were very blessed that we sold 141 wreaths (so that means 282 will be sent)....and this is only January!  We have 9 more months to gather.  We do have two cemeteries completely covered for December, 2022.  The Bee Ridge church/community will again make sure all the veterans in their cemetery will be honored with a wreath.  This year, the St. Aloysius cemetery at Baring will also have all veterans there honored with a wreath at Christmas time.  That is due to the generosity of the DeRosear family as well as others who are interested in this cemetery.  I am sure that the Novelty cemetery will again be covered, as well as Mt. Salem.  Hopefully Locust Hill will also be covered...it nearly was this year.  

Thanks to all who purchased your wreaths early to get this promotion.    Have a good month and blessed beginning to 2022!

 WAA CEREMONY, 2021

Today, December 18, 2021, was the National Wreaths Across America ceremony.  Locally, we celebrated as well.  We had beautiful weather--not as warm as earlier in the week (when it was 70 degrees!) but in the upper 30's, sunny and not too breezy.  

We had received our wreaths on Monday afternoon.  Help from Jeff Love and son, Jim Pinson, Kent Franke, and David Howard to unload the 45 boxes from the truck.  On Thursday,  Carolyn, Judith, Joyce, and Marsha met at the center to unpack and "fluff" the wreaths and getting them organized into the various groups to be picked up on Saturday.  

Saturday morning had a few (very few, as we discouraged it) coming prior to the ceremony to pick up their wreath(s).  At 11:00 we held the ceremony at the Novelty Christian Church.  Larry Clark served as the MC of the event.  The national anthem was sung by all present, led by Carolyn, followed by recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.  

Those placing the ceremonial wreaths were:  Barb Simpson, Army;  David Roush, Navy;  Jeff Love, Air Force, in memory of his dad, airman John Love;  Randy Shultz, Marines;  Matt Kriegshauser, Merchant Marines in memory of his dad, Carl Kriegshauser;  Kathy McMahon in honor of her son, Sean Arndt, a retired Coast Guard;  Jim Pinson laying the wreath in memory of Knox County POW's--Leroy Vansickle, Stanley Walker, and Raymond McConnell.    

The Cyril Graham American Legion Post from Edina gave the 21-gun salute, and Kent Hagerla played TAPS.  Those present then went to the cemetery to place the 85 wreaths on the graves of veterans buried there.  Veterans are buried there from the Civil War, up through the present,  (Video of ceremony is below).

https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=notif&v=950628382503427&notif_id=1639846825112150&notif_t=live_video_explicit

People who had purchased wreaths for other veterans in other cemeteries then came to the Senior Center to pick those up.  We had over 400 wreaths sold, for cemeteries throughout Knox County as well as in Shelby Co. Macon County, Lewis County, and  Adair County.

We thank all who attended, participated in the ceremony, placed wreaths, and just bought the wreaths.  We are indeed grateful for all our community support.  Thanks especially to Echo Menges, of the Edina Sentinel, for filming the event  and putting it on facebook.  

                             NOVELTY NEWSPAPER

Did you know that Novelty used to have a newspaper?  Well, it did--over 100 years ago!  And here is a copy of the front page!!!!!

Thank you, Lynn (Browning) VanDolah for sharing it with us!

   Our local ceremony is this same day.                                                                     Time is 11:00 a.m.                                                                                                                       Location:  Novelty Christian Church      Wreaths will be placed at the Novelty cemetery immediately afterward.   Purchased wreaths for other cemeteries may be picked up at the Center starting about 11:30 a.m.