Mothers treated to afternoon tea

Former Arcadia Christian Church pastor's wife Susan Casey and friend Jill England, both from Joplin, visited Mary V. Shead as they were on their way to Caney where Susan was to speak that evening at the ladies annual dinnner on May 2. Both ladies are graduates of Ozark Christian College.

It was interesting to name the young preachers who had been pastors of the Arcadia Church while they, too, were students at OCC. Jill is now director of the OCC Alumni Association. Susan and Phil Casey are head of LATM.

Betty Dehn is now a part- time employee at Super 8 Motel in Lamar, Mo. She works on weekends and is mainly relief for vacations.

Jim Ward of Kansas City spent a recent weekend visiting his aunt Ernestine and Forrest Berkey. A special dinner was prepared by the host, and the guests were cousins, Angela, Kristen and Bethany Redd from Pittsburg.

On a Friday night, Kristen and her date, Ethan Powell, went to her senior prom in Frontenac. Her mother, Angela, sister Bethany and grandmother Ernestine went with many other relatives to watch as the guests paraded from their cars to the banquet hall. Many pictures were taken

On a recent weekend when Ralph and Cindy Shead were speakers in a Granby, Mo., church, his former classmate, Karen Risley Sprenkle from Stark City, Mo., was in the audience and was pleased to see a former Arcadian again.

The service station long ago called Hop Scott's Gas Station and, in more recent years, Shead's Service, now belongs to a new owner who has been cleaning up the area.

The station, along with the former cream station and Scott's Store fronts, are made more attractive by the new owner, David Drake, whose home is in the former Perk's Pool Hall on Race Street.

The youth group of the Christian Church made special decorated invitations for mothers in the church, inviting them to a tea held in the parsonage on Saturday afternoon. Among others, Andy Leckliter made the invitation delivered by Cheyenne Mellon to Mary V. Shead. With Patty Peterson as driver, Andy came to Shead's door, took her to the car and escorted her to the parsonage just before tea time. He was also one of the servers of the refreshments.

Hostesses Willa Cable and Patty Peterson prepared large strawberries dipped in chocolate, chocolate covered brownies. lemon bread and a variety of teas.

Honorary mothers received potted plants from the young girls, Josie Bryant, Stephanie Lechliter and Cheyenne Mellon, aided by Carole Bridgewater.

Others in attendance were Brandy Mellon, Ava Mae Adams, Carole Garrrison and Edie Lechliter. It was a fine time sharing tales about good times they each had enjoyed with their own mothers in years past. Pastor Charles Cable said hello to the group and then disappeared.

Mother's Day in Arcadia Christian Church found several mother guests who came with their children.

Thirty-seven people enjoyed the music led by Carole Bridgewater, Clay Carrington and Christie and Vera Parrish. Pastor Charles Cable honored mothers and told special things about his own mother.

Others attending were Larry and Vicki Shead with Katy and Benjamin, Fort Scott; Mitzi and Joel Ray with Cademon and Atalie from Tulsa, Okla.; Rose Campbell and Charles Corporon, Pittsburg.

Ralph and Cindy Shead honored their mother, Mary V. Shead, on this special day by sitting in a group with her and Carole Garrison. Matthew and Ashley Shead, Joplin, joined the group at the Shead farm where dinner was prepared and served by the men to honor all the ladies present.