Families enjoy holiday visits

The Jack and Mary Lee Payne family met for their Christmas celebration at Jeff and Sherry Payne-Sisney's new rural home on Saturday, Dec. 26 with over 20 present. Due to weather, some family members were unable to attend. The counters were full of soups, snacks and sweets which were enjoyed by all. The day was completed with a gift exchange in the evening. Later in the day, a five generation picture was taken with great-great grandmother Helen Payne, great-grandfather Jack Payne, grandmother Sherry Payne-Sisney, dad Christopher Payne and six-week-old Jaxson Payne. Most enjoyed a biscuit and gravy breakfast the following morning in the Arcadia home of Jack and Mary Lee.

A pre-Christmas dinner held in Otto's Cafe, Pittsburg, when Fannie Mae and Jude Christenson came from Independence, Mo., to Arcadia for her uncle Walter Foulk and her nephew Gene Twombly in Pittsburg for a fine holiday visit.

Word from the McCracken, Kan., newspaper is that Ron and Ruthanne Crawshaw and Bill and Paula Greenway have been in Fredonia and Wichita to help Ted and Bernadine Gray. Bernadine had pneumonia and then heart surgery in Wichita. They took turns staying with Ted. We wish Bernadine a speedy recovery. The Ted Gray family lived in Arcadia a few years ago when Ruthanne and her brother Jim Gray were in Arcadia Grade School. Ted was the Frisco Depot Agent for many years, was Boy Scout leader while Bernadine worked with the Girl Scouts and as a family attended the Christian Church. From here they moved to Fredonia to became the Frisco Depot agent there. We here in Arcadia and other friends were sorry to hear of their illnesses.

Class No. 10 of Arcadia Christian Church had their meeting Dec. 16 as a Christmas party with President Patty leading the Flag Salutes and read devotions from "Streams In The Desert." It was entitled "If Jesus Had Not Come." Favorite Christmas food answered roll call, anything chocolate and dressing with gravy were chosen by the eight ladies present. Pastor David Peterson stopped by to wish all a Merry Christmas. Betty Dehn blessed the table of food with coffee brought by all present. Instead of gift exchange, a monetary gift was presented to the Pastor. Patty gave each lady a special gift, a leather case for driver's license and other important cards.

Special guests at the party were two tiny little twin brothers from Marshall, Mo. They were spending a week with their grandparents, Betty and Lou Dehn. They were born Sept. 14, 2009, named Landon Joe Long and Lance John Long. Now three months old, they quietly slept through party time. The ladies present who enjoyed the tiny ones were Lorene Gibson, Judy Rawlings, Carole Garrison, Mary V. Shead, Patty Peterson and Grandma Dehn. Weather permitting, Class No. 10 will meet on Jan. 20 in Christian Church bungalow.

Darrell and Karen Rizley Sprenkle entertained relatives in their Stark, Mo., home on New Year's Day They were Phyllis and Paul Sprenkle from Sheldon, Mo. Karen is the daughter of the late Roy and Louise Rizley of Arcadia where Louise used to work in Home State Bank, Karen attended Arcadia Grade School here. She also used to live in Liberal, Mo.

Ralph and Cindy Shead of Carl Junction, Mo., and his brother, Larry, and Vickie Shead, Garland, were supper guests in Arcadia Shead home on Saturday evening, Jan. 12. Vickie Shead made the chili served with the salad and dessert.

Sunday morning, Ralph filled the pulpit in Arcadia Christian Church and thanked the congregation for all the support during the years he and his family were missionaries in Santiago Chile and for present support for LATM in Joplin. Other special guests in church that morning were Jennie and James Dugan with Allyson, Jim and Karter Dugan and their aunt and uncle Janet and Mark Vanleeuwen, St. Paul, Kan.