First April thunderstorm takes down electric poles

On the first Sunday night in April, a heavy thunderstorm took down electric poles south of Garland. From 11 p.m. that night, there was no electricity in the area of the large iron bridge. Men were at work before daylight on Monday morning.

Thirty men, ladies and children attended the first Sunday in April Christian Church dinner this week. Wayne Parrish reported that former Pastor David Peterson is improving in health in Wichita, Kan. Special guests for morning services and dinner were Mark and Janet Vanleeuwen and daughter, Tara. A birthday cake was served honoring Walter Foulk on his 83rd year.

The sermon title for this Sunday was "The Sad Saga of The Boastful Business Man." Pastornew was pleased to have his grandson from Lamar, Mo., in the audience. Pastor Cable sang a special number before going to the pulpit.

Thursday, Mrs. Paul Shead with her family Larry and Vickie Shead, Garland, and Mark, Haley, Katy and Benjamin Shead attended The Beacon Soup Supper held in Scottish Rite Temple, Fort Scott. It was hosted this year by the Young Professional League of Fort Scott. Proceeds go to The Beacon Food, a food pantry and community assistance agency. Mark Shead, as a member of the league helped prepare the soup early that morning. Little Katy was happy to meet one of her preschool mates at the dinner.

Raymond Cattaneo called to say he was happy to see his name in the Arcadia news and the mention of the former Mulberry News. He and his sister-in-law, Mary Hines Cattaneo, former Arcadian, are not well, but take care of each other.

Jack and Mary Lee Payne recently returned from a 14-day cruise aboard Celebrity's ship, Constellation. They left from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and cruised the Eastern Caribbean with stops at St. Maarten, Antigua, St. Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire before returning to Florida. They enjoyed great entertainment, food and various activities during the cruise.

Linda Morris, manager of Arcadia election board, attended a training session one day in March. Her supervising judge, Patty Peterson, and clerk, Mary V. Shead, attended their training on Tuesday, March 29 in Girard. Remember to vote Tuesday, April 5 at the Arcadia Community Center. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. that day.

Friends were pleased to see pictures of former Arcadians John and Patsy Scott as they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a family dinner. John and Patsy (Fanning) Scott were married March 26, 1961 at Arcadia Christian Church. The couple has three children, Shelly Scott, Fort Scott, John Scott and Linda Scott, Hamilton, Ohio and Carol Scott DeNeff, Olathe, Kan.

Our Gang dinner meeting for April has been moved to the last Saturday of the month, April 20, 6:30 p.m. at Arcadia Community Center. They will be ordering chicken, so be sure to register ahead of time. Cost will be determined later. You may take a dessert if you like.

Early in March, Mae Watt went with some Fort Scott friends to an activity in the Pittsburg mall where her favorite speaker, Dalton James Windsor, was one of four on the program. He was a former radio announcer and now a minister in Verdella, Mo. The first weekend in April, Mae's guests were her sons who were busy in her yard doing spring clean-up. Jerry and Hilda Page of Nevada, Mo., were Mae's guests recently. Mae attended "Dancing With Our Stars" on the Fort Scott Community College campus and was pleased to have her picture taken.

The last Saturday in March, while Judy and John Rawlings and Louise and Howard Holland from Liberal, Mo., were enjoying the Our Gang dinner in Arcadia, his mother, Ruth Holland, Lamar, was in the home of Mary V. Shead enjoying the carry-in supper, reminiscing about the days when they belonged to a Refund Club called the Busy Bees. They ended their evening by playing their favorite game of dominoes.

On the day of Ladies' Retreat in Arcadia, one of the new friends that Mary V. Shead met was Evelyn Bryant Dickey from Liberal, Mo. When told she once lived in Arcadia, first where Max and Pauline Davidson lived near the school house. It is a house that is now in process of being torn down. The other house was known as the Corporon home on East Williams Street -- destroyed by fire a few years ago. Evelyn was surprised to learn that is where Mary V. was born 92 years ago. The retreat was a good place to meet new friends including a former neighbor, Amber Wort Schmitz, who did live near the ceramic shop but lives now on North Ohio Street.