Community readies for gospel music, alumni banquet

A good crowd attended Christain Church on May 22 despite poor weather reports. Later that afternoon Joplin, Mo., was devestated.

Song leader Stuart Semple honored his mother by giving a birthday offering. Following the sermon, Pastor Cable introduced a new member, Kyle Whetzel from Englevale, who was baptized on Friday evening in the church.

Congratulations were given to Pat Allen and daughter Hailey Allen who are graduates this spring from Fort Scott Community College. They will be honored at a party following the June 5 church dinner.

Greg and Sharon Dunn from Oklahoma will present Gospel Music Friday, May 27, at 7 p.m. in the Cherry Grove Church on Highway 69. They will also be guest musicians at 10:45 a.m. Sunday morning, May 29. Church dinner will follow morning services.

All are invited to bring a covered dish and enjoy the food and fellowship. Greg Dunn is the son of Jessie and Hardy Dunn of Pittsburg.

On a Saturday in April, former Arcadia Christian Church pastors and wives, including Craig and Shirley Woolsey, Phil and Susan Casey, Chris and Carol DeWelt, had a get-together in the home of Ralph and Cindy Shead in Carl Junction, Mo.

Joining them were Matthew and Ashley Shead of Joplin and Erin and Sarah Shead from California. The pastors and Sheads were graduates of Ozark Christian College and later all served as missionaries in Santiago, Chile, South America.

Wednesday evening, Angela Redd and Ernestine Berkey were guests of Kristen Redd at the senior banquet in Frontenac High School.

They enjoyed dinner catered by Gebhardts. Scholarships were awarded, including the one given by Frontenac Teacher's Association to Kristen Redd.

Little Katy and Benjamin Shead traveled with Larry and Vickie Shead to Silver Dollar City on May 12.

There they met their Aunt Maria and Uncle Clayton Whitson and friends Danielle and Craig Hamilton from Tulsa. The children's parents were in Texas attending the funeral of Haley Shead's father.

Susan Cherry attended activities at PSU on Sunday, May 15, on behalf of her son Logan Cherry. She later enjoyed dinner with her mother, Helen Sisney, in her Arcadia home on Sunday afternoon. Logan's sister, Phaedra Cherry, attends college in Manhattan.

On Thursday, May 12, the scholarship committee of the Arcadia High School Alumni Association met at El Charros in Fort Scott.

The committee chaired by Betty (Clarkson) Skidmore from Iola, met immediately after dinner for the purpose of choosing the recipients of two college scholarships of $1,000. Other committee members were Hilda (Cockman) Page, Nevada, Mo., secretary, treasurer of the association; Patty (Smith) Wright, Arma; Virginia (Harris) Smith, president of the association, Pittsburg; and Chuck Corporon, Pittsburg. Also in attendance were Jerry Skidmore, Jerry Page and Ron Smith who contributed to the discussions.

The winners of the scholarships will be honored at the Arcadia High School reunion which will be held in the Lamplighter Inn and Suites in Pittsburg on Saturday, May 28.

Fifty years ago, according to Nell Dikeman of The Fort Scott Tribune, in 1961 the Arcadia High School band under the direction of Richard Steele played at the Cato Centennial Celebration. The girl's trio -- Joyce Elliott, Karen Caldwell and Nancy Bown -- sang during the Saturday night program.

Arcadia people wish we still had a high school, Mr. Steele and a band to perform at the forthcoming Cato Sesquicentennial to be held Oct. 21 and 22.