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Rafters shake at end-of-summer blowout |
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By Bob Turner on
10/27/2006
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The folks that take care of things at our community center really went top shelf when they decided to sponsor an end-of-summer party for the Spruce Creek South residents. Marie, Chuck, Margaret, Milt and Helen all pitched in to make this first ever event a total success. The hit of the party was the stage show, which showcased the wealth of talent we have right here in our retirement haven. Master of ceremonies George Locke came up with a star-studded program that had the attendees' attention for almost 90 minutes.
The show started with everyone standing and singing "God Bless America." From there the silver liners dazzled with their dance routine. Doris Dupuis, a perennial favorite, sang "Memories." Many thought she did as good a rendition as the original artist. Up next was Carole Smith performing the classic "Till there was you," with Joyce Brooks accompanying her on the piano.
They were followed by ...
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New England Club kicks off season |
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By Bob Turner on
10/22/2006
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As you entered the hallway leading to the kitchen at the Spruce Creek South Community Center, the aromas were unmistakable. You'd think you had entered a fine Italian restaurant. Getting closer, you could hear the sounds of a knife on a chopping block. In the spacious culinary room, no less than 10 members of the New England Club were at several stations performing various tasks.
Meatballs were simmering in a large cooker, and they were covered with a rich red sauce (or gravy, as it also is known), which was the source of the aroma. Lettuce was being chopped, tomatoes sliced and other salad fixings prepared. Dozens of donated homemade pies, cakes and other pastry delights were being cut and placed on plates, and large loaves of bread were being unwrapped and placed in baskets.
The volunteer crew knew serving time was near, as they could see the monthly business meeting of the club winding down through the open portal that separated the auditorium from the ...
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Ancient account retold in new form |
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By Bob Turner on
10/13/2006
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 Karen Geisler had concerns about the Old Testament and today's generations. Her concern was so great she wrote a book. Karen says the Old Testament is a "hard read" and so most people do not bother reading it - and some think it does not apply to today's world.
She felt it was a story that people were forgetting. Her goal was to tell the ancient account in storybook form. To prepare herself for her passion, Karen enrolled in a Bible study program that allowed her to complete lessons while continuing her telecommunications career, which involved extensive travel. She laughed when she said she actually earned her degree in airports, on airplanes and at hotels.
While on a cross-country flight, she was seated between two gentlemen who observed her doing her studies.
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How an SC South musician found her calling |
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By Bob Turner on
10/6/2006
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When Lorna Ehlke was teaching in Wisconsin, she often told her students not to be afraid of trying new things or testing uncharted waters. She practiced what she taught. The demure patron of the fine arts is a master of several of them. Inheriting a valuable violin, she was determined to learn to play the intricate instrument rather than use it as a conversation piece. This challenge brought her an appreciation of the difficulty of mastering the playing of stringed instruments.
 One day while at an outdoors arts fair in a peaceful wooded setting in Milwaukee, she was browsing the displays of the works that the various artists had to offer when she heard sounds coming from a clearing. Glancing toward the sound, she saw five people - each plucking on a type of harp she had never seen. She walked over and listened and watc ...
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Hero relates harrowing WWII experience |
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By Bob Turner on
9/29/2006
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What do you do when the guest speaker calls and informs you he will not be able to keep his commitment owing to sudden illness - and you have less than 24 hours to obtain a substitute?
For the president of the Spruce Creek South Veterans Club, that was not too much of a problem.
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Elda knows longevity |
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By Bob Turner on
9/23/2006
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At 95-plus, Elda Clara Rothy can still do a fairly lively polka. The spry great-grandmother also continues to perform routine chores around the house.
Born in South Bend, Ind., she was one of seven children of Belgian immigrants.
"We moved to a small town named Mishawaka about 15 miles away, where I went to school in a wooden school house," she said and recalled the sighting of one of the first "horseless carriages" being driven around the small town. She reminisced about walking to the nearby train station with her siblings and waving to the Army troops at the depot during WWI.
Elda speaks fondly of her father, who apprenticed to be a tailor in the Old Country and had a small shop in Mishawaka that supported his family.
Unfortunately, he suffered a stroke at an early age while delivering finished goods to a customer and died shortly after, leaving his widow with five ...
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Residents encouraged to join CERT |
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By Bob Turner on
9/15/2006
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 Perhaps Fred and Arlene Gerth were watching the projected path of Ernesto with more concern than anyone in Spruce Creek South
. Fred, commander of our Community Emergency Response Team, and Arlene, a zone leader, were in standby mode until it was certain we were out of harm's way. They both vividly recalled that past hurricanes Charley and Jean stretched the CERT organization to it's limit.
"I just do not know if we have the people to deal with another situation like those two," Fred lamented as he ran his finger over a list of volunteers that have taken formal training and received their certification from Marion County. "We are at a low of 37 from our high of 70." Arlene produced a map marked in zones and pointed out several areas that ...
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For family, artist lives on in his creations |
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By Bob Turner on
8/18/2006
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The shop light over the workbench has not been on late at night for some time; the power and hand tools are packed away. Joan Lenz speaks in a soft voice when talking about her late husband's love for creating miniature masterpieces.
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Summerfield's music man |
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By Bob Turner on
8/11/2006
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If you were to ask a New York City taxi driver how to get to Carnegie Hall, you most likely would get the reply: "Practice, practice, practice." Raymond George Turner, of Summerfield, has been practicing music most of his life.
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