What a fun time it was at my retirement open house Wednesday! Lots of people showed up to wish me well and it was great to see them all.

There were people there from my past, many from the present and all of them hopefully will be there in my future if I can help it.

My two sisters and brother-in-law as well as a couple of cousins were there, but my brother, Ron, was unable to attend because he was taken to the hospital earlier in the day. He was transferred from Wayne HealthCare to Good Samaritan in Dayton, and his wife told me that he was determined he was going to make it to my party, but as of this writing, he’s still in the hospital. Sorry, Ron, maybe you can be there at my next retirement party in 50 years.

Former co-workers, June Baker, Glen Murphy, Richard George and Ryan Carpe dropped by, and all of my present co-workers were there for the entire time.

I was honored to receive a proclamation from the Darke County Commissioners [Mike Rhoades, Mike Stegall and Matt Altman] proclaiming May 24, 2017, at Linda Moody Day [imagine that], a community recognition award from the Darke County Chamber of Commerce’s director Sharon Deschambeau for my 50 years of service and a lifetime subscription to The Daily Advocate.

I am appreciative of the other gifts and the many, many cards I received throughout this time.

I am glad the ones I wanted to show up at the open house did and others who came surprised me, but that was great. I didn’t realize I had so many friends.

I want to thank The Daily Advocate staff for hosting this open house for me. It turned out great. Their gift of a laptop, a frame that held my page 1 story on the announcement of my retirement and gift cards they gave were just wonderful.

I actually didn’t want a party in the first place, but was talked into it. And, I’m glad it took place.

I don’t feel like I’m anyone that important. I just did my job….for 50 years…and I’m so proud of that.

I am not the only woman who has done that in Darke County, however. Betty Teegarden is still working as secretary in the office at Mississinawa Valley School, and Anna Mae James told me she worked in the former Rife Insurance office for 50 years. And, I salute them as well.

I have officially left employment at The Daily Advocate as of now, but I will continue my column through Father’s Day.

Believe it or not, when we were first told we had to write columns, I found it difficult to come up with some subjects, but as time when on, I caught on and it evolved from there. I got some of my ideas from former columnists, including Betty Grimes and Marilyn Graeff, in doing so.

Readers must like it, because they tell me they do when they see me out and about. And, I am glad I could do that for them.

The next few columns will probably focus on my retirement and all the fun I’ve had working at The Daily Advocate.

•••••

Classmate Terry Lee Hall passed away recently at his residence in Union City, Ohio. His mother, Patricia Stewart Hall, had recently preceded him in death.

Terry was a Vietnam veteran and worked at Sheller Globe Hardy’s Division, and he was a 25-year painter at Livingston’s Painting and Keen’s Painting. Terry was club manager and quarter master at VFW Post 7084, and was also a member of Elks Lodge #1534, American Legion Post 158 and the Moose Lodge in Winchester, Indiana.

He leaves behind his wife, Teri James Hall, to whom he had been married 15 years; son JJ and wife Karla; a stepdaughter; three grandchildren; and a brother, Larry of Greenville.

Terry is, I believe, the 15th person in our class to have passed away.

Then, this past week, we lost another former classmate, Jack Sanders. Jack didn’t graduate with us, but he did show up for our 50th class reunion last year and it was great to see him there.

May Terry and Jack rest in peace. They will be missed.

•••••

Don’t forget:

• Ansonia Community Garage Sales are set for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 8-10. The $3 registration fee can be mailed to Betty Burnfield, P.O. Box 758, Ansonia, OH 45303 or, for everyone’s convenience, drop the fee along with an address in an envelope marked “Community Garage Sale” in the water department drop box. Deadline is May 31. Maps will be available at most area businesses and city building by June 7.

•••••

Happy birthday to:

• June 1 to Nancy Riffle Moody (60), Jodie Bohman, Judy A. Middleton, Larry Robison, Diane Hahn, Rhonda Draper and Cathy Peters.

• June 2 to Kim Dickey, Sydney Ward (20), Jacob Foote, Missy Dakin, Lloyd Brown and Rhonda Thornhill Setser.

• June 3 to Loretta Addington, Linda Roberts, Alex Peace, Cleo Stump, Mike Follrod, Martha Neal and Dean Neff.

• June 4 to Max Guillozet, Kaleb Gates, Chris Smith, Carolyn Ressler York, Emily Schlarman, Marie Schlechty, Jake Klingshirn, Herb Byreley Jr., Paula Cardenas and Julie Graber.

• June 5 to Tim Brown, Terry Springer, Ramona Nickol, Jimmy Meade and Connie Blumenstock.

• June 6 to Taunya Brumbaugh Buxton, Beth Cottrell Cooley, Lillian Hunt Caywood, Rosie Longfellow and Marilyn Emmons.

• June 7 to Dr. Tom Brown, Joey Thobe, Junior Turner, Betty Miller McKenna, Christine Neff and Chris Clark.

Happy belated birthday to:

Happy anniversary to: Harold and Shirley Marker on June 1; Rick and Lois Hittle on June 2; Greg and Tracy (Leeper) Wendel on June 3; Phil and Roberta Crawford on June 7; and Marion and Shirley Price on June 10.

•••••

Don’t forget to pray for: Tom Brumbaugh Jr., Ron Moody, Mason Osterloh, Marilyn Peterson, Irma Stewart, Ruby Fenstermaker, Keith Holton, Judy Peters, Carl Francis, Harry Moody, Gary Foureman, Kent Clark, Kyndal Wynk, Ron Kreitzer, Vickie Martin, Betty Kremer, Jeff Stump, Stacy Dorko, Charlotte Metzcar, Vicki Wilker Gibson, Evan Boggs, Rhonda Rodeheffer Rismiller, Janet Bolin, Shirley Miller, Roger Flory, Albert Duncan, Jack Good, Bill Duncan, Keith Starks, Darla Bowman Miller, Cheri Antrobus Davis, Scott Clark, Steve Schafer, Tom Hawkins, Greg Moody, Connie Apple, Jodie Glick, Kohen Thwaits, Jerrod Pratt, Dawn Oldiges, Judy York, Lowell Elsass, Linda Johnston, Tracy Bailey, Shannon Peters Hall, Jack Riegle, Bruce Knick, Aiden Turner, Brody Wilson, Carol Bollheimer, Roger McEowen, Al Bliss, Tim King, Gary Poor, Layna Best, Jean Eastridge, Alishia Clark Funk, Glenna Curry, Mike Bale, Phyllis Gibbons, Carmen Sanders, Michael Allen Clark, Elmer Long, Shirley Mead, Kathy Magoto,

Also, Wanda and Joe Bailey, Shelly Hoffman, Lisa Hall, Tammy Shapiro, David Magoto, Phil Clark, Sonny Hunt, Don and Nina McDaniel, D’Arleen Waymire, Pappy Harshman, Delores Duncan Bridges, John Klipstine, Elsie Svajda, Sue Chitty, Phil Chilcoat, Christine Pipenger, Paul Barton, Terry Ungericht, Gracyn Blackburn, Dave Starline, Bob Hiestand Jr., Kathy and Tom Hamilton, Joanne Sharp, Ivan Miller, Cindy Elson, Cary Van De Grift, Teresa Mayo Amspaugh, Tina Kiser Deaton, Tonia Thompson, Fred Monnin, Faye Schlecty, Sheila Reed, Bill Beasley, Kody Ketring, Bob and Sandy Finkbine, Kevin Dickey, Margaret “Peg” Bundy, Kevin Hemmerich, Penny Starns, Tim Heck, Vanna (Hannam) Abbott, Addie Henderson, Samantha Smith, Todd Walls, Ron Kramer, Dana Holzapfel, Kara Didier, Carla Welch and Bill Schuette.

And, pray for all those others who suffer from the many debilitating diseases, and may God bless all of our military people serving and protecting this nation, as well as rescue, fire and law enforcement personnel who put their lives on the line to protect us.

•••••

Jamie and I send our condolences out to the families of: Joy Theurer Schultz, Leon L. LaMontagne Sr., Art Sevene, Treva Fiste, Jack Sanders and Ricky Mundy.

•••••

Think about it: “Enjoying the journey doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to go smoothly. It just means the destination will taste that much sweeter.” — Unknown