St. Luke Living Center correspondent
An hour June 9 seemed too short for a table full of D-Day remembrances. Memories were of brothers, uncles, boyfriends, and even a husband who served. Ruby Vinduska’s future husband, Lou, was a prisoner of war for several months. Ruth Viets’ husband, Don, was a navigator on a B-29 in the Army Air Corps.
Residents recalled gas rationing, victory gardens, war bonds, blue and gold stars in windows, scrap-metal drives, and newsreels of our soldiers, sailors, and pilots in action.
Ruby told of being a member of the Girls Service Organization with other young women from the Delphos-Minneapolis area.
A letter from John Eisenhower to the director of the Eisenhower Library in Abilene marking the 65 anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy was read. D-Day was his graduation day from West Point.
A history of the U.S. flag written by Rhonda Whetstone Neibauer was read in recognition of Flag Day. Residents said they wished a flag flew in the center’s courtyard year-round.
Lou Roberts, Joyce Richmond, and Lea Schwarte brought chocolate, white, and banana cakes and cheese crackers with dessert plates and matching napkins in the afternoon for this month’s St. Luke Auxiliary teatime with us.
Living Center bakers made pumpkin squares as a contribution to the St. Luke Relay for Life bake sale during Chingawassa Days. The afternoon’s bingo croupier was Elsie Reiswig.
Afternoon worship June 6 was in the chapel. The Rev. Josh Wesner of Emmanuel Baptist Church played his guitar and was accompanied by his daughter, Abby.
Later in the afternoon residents celebrated Pearl Baxter’s birthday. Friends Margaret Cook and Evelyn Hett served chocolate and white cake, ice cream, mints, and nuts.
With Lydia Batt’s help and the unknowing help of the Rev. Phil Smith, we carried on in Dick Pracht’s absence during prayer group June 10, singing hymns and using the Methodist minister’s recent edition of “Phil-osophy” on remembering.
Although the young fawn on the front page of last week’s Record caught our immediate attention, the beautiful swallowtail in the flowers, the park scene with seated spectators, and the water tower backed by a clear blue sky were equally pleasurable. As we continued turning the pages during current events June 10, the century-old news item describing a baby, runaway horses, and wagon was a gem.
Our outing Thursday was taken almost exclusively in the Marion city limits. A leisurely drive took us on streets and past homes and buildings that some of us do not remember. A vegetable garden at Doug Lind’s house caught our eyes.