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REMEMBERING COUNTRY SCHOOL

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August 1, 2014 Issue 48 The Peoples Paper<br />

<strong>REMEMBERING</strong> <strong>COUNTRY</strong> <strong>SCHOOL</strong><br />

By Marjorie Lewis<br />

Country schools were formed within an area known as a district. In each district, an annual school board meeting was held usually in<br />

April. Those living in this area were eligible to be elected to a three member school board. Only one person was elected each year so every<br />

year a new person was elected or reelected to serve for a term of three years. The school board members then elected a director,<br />

secretary, and treasurer to serve as their officers each year.<br />

The school board was responsible for hiring the teacher and paying her wages. The clerk did the ―paperwork‖, wrote the checks and<br />

took the census of those living in the district. The census was taken to give the number of children that would attend school. Of course the<br />

treasurer signed the checks along with the director.<br />

In February or March each year, those wishing to apply for a teaching job the next school year sent an application to the clerk. It was<br />

decided at the annual school board meeting who to hire. Sometimes the school board would meet sooner to decide on rehiring the<br />

present teacher. Most often a teacher would teach two or three years in one school. All teachers were single and mostly women. The<br />

monthly wage was a determining factor as some districts could pay a higher wage. I recall teachers getting paid $40. a month and then<br />

the wage grew to $100. or $125. or $150. Wow!<br />

Glenn Dale Miller’s father served on the school board many years, as did my dad, O. K. Lynn and Tommy Thomas. A county<br />

superintendent who had been elected by the voters in the county had an office in Burlington at the courthouse. Duties of the<br />

superintendent included guiding the teachers to follow the curriculum and giving advice and assistance. In addition, she or he would visit<br />

the schools to observe the teacher and students once or twice a year. Meetings were held one Saturday a month for the teachers where<br />

they were presented with new information and guidance.<br />

Teachers needed to attend summer school to renew their certificate or license. Normal training – preparing young people for teaching<br />

was taught in some high schools. Teaching certificates were earned in this matter. Later credit for college hours made the teacher<br />

stronger. After the bombing at Pearl Harbor, many teachers at the country schools went to work in the defense plants as they could earn<br />

more money. So the State of Kansas came to their rescue offering an emergency teaching certificate after earning 8 hours of college<br />

credit. This is how I began my teaching experience. I graduated high school in 1944, went to summer school and got my teaching<br />

certificate which was good for one year. I wasn’t as well prepared as the teachers are today!<br />

Then I went back to summer school in both 1945 and 1946. I taught at Rural Dale and Sunny Knoll country schools. By 1946, the<br />

schools began hiring married men and women.<br />

Students wishing to graduate from 8 th grade were required to take an examination written by the state to test our knowledge for passing<br />

into high school. Several weeks before the tests were given the teachers in each country school asked the 8 th graders to stay after school<br />

for about 30 minutes to prepare for the tests. The tests were given in Lebo at the high school for the students attending school in the Lebo<br />

area. After the tests were graded, the results were mailed to the students. Most passed and were eligible to enter high school. Those who<br />

failed either repeated the 8 th grade or dropped out of school. A county-wide 8 th grade graduation ceremony was held in the Burlington High<br />

School – usually in May.<br />

School was held for 8 months – September through April in the country school. The schools in towns were usually held for 9 months.<br />

School hours were 9:00 am to 4:00 pm with a 15 minute recess in midmorning and again in the afternoon. In addition, one hour was<br />

allowed for lunch. In good weather, students would hurry to eat so they would have more time to play – soft ball, keep away, tag, Annie<br />

over, and other games. If we didn’t have enough players to have two teams in softball, we played the game called ―work up‖. Positions<br />

were chosen and filled. When an out was made whoever was on third base (guarding) would go to second base and then advance to first<br />

base, then pitcher, then catcher before becoming the batter. If an outfielder caught a fly ball – they got to exchange places with the batter.<br />

Have you ever played ball this way? I might not have the directions correct, but that’s the idea.


a u g u s t 1 , 2 0 1 4<br />

The Lebo Light Page 2<br />

BIRTHDAYS FOR AUGUST<br />

1 Jack Ables, Will Grimmett, Kris Wallace,<br />

Jadin Crouch, Matt Barrett<br />

2 Marilyn Storrer, Jeff Meares<br />

3 Eric Gourley<br />

4 Adam & Aron Sergeant, Nanci Denton, Casey Jones<br />

5 Colton Lee Crouch, Stacy Schaefer<br />

6 Corinne Edwards<br />

7 Tom Robke, Blayne Linsey, Lakin Adams,<br />

Tanner Botkin, Phil Taunton<br />

8 Garold Hodges, Isabellla Christianson, Barbara<br />

Schlobolm<br />

9 Randall Beagel, Linsey Krause<br />

10 Keith Krause, Courtney Standiferd, Matthew Burnett<br />

11 Terry Berland, Chishom Hutchinson, Verita Peters<br />

12 Conor Bray, Bob & Sherry Griffin, Jessica Grimmett<br />

13 Marcia Cornelius<br />

14 Sara Evans, Ray Potenza<br />

15 John R Evans, Jacob Gould, Cole Brockelman,<br />

Sheri Small, Abby Thorne, Chelsea Evans<br />

16 Joe Shoemaker<br />

17 Chuck Crouch, Marion Sleezer<br />

18 Kathleen Botkin, Leonard Harper<br />

19 Carmen Mackey, Don Dailey, Blake Davies<br />

20 JB McCreary, Whitney Sloan<br />

21 Lowene Baird, Sharon Hampton, Sherry Shipley<br />

22 Destiny Palmer<br />

23 Megan Evans, Tim Weiss, Steve Sergeant<br />

24 Cindy Linsey, Yvonne Houchin<br />

25 Grace Lewis, Pernell Combes, Shannon Bayer,<br />

Chris Teeter<br />

27 Lyle Birnbaum, Angie Teeter-Dowell<br />

28 Joyce Buckle, Janelle John, Airyn Lochmann<br />

29 Brent Gould, Seth Dyer, Ann Allegre<br />

30 Jack Allegre, Doug Sherman, Londa Wallace,<br />

Kevin Madsen, Jean McCormick<br />

31 Chelsey Knight, Dusty Dowell<br />

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR AUGUST<br />

4 City Council @ City Hall 7:00 pm<br />

5 Curbside Recycle Pickup Lebo<br />

6 American Legion Meeting @ Legion Hall 7:00 pm<br />

7 Lebo School Enrollment 8:00 am—8:00 pm<br />

14 Lebo School Orientation 7th 6-6:30 pm<br />

incoming Freshman 7:30-8:00 pm<br />

21 Lebo back to school night 6:30-7:00 pm<br />

22 Lebo first day of school<br />

23 Lebo High Senior Carnival<br />

19 Curbside Recycle Pickup Lebo<br />

29 Over 60 Pot Luck @ Humphreys Hall Noon<br />

AUGUST ANNIVERSARIES<br />

1 Dusty & Megan Heckathorn<br />

2 John & Sara Evans<br />

Harold & Tracy Small<br />

11 Mike & Sheri VanArsdale<br />

15 Buddy & Paula Evans<br />

16 Doug & Sheri Sherman<br />

19 Denny & Vicki Rosine<br />

21 Cecil & Linda Lane<br />

J. Scott & Leanna Love<br />

24 Fred & Jean Rowley<br />

25 Forrest & Linda Combes<br />

30 Harlan & Georgene Verlin<br />

If you have a birthday, anniversary or any<br />

other event that you would like to put in<br />

the Community Bulletin Board, please<br />

email it to us at lebolight@gmail.com<br />

If we have a name or date incorrect, let us<br />

know so it can be corrected.<br />

Email-lebolight@gmail.com<br />

The Lebo Light is published<br />

on or before the third of the<br />

month.<br />

To view the online version<br />

www.thelebolight@blogspot.com<br />

No internet service,<br />

You can have it mailed,<br />

Call (620) 256-0162<br />

Lennis McCreary<br />

Publisher &<br />

Administrator<br />

703 W Broadway<br />

Lebo, Ks 66856<br />

(620)256-0162<br />

lebolight@gmail.com<br />

Barbara Dailey<br />

Executive Editor<br />

Contributing Writer<br />

Please notify us if you move or change your snail mail<br />

or email address.


a u g u s t 1 , 2 0 1 4 The Lebo Light Page 3<br />

<strong>SCHOOL</strong> READINESS<br />

by Theresa Whalen<br />

When we find out we are expecting our first child, we begin to dream. What will my child look like? Who will my child be? At birth those<br />

dreams begin to be reality for us; however, we still think about who our child will be as he/she grows. We want our children to be so many<br />

things athletic, intelligent, friendly and the list goes on and on. What role do we play in this?<br />

In April, we learned what Mrs. Ramirez, Lebo Elementary Kindergarten teacher, looks for as children enter her class:<br />

Gross Motor Skills (Large Muscle movement)<br />

Fine Motor Skills (Small Muscle movement)<br />

Language & Literacy Skills (Listening, Speaking, Reading)<br />

Cognitive Skills (Shapes, Colors, Numbers)<br />

Social-Emotional (Socializing with Others, Emotional Regulation)<br />

Health (Well Child Checks, Immunizations)<br />

In May, we learned about how children develop socially and emotionally and what role we play in supporting this development.<br />

Social-Emotional development is all about learning about yourself and others. Beginning at birth, children develop relationships with people<br />

around them; however, learning to interact, communicate and share with others takes years of practice. Understanding and learning to<br />

control emotions and behaviors is also a long process and takes patience. While social-emotional development continues well into the<br />

teenage years, there is much we can do, beginning at birth, to support our children.<br />

When parents help children learn about themselves and others there are many fabulous things that happen. Discipline becomes easier<br />

because children are better able to manage their feelings. Parenting becomes easier because we better understand the needs of our<br />

children and how to respond to them. Children are able to learn because they feel safe and secure. They do better in school because they are<br />

curious, confident and comfortable with routines. Children are ready to learn!<br />

In July, we learned about brain development what role we play in supporting our child’s development of a healthy brain. Our baby’s brains<br />

begin developing at about 3 weeks of conception. At birth, our baby’s brain, the structure, is completely formed; however, development<br />

continues throughout the lifetime. Interactions with people, places and things all shape how our baby’s brain develops. What can we, as<br />

parents, do to help our child to develop a healthy brain that is ready to learn? Provide opportunities for our children to experience the world<br />

around them. Spend time reading to our children and talking with our children. Take note of the things our children can do and what they are<br />

learning to do.<br />

What happens when we support brain building? Our children will develop good problem solving skills, feel capable, be creative, have a good<br />

memory and have a foundation for learning math, science and reading. Most importantly, our children will be ready to learn and succeed in<br />

school. In addition, we, as parents, also get a lot out of supporting our child’s brain building. We will recognize how play and learning are<br />

connected, feel pride as our children accomplish new skills, develop more patience because we understand the difference between learning<br />

and misbehaving and feel more competent supporting our children through school.<br />

Regardless of where your child is in his/her education it is important to remember that children need to start their day well rested, well<br />

hydrated and well fed. Nourishing our children from the inside out will help them to be ready to learn each day.<br />

Our role is to be our child’s first and most important teacher. As parents, we are charged with helping our children prepare for the world<br />

around them. This is the most important job we will ever have and we must continually look to one another for support. I do hope that this<br />

summer’s school readiness articles have been supportive to you and your family.<br />

If you have concerns about your child's development, talk with your primary care physician. He/She can help you to decide what next steps<br />

are best for your child. In addition, Coffey County Special Education Cooperative offers developmental screenings throughout the year. These<br />

are free screenings available to any child birth to age 5.<br />

Want support in preparing your child for school?<br />

Check out ECKAN Head Start!<br />

Contact Stacy Brite<br />

409 Neosho, Burlington<br />

364.8223


a u g u s t 1 , 2 0 1 4 The Lebo Light Page 4<br />

Haiti Mission Trip Part 2<br />

By Cindy Linsey<br />

Haiti, Day, Monday, May 26<br />

Breakfast today is French toast, mango, bread, peanut butter, watermelon and bananas. Today is the first day of work at<br />

the clinic. Today I checked in patients. I took their vital signs and found out their complaints with the help of the interpreter.<br />

I also worked in the pharmacy filling prescriptions. I love doing that, maybe I should have been a pharmacist. Most of the<br />

patients we saw today had the Chikungunya virus. This was an epidemic while we were there. The symptoms are flu-like<br />

symptoms with high fever and joint pain. We saw a child that couldn’t even walk. Chikungunya is from mosquitoes. The only<br />

treatment is acetaminophen. Dr. Doolittle saw a young child who he was pretty sure had lymphoma. We tried to make<br />

arrangements for a biopsy but could not come up with any formalin to bring a sample to the states. They tried 2 hospitals<br />

and they ―supposedly‖ didn’t have any. This afternoon, Lindsay and I along with Arnold and our driver Toto went to St. Mark.<br />

It was a town about 30 minutes away and we went to get medicine. I was able to purchase $500 of much needed medicine<br />

to use in our clinic. The pharmacy is always locked and no patrons come in. They walk up to an outside window with their<br />

prescription and then it is filled and they pick it up at another window. The pharmacy was very clean and organized and it<br />

was air conditioned. What a nice relief for an hour! We noticed that baby formula and all vitamins were in the pharmacy so<br />

we are not sure if they have to have a prescription for all of that or if they can just ask for it. Unfortunately they were out of<br />

adult acetaminophen due to the epidemic. It is a good thing we had brought a lot with us. This evening I got to see, Jacob,<br />

one of the kids I met last year. He speaks very good English and he climbed to get coconuts, collected sea shells and even<br />

brought us a live sea urchin. He is such a happy kid and would do absolutely anything for you. He was at the mission most<br />

every night when he found out we were there. My sponsor child, Widlin, came for supper. She has sure gotten taller in the<br />

last year. She doesn’t know much English so I had to have an interpreter. She is 17 but in the 8 th grade. She has 2 brothers<br />

and a sister. She is the 3 rd child. Supper was goat, carrots, pineapple, French fries (YUMMY), kale, tomatoes, and<br />

watermelon. We bagged more rice and beans tonight and Widlin and Tiana both helped. They each got to take a bag to their<br />

families. Tonight we decided to have popcorn. Those little things like matches that we take for granted are really, really hard<br />

to find. After 3 different mission workers, we finally had some matches to light the stove!! They left the matches out for us<br />

from then on.<br />

Haiti, Day 4, Tuesday, May 27<br />

Today is surgery day so we filled up on eggs, mango, pineapple, banana, peanut butter and bread. We brought the fans<br />

from our rooms to the clinic because it is so hot. We did 5 surgeries this day. Today, I assisted with surgeries and was in<br />

charge of cleaning the instruments. I take that for granted at my hospital as we have a whole department in charge of that<br />

work. After the surgeries were done, we headed to the mission school. Marilyn found a 3 year old to sponsor. He was quite<br />

the cutie. Last year we had met, Maclene, a young girl with brittle bone disease and she was not in church or at school so<br />

we stopped by her home. When I turned the corner to where she was she got the biggest smile. Yep, she remembered me!!<br />

What a great feeling. She had the Chikungunya virus and just looked and felt awful. So I headed back to the clinic and got<br />

her some medicine and took to her home. This night we gave away 2 hogs. Benwa has different Haitians come to the<br />

mission and then they are given something. Widlin again joined me for supper and we had spaghetti, slaw, watermelon and<br />

French fries. The French fries are homemade and deep fried over a fire pit. They are wonderful. At supper we asked what<br />

kind of juice we were drinking and Benwa said ―grenadine.‖ We are like no way, that is for mixed drinks and it is red. He<br />

used his phone to look it up on the internet to make sure he was telling us the correct fruit and he was. I had no idea.<br />

Arnold drove Widlin and Tiana home that evening and I got to go meet a sister and brother and a lot of her cousins. It<br />

looked like she had a fairly nice house compared to what we had seen. It looked bigger than most and had a wood door.<br />

They had a nice large area around the house which is also unusual for what we had seen. It sounded like a lot of family<br />

lived together though not just her siblings and parents. After we dropped off the girls, Arnold drove us to the gas station<br />

(looks like a BP station in the states) and Paula bought some ketchup to take home. She hopes it is the same kind they<br />

served us. You know the saying ―it’s a small world‖, at the gas station a lady saw Paula’s KU shirt and she was from Kansas<br />

visiting some family. We made popcorn again and Benwa and Toto joined us. We found out they really liked our popcorn.<br />

Part 3 next month<br />

These are the tap-taps!<br />

Maclene and I when I visited her house.


a u g u s t 1 , 2 0 1 4<br />

The Lebo Light<br />

Page 5<br />

EVERYONE HAS A STORY<br />

It is fascinating to gather information<br />

about the lives of our ancestors because this<br />

provides a window into history and informs<br />

our sense of identity. When a loved one is<br />

diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, the desire to<br />

collect memories from the past gains a new<br />

sense of urgency.<br />

There are many ways to preserve family<br />

stories for future generations. Some people<br />

are wonderful at scrapbooking, some stitch<br />

heirloom quilts, and others leave organized<br />

rows of dated journals for their progenies’<br />

reading pleasure. However, many of us fail to<br />

record our memories in a way that can be<br />

passed to future generations.<br />

Since I’ve been writing books I’ve talked<br />

with many people who either have created a<br />

manuscript themselves, or know someone<br />

who has. Discouragement reigns because it<br />

seems impossible to get a book published,<br />

but it can be done, and with my most recent<br />

book I’ve found a way to do it inexpensively.<br />

For any published work, the first step is to<br />

obtain a copyright. I recommend filing a<br />

copyright even for something as simple as a<br />

compilation of family recipes, because in this<br />

age of instant information access, anyone<br />

anywhere can lay claim to your work. It might<br />

not be necessary if you don’t mind if your<br />

information is copied, but if you have<br />

included essays, poetry, or other original<br />

works, you will certainly want to obtain a<br />

copyright. Just go to www.copyright.gov and<br />

follow the instructions there, and you will<br />

have legal copyright from the date you apply.<br />

My first two books were picked up by small,<br />

independent publishers, and I worked with<br />

an entire team of people who each placed a<br />

claim upon some aspect of my work. There<br />

was an editor who examined my books and<br />

made numerous suggestions for changes<br />

(some welcome, some not). The creative<br />

department asked for my input and then<br />

ignored it, and although I was happy with the<br />

final results I regretted the loss of artistic<br />

control. And so for my next project I looked<br />

into self-publishing and found<br />

Createspace.com. This is Amazon’s<br />

self-publishing wing, and within one week (as<br />

contrasted with the six month process<br />

of working with a traditional publisher)<br />

the manuscript for my third book was<br />

converted into both eBook and<br />

softcover format and listed at Amazon.<br />

The entire publishing process is free.<br />

Books are printed to order and can be<br />

purchased by the author for as little as<br />

$4 each depending upon the length of<br />

the book.<br />

Most families have a designated<br />

scribe, a person who collects family<br />

history and records it. Let your family’s<br />

historian know about this new way of<br />

publishing information. After all,<br />

everyone has a story!<br />

Read about Linda’s books and<br />

Youtube caregiving series at<br />

http://lindaborn.com<br />

The Lebo/Olivet United Methodist<br />

Church is accepting applications for a<br />

part-time Administrative Assistant/<br />

Treasurer. This position requires a<br />

working knowledge of accounting<br />

procedures including payroll. The<br />

applicant must be able to provide<br />

administrative assistance to the Pastor<br />

and church, publish a monthly<br />

newsletter and weekly worship bulletins;<br />

and other duties as listed in the Position<br />

Description available at the<br />

church. Applicant must be bondable<br />

and able to complete and pass the<br />

United Methodist Church Safe<br />

Gatherings training and a background<br />

check. Application forms may be picked<br />

up at the Lebo UMC at 201 West 4 th<br />

Street in Lebo, Kansas; or a resume may<br />

be dropped off at the church between<br />

8:30 and 11:30 am, Monday through<br />

Friday. Applications or resumes must be<br />

received before noon on August 15,<br />

2014.<br />

Senior Exercise<br />

Mondays & Wednesday<br />

Tai Chi @ 1:00 pm<br />

Tuesday & Thursday chair exercise<br />

@10:00 am<br />

Youth<br />

Back to School Theme<br />

Wednesday,@12:30pm –School<br />

Storytime begins 7/27<br />

Fridays @ 10:00 am Public Storytime<br />

Begins 7/29<br />

6x6<br />

Ready to Read, August 4—9<br />

Come see new table and display<br />

Lunch (free) & WiiU Bowling<br />

Thursday, August 7 is lunch and practice<br />

Thursday, August 14 is tournament,<br />

Kids and adults<br />

RSVP by August 5<br />

Eat at Senior Center & then go library for<br />

bowling on the new WiiU,<br />

trophies for winners<br />

Movie Night<br />

Movies on the lawn at dark (9-9:15 pm)<br />

Wednesday, July 30<br />

Wednesday, August 13<br />

Check with library to see what is showing<br />

Adult Craft Class<br />

Wednesday, August 27<br />

Scrabble Tile Necklace<br />

Displays<br />

Antiques Children Books<br />

From Ruth Sullivan<br />

4-H Projects<br />

From Blue Ribbon 4-H Club<br />

Library Hours<br />

Note: New summer hours<br />

Mon. Wed 9:00 am—6:00 pm<br />

Tues, Thurs, Fri 9:00 am-5:00 pm<br />

Saturday 9:00 am-Noon<br />

For additional information<br />

620-256-6452


a u g u s t 1 , 2 0 1 4<br />

The Lebo Light<br />

P a g e 6<br />

80TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION<br />

AND BON VOYAGE PARTY<br />

The Lebo Light wishes to express our sincere<br />

condolences to the families that have lost a loved<br />

one recently.<br />

Janice ―Jan‖ L. Allen, 65, of Hamilton, OH died<br />

Sunday, July 13, 2014. Jan, the daughter of<br />

James C. and Marjorie M. Lynn Lewis, was born<br />

June 18, 1949 in Emporia, KS. Janice is survived<br />

by her daughter, Lisa Dietrick and companion<br />

Doug Goins of Ashburn, VA and son, R. Scott Miller<br />

and wife Christie of Emporia.<br />

She is also survived by her mother Marjorie<br />

Lewis and sister Janet Lewis of Lebo, KS plus five<br />

granddaughters and many nieces and nephews.<br />

Janice was proceeded in death by her father, a<br />

brother O. David Lewis, and companion Joe<br />

Kozlowski.<br />

Jan was a pioneer in the field of radiation<br />

protection, breaking into a male-dominated culture,<br />

where she excelled in her chosen profession. Her<br />

favorite past times included cooking, gardening,<br />

and crossword puzzles.<br />

Sandra Kay Dotson Sloop, 71, of Rockport, TX<br />

passed away at her home on July 7, 2014. She<br />

was born to Orlen and Keren Hutchins Dotson on<br />

October 6, 1942. She graduated from Lebo High<br />

School with the class of 1960. She was married to<br />

LeRoy Sloop in Lebo February 21, 1971.<br />

LeRoy and Sandra lived in Topeka before moving<br />

to Rockport, TX to make their home. She was<br />

preceded in death by her husband LeRoy, her<br />

parents, and uncle Homer Dotson.<br />

Jenel L. Harper, 79, of Lebo passed away July 25,<br />

2014 at the Sunset Manor in Waverly. She was<br />

born January 8, 1935 in Lake Charles, LA, the<br />

daughter of Clarence E. and Josephine Ash<br />

LaLanne. Jenel was married to Leonard M. Harper<br />

on July 1, 1942 in Lake Charles, LA. They lived in<br />

Louisiana until 1969 when they moved to a farm<br />

south of Lebo.<br />

Jenel was a member of the Lebo Baptist Church.<br />

She is survived by her husband of sixty-one years,<br />

Leonard M. Harper of their home, two daughters,<br />

Linnie Knight and husband Gary of Lebo and<br />

Connie D’Aubin and husband Stan of Bentonville,<br />

AR; a son, John Harper and wife Misty of Atchison,<br />

KS; twelve grandchildren and eight<br />

great-grandchildren.<br />

You are invited to a combined 80th birthday<br />

celebration and bon voyage party for Lyle Birnbaum<br />

hosted by his daughters. It will be held at the Lebo Library<br />

on Saturday, August 23 from 3-5pm. This is a come and go<br />

reception. Come and wish Lyle a happy birthday as well as<br />

best wishes on his move. No gifts please. Thanks!<br />

Lyle will be moving to Nebraska to be near his daughter,<br />

Carla, her family. If you wish to send Lyle as card you can<br />

mail it to: 501 East Gold Coast Road, Apt. #28-E,<br />

Papillion, NE 68046.<br />

A LITTLE MIXED UP<br />

Author Unknown<br />

Just a line to say I’m living<br />

That I’m not among the dead,<br />

Though I’m getting more forgetful<br />

And more ―mixed up‖ in the head.<br />

For, sometimes I can’t remember<br />

When I stand at foot of stair,<br />

If I must go up for something<br />

Or I’ve just come down from there.<br />

And before the fridge so often<br />

My poor mind is filled with doubt,<br />

Have I just put food away, or<br />

Have I come to take some out.<br />

And there’s time when it is dark out<br />

With my nightcap on my head,<br />

I don’t know if I’m retiring<br />

Or just getting out of bed.<br />

So if it’s my turn to write you<br />

There’s no use in getting sore,<br />

I may think that I have written<br />

And don’t want to be a bore.<br />

So remember - I do love you<br />

And wish that you were here;<br />

But, now it’s nearly mail time<br />

So, I must say ―Good-bye, Dear‖.<br />

There I stood beside the mailbox<br />

With my face so very red,<br />

Instead of mailing you my letter<br />

I opened it instead.


a u g u s t 1 , 2 0 1 4<br />

The Lebo Light<br />

P a g e 7<br />

BLUE RIBBON 4-H CLUB’S<br />

JULY MEETING AND CLUB TOUR<br />

BY Lauren Williams, Club reporter<br />

The regular monthly meeting of the Blue<br />

Ribbon 4-H Club was held on July 2, 2014 at<br />

the Lebo Library. The meeting was called to<br />

order by President, Abby Ables. Flag leaders,<br />

Emma Slead and Abbi Slead lead the club in<br />

reciting the flag salute and 4-H pledge. Junior<br />

Secretary, Regan Darbyshire recorded roll<br />

call which was answered by ―How many<br />

projects are you taking to the fair?‖ The June<br />

minutes were read by the Junior Secretary.<br />

Treasurer, Laura Krueger gave the<br />

Treasurer’s Report. Reporter, Lauren<br />

Williams gave the reporter’s report.<br />

Leader’s reports were given by Dawn<br />

Williams and Karen Sergeant. Karen<br />

reminded the members that the fair was fast<br />

approaching and they need to be working<br />

hard to finish up their projects. She<br />

announced who and where the camping<br />

spots were for the fair. She also announced<br />

that she would hand out the t-shirt order<br />

after the meeting. Karen reminded everyone<br />

that pre-entry for Demonstration Days is on<br />

July 7 th and all other pre-entry is July 9 th .<br />

Dawn announced that buyer’s ribbons need<br />

to be paid for by the pre-entry date of July 9 th .<br />

She also announced that the club was in<br />

charge of the swine show and the round<br />

robin and that we need volunteers to help<br />

run the shows. She went over the judging<br />

times for woodworking, foods & crafts. The<br />

club is in charge of trash pickup on Saturday<br />

night of the fair and to meet at 8:30 at the<br />

livestock arena. Fair cleanup will be on<br />

Monday July 21 at 6:00 and Monday July 28<br />

at 6:00. Dawn finished with announcing the<br />

July Community Service Project is on July 4 th<br />

downtown to run the treasure hunt and the<br />

inflatable activities.<br />

There was no old business. For new<br />

business the club voted to donate to the<br />

Kansas 4-H Foundation. Vice President,<br />

Allison Linsey presided over the program<br />

portion of the meeting. Song leaders, Regan<br />

Darbyshire and Delaney Adams lead the club<br />

in singing ―Happy and You Know it‖.<br />

Wyatt Weiss gave an illustrated talk about<br />

his pet turtles. Emma Slead gave an<br />

illustrated talk about flutes. Allison Linsey<br />

gave a talk about her 4-H memories.<br />

Recreation leaders, Wyatt Weiss and Tanner<br />

Botkin lead the club in playing balloon<br />

basketball.<br />

The meeting was called back to order.<br />

Dawn announced that there would be a<br />

record book meeting following the<br />

regular meeting and that the leaders<br />

would be able to assist in filling out entry<br />

cards. The club recited the club motto<br />

and the meeting was adjourned.<br />

LEBO AMERICAN<br />

LEGION AUXILIARY<br />

The Lebo American Legion Auxiliary<br />

and Lebo American Legion will have<br />

a covered dish supper on<br />

Wednesday, August 6, 2014 at 7:00<br />

pm at the Legion Hall. Erin Gould<br />

and Eric Charbobeau who attended<br />

Boys and Girls State will tell of their<br />

experiences. They and their families<br />

will be our guests.<br />

All members are asked to bring<br />

covered dishes. Drinks and table<br />

service will be provided.<br />

Secretary, Betty Small<br />

AMERICAN LEGION<br />

HAPPENINGS<br />

Upcoming Events:<br />

LEGION MEETING: Due to the Primary<br />

Elections on Tuesday, the August<br />

American Legion meeting will be<br />

Wednesday, August 6th at 6:00PM at<br />

the American Legion Hall. The<br />

September meeting will be on<br />

Tuesday, September 2nd. All members<br />

are welcome! If you are a Veteran,<br />

Reservist or on Active duty and not a<br />

member of the American Legion,<br />

please join our ranks. Contact Frenchie<br />

Frye, Tom Zink, Ed Fisher, or Mick<br />

Sleezer for details.<br />

The American Legion and Legion<br />

Auxiliary will host a Pot Luck Dinner for<br />

this year’s Boy’s and Girl’s State<br />

attendees and their families on<br />

Wednesday, August 6th meeting).<br />

Eric Charbonneau and Erin Gould will<br />

report on their experience in Topeka<br />

during the Boy’s and Girl’s State.<br />

Please bring a dish and join us for the<br />

dinner. Tableware and drinks will<br />

be provided.<br />

Notes and Votes:<br />

The American Legion Hall is<br />

available for events, parties, etc.<br />

Contact Frenchie Frye, Tom Zink, Ed<br />

Fisher or Mick Sleezer for available<br />

dates and times. Cost is $35.00 per<br />

event.<br />

Disability Items: The American<br />

Legion has a number of items for<br />

disabled/injured persons. Wheelchairs,<br />

crutches, etc. Contact a Tony Botkin,<br />

Ed Fisher or Frenchie Frye for<br />

availability.<br />

Thanks to the volunteers (Jerry & Joan Adkins, Barbara & Don Dailey, Janet Lewis, Helen<br />

Wallace, and Betty Small) who helped build and tear down the Senior Center float for the<br />

4th of July Parade. Thanks to the past grand marshals who rode on the float and the<br />

judges for selecting our float to receive 3rd place.<br />

Marjorie Lewis, Committee Chairman


a u g u s t 1 , 2 0 1 4<br />

The Lebo Light<br />

P a g e 8<br />

Lebo Community Food<br />

Pantry News.<br />

Monday evenings 5-7<br />

Wednesday afternoon 3-5<br />

Tuesday & Thursday mornings 9-11<br />

Anyone living within the 66856 zip code is<br />

welcome to come once each month .<br />

Donations of basic food and personal items<br />

are always welcome and cash donations are<br />

used to order from the Kansas Food Bank<br />

each month. You can donate fruit, eggs,<br />

butter, cottage cheese, canned tuna &<br />

chicken, peanut butter, sugar free items, tea<br />

bags or instant, deodorant, dish and laundry<br />

soap, shampoo, toothpaste, trash bags.<br />

Items can be dropped off at Baptist Church.<br />

Once again, thank you to our little community<br />

for the generous donations to help others!<br />

CHURCH DIRECTORY<br />

The Lebo/Olivet United Methodist Church has services in<br />

Olivet at 8:30 a.m. and in Lebo at 11:00 a.m. every Sunday morning.<br />

Sunday School is offered in Lebo for all ages at 9:45 a.m.<br />

Pastor Tony Hazen<br />

The Lebo Baptist Church has church services at 10:30 a.m. and Sunday<br />

school at 9:15 a.m. every Sunday morning. Pastor Dick Odum<br />

PIES FOR MISSIONS<br />

Ethel Circle of the Lebo United Methodist Church are baking<br />

pies this year to sell to raise money for Missions. The cost of<br />

a homemade 9 inch pie is only $11.00. Please call your<br />

order in 2-3 days ahead of time. Give us a try, it will be<br />

appreciated. You may contact one of the following Circle<br />

members to order a pie:<br />

Marilyn–256-6408 Carolyn-256-6074 Pat-256-6534<br />

Irma—256-6151<br />

GEN XYZ<br />

Kick Off: September 6, 2014 (times to be<br />

announced)<br />

Join Lebo Baptist Church for food, games and<br />

entertainment in celebration of our second year of<br />

GEN XYZ. A variety of classes, for all ages, will be<br />

offered on Wednesday evenings from September 10-<br />

November 19, 2014. A light dinner will start the evening<br />

off at 5:45 p.m. with classes beginning at 6:30.<br />

We hope to see you there!<br />

Chris & Theresa Whalen will be facilitating Dave<br />

Ramsey’s FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY during GEN<br />

XYZ at Lebo Baptist Church from September 10-<br />

November 19, 2014. For more information, or to<br />

register for this class, go to daveramsey.com/fpu/<br />

home or contact Chris at 785.214.2141 or Theresa<br />

at 620.794.5496.<br />

80th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION<br />

Please come join us for an 80th Birthday<br />

celebration in honor of Marcia Dean Cornelius,<br />

Saturday, August 2 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm at the<br />

Lebo Baptist Church. Hosted by her<br />

children. Marcia requests no gifts.


a u g u s t 1 , 2 0 1 4<br />

The Lebo Light<br />

P a g e 9<br />

CATFISH TAILS, COTTONWOOD SEEDS<br />

I got a catfish tale for you this week, but first I want to address cottonwood trees. I drove into the garage the other day and, since we are<br />

both retired, I thought Wifeus had taken up a new occupation to supplement our income in order to support her golfing habit and to<br />

combat the ever rising price of gasoline. Either that or she was getting ready to enter the sheep shearing contest at the Lyon County Fair!<br />

She ought to be pretty good at it since she has been fleecing me for years.<br />

Fluffy white seeds are being shed from the cottonwood trees and thick as snow they covered the garage floor. Cottonwoods, native to our<br />

area, multiply through these silky soft, air-borne seeds and create problems by clogging up the coils on home air conditioning units causing<br />

them to overheat. Some communities such as Lawrence have banned the planting of seeding Cottonwoods. Guys at Modern Air<br />

Conditioning suggests homeowners take a garden hose and, after turning off their air conditioning unit, gently spray away any seed<br />

build-up on the unit’s aluminum fins. I find it ironic that groves of cottonwood, known to give shelter, shade and provide firewood to our<br />

early settlers in their quest to establish Kansas now face being banned for their existence.<br />

Our changing world……..Thoughts of separate bike paths for people wanting to ease ―pressure at the pumps‖ are one thing under<br />

consideration in Emporia. And, even though I am all for it, heaven help us if our rural dwellers need to start riding their horses to town for<br />

needed supplies!<br />

Catfish………In my book, this takes into account bullheads, channel cats, blue cats and flatheads or yellow cats. With a face only a mother<br />

could love, they are my least favorite species to fish for, but seem to be the only fish wanting to reward my angling efforts this past week.<br />

This works for me as I am easy to please and have been known to fish for carp and gar if I have an urge to fish and they are willing to<br />

cooperate.<br />

As for table fare, I prefer walleye, crappie or large sunfish. Who doesn’t? But I need to give catfish their just due. They are quite tasty if<br />

prepared right and, as with any fish, they must be properly cared for the minute they become part of your creel. By this I mean keeping<br />

them alive either on a cord stringer, not one with metal snaps, or in a live well. Sometimes, as with crappie during hot weather, I just throw<br />

my catch into a cooler full of ice right along with the refreshments for the day. Unless you belong to the Fraternal Order of the River Rats,<br />

care should always be taken to wipe the beverage off before taking the first sip unless one forgets, is really thirsty or the fish are really<br />

biting!<br />

We use to clean fish right on the lake, put the filets in a bag on ice and discard the rest. Possession laws on public waters won’t permit us<br />

to do that anymore. All fish taken shall have the head, body and tail fin left attached while in possession on the water.<br />

The first fish I ever caught was a bullhead taken on a small crayfish. I kept playing with the pole so much and throwing things into the<br />

water, Pa was surprised anything would take the bait. Kids have such short attention spans, let them play and enjoy their time outside.<br />

Serious fishing can come later.<br />

Bullheads are not usually filleted. I once knew a woman who would leave the tails on bullheads and eat this fin right along with the fish! To<br />

each his own, I guess. I also know a fellow who, at a golfing banquet and after trying boiled or hot spiced shrimp for the first time, raved<br />

about how good they were. I had to hide my smile when I told him if he liked them now, he would think they were out of this world once he<br />

peeled them before eating!<br />

With channels, I like to clean them using an electric fish filet knife. Once this skill is mastered, fish cleaning becomes so much easier and<br />

there is very little waste. Smaller fish are often just skinned and head, fins, and innards removed. They are great grilled or pan fried, but<br />

care must be taken while picking the meat off the bones. You see pictures of some fish recipes with their head still on, but that isn’t for me.<br />

For taste and texture, I prefer small flatheads to channel cats. Anything over seven pounds I release with hopes someone else will get the<br />

pleasure of catching such a fish.<br />

One thing I do when cleaning both species is to hang the fish up and cut the tail off to let it bleed out. To me, this makes for a better<br />

tasting catfish and makes it easier to handle while cleaning.<br />

The best catfish I ever ate was so good I just couldn’t believe it was catfish. Years back, I went on a combined pheasant and goose hunt in<br />

Phillips County with Nelson Emery and Bruce Hoover. Our outfitter for the goose hunt on Kirwin Reservior invited us over for a fish fry. The<br />

fish was scrumptious. I was told they were catfish and being a lover of fish and wild game, I just had to know how they were prepared. The<br />

secret starts in the cleaning and processing. Whatever batter you choose to dip the fish in, whether it be crushed cracker crumbs, corn<br />

meal, flour or any combination only enhances the flavor. When I asked our host how he cooked such splendid tasting catfish, he told me<br />

he would like to tell, but since it was an old family secret passed down through the years, he just couldn’t.<br />

Well, since I am out of column space for this week, I guess in the infamous words of Paul Harvey, ―Stay tuned for the rest of the story.‖ In<br />

the meantime, if you have a good outdoor recipe that isn’t an ―old family secret‖ and a story to go along with it, please contact me at ptaunton@cableone.net,<br />

or call 620-342-5016. Have a pleasant week and take a kid fishing every opportunity.


4-LAYER PUMPKIN CAKE WITH<br />

CARAMEL AND NUTS<br />

Ingredients<br />

Cakes<br />

Makes 2 – 9″ cakes (cut each in half)<br />

3 cups all purpose flour<br />

2 teaspoons baking powder<br />

1 teaspoon baking soda<br />

1 teaspoon cinnamon<br />

¼ teaspoon ginger<br />

¼ teaspoon nutmeg<br />

½ teaspoon salt<br />

1 cup ( 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room<br />

temperature<br />

2 cups (packed) brown sugar<br />

3 large eggs, room temperature<br />

1 (15 ounces) can pure pumpkin<br />

⅓ cup whole milk<br />

Cream Cheese Filling<br />

1 ½ 8oz.packages of cream cheese, softened<br />

1 cup or 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened<br />

4 cups or 1 pound confectioners’ sugar, sifted<br />

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract<br />

Topping<br />

½ cup caramel topping<br />

pre-made caramel topping or make your own<br />

caramel topping<br />

Directions<br />

Baking the cake<br />

1. Preheat to 350°F.<br />

2. Grease the cake pans sides and<br />

bottoms and line bottoms<br />

with parchment paper, dust<br />

lightly with flour.<br />

3. Whisk flour, baking powder,<br />

baking soda, cinnamon, ginger,<br />

nutmeg and salt in large bowl.<br />

4. Using electric mixer, beat butter<br />

in another large bowl until<br />

smooth. Beat in brown sugar.<br />

Add eggs 1 at a time, beating to<br />

blend between additions. Beat<br />

in pumpkin.<br />

5. Add dry ingredients to butter<br />

mixture in 3 additions alternately<br />

with milk in 2 additions, beating<br />

to blend between additions.<br />

6. Divide batter between pans.<br />

7. Bake cakes until toothpick inserted<br />

into center comes out<br />

8. Cool in pans on rack 15 minutes.<br />

Run knife around cakes to loosen.<br />

Invert cakes onto racks. Remove<br />

parchment. Using tart pan bottom as<br />

aid, turn cakes over onto racks, top<br />

sides up, and cool completely.<br />

9. Once completely cooled, using a<br />

very sharp long knife, cut each cake<br />

layer in half.<br />

* Note: The cakes can be made the<br />

day ahead, wrapped in plastic and<br />

stored at room temperature. Save<br />

icing them until the morning of the<br />

dinner.<br />

Cream Cheese Filling<br />

1. In the bowl of an electric stand<br />

mixer fitted with the paddle<br />

attachment, beat the cream<br />

cheese on medium-high speed<br />

until smooth and creamy.<br />

2. Add the butter; beat until<br />

smooth and fluffy, 2 to 3<br />

minutes. Add the sifted<br />

confectioners’ sugar, ½ cup at-a<br />

-time, beating well after each<br />

addition, scraping sides and<br />

bottom of bowl as needed. Add<br />

the vanilla, mix to combine. If<br />

piping the frosting, refrigerate<br />

frosting for 15 to 20 minutes<br />

before assembling cakes<br />

(frosting will firm up, making it<br />

much easier to pipe).<br />

*Frosting can be refrigerated overnight,<br />

but allow frosting to come to<br />

room temperature and beat on low<br />

speed in the bowl of an electric stand<br />

mixer fitted with the paddle<br />

attachment until smooth<br />

Assemble the Cake<br />

1. Trim rounded tops from cakes.<br />

Using long serrated knife, cut<br />

each cake horizontally in half.<br />

2. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up,<br />

on large platter.<br />

3. Separate the cream cheese<br />

filling into 3 equal amounts.<br />

4. Spoon or pipe the filling on the<br />

first layer of cake, spreading to<br />

edges so when you assemble<br />

the cake you will see nice layers<br />

of filling at the edges of the<br />

cake.<br />

5. Repeat 2 more times top with<br />

remaining cake layer, cut side<br />

down.<br />

Put a large dollop of Caramel sauce<br />

on the top, and sprinkle the toasted<br />

chopped nuts. It is yummy! Enjoy<br />

H O M E M A D E S C R A T C H C A R A M E L S A U C E R E C I P E<br />

Ingredients<br />

1 cup sugar<br />

6 Tbsp butter<br />

½ cup heavy cream<br />

1 tsp vanilla<br />

Directions<br />

Place sugar in heavy bottomed pan over medium to medium-high heat. Watch carefully. When<br />

sugar begins to melt, slowly stir to prevent burning.<br />

After sugar is melted fully, reduce heat and add softened butter. Stir well until combined.<br />

Remove from heat and add cream. Stir until combined and add vanilla. Store in the fridge<br />

after the caramel has cooled.

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