Local and Regional Festivals

 People sit around and sigh, saying there isn't enough to do here anymore. Well actually, there is plenty of things to get to around our region and I'm going to point the way.

Here's a brief rundown on some of the exciting festivities going on this fall, beginning with Westmoreland County and moving on to Fayette and whatever others are to be included.

courtesy of Discover Ohiopyle

     A brief note about The Scottdale Fall Foliage Festival.  This took place just last weekend, so I'll pass on giving details at  this time around. This pertains to most of the festivals from earlier in September, or are already well underway.

    Secondly, Fort Ligonier Days with its frontier reconstructions, many band venues, exciting reenactments and artillery demonstrations among other loaded attractions in a 3 day extravaganza from Oct. 9th through the 11th, is going to be covered in a prominent article in the very near future. For this very reason,  'Fayette/Westmoreland Forgotten History' will forego involved descriptions, except to give a few hints, starting with state parking for the 'Loyalhanna Post' is only allowed at the High School and the Laurel Valley Golf Club on Rt. 711 south and please try to arrange your visit to experience the reenactments with the Indian war whoops and the blasts of muskets and cannon of the November skirmish on the afternoons of the 10th and the 11th!

    The Bedford Fall Foliage Festival, which has arts, crafts, food, (with over 400 booths), and of course, entertainment, kicks off on Octobet 3-4, and continues on the 10th-11th. You can call 1-814-624-311 for more information. Directions are 2 miles from the PA Turnpike exit 146 on Business Route 30, alright?


   The Compass Inn in the Ligonier Valley at Laughlintown: Three miles east of Ligonier on Route 30 is where you'll find the anciet site. According to http://www.compassinn.com/,  the Compass Inn was a stage coach stop from 1799, and will give all an informative and entertaining tour. Popular until the railroad days, the historic place was purchased by Robert Armor in 1814 and then given its proper name.

   Now it has been restored and refurnished with fascinating period furniture and is owned by the Ligonier Valley Historical Society. This is a pretty intensive tour and with all the old bedrooms, cookhouse and blacksmith's shop and outbuildings, and would be a great way to spend the day. They even have a Conestoga wagon!  Check out their concerts and field trips as well. Don't forget the Halloween Hauntings of the 30th and 31st to give some spine tingling thrills!


   Bushy Run Battlefield:  It all began on August 5, 1783 and you do know how it ended, don't you? I have more of the story at this link: 'Turning Tides At Bushy Run'. This very historically important location experienced their 250th Anniversary in 2013. Check out their site for tickets and further information. You can also book group tours. Maybe give in and 'buy a brick' for the upcoming planned monument from the Edgehill Gift Shop! There will be 3 granite and 3 bronze statues and monuments representing the American, British and Native Indian forces that were deeply involved in the battle fought here. There is a Nature Walk on Saturday at 10 a. m. on September 26, so maybe you want to keep this in mind for 2016.

    Sewickley will be having their Octoberfest all day in the month of, you guessed it!, October! This will be on the weekend of the 2nd and 3rd. There is an admission charge of $10. More can be read about it HERE.

    Somerset had the Laurel Arts Somerfest July 17-19 on 214 South Harrison Avenue.

   Connellsville: The Autumn Mum Festival on the first Saturday of September. Did you miss this one? Well...catch it next year!

   There's the PumpkinFest at Confluence, PA Friday thru Sunday, October 2nd-4th. They'll be judging the largest pumpkin, parades, Pie Eating contests, the Rod Classic Auto Show and I wouldn't dare forget to mention the Great Pumpkin Race! This sounds like a good one to check out, and if this isn't enough to get you interested, there is the Car Smash. Cool! I would recommend the festival for sure and, if time permits, really would like to get on down there.

   Bullskin Township has the Heritage Days Festival:  This is at the Mount Vernon Furnace Grounds on 484 Park Road off of Rt. 982 and takes place on Oct. 17 and 18th from 8:00 a. m. to 5:00 p. m. and 2015 will be the 19th annual event. The historic furnace, once owned by Isac Meason, the Iron Monger, is steadily being upgraded to better reflect what is believed to be the original appearance. Quite a task. This is a nice homey, yet sometimes fascinating festival to go to. It tends more toward a colonial theme with arts and historic talks and a whole lot more. Parking is free at the nearby township fairgrounds.

  

courtesy of discoverohiopyle.com

    Pike Days- Brownsville at Nemacolin Castle with ghost tours in mid-May is something to check out mostly toward spring.

    The Laurel Hill Bluegrass Festival: of August 16 and 17 was said to of been a lot of fun. A fairly new festival from 2008...from Laurel Hill State Park and the Friends of Laurel Hill.

  This might be as good of a place as any for me to state once and for all, I don't have any plans for the blog to become a travelogue of sorts. Nothing to worry about there. Still, during this season of cooler temperatures amid amazing vistas of historic import and special beauty, many other happenings are taking place all over the surrounding communities worth your consideration to head out to see for yourselves. Check listings online and at sites below. You will likely discover exactly what you are looking for to join in the magnificent celebrations and many other places, like Nemacolin Woodlands, the various wineries and hiking spots. That might well include hotel or camping accommodations, and parking and choosing picnic areas. Find a special nook and pass it on!

   Event Crazy has a nice site for checking further into the many local and national festivities by month and date. You may want to give it a go. One of the best websites I know of is Laurelhighlands.org. Take a peek at their Map Explorer too. You'll find it helpful.

  The time is NOW, the wonders of Fayette and Westmoreland counties and our Southwestern Pennsylvania region are waiting for your attention and are out there to enjoy. Trust me folks! So take a break and pack up the car and gather the kids for some adventure and make a little history of your own. 

Old Bedford Village covered bridge (creative commons)

   Did I miss any important festivals that are family favorites or YOU are really partial to? Please leave a comment and tell me more about it. If they are as interesting as you feel, they can be always be added later.


  Just maybe, I will get to see and meet you at one of the festivals, you never know!

Summer's Waning Pastimes

   Introduction

  It's good to be back with you.

  Yes, it is a bit sad as we clearly notice our summer of 2015 has a minimal life span left to it. 'The seasons change and so do I'. Here in Westmoreland and Fayette counties of Southwestern Pennsylvania, autumn will soon sneak up on all of us with the leaves of the trees slowly turning a glorious golden and red, cooler evenings, and pumpkins!

   We do have some sweet precious warmth left to enjoy, so let us make the most of it!

   This time around I decided to forego the regular theme for the youthful years of the 1960's and 70's, bringing to your consideration a take at a more lighthearted approach.

   This mid-September post should remind the middle aged and over guys and gals the way we had fun back in those heady days of the last century. And since my USB was acting up with my camera program, (it's a long story), I really needed to delete many of the old useless photos and videos, so I frustratingly ended up chucking some of the summer photos I was going to upload here for the blog. Re-format, the whole nine yards. Come to think of this, maybe this is really better to use our imaginations for a change. I still allowed a few basic photos anyway.

   Now, one thing we use to do as children was fly a kite. Cheap ones made with glue and small pieces of wood, you know. In our early teens pinball was also a big item.  'Flipped Out' and 'Magic Carpet' come to mind as old favorites. To tell the truth I was darn good at it.  Later, when we discovered the opposite sex and had our first dates, soon following with our first cars and first jobs; Chevy's, Mustangs or hopefully, muscle cars. After this we were soon whisking off to the drive-in and, ah...that's right, this is geared more toward childhood. Period. Well, OK.


     Time For Some Choice ANECDOTES

      Are you old enough to recall with some nostalgia the summer pastimes like pinwheels and riding bikes with the colored balloons we would attach to the spokes? Mine was a hand me down from my older brother. I just loved it.

    When we were kids, many of us boys, along with my brothers, use to have a blast playing army. Is this politically incorrect now a days? Oh well. Regardless, just imagine young people, our guns, rifles and pistols, even machine guns, looked like real guns and there were some cool sound effects and if nothing else, the cap guns were pretty loud. Usually this involved a sand pile, old coal area, slag heap, whatever we could find to hide in and not be chased out of. That didn't happen often. People weren't so touchy back then, were they? Unless someone really caused trouble. Can you believe we didn't become radicals or end up hurting anyone either? Nope.

    Some of the girls loved the dolls-not just Barbie, but there were many others. Any females recall the Easy Bake oven? They could actually bake pies and cakes! I'm not expert on the girl stuff, so we'll have to be brief on that. Sorry ladies.

    There were pogo sticks and I barely recall the hula hoop craze...those were a little before my time,  folks. Throwing frisbee was almost a national pastime. For a fairly simple pleasure we sure enjoyed it. Jumping around, catching the 'Whamo' behind your back and between the legs. Brings the memories again alright.

    When we were early teen youngsters, some of us would occasionally sneak into a few neighbors yards and take peaches from the small orchards; peppers from one of them! Pilfering, I think it was called. Maybe they tasted better that way, I don't know. Watermelons would of been a delicacy. Luckily, my dad always grew a garden, although I didn't really take that trait from him. Apples, especially crab apples, use to grow along side the roads. Oh sure. A nice snack anytime. You didn't want to eat too many or it was  a tummy ache problem!

    Sometmes my grandmother would make apple and cherry pies. She was absolutely superb at baking. Well, her cooking was unbeatable. Real German fare. Speaking of my 'Nan', Ida Hoover, I guess I wasn't cut out for picking flowers. I picked many of her prize roses and a neighbor's too once. Oh, I gave them the flowers in a nice container, you know. They didn't get  too mad, but they gave me some seriously odd looks. SO I quit that habit fast, having no actual clue why it developed at all.

  Swimming holes in a nearby lake or stream were very popular too. Otherwise my Mom use to take us to Briercheck's on the west side of Scottdale on the weekends. My dad would go too sometimes. He was an expert swimmer. The attraction area, with a large circular pool, lake swimming and boating, and picnicking, was originally named Lake Forest-Park in the early 1930's. Wouldn't you know, I almost drowned there when I first tried to upgrade from the kiddie pool to the adult section? Couldn't swim worth a lick for many years. Suddenly,later in life it just 'came to me', and I was soon able to gracefully go along with no effort on my back, just using my hands a bit and my toes. This use to be a big happening place for locals, that was one of the names,of the local KQV radio station with songs like 'Come On Down To My Boat Baby', A Little Bit of Soul','Born To Be Wild'; all the 60's songs were played loudly and enthusiastically.


    Then, sometimes we would swim out near the Pleasant Valley Country Club in Bullskin at the little spillway. That's when we weren't busy fishing for trout, bass and catfish.  Little did we know then this was near the mill race of Spruce and 'little' Spruce Run where back toward the late 1700's when old Adam Hatfield owned land here. Guess what? He was supposedly an ancestor of ours. I believe this is correct. Indeed, playing on our g, g, g, g, great grandparents' old property. Didn't inherit any of it, no, not a square yard. But we sure had fun swimming in the deeper pools.

   The funny thing was, we were one of the few families that had a backyard pool, maybe about 12 x 12, but we could soon swim in it. I know, some of you weren't quite fortunate enough to really have a backyard. Those had to be tough breaks. Of course, the pool wasn't too deep, or I would of surely drowned and sucked in a bunch of water, end of story. That is if my Mom or grandmother wasn't nearby, and they always were. Good Parents.
 
   There were these nice little neighborhood stores in those days too. One of which was owned by Darrel Eicher. An old Clover Farm store. One time, when his friend and employee old Brooksy, was tending the store for him, he would sometimes close a bit early. This was a Friday evening. I counted on the time being accurate and at 5 minutes til 6 p. m. I was up there 'promptly' with my allowance and quickly felt very upset since the big green door was closed and locked up. I soon became irate. I took a tantrum and kicked at the door, knowing Mr. Eicher was close by smoking a stubby cigar and would hear the noise. Finally, it opened a crack and he agreed, (reluctantly), to let this rambunctious little fellow in for a minute to quickly buy my weekend ration of goodies. Thanks, now bye!!!

    Tree climbing was a national habit in the 60's. Oh yes, Maples, oaks, especially the walnuts that my grandpap, Meryl WIlson had on his Wooddale property, which was once a part of the neglected Spaugy mill tract. We were at it a lot when we visited, building tree houses, fancy ones, primitive ones, you name it. Do you see these much anymore, unless rarely? The modern kids don't know what they are missing. Take a snack or two and a pop, surveying your special domain. Walkie talkies were a nice item for 'secret' communications in a club house atmosphere.

   Counting cars. Actually, it was more often about the colors. We had them all back then, you see. Yellow, orange, green, red, every shade you can dream of. Pick a color, your favorite, and then go about to 10 or so, and see who wins. You didn't really win anything. You'd likely lose next time. YES, this was fun. Closely connected to this was sitting on the porch swings. Sure, we were simple people, these years long gone past. Practically every front of a house possessed one too We can fondly recall the August evenings when it would begin to cool off and the neighborhood hum would die down. Again, it was our tenderhearted grandmother, Ida Hoover, who lived a few houses down, she would get us to sit and behave for an hour or so. Just quietly sitting and talking low, watching the stars, the  and maybe humming along once in a while. Sentimental. I am, it's freely admitted right here!

    Do you remember Town Talk bread? Maybe Tiger Bread? Orange Crush, Lehi Cherry too. The prices were good too. Believe me when I say, this really was a phenomenal decade and a half to grow up in! The little half pints of ice cream. Uh-huh. I could go on and on, but you probably get the idea.

    There is so very much more I could divulge for your mental consumption. These are some of the  things I thought of just recently, so my burst of creativity here will have to make due for the time being.


   To sum up, I hope this has given you a taste, a small presentiment of the kinds of things we did back in our wonderful childhood. Most of it was very good. No, not all the time. We spent YEARS and YEARS in school and they could paddle you back then! This might of brought back a jog in your memory, or if you are too young for this, an inkling, just an inkling, of how fun and innocent those heady days truly were. Yes, sadly, neighborhoods have changed, many wonderful people die off. Prices, homey ways, habits too. But not everything is bad. Kids can still be kids for a while and maybe enjoy a Hostess cupcake!


    

   A heartfelt thanks for visiting and sharing a touch of nostalgia and reminiscing with yours truly-Histbuffer. I'll have a Winter Activity post up in about , three or four months to keep an eye out for. In the mean time, there will be much bigger fish to fry. I'm certainly not out of ideas.

    Remember, you can now FOLLOW me on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/wilson.alan.77

   *Take care, and relish the fall season!*
  
   

HALF MAST: Sweiker, Congressman and Statesman

  Introduction

 I have an opportunity to bring you a post about former Senator and Secretary under Reagan, Richard Shultz Schweiker. That's correct. (Sorry, somehow when I was up late, I mispelled his last name on the title).

   Of course, 'Fayette/Westmoreland Forgotten History' is hardly a forum for politics and this will very likely remain the case.

   Under the American, U. S. flag of the United States, the PA State flag is properly to be kept at half mast position until August 29 of 2015 in honor of this man. In observing this principled decorum, there are sound reasons based on strong tradition for doing so.

  This is a prime, immediate example at work and therefore I decided to include this.

   From His Early Days Onward

   Richard Schweiker was born, June 1, 1926, and died on July 31, 2015. He is considered by some one of the last of a good line of American politicians. In fact, this may well be so. I am hardly an able judge for such decision making. Ring a bell for the fallen.

  Originally, he hailed from Norristown in Montgomery County, founded in 1784 by one Isaac Norris.

  Graduating from the local high school there in Worcester, he went on to become the Valedictorian in 1844, and soon entered World War Two on an naval aircraft carrier named Tarawa as an electronics technician.

   "Richard and Claire deeply believed that they were put on this earth to be of service to God and their fellow man," said his family. His family further stated that the belief as well as the death of his older brother, Malcolm, in World War II motivated him to run for Congress.

  Later, he attended Slippery Rock and then after two years moved on to Penn State University, one of the largest colleges in the United States. He then spent time in the family business, the American Olean Tile Company. He soon became active in politics with the Young Republicans, an organization with chapters going back to 1859. He was president from 1952 to 1954.

   He became a delegate to the Republican National Convention in those years, in 1952 and 1956.

  He married Claire Joan Coleman, a Romper Room host in Philadelphia. Together they had five children.


  By 1960 he was elected to the House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's thirteenth District. This might of been a lucky number for him. He was considered a moderate in outlook.

   He proceeded to serve on the Armed Services Committee and the Government Operations Committee, the last was better known as the Committee On Oversight and Government Reform. This was eventually cut in staff by 50% in 1885, a rare actuality in our modern times of big and bigger government.

  He was chosen the 14th U. S. Secretary of Housing and Human Services under President Ronald Reagan from 1981-1983. He supported Medicare, an increase in Social Security and was a factor behind civil rights legislation. He was further elected to the U. S. Senate in 1968, defeating the long time incumbent, Joe Clark.

  Unusually, he was against the Vietnam War, and as an original thinker, was opposed to gun control and supported school prayer. Who knows? Just maybe we could use this quality of person in these troubled days.

  He also coauthored the book, "How To End The Draft", to help implement a volunteer army.

  Richard Schwieker was on many important congressional committees in his time in the Capital and also helped fund significant diabetes research.

   According to a longtime member of the Republican National Committee Bob Asher, "Dick was a gentleman of the old school...a man of total integrity, and he served the public well. He was from that era when people from both sides of the aisle were willing to compromise and not get locked into any particular doctrinaire position. I had the highest admiration for him. He was a good man and a very honorable and flexible man."

   As stated in www.philly.com, Schweiker attended Central Schwenkfelder Church in Lansdale and later at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Washington. He received nine honorary doctoral degrees as well as dozens of awards and honors. He also was said to have a great love of golfing and skiing.

   In spite of the controversial Watergate scandal, he was re-elected in 1974, beating out a fairly popular Democrat, Pittsburgh mayor, Pete Flaherty with 53% of the state vote, the highest since 1946, and 49% in strongly Democratic Philadelphia. In later years he was considered to of become more of a conservative politician, for those who keep track of such matters.

  After retiring, he moved to McLean, Virginia.

                           
                     

  He served his country faithfully in war and in peace.


    I will be back soon with another meaningful post on "Fayette/Westmoreland Forgotten History" when I look forward to a good turnout while continuing in sharing more of our wonderful region with you...

   So, don't forget!
 

 

Coveted Covered Bridges

    A recent purpose in getting these photos together was to gather some of the relics of another age.

   Of course, here we are a bit off the normal region of FWFH, yet, still firmly nestled in southwestern Pennsylvania.

   Another bridge I'm not positive of the name, but would liked to of shown you and this is in Greene County, between Garard's Fort and Kirby on Whitely Creek. A quality covered bridge which could be included in an update 'further up the road' a piece.

    I went a little 'light' on this post, but you will surely understand why. There aren't a whole lot of these wonderful structures around our communities anymore. You have to love the sight of them, they really give us pause to stop and take a gander and step backward for a walk into the past. I hope you enjoy the photos and historical material.

               


     The above covered bridge photo is a favorite from my childhood fishing days with my Dad and older brothers. This is King's Bridge on Rt. 653 near Scullton.

   On the photo above you can see the picnic area for recreational usage. It also has been upgraded in recent years.

   Early construction of the fabled popular bridge goes all the way back to the year 1806, proudly striding across Laurel Hill Creek in Middlecreek Township near the mid-western side of Somerset County. Over 120 feet long, it is technically said to be a Burr truss bridge, which was only invented two years before its creation. What a beauty, eh folks?

                       

      This is a covered bridge over the Raystown branch of the Juniata River in Bedford County. This is near Mann's Choice.

       Above and below, getting back to Somerset County, you see the Barronvale Bridge which is roughly a mile and a half from King's Bridge upstream.

            

Here is a side view of the Barronvale Bridge looking upstream

      Below is the Lower Humbert covered bridge and another with fond memories attached. Also crossing Laurel Hill Creek, this time further toward the southwest of King's Bridge in Lower Turkey Foot Township of Somerset County and almost as long. A substantial difference in age, as this wonderful bridge was built in 1891. It received extensive rebuilding in 1991, the one hundred year anniversary.

          Humbert, on the T312 Covered Bridge Road, at 39.840124 -79.323059 and is still in use on the lower section of a fly fisherman's premium on Laurel Hill Creek. Apparently, there was once an Upper Humbert bridge as well, but sadly, it is no longer in existence. Likely the location was at the swinging bridge, near the delayed harvest. How many years ago that was, I don't know. (Hint, hint!)
   
   

A pleasant side view of the Lower Humbert bridge

     
       This bridge is not far from where I caught one of my first decent sized trout, the 'Hunchback of Humbert'. This was the joke about a somewhat deformed fish I caught around 1970 a few holes up from here. I dragged it up over the bank in all my excitement. Well, you just had to be there!


            Do yourself a favor, if you haven't done so already. Take a drive the next weekend you and your family are out and about, heading on over to spend an hour or two checking out these fine old bridges. You'll be glad you did!

 

Close Friend's Passing

   DOROTHY  BOYD

   Hello again folks ! At first, I debated a while with myself about publishing this post. This blog does have a heart, and in the long run, I think this is the right decision. I hope this post gives a real impression, however briefly, on the life of this fine woman.

   For many years this half cousin of mine was a close friend, especially with my mother over many years. The two of them went places together, had long talks amid cups of tea on the porch in the summer months; my Mom even sometimes ran errands for her, such as picking up her medications. 'Dot', as she was affectionately known, would continually bring up how much, while my Mom was in decline with Alzheimer's, she was gladdened by seeing and talking to her grand kids, as that meant so much to Dot. Well, with the death of my Mom following my father's demise two years ago this April and July, such a special relationship passed to myself. Of course not of the same brand, yet I am proud of getting to know her better and at this time submit an honorable mention out of an abiding respect of her and who she was.

  Let me briefly explain.

 Dot Boyd was one person that would call us every now and then asking how we were doing, naming all of us, just a very caring person. She might of become even more concerned about us, if that is possible, after my parents passed away.

  Sadly, Dorothy L. Boyd died on the first day of summer, June 21, 2015 in the Harman House Convalescent Center at Mt. Pleasant, Pa. I suppose I knew her all my life. She was born on  Dec. 17, 1925, a daughter of Roy and Irene (Eicher) Miner. Graduating from Scottdale High School, Class of 1943, the El Paso, Texas Business School as well as the General Motors Secretarial school in Pittsburgh. Yes, she was one smart lady. She was married to Harry (Bucky) Boyd, who passed on many years ago. Dot retired from her last job as secretary at Frick Hospital. A member of many organizations, including the Everson Evangelical church, she would sit in her kitchen and tell me lots of stories about local events, the old schools and some of the churches with many little anecdotes thrown in. I, on the other hand was often telling her about the rest of my family and stuff about my parents, work and brothers. One other item: My Blog! She was fascinated to hear about the posts and the regional history, particularly the 'Relatives and Ancestors' entries. No wonder!

   Last winter she had anxiously suggested in the spring, we drive out to Bullskin and check up on our distant relatives and just spend some time asking around. The idea sounded like a good plan that I looked forward to! I may of had a bit if a premonition whether we would really be able to do this together.

   Here's a humorous example of how sharp she still was. After her explaining  to me more stories of  our mutual relationship to the regional Hatfield's, I told her I would look up more historical details and get back with her soon. The next time I visited, she asked about this and I told her about how Amsi Miner was the son of George Hatfield and I am descended from Amsi's first wife, Rebecca Green and Dot from his second wife Minerva Keefer. (The fuller story can be found on the January  'Relatives and Ancestors: Chapter Two' post). So, she looked up at me and said, "Oh I know, I told you we were directly related to the Hatfield's!" She had, and without the shadow of a doubt.

   When I got properly dressed and went over to Ferguson's Funeral Home to convey my respects to her and sympathy to her and for her sons 'Jim Bob', or James Dugger and Freddy Dugger and the extended family; in spite of her advanced age, I felt so sad. We have some idea what Jim and Fred, the grandchildren and great grandchildren, must have gone through. Such a personal and intimate experience grief really is, certainly so when losing a close precious relative. This becomes the most difficult part of living. You need to convey your feelings, but don't necessarily get closer than you should. There is something to be said for showing you really care, yet initially keeping a small respectable distance for people going through so much private inner turmoil, if you know what I mean. Birth, death and marriage are truly sacred moments.

  There are few people I could possibly miss more in my life. Two of those exceptions would be my parents, shown below.

   PHOTO: Dorothy Boyd is seen here at an Army Reunion for the 34th Division, 'Red Bull' 135th Infantry, with close companion, Chuck Etling and my Dad and Mom to the left:

           

My Dad and Mom, with Dot Boyd and Chuck Etling

   She was a very dear acquaintance and became an even better friend, to the extent I, a distant relative, not only miss her dearly, and so sympathize with her warm family. Well, this special lady who once was a secretary at the local hosptial, as was my Mom for a local financier, was also a witty, caring and really charming and wonderful person. If this wasn't the case, I would not state the fact in this manner. Yes, one can feel nostalgia this quickly, if you can call it that.


   Brief Eulogy:


    Passing the doorway, an eternal smile, "oh, won't you come in?"

   Passing the days into layered silver years, moving quickly over the higher hills,
   
   Slowing in darker valleys,

    Passing...to a unique bright glow beyond, though unseen;


   Always a word, concern in those lucid eyes, such a zest, 

   Interaction, a unique camaraderie

   Always a deep love of family and  grand kids

   Always unparallelled common sense

   Always more than what she seemed;


   Sharing tales and remembrances of older, fascinating times

   As a bright crystal glass of aged wine

   Sharing energy and wisdom, mixed in with her constant politeness and concern,

   For You

   Sharing snippets, a knowing look and grin amid talks of mutual ancestry


   Tears are easy and free, with a loss uncounted,

   For those without a glimmer of replacement in this world

   Sorely missed, deeply cherished

   One of a Kind

   So " oh, won't you come in?" 


   One with the Lord 

   
    As her obituary in the Greensburg Tribune truly states, "Love Lasts Forever" †

     I owed this much. * Goodbye Dot! *

    
  I encourage any who were close to Dot, or friends and acquaintances with a story or good anecdote, to feel free and leave some message in the comment section below.