Town brings Santa, parade to the people

BY MARY LOU BUSH

APPALACHIA NEWS • 565-1386

gabgrandadva@yahoo.com

Santa Claus Comes

To The People

With the cancellations of the Christmas parades due to the COVID problem the Town of Appalachia’s Town Manager, Fred Lunsford, was able to take Santa Claus and the Christmas parade to the people this year with the help of some special elves of the town employees, Special Projects, Fire Department, Moving Appalachia Forward, Lions Club, Shriners, Police Department and many more citizens wanting to make this year’s parade a special treat to help a lot of people at home.

Susie told me the Lions Club bagged 900 treats of candy which were paid for from the Special Projects funds, the Lions Club and other donations.

The large red fire truck led the parade with lights flashing and white trucks following and Santa was riding a white truck in the parade. This parade was a treat, not only for the youth but us older citizens got a vision of what it felt like to see Santa and hear Christmas songs again in a parade.

Bonnie Ireson told me on Saturday morning she was in her basement doing her laundry and she heard Christmas carols and when she got up her stairs to look out her window she saw Santa and she said it really thrilled her to see this parade, hear the music and see Santa!

The parade route travelled to selected streets in Appalachia and the coal collaries.

This will be a parade people will remember for many years to come.

We are thankful to everyone who took their Saturday and made this a special parade for everyone to see and enjoy.

Condolences

We were sorry to hear of the passing of Judy Brooks Agrifoglio last week. Judy was an AHS graduate in 1960 and lived on Spruce Street in Appalachia. We send our condolences to her children and family.

Leslie Wells passed away last week following several serious health issues. He was 58 years old. Leslie had lived in Inman for many years. Remember his family in your prayers.

Birthday Wishes

Today, Dec. 10, our man to call for a problem in Appalachia is celebrating his birthday. The man is Mike Clifton, manager over the Town of Appalachia’s maintenance crew. A very hard working man. We wish Mike a blessed birthday today.

Mr. Dewey Davis has a birthday today, Dec. 10. Dewey is an Inman boy, living most of his life in Inman and Appalachia. He now lives in Big Stone with his wife Betty. Betty and Dewey will celebrate their 53rd wedding anniversary on Dec. 21. Happy birthday and wedding anniversary.

We wish Susan Barnett a happy birthday on Saturday, Dec. 12. Susan and the Chandlers are very supportive for getting the seasonal decorations out for the entire town of Appalachia. Good job!

Visitors from Georgia

Gary and I had a very good visit last weekend with our two grandsons from Georgia. Our son Shawn and his wife Emily and two daughters visited with us and shared Sunday dinner together.

Our granddaughter, Berkley, loves for us to play Bingo after the dinning room table is cleared. Very funny how involved everyone gets to just “Bingo”. A treat she enjoys any time we gather with a number of at least four to play.

Yes she wants to play even at Christmas gatherings for the last three years. She is now 8 years old. We are able to laugh and enjoy our time together. We always loved to go to our grandparents home and now we are the grandparents for the children to come home for the holidays.

Christmas Cards to the Elderly

Please send a Christmas card to people you know in the nursing homes. The Laurels has a large number of people from Big Stone and Appalachia. They need to be reminded they are not forgotten.

My cousin and her husband, Calvin and Kandi Evans, in Portsmouth, Ohio Pastors a very large church.

They have Christmas cards from their church to send to 700 residents in the nursing home and assisted living places. The people in the church are asked to write an encouraging note to encourage someone and wish them a Merry Christmas. The cards are not addressed to any particular person. Everyone will receive a card.

I think this is a great thing to do to encourage people and let them know they are not forgotten.

Prayer Request

Our friend, Nancy Buchanan, is having a health issue. We have taken her for tests in Norton and now she sees a surgeon in Kingsport on Dec. 28. I ask all those who know Nancy to please pray for her and she will be able to have surgery to eliminate this problem.

Christmas is Different Now

Christmas time now is so different from when we grew up. We never asked for presents! Santa brought me a dress and a doll, my sister Leona got the same thing, just a different color dress. No wrapping paper. They were found on Christmas morning under the old Cedar tree my dad had chopped down on Christmas Eve and we decorated it that day also.

The tree dried out so fast and it always caused an asthma attack for me so the tree didn’t last very long at our house.

There were always family members coming by to visit and see how everyone was.

We made our way to Grannie and Dad’s home in the Wildcat for our family Christmas dinner.

By the end of the day all the families has eaten Christmas dinner and now everyone was tired, full and ready for a long winter’s nap and were very thankful for our little presents and our family.