By: Stan Jordan
In a couple of days it will be July 20th, 2017.
It has been 10 years on the 20th of July about 7:00 in the evening that three of our EMS squad were fatalities of an accident while on duty, along with two patients.
They were transporting two people to the Paulding County Hospital when they were involved in a collision with an empty, dry-cement hauling semi.
We were all in a trance-like state for days after loosing three of our friends and neighbors. Time has been a big help.
In talking with one of the members of the squad, I learned a new line. “We are first responders”, like the police, the sheriff department or maybe the firemen.
What is always deep in the EMTs’ minds is safety. When you are in your car and you come upon an accident and the first responders are there – SLOW DOWN. You probably can’t help, but you can make it easier and a lot safer for everybody. At the same time, please say a prayer for all those people… their lives are on the line.
God Bless Our First Responders!
No. 9
By: Stan Jordan
• There was a woman in our town
In our town did dwell
She loved her husband dearly
But another man twice as well
• I wouldn’t say she was fast, but she was the first person in town with an 800 number.
• This blue eyed blonde, her eyes light up, but she wasn’t home.
• A man parked his car along the side of the road and a strait truck came along and stopped on the other side of the road.
The driver got out and took a shovel from the back of the truck and he dug a hole by the road side. Then he put the shovel back in his truck and returned to his driver seat.
After a fashion the passenger got out and went to the back of the truck, picked up the shovel and filled the hole in.
Then the truck moved forward about 50 feet. The driver got out, got the shovel and dug another hole, and then put the shovel back in the truck. A little later the man got out of the passenger side, got the shovel out of the truck and filled the hole in, then he put the shovel back in the truck and he returned to his seat. Then they moved the truck forward about 50 feet. Now this action went on like this most of the morning.
The onlooker couldn’t stand it any longer, so he asked the driver, “What are you guys doing?” The driver said, “The guy who plants the trees didn’t come to work today.”
• There were two aristocratic potatoes, one from Idaho and one from Maine, got married and had a little girl potato. They raised her up in the local society and always talked about good blood lines.
She went to school and then graduated from college and done very well.
She came home from one day and told her folks she was going to get married.
The folks said, “Ok, that’s fine. Who are you going to marry?”
The daughter said, “Tom Brokaw.” And the folks had a fit, with shouting and carrying on. “Why you can’t marry Tom Brokaw!”
Of course the daughter asked, “Why?” And the folks replied: “Because he is only a Common Tater.”
Success Story
By: Stan Jordan
If you remember a few weeks ago some of the local churches banded together and had a spaghetti dinner at the United Methodist Church. Any and all proceeds from that dinner would go toward buying Bibles for each and every boy and girl that attended the Vacation Bible School.
Well, Cheryl Bradford tells me that they took in a little over one thousand dollars at the dinner. Then she said with what money they had and from the five hundred dollars they made selling water at their stand at the big ribfest, they will have enough to buy a little over one hundred Bibles.
All are happy about that and I thought you would be interested.
The Vacation Bible School is at the United Methodist Church, July 24th to the 28th.
A heartfelt thanks to everybody.
See ya!
Sam Rivers Indian Agent, Chapter 43
By: Stan Jordan
I haven’t written in a long time, as there isn’t anything going on here in the wintertime. Rooster, the runner between the agency and Fort Kearney, came in just before supper time last night. He said, “This is February 13, 1856 and the twins will be one year old tomorrow.” His saddle bags were full of clothes for the twins, some old, some new. A few of the ladies made new things. The little boys wear Indian moccasins most of the time, but there are some baby shoes in with the other apparel.
Rooster stayed around for a few days and then returned to the fort. We asked him to make arrangements with the post chaplain for the baptism for the twins on Easter Sunday. That will be on April 1st. If that is possible we will be very happy. We also asked him to reserve us some rooms for a couple of weeks at the guest house.
Well, Rooster rode in last night and said all is okay for the baptism. In fact, the whole army post is looking forward to the celebration. We left the agency on Wednesday morning. I drove the team and wagon and Yellow Tulip sat on the seat and held Ned, and Callie rode in the wagon and held Ted. I had put the canvas cover on the wagon and it wasn’t a bad trip at all. We faced the sun and the sun was warm on our legs.
When we arrived at the fort, the soldier boy, Farmer, met us and took care of our wagon and horses. It seemed that everyone turned out to see us. Of course they wanted to see the twins and they did. They were so surprised because by now the boys can walk and have a good supply of teeth. Ned can say a couple of words, but Ted don’t say anything. He is the silent type.
We have been told that General Kearney has declared a day of celebration. With a big carry in dinner and some horse races, running races, horse shoe contest and lots of other forms of competition.
To say that everyone is excited about the big day, is an understatement. Callie was tired, but she had twins down in the big lobby of the hotel. Our Indian girl, Yellow Tulip, was a big help and she knew some of the soldiers when they came into the lobby.
Eight of the soldiers spent the summer at the agency along with the mess sergeant and she remembered all of them. She was quite a picture with her black hair and black eyes. Callie has been showing her how to apply powder and make up. All in all it was a busy evening. Actually we were all pretty tired when we turned in.
Well, on Friday we just rested and renewed old acquaintances. Even a couple of the cooks came in and seen the twins and asked what to fix for them at meal time. Callie said anything you fix for the troop will be alright for the boys.
I went down and cared for the horses and greased up the wagon wheels and all moving parts. I stood there and remembered, a couple years back, that young fellow named Billy Metzger always took care of that chore, yes I miss him.
Billy was a nice young fellow who rode with us across the trail from Independence MO, to the Gold Fields in California. He made seven trips across this big country with us. He would be twenty years old now and a junior in college. Gosh, I wonder how he is. He was a fine young fellow. He is studying to be a veterinarian.
The stage coach came in and dropped off a mail bag, plus a middle aged man, I guess he was a peddler of some type. I went down to the post headquarters and got an appointment to talk to General Kearney. He had just finished reading all of his official and personal mail and he seemed in a joyful mood. We talked about the church services on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. That along with the Easter services and the baptism of the twins.
The general said the boys will fire one cannon round at 12:00 p.m. (noon) and that will start the festivities for the day.
See ya!
The John Paulding
Day Parade
By: Stan Jordan
A couple of weeks ago, Shannon Ruschel, the Executive Director of the Paulding Chamber of Commerce came into the office of the West Bend News and discussed having the local remaining fellows who are veterans of WWII as co-Grand Marshals of the John Paulding Day Parade, or as many who could participate. So I gave her a list of all the veterans that I know of here in Paulding County.
Well, a week or so later, Shannon called and said I was to ride in a convertible automobile. Well, with my knees and arthritis I can get into a car, but I can’t get out.
So my co-worker, Crystal Rider, got on the phone and called Dan Bowers of the Advance Classic Chassis Co. here in Antwerp, to see if we could use his new golf cart to chauffeur me around in the parade.
Well, Dan was glad to help with the cart but he also had another unit in the big parade, so he suggested Crystal to do the driving. So with a lot of help from some of the good people, I was in the parade as one of the co-Grand Marshals.
So we got lined up close to the front of the parade and we had time to visit. I had a good talk with some of the members of Paulding VFW Color Guard and also some of the guys of the Paulding Fire Department, the Boys Scouts, some members of the Paulding Chamber, some veterans of other U.S. Wars and the Paulding Police Chief.
I really enjoyed talking to all those fellows.
Then the parade started and we was amazed at all the folks lining both sides of the street.
I am going to use on behalf of all the veterans who were given the chance to be grand marshal and volunteers who helped to put on this big parade. The weather was fine and all the veterans had a good time.
I saw lots of adults having a good time as we padded by, but I enjoyed the little kids.
I want to thank Dan and Traci Bowers and Crystal Rider for all of their help getting me into the big parade and all that goes with it.
As I sit here at my desk on Monday morning and think back about the fine evening and all the people watching the parade and the hundreds of little children who waved at me and I waved at them, I know that the future of Paulding area is secure.
See Ya!
