Local writers and stories
By: Mark Holtsberry Carl Frederick Payson was born in Paulding, Ohio, on June 14, 1896. He was the son of Minnie K. Payson, born December 7, 1878, in Ohio. Minnie was the daughter of Carl Frederick Payson, born in 1840, and Eliza Dorothea Payson, born in December of 1847. Both of her parents were born…
The spirit of truth abides in me and teaches me all things. He guides me into all truth. Therefore, I confess I have perfect knowledge of every situation and every circumstance I come up against. For I have the wisdom of God. (John 16:13; James 1:5) I trust in the Lord with all my heart,…
My first story was one of my best. In English 101 we were assigned to write a story. I was excited because I already had it one in mind. It was a true happening which I had some inside knowledge that other people couldn’t have known. I got a low grade and never wrote another…
By: Mark Holtsberry Charles Chester Shinaberry was born on December 21, 1892, in Grover Hill, Ohio. He was the son of Robert Newton Shinaberry, born in 1854 in Ohio, and Sarah Florence (Kinkade) Shinaberry, born on October 21, 1864, in Ohio. The couple was married on June 23, 1882, in Paulding. By 1890, they were…
Penny for your Thoughts by: Nancy Whitaker I still go around the community playing different genres of music on the piano. After playing some country, polkas, waltzes and gospel, I go into an old old song. Faces get smiles and everyone starts singing along. Everyone knows this song. The familiar hymn is “Jesus Loves me.”…
The spirit of truth abides in me and teaches me all things. He guides me into all truth. Therefore, I confess I have perfect knowledge of every situation and every circumstance I come up against. For I have the wisdom of God. (John 16:13; James 1:5) I trust in the Lord with all my heart,…
Dotting My Teas by: Marlene Oxender If you were asked to choose a number from one to twelve and write that number on a piece of paper, what number would you choose? It’s been said that everyone has a favorite number, whether we realize it or not. Those who knew my late brother Stevie…
By: Ron Burt Henry, Schlenk and Miller Victorious Friday, March 14th Attica Raceway Park opened for the 2025 racing season. At 3PM when the track opened there was a line of fans from the ticket windows out into the parking lot as race fans from all over the Tri-state flocked to get good seats. Henry,…
If you allow me one more story about writing, a gentleman that tried 17 times. It’s hard for me to think of young people, they don’t remember many things that we took for granted. Have you heard one of the greatest TV shows of all time MASH. We all watched it every week. Even a…
By: Mark Holtsberry Harry Clifford Sheefel was born April 18, 1897, in Convoy, Ohio, Harry was the son of Frederick Daniel Sheefel, born October 21, 1863, in Ohio, and Mary A. (Barger) Sheefel, born December 25, 1857, in Ohio. Frederick and Mary were married on July 7, 1891. By 1900, the family was living at…
Penny for your Thoughts by: Nancy Whitaker Sometimes we run into something we read and it makes us feel better about what we all are dealing with or eventually will. I always say, “My body feels old and crackly, but my mind feels like I am 21 again. I worry about things like falling in the…
My greatest joy in life is to sit down for a half hour and write a story. It could be on any subject, God gifted me with a huge imagination. I know very little about grammar. Anything that I run across usually is interesting to me. I had a banana for breakfast. How do bananas…
Father, in the Name of Jesus, I thank you that I am a new creation in Christ Jesus, and because I am a new creature, I will speak of excellent things, and the opening of my lips shall be right things. For my mouth shall speak truth and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.…
