wellborn my hometown

FROM wildpondfarm@yahoo.com
Hi to All,

Re: Joint fish fry/bake sale: Wellborn Neighborhood Watch and Wellborn Community Association

WCA members voted unanimously last evening to go in w/WNW on the fish fry on Friday Jan. 8th A motion was also made and approved to split the cost of the fish 50/50 with WNW if we decide to take the cost from WNW funds rather than from the proceeds of the fry. Comm. Billy Maxwell has offered to get the fish for us and we can probably reimburse him later. (Will check). WNW's Tim S. is planning to bring a commercial fish cooker and we will have the WCA kitchen and dining area, which is better than Blake Lowe bldg. to cook in and set up. Kathy Snowden offered to bring baked beans and Bobbi offered to bring cole slaw. Before the date, I hope to get more offers of baked beans & coleslaw so will only have to have back up cans of baked beans and cole slaw packages/fixins just in case we run low. We will plan to cook grits, hushpuppies and fish on site. A few from WCA & WNW have already offered to brings cakes, etc. for bake sale.

Have no idea how many to plan for (over 200 ??) but plan to do advertising and get out a bunch of signs. Let's hope we can get a huge turnout. I enterviewed Hank yesterday for the paper and made pics. (Wendell, my article is due Jan. 3rd. to be published on the 5th. - guess what I'm writing about this time) Not only did he lose everything he had, but he was storing his brother's tools and the helper's tools were in the bldg too. A collection was taken up at the WCA Christmas party and a good bit was put in the sack, which will help over Christmas. Such a shame for something like that to happen. Didn't mean to be heading this up and acting as go between but somehow I got to be it and am happy to do the best I can. Will soooo appreciate volunteers for help (we need outdoor fish fry lead in signs made from wood on posts--last time we used cardboard and it folded and just didn't work - and then put up everywhere we dare. Also will need inside signs for the stores -- that can be hard paper) and beans and coleslaw as well as baked goods. Might also be good to have cupcakes and brownies we can sell separately for folks to have w/dinners. Dinners to be $6.00 and include a drink, fish, hushpuppies, baked beans, grits, coleslaw. Desert extra.

Thanks in advance to all of you. With your help maybe we can help another to get back on his feet and let him know Wellborn cares.
>Please email me at above address for what you can bring, what you'd like to do to help, and any questions. I will check at least 3 times a day, keep a list, and get back with you. Ruth Ford

Ron Van Sise 70th birthday party was a surprise, planned by his 3 pretty daughters, Stacey, Denine and Trisha. Guests arrived at Grace Church ,SW Pinemount, L.C. at 1PM shortly before Roy's wife, Carol, brought the birthday boy to the party. Roy was still sputtering about not having lunch at home. There was lunch, presents, cards, cake with candles and singing. What can be better then having your birthday picture taken surrounded by grandchildren?

December's first Saturday Wellborn Community Association Pancakes were mixed up, flipped, and served up by these good volunteers: Diane Bragg in blue (whose husband points out that there are two "g"s standing for double good), and Arleen Cheetham whose claim to fame was being an adorable pumkin at the Halloween Kid party and Pat Bezaire with chef Jim B in the back ground.

Wellborn Neighborhood Watchers added Christmas flavor to dinner early this month. WNW usually has a dinner, speaker and a business meeting every month, 3rd Thursday in the Blake Lowe Building by Wellborn's Community Park.
Here is WNW member Hank Whisnant, recent burnout victim who is still in shock. Hank did compliment the Sheriff's Department for the quick & thorough investigation and apprehension of the alleged perpetrators of arson and thievery.

The writing says

Hello
I am Louise. I have had a good life.
I am the mother of eight children, six alive, seventeen grandchildren and thirty great grandchildren.
i can say I have had a good life; never spent a sick day in the hospital, never been sick and down in bed.
I still go to work every day. I do not drive and I have always hitch-hiked thru life.
I never missed any days of work.
I hav e so much to be greatful for during my life.
I never had many monetary things in my life but I had planty of love and loving friends to help me.
We always had enoughto share our blessing with others as I am still doi9ng today.
This is just a brief of my eighty years of living.
With love,
Phillip (Buddy), Ire3ne, Patricaia, Thomasw (Timmy) Alphonso and Alonzo

Louise Perry knew her six surviving children were planning a birthday surprise of some sort . There was a dinner in her honor at the Dixie Grill . It was a decoy and it worked well. Thanksgiving Louise, in all innocence, thought that Blondell’s “Happy Thanksgiving” phone call was just that and she accepted her friend Blondell’s invitation togo for a ride around her beloved hometown of Wellborn. She changed her clothes to do that. Now she wishes she had known what was ahead and that she had changed to her most beautiful white special occasion dress, the one with sparkles and spangles befitting the Queen role that was hers at her 80th birthday party held Thanksgivjng afternoon at the Wellborn Community Association building . An estimated one hundred came. !
Here are the words on a beautiful big plaque. They were written by Virginia Perry and taken to Sports Connection to be made into permanent memorabilia. Wakina Taylor tended to that detail When all was said and done, many, many folks contributed to Mom. Grandma, Great Grantdma and double Great Grandma , sister, neighbor and friend’s birthday party , .

A Great Woman
A Beautiful Woman

Strong, Beautiful, Black Woman
So peaceful and serence. You deserve to
live in paradise and to be shown the finer things.
Life has dealt you plenty of cards, some winning
Some bad and tides have brought in waves memories,
both happy and sad. Gracious, beautiful black woman,
so wonderful and divine. You’ve endured many heartaches.
Oh, the world is so unkind ! Your speech is confident, your eyes are
soft and your walk is hard and bold. Your laugh equals happiness.
Your heart contains love and hides the stories untold.
Tired, beautiful, black woman, so patient, so calm. It is funny
how you hold the family’s fear within your palm! With wrinkles, stress
and worn torn hands. Tell me how you smile so when you’ve traveled
this long, endured all the pain, and still have miles to go ?
Blessed, Beautiful Black Woman, so collected and confident.
I can’t imagine a gift greater than your love, It is heaven sent
Don’t you dare give up now. Just stay strong. Your reward is coming.
Strong, Courageous, Gracious, Blessed and Beautiful
Black Woman
LOUISE PERRY IS YOUR NAME

This Tribute was also shared


Aunt Louise Made the Difference

God bless you Aunt Louise I’m sorry that I am not there to help you celebrate this momentous occasion. Although I’m not there in the physical as Paul said on many occasion, in the Bible, I’m with you in spirit. I want you to know that I love you and I appreciate everything that you’ve done for me and my children over the years. I wouldn’t have made it if it weren’t for you. You took me in after my father died and I can honestly say I never heard you complain or say anything negative because of it. You always treated me as one of your own.

I want you to know that I am who I am today because of you. I watched everything you did. I didn’t always listen to all you said or do everything you told me to do, but I was watching you. I saw how you loved and supported your family – know matter how they treated you; you always treated them with love and respect. Everyone that walked in your doors was treated like family even if they weren’t. You fed them whether they were hungry or not and would give them a place to sleep and clothes to wear if they needed it.

I’ve seen and heard a few people talk to you and treat you with disrespect. You would take it; say whatever was on your mind (curse them out if need be) and keep right on going never attempting to get revenge. I would say to you “Aunt Louise, don’t put up with them, put’em out, stop doing that… or do this…”, but you paid me no mind and continued to love them right where they were.

I’m sure that I’ve said things and done things myself that hurt you or made you angry with me too. And for that I’m very sorry. Never-the-less you’ve always been excellent to me and my children. I learned how to treat people better through watching you. I learned how to dress and take care of myself by watching you. I learned how to cook and clean by watching you. I learned how to take care of my children by watching you, I learned how to give and receive by watching you, I learned how to work and be responsible by watching you and I learned how to put people in their place when they get on my last-est nerve by watching you. LOL

I’ve accomplished many things in life - a high school diploma, a college degree, and soon to finish my MBA while commencing a Law Degree. All of this fails in comparison to the many things I learned through watching you. In fact, I’m still learning from you; you are the timeless teacher in my classroom of life.

You are the anchor and the glue that holds this family up and together. I can’t imagine US without YOU in OUR lives.

Happy 80th Birthday Aunt Louise
Love Kookie “L. J.’s” daughter - Leander and Vir’Leah
11.26.2009

DECEMBER WELLBORN WHISPER

Dale and Tammy Barrett were going home after Wednesday night service @ Wellborn Baptist. They were among the first to sound an alarm when they saw fire in Hank Whisnants place of business on CR 137 between the railroad and C-10A. The 911 call was Neighborhood Watching the way it ought to be.
Bonnie and George Scott are the new owners of the building next door to Hank'Cypress Furniture manufacturing business .
Scottie's Country Depot is at the northwest corner at the Wellborn blinker light.
George is the chairman of the Methodist Administrative Council whose fellowship supper and business meeting was in progress when the fire trucks with flashing lights alarmed everybody.
George left the fellowship hall to go investigate. Bonnie opted to stay @ the fellowship hall and to BELIEVE and PRAY. She was especially concerned about Hanks German Shepherd dog who has been such a comfort, making her feel safe.
Lights went out all over my hometown and out in the suburbs too.
All was total darkness. Pastor Jim prayed that fear would be dispelled from amongst us, that no one would be hurt. All of it was relinquished to our Lord whom we do trust!
Flashlights appeared and decorative candles became useful ones. We did the rest of our Methodist business meeting by candle light and flashlight.
Those of us who live south of US90 were detoured. Lights were out at home until about 9 PM.
The photo was taken at the scene by the Suwannee Democrat
Devon, an across the street neighbor of Hank's, was responsible for the German shepherd dog being unharmed.

Bobbi and Jerry Fenderson, Beanie and Wayne Brooks and 53rd road neighbors(with Del Edwards in the background) were at the November Blueberry pancake breakfast. Blogger bets that their horses were part of the camaraderie and conversation.
The first Saturday took 6 November days to get here and the daylight savings time change had happened since the last pancake breakfast but the WCA breakfasters came just the same. Jack Allred, Chris Williams, Dee Hart, Marla Harrison, Kelsey McGarrity and Wendell Snowden, cooked, served, hosted, kept the records and were appreciated by their customers.

Goldie Marie Fralick makes Wellborn proud to claim her. She was born and raised here, went to Wellborn School as long as there was one and graduated from Suwannee High School, LCCC, and got her B.S.N at U of F. She was involved with nurses in training when she was in charge of the L.P.N. Vo Tech program before she became school nurse at the middle school. R.N. Goldie sees as many as 70 students in a day and must triage each one. She does a lot of comforting, counseling and mothering, prayerfully, as well as tending to their physical problems.

Carnell Hawthorne Jr was the photographer whose foto and story appeared in the November 6 weekend edition of the Suwannee Democrat. The writing beneath the picture reads"

Goldie Fralick (center) an employee at Suwannee Middle School received a certificate Oct 27 for her hard work and dedication as a school nurse. Fralick, pictured here with Superintendent Jerry Scarborough and health and food services coordinator Margaret Wooley, was recently recognized as one of the "Great 100 Nurses" by the Florida Nurses Association at the Centennial FNS Convention held Sept 23-26 in St Pete Beach.