| July 27, 2019 -- Since our last report, Father’s Day has come and gone and with it our annual Strawberry Festival. Unfortunately, the bad tradition of this event is the lower turnout when it rains. We saw attendance drop by nearly half due to the rain but those that did attend enjoyed delicious shortcake prepared and served by the members of Winchester Grange with the assistance of the Laurel King & Queen and their court (one of the nicest traditions of this event!).
Coming up on August 10 is our 68th Annual Grange Fair & Flea Market held at the Grange Hall and on the Green in Winchester Center. As always, there will be exhibits and judging of Baked Goods, Fruits & Vegetables and Flowers along with a giant book sale, a flea market and lots of food for sale. Fill up the car and join us for a relaxing day in scenic Winchester Center.
For those of you who live in the Center, you may have noticed the damaged siding on the south side of our hall (the side with the entrance to the Post Office). Wind and water damage over the winter have torn yards long strips of siding off of the hall, exposing the insulation and original wood siding underneath. Thanks to the persistence of our Treasurer, Bill Ahrens, we are pursuing an insurance claim that will likely pay for a substantial amount of the repairs needed to restore the siding to the hall. In the meantime, please pardon our appearance!
In June, Winchester Grange lost one of its most devoted and treasured members, Shirley Lemieux, a 71 year member. For those who think they don’t know her, you might remember her as one of King & Betty Beecher’s daughters and/or wife of Jerry Lemieux who served on the Camp Berger Trustees for many years. To Winchester Grangers she was a fixture in the kitchen working on Chicken Dinners, Strawberry Festivals and making countless meals and sandwiches for Pomona Suppers and Grange Fairs. Her baked goods were delicious— homemade Whoopie pies and the best cookies you could get anywhere. She was a Past Master (Winchester’s first woman Master), Lecturer, Secretary and so many other things throughout the years. Her dedication to the Grange and to her family is unmatched by anyone. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Our sympathies go out to all in the Beecher and Lemieux families.
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