| MARCH 9, 2024 -- March 12: Green, Ref. by All Members.
March 26: CWA Program, Ref. by Pam Wright
Apr. 9: Solar Eclipse, Ref. Randy & Kim Carlson
Apr. 23: Not Too Much Rain- Please, Ref. by Sandy & Earl with Country Store
In late February, Winchester Grange said farewell to 99+ year old member Charlie Cooper. Charlie came to Winchester many years ago after the closure of Torringford Grange. He was both a purveyor and consumer of good clean jokes. His service highlighted many of them including a 30 year old recording of Charlie playing piano and telling some of those famous jokes. He, of course, served in many different Grange offices during his Grange years. In recent years he was Gatekeeper. His hearing wasn’t always the best and when a member would tell a joke or say something funny, there would be a 10 second (or so) delay and then you would hear Charlie’s chuckle from the hallway or the Gatekeeper’s chair.
For many years Charlie volunteered to take care of the trash at the Grange Hall and Winchester Center Congregational Church. His family will tell you there were many days he came home with more than he took down to the dump.
Often funerals for people over the age of 80 and 90 are less well attended simply because friends and family have passed on themselves. Such was not the case with Charlie. It was a true testament to the love and affection the Winchester community has for Charlie and Fran when the church filled to capacity with friends and family of all ages for Charlie’s send-off. Charlie, there will never be another like you and you will be greatly missed by all of us.
Winchester Grange was also saddened to hear of the passing of Lonnie (Zeke) Zelenkewich. Lonnie was a member of Winchester Grange, serving as Gatekeeper in the early 90s and then dropped his membership due to time constraints. This didn’t mean he stopped helping the Grange. Lonnie owned his own plumbing company, Zeke’s Plumbing, and was always there when new fixtures needed to be installed in the bathroom, the kitchen needed a new pump or the faucet in the ladies room wouldn’t stop dripping.
Lonnie also had a great sense of humor often giving friends and family members funny nicknames which the family called “Lon-isms.”
Our condolences and best wishes go out to Lonnie’s wife Deborah and her entire family. We understand she will be moving to Tennessee to be closer to family.
Our next meeting will be on March 12 with a program entitled, “Green”. Refreshments will be provided by all members. We will be visited by State Overseer Ted Powell who will conduct our annual Inspection.
The final touches are being put on our lease with the Trinity Reformed Church for use of our hall each Sunday for the rest of this year. So far the arrangement has worked out very well and the Grange is happy to have this additional income to offset the operational expenses of our building.
|
