with Melea Beshires
Lots of folks were mowing this past week through the weekend, making Silerton look fresh. Gail Mayfield shared with us July’s Yard of the Month winner. Mayfield writes, “Marvin Sykes is this month’s winner of the Yard of the Month. He has been keeping his yard very well this spring, and the Town appreciates his efforts. He shares one of the prettiest gardens in town with neighbor Tommy Menzie. Our thanks to both of these guys for their work to make our town so special.”
Silerton is a friendly place. Kevin and I are always catching up with neighbor friends and meeting new faces on our walks with Otto and the dogs. Larry and Dora Stringer have lived in Silerton since 2011. Dora Stringer said they “love Silerton and could not ask for a better place to live.” Their granddaughter Genea Pruett spends a lot of time helping out on their farm. Genea, age eight, says she has been, “messing with chickens since she was three or four years old.” At night they feed and water the chickens and also let them out to graze. The chickens are raised for eggs, and the Stringers give away a lot of the eggs that they hatch. Genea also helps her grandparents with caring for the hunting dogs. She keeps them fed and watered and also helps clean out their pens. I asked Genea what sort of animals the dogs hunt, and she said mostly raccoons. It is always a pleasure to see Genea Pruett and the Stringer family. I look forward to more talks with them and to learn more about farm life. Kevin, Otto and I visited Knoxville this weekend to visit my parents Steve and Melea Smith. Kevin cooked tenderloin, and Otto got the royal grandparent treatment complete with donuts and pool time. It was a relaxing and enjoyable visit for all of us.
Last week, Mary Lynn Lambert shared some Silerton news. “Kendall Wilson, daughter of Ricky Wilson, returned to Kansas after her summer in Silerton. She will be missed. Grady and Carolyn Stack are enjoying their summer by camping. They related that the Pickwick campgrounds have reopened another section and that campers are enjoying a retreat from their busy lifestyles. Our condolences go to the family of Glenda Naylor Siler. Her memorial service was at the Silerton Cemetery on Aug. 7.”
This week, Mary Lynn Lambert shared news, condolences, and also a prayer request. She also included a charming antidote from her childhood, which is included below:
Condolences to the families and friends of Glenda (Naylor) Siler and Gladys (Vaughn) Baker.
Prayer request for Brenda Cooper. She was recently admitted to Jackson Madison County Hospital.
Alfred and Jonna Ewing enjoyed having visitors from Toledo, Ohio, over the weekend. Alfred’s brother and sister and spouses came for a short visit.
According to Mary Lynn Lambert, Bobby Naylor was remembering some Silerton memories and recalled the stories of people ordering not only clothes from the Sears Roebuck Catalog but also major items. His mother ordered a battery powered washing machine from Sears. He recalled Mary Lynn’s daddy, Gilbert Stack, ordering a wagon. Bobby remembered when the wagon was unloaded from the train at the Silerton depot, the wagon had rubber tires. After Mr. Stack put the tires on, he pulled the wagon to his home. It was the first wagon with rubber tires in Silerton. Up until that time, wheels had wooden spokes on a steel rim. When Mary Lynn related that story to her brother, Grady Stack, he informed her he still has that wagon. He has updated the wagon by replacing the horse/mule hookup to accommodate tractor/truck hookup. He has also replaced some of the wood on the frame.
Bill and Vonda Siler are good at sharing their crops with neighbors. They brought Willard and Linda Beshires a watermelon, a treat we all enjoyed!
For Silerton residents needing trash disposal, Piney Grove Convenience Center hours are from 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and from 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday.
