News For the Week of April 21, 2014

Our deepest sympathy is with the family of Glenda Day who passed away last week. We joined a large crowd at Bradleyville School last Saturday to mourn her passing and also to celebrate her life. Pastor Sam Kaunley shared many wonderful stories of times he had spent with Glenda and Jim and their family and gave encouragement to the family and all of us present. I think everyone must have their own special memory of Glenda and the years that she and Jim owned Jim's One Stop in Bradleyville.

Glenda also wrote this news column for many years and did it better than I could ever hope to. I was apprehensive about taking it over to write but Glenda always had an encouraging word for me. Glenda was one of those people who was one of a kind and I know I am not alone when I say I will always miss her.

Shirley Hall wrote this about Glenda and it fit her so perfectly. I have included it here with permission:

“You know you are really famous when you have only one name. In Bradleyville, when someone said "Glenda" everyone knew who you were talking about.

In my mind's eye, I see a soft spring day full of sunshine. The Southern boys have filled up their trucks, eaten, bought lunches and headed out. There is a lull as the warmth of sunlight gently invades the town. The door to the station opens, Glenda bustles out, and refills the hummingbird feeders as she did every spring and summer day. Her steps are small, quick and lady-like. Someone comes by to pick up ice on their way to go fishing and we hear her husky laugh as they tell a funny story.

So it was with every season, Glenda, always busy. When they came back with that string of fish or that bunch of mushrooms or that big gobbler or that big or not-so-big buck, Glenda was there to capture it with her camera. She put it on her "Brag Board" for a while and then always gave it to the person to keep. How many hundreds of kids treasure a picture of their first deer or turkey and their big fish that was taken by Glenda.

Her tiny little wedgie shoes and her big glitzy purses and her incessant work with Jim to start and keep the fire department going were all trademarks of Glenda.

And so spring and summer faded into autumn, as do our lives. We gather those things that mean the most to us, and Glenda gathered her family, including those precious little ones to her. She carefully guided the fire department into the hands of the next generation. Yes, we will miss you, Glenda, but you left us a rich legacy. May we all strive to do the same. “

Our sympathy also goes out to the family of Ada Edwards. She passed away last week after surgery. I will always remember her sweet smile and visiting with her. She always had a good word to say and it was always fun to see her and her sister Betty Day out running around together before Betty passed away. I really missed her and Betty and others at Association this year. We used to sit right in front or back of them every year. What a wonderful reunion they must be having.

Everyone should be proud of our Music Department, Art Department and also our FFA teams at Bradleyville School. Bradleyville has some outstanding students as well as the teachers that instruct them.

The Music Department under the instruction of Chris Sprague sent ten students to the State Music Festival and all ten received “I” ratings there.

On April 14^th the Bradleyville FFA received first place awards in District competition in Area Forestry, Area Soils and also received 5^th place in Meats. These FFA teams will be traveling to Columbia this week to compete in State competition. The FFA is under the instruction of Clint Gailey.

The Art Department has had great success lately in a couple of competitions. In the Taney County Soil and Water Conservation Department poster contest, Bradleyville art students won four out of four prizes. Third grader Jacqueline Clemans, fifth graders Catalena Sanders and Paitin Combs and sixth grader Emma Hampton won all four county-wide prizes. All four girls' posters will go on to State competition.

In Jr. High and High School art competition, students won a second-place trophy in the annual Mark Twain Conference Art Competition. This is the fifth year in a row Bradleyville has come in either first or second. Art classes are taught by Camille Dautrich.

Birthdays for the coming week include: April 24: Bradley Combs, Courtney Laughlin, Shane Whittaker; April 25: Gail Blair, Debbie Combs, Jesse Pollard; April 26: Austin Adams, Mitch Cummings; April 27: Sam Clemans, Jerilyn Day, T.J. Day; April 28: Andy Adams; April 29: Randy Adams.

Anniversaries for the coming week include: April 24: Sam and Nona Norwine; April 26: Raymond and Jeanette Johnson; April 28: Bobby and Elsie Combs, Tom and Kathy Tilley; April 29: Denzil and Lila Roberts.