HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-06-28, Page 16PAGE 16. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2012.
Knox to hold three
outdoor services
Locals ask children to ‘walk a mile in their shoes’
If the Federal Government had a
quarter for every time a Canadian
said “when I was your age we had to
walk two miles to school” perhaps
the country would be in a slightly
better financial state.
However, some local residents
decided not just to say it, but to do it.
Proving it to their children and
grandchildren, putting rubber to the
road and asking them to walk two
miles (give or take a few hundred
metres) in their shoes.
John Nesbit, Keith Richmond,
John Stadelmann and Marian
(Phelan) Vannhauser chatted earlier
this year about the past and they
realized that in 2012 it has been 50
years since the foursome graduated
from Grade 8 at SS1 Morris
Township School. In those 50 years,
the group has remained close
friends, all still living fairly close to
one another even half a century later.
The concept originated with
Nesbit who had been talking about
his walk to school around Christmas.
He still lives on the same family
farm he did when he attended and he
said it would be a great idea if his
children and grandchildren went for
a little walk with him to the
schoolhouse he used to walk to
every day as a student.
In the meantime, Nesbit spoke
with the other three and they all
thought it was a great idea and
involved members of their families
as well. The walk eventually swelled
to over 35 people who made the
pilgrimage to the school earlier this
month.
Nesbit was the furthest from the
school and they picked up
Richmond, Stadelmann and
Vannhauser and their respective
families on the way.
“If it rained, you would get a ridefrom one of the parents,” Nesbit said
of his walks over 50 years ago, “but
if it snowed, you walked to school.”
Nesbit said the walk back from
school, when students weren’t
necessarily on a timeline, was when
they had the most fun and the walk
tended to take longer than the walk
on the way to school.
“There was plenty to explore, like
Scott’s Creek where you could catch
tadpoles and clams,” Nesbit said.
Richmond was quick to jump at
the idea, as a former owner of the
school building and an interesting
story to go along with it.
In 1966 Richmond was attending
high school in Wingham, but when
his family moved to Blyth, he was
faced with the possibility of having
to go to school in Clinton, due to
boundary issues.
Richmond wanted to continue
going to school with his friends and
found a creative way to beat the
system.
In July of 1966, the school came
up for sale and Richmond just
happened to be at the sale where he
bought the school for a modest price.
“It was only $150,” Richmond
said. “It was not a big money item.”
After making his purchase,
Richmond was pleased, but he said
that at the age of 17, his parents were
not quite as enthusiastic about his
purchase.
“They were not very happy,”Richmond said of his parents. “I told
them what I had done, but they got
over it.”
Now as a landowner in Morris
Township, he was eligible to attend
school in Wingham, which he did
until he graduated.
Richmond owned the school for
three years before selling it to an
area farmer. He said he regrets
selling it, but thought it was the right
There were seven tables of shoot
in play at the Belgrave Community
Centre on Friday, June 22. Winners
were: high white card, Eileen
Miller; second high white card,
Charlie Shaw; most shoots white
card, Bill Nethery; high pink card,
Elva Trapp; second high pink card,
Judy Hahn and most shoots pink
card, Louise Hammond.
This was the last shoot until the
fall.
The community congratulates and
sends best wishes to Jim and Mary
Hunter on celebrating 60 years of
marriage on Thursday, June 21.
The community congratulates
Levi Cook, son of Paul and Karen
Cook who successfully completed
his apprenticeship as a licenced
electrician.
Congratulations is also extended
from the community to Sean Cook,
son of Paul and Karen Cook who
graduated from Conestoga College
in the Construction Engineering
Technology-Architecture program
on the Dean’s Honour List.
The community congratulates
Archie and Mildred Purdon on their
60th wedding anniversary.
Congratulations is also extended
from the community to Don and
Lenora Scrimgeour who celebrated
their 45th wedding anniversary June
10.
The Over 80 Birthday Party will
be held in the Knox United Church
basement on July 31 at 2 p.m.
The summer services for Knox
United Church at 11 a.m. will be
held at the Belgrave Ball Park on
July 15; East Wawanosh Public
School grounds, July 22; and at Ken
and Lila Procter’s Pond, July 29.
There is no Sunday worship on Aug.
5 and Aug. 12. Sunday worship will
resume on Aug. 19.
Pictures of Home
The Citizen is currently planning its
2012 Commemorative
Brussels Homecoming Issue
and we are looking for pictures of Brussels
to highlight its history.
Drop your pictures off at either of our offices and include
your name on the back of the photo and a brief summary.
Photos will be returned to the Brussels office at a later date.
The Citizen
541 Turnberry St., Brussels
519-887-9114
413 Queen St., Blyth
519-523-4792
Deadline for submission is July 13th.
NEWS
FROM BELGRAVE
By Linda
Campbell
Call
357-2188
PEOPLE AROUND
BELGRAVE
50 years in the making
A group of four lifelong friends made the walk from their farms to their old school, SS1 Morris
Township earlier this month to show their children and grandchildren what it was like to walk
to school over 50 years ago. Their goal was to prove that stories of walking two miles to school
every day were not exaggerated.(Vicky Bremner photo)
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Continued on page 18