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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2004-04-08, Page 19Milestone Lawrence and Jean Plaetzer celebrated 50 years of marriage with a celebration on Friday night at the Blyth Community Centre. (Vicky Bremner photo) Couple marks 50th FISHER Your Conservative Candidate working for you in Huron-Bruce Help Us Restore Accountability Join the Team: Phone: 519-389-0852 Fax: 519-396-3001 Email: fisher2004@bmts.com Authorized by the Official Agent for the Barb Fisher Campaign THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2004. PAGE 19. 4-H club learns about syrup making Meeting one of Wawanosh's general maple syrup club was held on March 15 at 9:15 a.m., in the home of Catherine Robinson leader. She reviewed the general requirements of the club. The officers of the club were elected. Ellen Jefferson was is president, Sally Beyersbergen is vice-president and Sophie Jefferson is secretary and press reporter. The roll call was answered, and the members were asked the question, "When you see the maple leaf symbol. what do you think of our country, Canada?" Sally Beyersbergen said the maple leaf made her think of trees. Catherine explained that sap is made in the summer, inside the leaves of all trees, in a process called It was a golden celebration at the Blyth Community Centre Friday night for the 50th anniversary reception of Lawrence and Jean Plaetzer. The former Jean Alma Free of Ashfield Twp. married Lawrence William Plaetzer of Auburn in Dungannon United Church on March 13, 1954. The bride was the daughter of Orville and Ida (Sillib) Free, while the groom was the son of Frederick and Lena (Plunkett) Plaetzer. Rev. George Watt officiated at the ceremony. Maid-of-honour for the event was Betty (Black) Doherty. Bridal attendants were Margaret (Black) Stanley andEdna (Stewart) Alton. At the groom's side were George Underwood, Harry Lear and Ray Stanley. Following the service the newlyweds travelled by car to Florida for their honeymoon. Upon returning home they took up residence at RR1, Auburn where they owned and operated a farm, raising dairy, beef and hogs. In addition to helping her husband on the farm, Jean tended to a substantial vegetable and flower garden. Field work was done in close association with * friends and neighbours Maurice and Maureen Bean and Elliott and Kay Lapp. Though the Plaetzers retired to Blyth in 1992, with their son taking over the home farm, Lawrence still helps out with farming. Throughout their marriage the couple has been very active in the photosynthesis. In the fall, the sap moves from the leaves to the bark. After learning about sap, the members acted out two of the legends which tell of how sap and syrup were discovered. Sally Beyersbergen, Reba Jefferson and Sophie Jefferson acted out the Squirrel Legend, in which a man watches a squirrel lick the twigs of a tree and decides to try it. Ellen Jefferson and Kristina Drennan performed the Hatchet legend, 'which tells of a boy who is sent to the river to get water, but stops to aim his hatchet and gets it stuck in a tree. Stew is made from the liquid dripping from the tree and was found to be the best stew ever made. The skits were . very well performed and the members enjoyed community. Jean has been a member of the Auburn UCW, Women's Institute and Horticultural Society. In addition to serving terms as president of the UCW and WI, she was president of the Huron West District WI. Lawrence serves on the session and board of stewards for Knox United Church, Auburn. They've enjoyed square dancing as members of the Clinton Wheel 'N' Dealers, and have both curled with several area club over the years. Lawrence still curls in Wingham. Since moving to Blyth they have served in executive capacity with the Swinging Seniors. Lawrence is a past president and Jean is currently president. They both enjoy lawn bowling and Jean is with the Tai Chi class and Coffee Break Bible study. She also attends the Blyth UCW and open Horticultural Society meetings. Among those on hand to help this busy couple celebrate their special day, were the couple's three children and their families: daughter, Sherry, her husband Terry and their children Allison, Elise, Kaleigh and Ryan Foran of London; daughter Wanda, her husband Brian and children, Lisa and Brooke Holling of Markham and son Larry, his wife Linda, and children Jeff, Jamie and Janette Plaetzer of Auburn. Also in attendance were the' bridal r party, with the exception of Betty Doherty, who is deceased. putting them together. The members then learned about the three stages of producing maple syrup: tapping, collecting and boiling. The natives tapped trees with a hatchet and used reed or pieces of bark for spiles; the pioneers tapped with a hand drill and had wooden or metal spiles. Today power drills and plastic spiles are used. The first producers of maple syrup, the natives, let the sap drip into bark containers, which were emptied onto a hollow log that was also the boiling container. Pioneers used wooden or metal pails, with lids to gather.the sap. These buckets hung on hooks below the spile. Today, large producers use plastic tubing to collect the sap and gravity or vacuum pumps to draw the sap to the collecting containers. The pioneers boiled their sap by putting it in several kettles to prevent it from burning. Today's producers use an evaporator with flat bottom and corrugated pans. The tools of sugar-making have greatly changed through the years. Meeting two was held on March 15 at Catherine Robinson's at 10:15 p.m. Ellen Jefferson opened the meeting with the pledge, then asked the members the roll call, which was: "If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be?" Sally Beyersbergen and Reba Jefferson thought they would like to be maples. Kristina Drennan wanted to be a blue spruce. Sophie Jefferson EWPS news East Wawanosh Public School has received two small project funds from the Foundation for Enriching Education with the Avon Maitland District School Board. The primary division applied for a grant and received $200 for their efforts. The grant money will be used .to purchase material for their arts and language curriculum through the movement skills and creative exercise of their imaginations, to help choreograph their own routines selected through pieces of music and to improve their retelling and comprehending skills through fun interactive activities. The junior division applied for a grant and received $200 for their efforts. The grant money will be used to purchase the Write Traits Classroom Kit to assist the students learn, understand and apply the six traits' of effective writing: ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency and corrilations. decided she would like to be a cherry, and Ellen thoiiight a pine was right for her. \ Mary Ellen Foran then taught the members' more about maple syrup making. They learned that Southern Ontario and Quebec are the best places to make maple syrup because of their climate and the abundance of maples. She also told the members that the sugar maple is the tree tapped most often, even though the sweetest sap comes from the black maple. She also taught the members the different ways of identifying trees, by looking at the leaves, bark, shape, fruit, buds, twigs and location. The members also learned that a tree to be tapped should be between 40 - 80 years old, and that to find the age of a cut tree the rings are counted. The members then prepared for a trip to the sugar bush by fueling up with some muffins. Some of the muffins were made from a recipe in the recipe booklet. The members travelled to the Jefferson's bush to look at different kinds of trees. They first looked at cherry, then beech. Following this, the members split up in search of maple, which was hard to find because of the lack of leaves. June Robinson and Mary Ellen sent the members on a scavenger hunt, calling out trees for them to find. They discovered a tree, which had been uprooted, and learned that the root system in most trees is as big as the part above ground. Happy Birthday wishes to Geoffrey Priest, Gordon Daer, Frits Datema, Ken Grigg, Joanne Hood, Hazel Elliott, Mark Arthur, Clarissa Gordon, Amber MacPherson, Lorne Woods, Jonathan Blackwell, John Wain Jr., Dennis Schneider, Cindy Smale, Tony Knoop, Cameron Wickhorst and Janice Robinson. Happy anniversary wishes to Doreen and Murray Thompson, Alex and Betty Anne Chisholm, Jim and Dorothy Schneider and Ron and Doreen Ritchie. At Knox United Church, Rev. Pat Cook's message on Sunday was Live the Moment. Spiritual readings were Psalm 118 and Luke 19: 28- 40. FROM AUBURN 9 present for Walkerburn meeting The March meeting of the Walkerburn Club was held at the home of Vera Penfound with nine present. Jacquie McKee was in charge of the meeting. The minutes were read by Betty Archambault, followed by roll call telling a three- colour combination for a quilt. Bernice Norman then gave the treasurer's report. A discussion was held on how to assemble the next quilt for cancer. The next meeting will be April 20 at Mrs. Archambault's. Members are looking forward to the May meeting at Pat Hunking's and visiting the nursery in her neighbourhood. They also had a discussion about the upcoming 150th celebrations in Auburn with ideas for a float to enter in the parade. As July is the 85th anniversary of the first meeting of the Walkerburn Club, the members want to do something to celebrate what has been a great addition to the community. The club has done a lot of good work in those 85 years, and hope to continue to do so in the future. The rest of the afternoon was spent cutting, pinning, sewing and pressing blocks for a lap quilt for the nursing home in Clinton. Deanna Snell took home the incomplete work to finish assembling. Mrs. McKee had a surprise birthday cake with strawberries for Ethel Ball. What a surprise it was for Ethel, as it was a month late. Better late than never. After a social half hour the members left for home. WI discusses business The Auburn Women's Institute Stickers on April 15 starting at met in the community hall on March noon, then back to the hall for the 18 with president Betty meeting. Archambault presiding. She opened The Tweedsmuir convenor Laura the meeting with a poem. The Ode, May Chamney gave a report of Mary Stewart Collect and 0 Canada events that took place last year in the were sung. village. All organizations had a very The minutes of the last meeting good report of their work and were read by Tena Empey and the accomplishments last year too. treasurer's report by Teresa Everyone brought an antique item Roetcisoender. Various items of and told about it. Mabel Jacklin, business were discussed and it was district president spoke and told of decided to set the membership fees events coming up in the district. at $15. - Lunch was served by Grace The annual meeting will be held at Cartwright and Betty Archambault.