Organizations
The Easton Happy Days Senior Citizens’ Club met on Thursday, Aug. 9, at the West Ridge Manor rec room with 16 members and a guest present. After a potluck luncheon, Ruth Ladner of Berlin, Germany, spoke to the group about how she ended up living in Berlin, when she only planned to stay six months. In 1980 she went with the group Youth With a Mission to Germany, spent some time in the Black Forest and became an au pair for a family in West Berlin. At that time the Berlin Wall still stood. She said that people could go to East Berlin if they exchanged $15 of American money for German money and that they had to spend it all on that side of the Wall before returning back to West Berlin. She was fortunate to still be there when the Wall came down and saw the excitement, especially of the East Berliners when that happened. She went to Checkpoint Charlie and watched the people come across. This was in 1989. In Berlin, there were only three churches: the Lutheran, the Catholic and the Free Church. She began attending the Free Church and soon became the piano player and music teacher. She said that church attendance in the churches was small. In 1991 she helped start an interdenomination church choir; working with another man, they built the choir to 25 members and sang around Berlin. When she returns to Germany the choir will be singing at a youth prison. Advent and Christmas are big holidays in Germany. Two years ago some got together and did a play for Christmas. She showed the group a CD that the group had made up of Bible verses and the Christmas story in the language of several different nations. These they passed out for free. Ruth teaches music one day a week in a Christian school and gives private lessons and in the afternoons she works at The Ark, a place that feeds and helps people, especially children, in many ways. This was started by The Salvation Army. It was a very informative talk and enjoyed by all the seniors. She is a very busy woman.
After the guest, Ruth, and her mother, Arlene Ladner, left for other things they had to do. President Marie Hewitt opened the meeting with the salute to the flag. Rena Richardson was recognized for her birthday but they decided not to sing to her without a piano player. Marie brought up the subject of passports and told the group how they could get them at the Mars Hill Post Office, as one place, and that the cost was $112, broken down to $65 for the application, $30 to the Post Office and $15 for a picture. She reminded them that they had to have their birth certificate and the date it was filed. If a naturalized person, they would need their naturalization paper and driver’s license. It was voted to purchase two Canadian rockers from Marden’s to replace the old couch that has been in the rec room. They would discuss a restaurant trip later to be taken during potato harvest. Those attending were Marjorie Corey, Joanne Johnson, Lindy Fowler, Arlene Ladner, Ailene Embleton, Clair and Eldora Carter, Marie Hewitt, Edith Fuller, Rena Richardson, Ezalee Smith, and the guest, Ruth Ladner.
Shower
The Easton and Mars Hill United Methodist Women held a baby shower for Rev. Dan and Lynn Blevin’s daughter, Robin Tidd, at the Easton church dining room. Members of the group introduced themselves to Robin as she hasn’t been in Easton long. Games were played, of course, with Lindy Fowler winning Baby Bingo and young Miranda Jean Tidd, of Houlton, winning Black-out Bingo. Individuals drew papers with the name of nursery rhymes which that individual had to sing for Robin, to teach her some of the old songs. Margery Niblet won the Gift Pass game and a beautiful bowl. Gifts were opened with the help of her step-daughter, Miranda. Those present were: from Easton – Freda Dionne, Avis Hume, Glenice Craig, Eldora Carter, Marie Hewitt, Margery Niblet, the guest of honor’s mother, Lynn Blevins, Miranda Jean Tidd, Nina Trask, and Lindy Fowler. From Mars Hill were: Francis Banks, Goldie Folsom, Joan Walsh, Clara Hussey, Joan Boone and Alma Smith. A pretty shower cake was served with the coming new one’s name, Noah Daniel, printed on it.
Visits
Arlene Ladner, her sister, Ada Perley, of Perth-Andover, and Mary (Williamson) Trainer, of Presque Isle, enjoyed a 10-day visit with Arlene’s son, Alan Ladner and family in Monrovia, Cali. They were joined by Arlene’s daughter, Ruth Ladner, who flew in from her home in Berlin, Germany. Arlene’s granddaughter, Sharon Ladner, along with thousands of other brides, had chosen 7-7-2007 as her wedding day and this happy occasion was also an opportunity for friends and family to be together. During their stay in California, they were able to visit some of California’s most famous tourist attractions: Hollywood, San Diego Zoo, Universal Studios and last but not least the shopping malls. Arlene, Ada, Mary and Ruth flew to Boston together and drove back to the County on July 13. Arlene and Ruth spent two weeks in Easton and then repacked their suitcases and took off again, this time by car. Arlene’s son, Marvin Ladner, and his wife live in Sidney, N.Y., and have become grandparents again. Arlene was there to see her great-granddaughter, Lauren, for the first time. The journey continued from New York on to St. Davids, Penn., to spend three days with Arlene’s granddaughter, Jill, who is a senior at Eastern University. A day trip into the historical parts of Philadelphia was a highlight of the trip. Ninety-five-degree weather did not keep the Ladner girls from walking to visit Betsy Ross’s House, Constitution Hall and ending with the Lights of Liberty Show. The journey home was enjoyed with stopovers in Brooklyn, N.Y.. at the well-known Brooklyn Tabernacle, home of the Brooklyn Tarbernacle Choir, and visits with Lois Ladner at her summer home in Rumney, N.H., and Gail Cullins Gentry and Vera Cullins, who was there visiting, in Saco. What a busy summer for Arlene. She’ll have to rest up this winter to do it all again next summer.
