Pinecraft-Sarasota

People of Today

Marvin Mast one of the Pioneer bus drivers was the first person off the bus. There were quite a number of passengers today.

I am assuming he is going home. He walked with a purpose and turned in on a side street and disappeared into a house.

One piece of luggage wasn't picked up when the bus came in. So Dawn contacted the phone number on the identity tag took it to their home for safekeeping.

I love this, Daddy playing shuffleboard with his daughter and her friends.

Every Saturday I have to see to it that I have enough food in the house to do until Monday. So this morning I went produce shopping at Yoder's Fresh Market. I remembered the Scuppernong grapes were in season last year in August. (Scuppernong is a Muscadine grape.) So this morning I looked around and sure enough, they are in. I bought some, enough for the weekend. I spoke so highly of them that two other customers decided to buy and try them out. Right next to these grapes was a box of strange looking fruit from Asia, the Rambutan. One of the workers gave us each a sample. The only flavor I can get out of them is just a sweet taste. Nothing more, nothing less.

I bought a few.

I allso bought a bag oof peanuts for the squirrels in the park. I don't have to sweet talk them into eating my peanuts.They come running when I arrive at the park.

The New Meatball Sandwich

Ever since last week I wanted to have a taste of the Meatball Sandwich at Emma's Pizza Shop in Pinecraft. I had to wait until today because I had food in the fridge that needed to be used up before it spoils. So today was my day.

The notice on the door.

I ordered a sandwich and took it home.

One look at the size and I knew I have enough for two meals, instead of just one.

This half has four meatballs, so that means the whole sandwich has at least eight meatballs, with a lot of rich tomato sauce and the best of cheese.

Emma has a good variation of pizza to choose from and also a number of sandwiches. Lamar Bontrager is digging into a hamburger.

The Buck Toothed Cow

I saw this note on the Pinecraft Post Office's bulletin board.

I thought I will help spread the word.

Dublin Parochial School

A couple of weeks ago Sister Anna and I stopped in at Dublin Parochial School where we were students 50 years ago. Very little has changed since then, at least not on the outside.

The Girls back-house was upgraded a little bit. It now has real toilet seats with lids.

The little horse barn is just where it has always been. Ben Hershberger a former classmate, who is now a bishop in Holmesville used to practice his preaching skills in this little barn. He would perform the wedding ceremony of more than one couple. I was never out in the barn during his play weddings for fear I would be a bride.

Bishop Joseph Keim

Being we are having a Family Reunion in Arthur Illinois this weekend, I decided to come out a few days early, to do some research and digging around, asking questions. Yesterday we got that accomplished with the help of more family members.

Bishop Joseph Keim's grave with a few of his direct descendants. Betty my sister is a grandchild seven generations ago and Peter & Grace grandchildren nine generations ago. He died May 23, 1872 at the age of 46, after living in the Arthur area for only seven years. His wife moved back to Ohio with the remanding children. Next to her husband are the grave stones of two of their children, Lena age 15 and John age 6 month.

Here Peter is having a hard time standing next to Joseph's grave with his modern computer. I wanted the contrast of Joseph's pioneer age with the modern technology of his great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandchildren. Peter was remembering the funeral of his great-grandfather Dan Mast, so he wasn't interested in reliving those memories.

We spend quite a bit of time looking for Joseph's grave stone, but then Betty found it and also of his two children.

We paid Oba Helmuth a visit and got some more information, but I would appreciate more information if anybody knows of a source I can research. Or stories their ancestors told about the first years in the Arthur, Illinois area.

Joseph Keim's youngest daughter Barbara married Honsamony, my great grandpa. (Honsamony is Emanuel's John in English.)

Great-Nieces & Nephews

This afternoon we had a Sisters' Day. So I got to see all of my sisters that live in the area, plus some of their children and their grand-children. I didn't get a shot of all of the great-nieces and nephews, although most of them are on this post. These lined up are Sister Dena's grandchildren, Hannah & Lily Miller, Jacon Keim and Seth Miller.

Janiyh with her glass of tea.

Three generations, Sister Barbara Wengerd, Katie Troyer & Maddie.

Cousins, Diana Yoder and Maddie Troyer.

Time for the food, siblings and cousins.

Seth is more comfortable wearing his crash helmet backward. It just fits and feels better.

Jonah, Seth's younger brother.

Asher Keim

No Seth, you don't get into my grandma's purse.

Maddie going for her grandma's pursse.

Niece Rachel with Janiyh and Sister Edna.

"Let's get out of here before we get run over."

A Family Working Bee

Syl's work was to cook stew in an iron kettle. It is his specialty and no two cookers ever taste alike. It is the same with Amish Henry's Cowboy Stew or the Zook guy that makes and sells barbecue ribs in Pinecraft that have a good taste all their own and sell like hot cakes.

The Working Bee was at Joe & Diane's place and so they had both of their families there. Edna and I were just extras. I spend most of my evening sitting somewhere taking photos as the evening progressed.

It takes effort to walk these Holmes County hills and so I just hopped on the wagon with Braxton. Rhoda a great niece, has strength and she had no problem with the two of us. I am sure we didn't pull a muscle in her.

The one year old children ate first. All Grandma Sara needed to do was hold the soup bowl for the little guy.

Rhoda feeding Braxton.

The four year old twins helped themselves with desert. This is Jeneva and Joel is dishing it out in the next pic.

I watched this with great interest, as Ian wanted to drive this Cozy Coupe. But Jeneva had it, so she fed him cake with hopes he would forget about taking a ride. After the cake was gone, he still wanted to ride...

so the both squeezed in. It didn't work, so Ian got out and Jeneva took a few rides and then let Ian have it. I watched this in total amazement as there was no grabbing, slapping or screaming. I didn't hear a sound coming from both of these children.

These cousins had fun with their cousins Jensen and Braxton's modern toys. I well remember those times whenever we were at our cousin's place who was an only child, how we went after her tricycle and scooter. But Mattie loved coming to our place because we had lots of siblings to play with each other.