The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.

Your Great Notes Make My Day

by Dessa Rodeffer
Quill Editor/Publisher

16 June 1999

"Hi Dessa and greetings from Alaska," was the most recent e-mail I received this weekend. Tom Eisenmayer, waiting for his shift to begin as an air traffic controller, took time to send me this message.

He is a former Stronghurst resident, son of Curt and Betty, and is married to the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charlie McChesney of Gladstone.

His note said: "Just wanted to take a second and say thanks for the nice work you did in your editorial about your nephew James; honor was rendered unto whom honor was due...

"It's currently 12:20 am; I'm at work listening to my fellow air traffic controller, Mike Hemmer, work airplanes from all over the world (I'll be up next); it's a great connection to things 'back home' to read the Quill. Many thanks to you and the Quill staff!"

"Just peeked out the back door of the TRACON; the magnificent silhouette of Mt. McKinley is nestled amidst the beautiful rose colored backdrop of our midnight twilight! I never tire of the incredible beauty of this place. If you ever get an opportunity to visit this great state I highly encourage you to do so; preferably in June when we have the longest days. Linda (formerly McChesney) was out weeding the flowers at 2:30 yesterday morning! She always has been a night owl!"

Of course, I had to email back to Tom and ask him If Linda was weeding the garden at 2:30 a.m. in the dark? and what is it like there?

He said, "In June we have our l-o-n-g-e-s-t days; it doesn't get dark; and that's why Linda was able to weed the flowers at 2:30 in the morning. The sun sets about 11:30 pm and rises at 4:30 am for 19+ hours of sunlight and twilight in-between."

"Conversely, in mid December, the sun rises about 10 am and sets about 3 pm with temps ranging from -20 to +20."

"We generally get our 1st snow in mid October and will have 2-3 feet of snow on the ground up until the 1st part of April; which is referred to as "breakup"."

"Our summers are delightful; daytime highs in the 70's and lows in the 40's with low humidity; it's that delightful type of air that you have to pay for in Stronghurst!"

"It's a pleasure to converse with someone from back home."

Tom

Earlier I received an e-mail greeting from Pam Beard in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Pam graduated with my son Troy at Southern in 1985. Of course, since I had been there it brought back the beautiful memories of the ocean, sky and flowers, and friendly people.

Pam is a paralegal for an important lawfirm there and she sent me the web site of the Honolulu newspaper which I found very awesome. I also learned a new word: Mahalo, which means "thanks". The Honolulu newspaper website is for those with internet. It was nice to hear her closing of Aloha, Pam

I have also received an e-mail from a former Henderson County Deputy, Mike Weede, who lived in Stronghurst across from Security Savings. He found the Quill's webpage and wanted to let us know how he appreciated reading news from here.

He said: "Just a note to let you know that the Quill was being read on a Holiday weekend in Glendale, AZ at 4:00 AM. Thanks for making this all possible and keep up the good work; your efforts are appreciated!"

"Arizona is great.One of my wisest decisions in life. I will soon have 15 years in with the state and work with our Sex Offenders Community Notification Program with the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Highway Patrol. When I moved out here, I vowed to never again work in Government....oh well :-) I still keep in touch with the folks at the Sheriff's Dept. and a few from Stronghurst. Gene and Carol Heap, Jan Neff, Dave Waterman, and a few others have been out here over the last few years."

Mike Weede
weede@goodnet.com
Glendale, AZ
Arizona Department of Public Safety
Highway Patrol
http://www.goodnet.com/~weede

I still love getting e-mail from local folks. Virginia Ross of Gladstone just sent me an email that said: "Here is an offbeat food site that is funny, but does have useful tips. Hope you enjoy it.

It has everything from Yucky Stains (how to get them out) to Cool Gadgets (to cook with), Creations (ala Recipes) like Hammer & Pickle Soup from the old world and Spaghetti that will make you cry? and Trivia Tips (what happens when you nuke a lemon?)

For all of the nice folks who still use the postal system, letters are still very nice to get and are usually "keepers." I received a wonderful note from Kathy Smith of Carman telling me how much the editorial about Rosemary Lutz meant to her. She did not know either Rosemary or myself, but was touched by the feelings in the article.

I really appreciate all the warm notes from near or far away. The thoughtfulness of people warms my heart.

I should close with the e-mail I just received from Eric Chockley of Stronghurst, who is recovering at home from a terrible motor cycle accident 10 months ago:

The Definition of Success

To laugh often and much;

To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;

To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;

To appreciate beauty;

To find the best in others;

To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;

To know even one life has breathed easier because you lived.

This is to have succeeded.

- Harry Emerson Fosdick

Keep those notes coming to:

Dessa Rodeffer
email address: dessa@hcil.net
office address: Box 149, Stronghurst, Il 61480-0149
home address: RR1/Box 400, Stronghurst, IL 61480-9801