LDN - Good Neighbors

Good neighbors make life in Logan County better for all of us. LDN wants to celebrate the organizations and individuals who are especially caring and helpful. Please send your suggestions for groups and people we should cover, and provide a brief description of what they do that makes them Good Neighbors.
E-mail to ldneditor@lincolndailynews.com.

Arbor Day tree planting

[APRIL 19, 2000] The city of Lincoln is observing Arbor Day 2000 by planting trees at two nursing homes, Maple Ridge Care Centre and St. Clara’s Manor. The trees are Aristocrat pear trees, ornamentals planted for the residents of the nursing homes to enjoy.

At Maple Ridge, the tree was planted between the back wing of the nursing home and the independent living apartments. At St. Clara’s Manor, the tree was planted in front of the east wing of the building, between the building and the parking lot.

Shirley Carter, director of activities for Maple Ridge, said residents enjoy the outdoors. "A week from today we are planting a vegetable and flower garden. We have always had a flower garden, but we are adding a vegetable garden this year."

George Davis, administrator of St. Clara’s Manor, said more locations on the east side of the building will also make good sites for trees, and he hopes the city plans to continue the program. He said St. Clara’s residents look forward to spring when they can sit on the patio and enjoy the outdoors.

[Residents of Maple Ridge Care Centre turned out this morning to watch Don Osborne, street superintendent of Lincoln, plant an ornamental tree in honor of Arbor Day. Watching, left to right, are Nellie Masten, Shirley Carter (standing) director of activities, Kay Hutchison, Michelle Eyrse (standing) administrator of Maple Ridge, Lincoln Mayor Joan Ritter, Martha Smith, president of the Residents’ Council, and Mary Lou Gresham.]

According to Davis, about 15 years ago Mrs. Betty Peacock had a project planting trees in Lincoln, and that project gave St. Clara’s Manor a series of trees between the sidewalk and Fifth Street.

This is the first time the city has chosen nursing homes to receive trees for Arbor Day. Last year, according to Mayor Joan Ritter, the city planted seven trees at schools in District 27 and at Chester-East Lincoln and West Lincoln-Broadwell. Mayor Ritter thanked the residents of the nursing homes for helping the city celebrate Arbor Day.

Although National Arbor Day is celebrated on the last Friday in April, dates for the celebration in individual communities are determined by the best tree planting time in that area. The third Wednesday in April has been proclaimed Arbor Day in Lincoln.

Arbor Day was first celebrated in Nebraska in 1872, when the state government urged settlers and homesteaders to plant trees that would provide shade, shelter, fruit, fuel and beauty for people living in the treeless plains. More than one million trees were planted in Nebraska communities on that first Arbor Day. J. Sterling Morton, editor of the Nebraska City News, promoted the idea of planting trees and established Arbor Day as a national celebration.

Today the National Arbor Day Foundation promotes planting and caring for trees and last year alone distributed eight million trees to its members. Education is a central part of its mission of making the world a greener, more tree-filled place.

[Joan Crabb]

Eighty years in Lincoln

. . . except for three years, nine months, and 27 days

[APRIL 15, 2000] Ray Leesman says that he has lived in Lincoln for 80 years, "except for three years, nine months, and 27 days, when I was in the military." It was the Air Force, to be exact. "Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7, 1941, and I was drafted on February 13, 1942." On November 26, 1944, on a brief "pass" from the Air Force, Ray married a young lady named Gertrude from Mount Pulaski. They had met six months before the start of World War II. He was shipped overseas in April of 1945, only six months into their marriage. During his time in combat, Ray served his country and the world as a gunner scanner, flying 13 missions over Japan in a B29 Super Fortress bomber.

When Ray completed his military service, the Leesmans settled back in Lincoln and Ray started selling furniture. Then in 1952, he heard about a place opening up called Pittsburgh Plate and Glass. He says applying for a job there was one of the smartest things he ever did. He worked at P.P.G Industries as a purchasing agent for 30 years and retired in July of 1982.

[Resident raises a 'milk-toast' to Ray Leesman.]

But, for Ray, retirement was an open door for further activity and interaction with his community. He started volunteering, looking for places and people to serve.

[Ray Leesman serves hot coffee
to St. Clara's Manor resident.]

Virtually every Friday for 18 years, Ray has gone to St. Clara’s Manor and served coffee to the residents as they wait for their breakfast. He walks about and cheerfully fills their cups while conversing with them and the staff members. He has become a part of the team. George Davis, St. Clara’s administrator, says, "We would be lost without him. He’s been a volunteer here for 18 years and was on our board for six years." Ray obviously enjoys these Friday mornings at St. Clara’s. He says, "I haven’t missed too many unless I was ill or out of town. There’s a lot of satisfaction in helping somebody and making life a little more pleasant for people."

Ray and Gertrude Leesman keep very busy with their volunteer efforts. They are active in the local American Association of Retired Persons. They volunteer twice a month for Meals-on-Wheels through St. John United Church of Christ, delivering prepared meals from C.I.E.D.C. to elderly people and shut-ins. Gertrude volunteers for the Red Cross during blood drives. Ray transports cancer patients from Lincoln to Springfield for treatments at St. John’s Hospital and Memorial Hospital. He also serves on the board for the Logan County Housing Authority, is active in the Kiwanis Club, and they are both very active in their church. Whew! People half their age don’t do that much!

When asked what volunteering means to them, Ray responds, "It’s better than just sitting in a rocking chair!" Gertrude says, "It’s better than sitting and staring at the TV!"

The Leesmans have three children and seven grandchildren, and live the lives of happily retired people. Very active as volunteers for all sorts of agencies, services and causes, they are truly good neighbors!

[Curtis Sutterfield]

Volunteers: The backbone of the operation

[APRIL 8, 2000] Time is an irreplaceable resource. Once it is gone, a person can never reclaim it. Glenna K. Smith and Donna L. Griffin choose to give their time as a gift on a regular basis. They are volunteers at the Pink Shutter Thrift Shop in Lincoln, owned and operated by the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital Auxiliary.

Glenna Smith, who will be 90 years old in June, has worked as a telephone operator, a schoolteacher and a grocery retailer. She lives in San Jose, on the Logan side of the county line. She began working for the Pink Shutter Thrift Shop in 1973 as a paid employee, and though she "officially retired," she still works there as a volunteer, averaging about eight hours a week. Glenna says, "It’s always been fascinating because you never know from one day to the next what you’ll find in the boxes! I think the Pink Shutter is a real community asset, and over the years it’s been a great service to the community." She adds, "I’ve made a world of friends here that I really treasure. They’ve been so good to me."

[Donna Griffin rings up a sale at the Pink Shutter.]

Donna Griffin, another volunteer, is 77 years old and has lived in Lincoln since 1940. She retired from Lehn & Fink after working for 42 years as the secretary to the plant manager. When she started working there, it was known as Sterling Drugs. She has volunteered at the Pink Shutter since 1991, when a newspaper article about the shop caught her attention. As a member of the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital Auxiliary Board, Donna serves as a liaison between board and the thrift shop. She also serves on the board of the American Cancer Society of Logan County.

She says that working at the thrift shop gives her "something worthwhile to do, and I enjoy the auxiliary." She recalls a memorable experience when the wife of a state congressman brought in one of his suits and returned later to see if she could get it back. "She said he wasn’t finished with it yet, but it was too late. It had already sold."

Thanks to volunteers like Glenna and Donna, the Pink Shutter Thrift Shop has raised $514, 337.00 since 1986. This has enabled the auxiliary to finance projects and purchases for Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital such as cardiac rehabilitation equipment, mammography grids, an EKG page writer and a surgical laser. Currently, the profits from the thrift shop’s retail sales are pledged to a new labor/delivery/postpartum room for the OB floor at the hospital.

The Pink Shutter opened on Pulaski Street in November 1961 and moved to 210 S. Chicago St. in 1968. The shop has been at its present location, 129 S. Sangamon, since February 1973.

There are just three paid employees: Jennifer Heidbreder, manager; Nancy Puls, assistant manager; and Ruby Doyle, a full-time sales associate. All other operations are covered by 40 regular volunteers. This March the Pink Shutter had 1,750 customers and sold 10,475 items.

Barbara Dahm, director of volunteer and special services at ALMH, acknowledges the volunteers’ part in their success. "We appreciate everything they do for us. We just can’t thank them enough. Volunteers really are very special people. We (the Pink Shutter) are a part of the hospital, and in helping here, they are making a great contribution to the community."

[Ruby Doyle and Glenna Smith mark prices.]

Manager Jennifer Heidbreder says, "The volunteers are a unique group of individuals from different walks of life. I think some of them, if they didn’t have this, they wouldn’t know what to do. It’s been a lot of fun working with these ladies. I’ve learned a lot from them talking about the old days."

[Curtis Sutterfield]

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