< Obituaries

WILSON “WICK” FRY
        Wilson “Wick” Fry, 93, SR 7, Hannibal, died Sept. 9, 2008, at Wheeling Medical Park. He was born Aug. 16, 1915 in Duffy, the son of the late David William and Lena Marie Geisler Fry. Sympathy expressions at grisellfuneralhomes.com

HOLDEN M. CONNER
        Holden Michael Conner, 2 month old son of Jasmine Nicole Headley and Brandon Michael Conner of Williamstown, W.Va., died Sept. 10, 2008, at Marietta Memorial Hospital. He was born June 24 in Marietta. Online guest register is available at www.ingramfh.com

DORIS M. KEYLOR
Doris M. Keylor, 90, Woodsfield, died Sept. 7, 2008, at the Woodsfield Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. She was born May 18, 1918 in Woods-field, a daughter of the late Cletis and Mary Bohnam Truax.        Online condolences can be expressed at www.bauerturner.com

SHIRLEY D. GILMORE
        Shirley D. Gilmore, 65 of Harter Cemetery Rd., Hannibal, died Sept. 15, 2008, in Wheeling Hospital Medical Park. She was born Jan. 7, 1943 in New Martinsville, the daughter of Zola Leasure Sidenstricker of New Martinsville, and the late Edward G. Sidenstricker.

LOTTIE MAE SCOTT
        Lottie Mae Scott, 88, Canton, died Sept. 4, 2008. She was born Feb. 2, 1920 in Graysville, the daughter of the late Harry and Mattie Hall.
        Send condolences or share a fond memory at the Reed Online Guestbook at www.reedfuneralhome.com

KEITH S. CLAUS
Keith S. Claus, 80, Massillon, died Sept. 12, 2008, a son of the late Frank and Stella Schrader Claus. He was born Jan. 12, 1928 in Miltonsburg, Monroe County. On-line Guestbook at www.reedfuneralhome.com

<Our Readers Write:

Dear Editor,
        Just a quick note to make everyone aware of some of Ohio’s cruelty to animals statutes:
        Statute Number 959.01 regarding abandoning animals states “No owner or keeper of a dog, cat, or other domestic animal, shall abandon such animal.”
        Under “Specific Offenses” number 959.13 (A) No person shall: (1) “Torture an animal, deprive one of necessary sustenance, unnecessarily or cruelly beat, needlessly mutilate or kill, or impound or confine an animal without supplying it during such confinement with a sufficient quantity of good wholesome food and water.”
        Pursuant to Chapter 1717 Humane Societies, Statute Number 1717.13 states “When, in order to protect any animal from neglect, it is necessary to take possession of it, any person may do so. When an animal is impounded or confined, and continues without necessary food, water, or proper attention for more than 15 successive hours, any person may, as often as is necessary, enter any place in which the animal is impounded or confined and supply it with necessary food, water, and attention, so long as it remains there, or, if necessary or convenient, he may remove such animal; and he shall not be liable to an action for such entry…The necessary expenses for food and attention given to an animal under this section may be collected from the owner of such animal, and the animal shall not be exempt from levy and sale upon execution issued upon a judgment for such expenses.”
        The complete list of statutes can be found by typing ‘Ohio Cruelty to Animals Statutes” in the browser search box of your personal computer.
Thank you, Kim Brunner
Beallsville
Dear Editor,
        A Vote of Conscience (Should Politics and Religion Ever Mix?)
by Sonny Childs
        On September 11, 2001, America watches as 3,000 of her citizens were burned or crushed to death beneath the rubble of smoldering buildings and mangled airplanes. Since that time, we have witnessed Americans held hostage, murdered, their bodies dragged through the streets of Islamic cities and even decapitated for the whole world to see. We live in dangerous times. If ever we needed the protection of God that time is now.
        I sincerely believe that the 2008 elections could be the most important of our lifetimes. For that reason, I plead with you to consider these concerns that I have about the compromises we are making as Christians today. Around 1963 prayer and Bible reading were removed from our public schools. Humanism and evolution quickly filled the gap. Just 10 years later, abortion became a legal form of birth control. Since that time, more unborn children have lost their lives than all the men and women from all of America’s wars put together. By 1985, America had the highest divorce rate in the entire world leaving countless broken homes and abandoned children in its wake. In May of 2004, gay marriage became legal in Massachusetts and from Boston to San Francisco activist judges legislate their will over that of the people.
        Less than 50 years have passed, yet America has fallen so far. How long will God be patient?
        In 2 Chronicles 7:14-15, God promised the ancient Hebrew people, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” God also said, “Righteous-ness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” Proverbs 14:34.
        I firmly believe that the promises above were not limited to the ancient Hebrews but also given to any nation that will humble, seek, pray and turn from wickedness. We must keep ourselves centered on these promises and our concern for America is rooted in God’s consistent nature. He will bless if we will turn. He will destroy if we do not.
        Now more than ever it is time for America’s Christians to lay aside their worldly priorities and again put God and His values first. If we continue the ways of the past by dividing ourselves over political parties and materialistic agendas, God’s consistent nature will bring us to destruction. But if we rally to His cry and again place principle before party and morals before materialism, I am convinced that he will hear from Heaven, forgive our sins and heal our land.
        For those who are more loyal to a political agenda than they are to God’s values this message will be offensive. I am convinced America’s problems result more from Christian compromise than they do from any other source.
        For God’s values to thrive, God’s people must rise. We must stand behind leaders who honor and submit to Divine guidance. We must support them not because of party but because of principle. We must throw off the worldly loyalties that have so long been an entanglement to us and embrace anew the very purpose we have for living. We must put God and His principles first in all that we say and do.
        John Jay, the original Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, had this to say about the way he felt Christians should vote, “Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers. And it is the duty as well as privilege, and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers.” Surely John Jay would have much to say to the courts of today and the Christians who helped fill them with liberal judges.
        It is my sincerest prayer to challenge you and convict you to vote for those who will vote for God. Nothing matters more than the furtherance of His values. America’s security does not depend upon her nuclear programs, foreign policies or a robust economy. America’s security depends upon Christians. If God’s people who are called by His name will seek His face and repent of their love affair with worldly priorities, He will forgive our sins and will heal our land. America will be secure when America’s Christians return to God.
Wilma West
Jerusalem

<Around the Burnside

Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.
        Lazy people don’t even cook the game they catch, but the diligent make use of everything they find.
        Have you ever been surprised? It’s more fun to surprise someone. How about surprising someone or some folks when they are doing something wrong? Could be dangerous but a lot of fun, maybe.
        It happened to me last Friday night. When attending Monroe Central football games I normally park behind the old youth center building. Because of the crowd attending the River game, we decided to leave a few minutes early to beat the rush.
        I usually unlock my car some distance before I get to it. Well, as it was dark behind the building I hit the button early. Now, when I unlock my car after dark in that manner, the headlights and inside lights come on full steam.
        When I pushed the button and my lights came on, I spotted a few figures, male I think, running from the back of my car like bigfoot was chasing them. I think one of them was taking a drink from his can of Sprite. I thought maybe it was Mountain Dew. Then I remember the stands sold only Coke products.
        I began to wonder why would any one go behind a building and drink Sprite. It isn’t announced any more but the school board does not allow alcohol to be around during school functions. Everyone knows this.
        These fellows couldn’t have been around in the dark drinking beer or could they? Sorry to spoil your fun, fellows.
        We get all excited shortly after school starts with the fall sports getting underway. I do enjoy watching fans that really get in to voicing, or should I say yelling their support for their teams. Having been a field announcer for so many years, I have a few choice words, when Ohio State plays like they did last Saturday against Ohio U.
        When I was in grade school, I missed out on all this excitement. Although we threw a football around when I was in high school I can’t remember the first football game I saw.
        Our season in grade school, when we started back, was Tin Can Shinny. We looked at times during the summer for just the right club to whack the can.
        We had a good playing field. Long and narrow. The alley in front of the school house.
        Kind of narrow but long. Recess and noon was our playing time. No parents, referees or teachers and we made up our own rules, sometimes when needed on the spot. Kids today do not know what they are missing.
        I sometimes wonder how dumb individuals think some people are. For example, I recently received six checks in the mail totaling $2400. The catch being I could spend them only on a certain thing. One check for $300 was good for buying a camera. I thought that must be some camera. Checking the price, the camera was listed for $449. I’m sure I’ve seen the same camera or one like it for $149 or less. I know I had to take dummy math but even I could figure out it was no bargain.
        A teacher was trying to make the pupils think, so she asked some tricky questions. “Johnny,” she said, “Give me an example of ‘nothing’.” Johnny did not hesitate. “Nothing,” he said, “is a balloon with its skin off.”
        Just a thought: I wonder if all football fans are hard of hearing? The music played before the game is not for those up town but for the fans coming to the stands before the game. I thought maybe it was just my hearing aids until I turned them off. It was still loud.
        I finally got to see a horse pulling contest at the Noble County Fair. I hadn’t watched one since they quit having horse pulls at our fair. I remember the horse pull was the first evening of our fair for years. Far cry from a mud bog.
        I guess the reason I enjoyed the horse pulls was I was well acquainted with many of the owners of the pulling teams and tractor and truck pulls hadn’t been thought of at the time. Plus, my team of a retired race horse and small mule could probably not even move the empty sled. I, perhaps, thought how nice it would be to own a large team like the pullers. Then it would take three or four times the feed my little old mule Tom would eat.
        I did notice most of the fair size crowd in the grandstand was older folks. Very few young folks. I expect maybe many of them were getting ready to sell their 4-H and FFA projects.
        I did run into a friend from Fairview who had some experience with me and our team. He and his wife drove down to just watch the horse pull.
        I did enjoy the pull and will probably go back next year, if they still hold one. I  enjoyed it and couldn’t help but tighten up and try to help when the pulling got tough. I haven’t had a good sniff of horse for a long time.
        I can’t quit without a word about the Monroe Central Marching Band. They are doing an excellent job and it’s good to see their accomplishments in just a year’s time. It sure makes the halftime break more enjoyable. Keep up the good work.
        If you’re going to have an exercise program, start by exercising kindness.
        Try church this Sunday, OK?
        Bible readings: (Mon.) Numbers 6:22-27; (Tues.) Matthew 25:31-40; (Wed.) Matthew 7:24-29; (Thurs.) Romans 12:9-13; (Fri.) Romans 12:14-21; (Sat.) I Peter 3:8-15; (Sun.) Matthew 5:1-16.