Cecil Soil Magazine

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CSM believes the most important editorial in our magazine are the great letters we get from you.
It is your voices that make the most interesting stories and capture the heart of Cecil County.
We encourage you to share your thoughts and memories with us all, before they are lost.
Thank you — ETB

Sincerely yours,
Ed Belote Sr, Publisher

P.S.— We've provided a simple and convenient form that you may use, if you wish.

September/October 2008

Dear Cecil Soil,

My Uncle Elmer [Reynolds] passed away last night-April 9th, 2008. He was 84 years old.

He was one of my favorite uncles, although no one probably ever knew that. He was funny, and ornery, and sweet, and kind, and he lived his life in a very upright manner. He was a volunteer at the North East fi re department for as long as I can remember.

When I was a kid and would go to the big summer event, the North East Firemen's Carnival, I would go to the soda booth where all my uncles were. (My mother had fi ve brothers.) I would hand them my 35 cents and Uncle Elmer would reach way down in that huge trough of icy water to fi nd a grape Nehi soda for me. The carnival fun, the smells, the noise, and the music all fought for my attention, but my favorite part was that small bit of love Uncle Elmer gave to me in those moments-he was so good at it.

All my uncles fought in WWII. Uncle Elmer was in the Battle of the Bulge, and was part of the medical corp. He said that he walked all the way across Germany during that battle. He saw some pretty bad stuff, as does any person in the middle of a war. He shook Patton's hand, and fi nally when the war was over, came back home. He was the last of his brothers to make it back to North East. When he fi nally arrived home (I think it was March), he found in his mother's house a brittle dried up Christmas tree, still decorated. She said she wouldn't take it down until all of her sons were home - and she didn't. His father hugged Elmer and cried. It was the only time his baby sister can remember her father crying.

Uncle Elmer married my Aunt Doris-a funny, wonderful woman-and they had three sons. His boys followed him into the volunteer fi re department as they grew up. Now they give kids their sodas, digging deep into that ice. So it is that his legacy lives on.

I come from an extraordinary family, and sometimes I forget.

I'll miss my Uncle Elmer.

Misty Letts
North East, MD

Hi Ed!

You did a SPLENDID job writing the "Family Tree" article. You pulled it together very nicely. I really like your writing style. I'm glad you included the photo of Cheryl and Neddie, and mentioned Ranger John Jones.

I was glad to see that you received the photo that included my mother. Cecil Soil Magazine is a wonderful magazine. Even my husband commented on how nice it is. Thanks so much for sending me a copy of the July/ August issue. You're a man of your word! Thanks again!

MAL

Hi Ed and Carol,

My wife, Betty, and I met you and your wife some weeks ago. I was inquiring about the possibility of you printing a poem that a dear friend of ours, Belva Eaton, wrote sometime ago.

Betty and I discovered your magazine some months before we moved into this area. We were quite impressed with the content. It made me think that our friend's poem would be a nice addition for one of your volumes. We met Belva and her husband some time before we had our house built. We had purchased our ground some thirty years prior to our meeting. Since then, her husband passed on and we continue to keep in close touch with her.

Belva grew up with her grandparents on a farm near the little town of Galion, Ohio. She attended a one-room school house for seven of her fi rst eight years of schooling. Her time of growing up in that small town with all her memories eventually led her to write this poem, which I am submitting to you.

With fine regards,
Betty and Ernie Schott

Publisher's Note: Belva's poem, "I Like The Simple Things," is printed on page 47. The photo on the left is Belva as an eighth-grade schoolgirl.

April 25, 2005

I especially enjoyed articles in the spring issue about my brother-in-law in "Hair Cuts With Herb." I am 83 years old now, but many years ago I taught in a one-room school below North East, Maryland at Elk Neck.

Johannes Sten and Brother Arnold were students - grades one to seven and about 25 children . a challenge. Both boys were very intelligent. In the article as Herb cut Johanne's hair, Johannes said in his final sentence, "I never seen a single hair get cut."

When he comes again tell him to say "saw" instead of "seen" and that I still love him.

Betty S. Blankenship
Oxford, Pennsylvania

Publisher's Note: This is a reprint of a letter originally published in the Summer 2005 issue of CSM. Please see the story about the late Mrs. Blankenship on page 46.

Dear Ms. Creshkoff,

I appreciate your including my father, William G. Kemp, in your article "Cecil County Warriors." Your article was thoughtful and a needed reminder to all who have benefi ted from Veterans' service.

Tom Kemp
Elkton, Maryland

Dear "Ranger Rick,"

Thank you for your excellent article about the Cecilton Lions Club in the May/June 2008 issue of Cecil Soil Magazine. Your research and patience captured the true essence of our Club as we go about the community delivering on the Lions motto, "We Serve." We look forward to your continuing articles on other Lions Clubs.

Sincerely,
Ken Cowley
Secretary, Cecilton Lions Club
Cecilton, Maryland

Dear Cecil Soil Folks,

I enjoyed the article in your magazine called "Horse Tales - The Matchmaker Horses" by JoAnn Dawson.

The Painted Horses Ranch was originally my dad's 120+ acre farm and it was called Springhead Farm Dairy. My dad, Linton F. Truitt, Sr., built the large stucco farmhouse, milk house, barn and also, a chicken house and other structures. He sold raw milk in the surrounding towns and even in Delaware. My brothers delivered milk before going to school each morning.

It's interesting to see what has become of the old farm. Not only Painted Horses Ranch is there, but so many lovely homes, too.

I wish Wolf and Karen well and hope they see their dreams come true.

Dad sold the farm when I was 20. I'm 75 years old now, but it still seems like home to me. Of the eleven children my parents raised on the farm, there are only three of us left. We had a good life there. Thank you for writing the article. My niece, Dorothy Gill, took several copies of Cecil Soil Magazine to our Truitt family reunion on Saturday, July 19, 2008. She pointed out the article to us. She and her husband Jimmy Gill live across from the farm on Russell Road.

Thanks again,
Dorothy Truitt Tolmie
Wilmington, Delaware

Mr. and Mrs. Belote,

You drove out of your way on a busy Saturday night, after a busy and sad week, to come to the Elkton Firehouse to take a picture of us - The Class of 1938. We were able to attend the Annual Alumni Banquet - our big 70th year celebration!

I'll never forget what you did for me. Thank you for being a friend.

Virginia Allison Powell
Elkton, Maryland

Dear CSM,

I purchased this old photo at an auction in Rising Sun, Md. on January 26, 2008. The older gentleman in the photo could be my grandfather's identical twin brother. My grandfather, Rufus P. Slate, (above) was born in Honaker, VA on October 5, 1923. He passed away on September 15, 2007 and has no known living brothers.

If any of your readers recognize someone in this photo, I hope they will contact your office.

Thank you,
Terri Hamilton,
North East, Maryland

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