Zephyr & Sandford news

PAT ASLING Special to The Standard

Strange weather. Guess we are paying for all that lovely warmth and sunshine we had earlier in the month. Just keeping us on our toes.

Speaking of toes, the crocuses I have in my lawn are just leaves now but coming up around them are the plant called pussy-toes. Like low-growing pussy willows. There is a very large patch which certainly prevents grass from growing much, but I never cut it down until it has finished, several months from now.

A group formed to provide pet food to those having trouble providing for their pets is hosting an auction to buy crafts and other donated items is now underway. A local lady, Mel Diebel, is very active in helping with this. How can you help? Food or gift cards can be ordered over the phone from our friends at Pet Valu Uxbridge. Please specify it is for Barn Cat Co-op.

There were a number of birthdays this week. Andrea Arkell not only had a birthday but seemed to be flying all over; her most recent destination was New Orleans with hubby Kevin. A baby dolphin was born on her birthday, a celebration all its own. Greetings also to Paul Ross, one of the four sons of Laura and Morley Ross. He grew up on the farm in Leaskdale and hasn't moved far from home. Happy birthday also to Jay Stewart. Jay is best known for his activities with the Legion Pipes and Drums but also has a lawn care business which keeps him busy, two of his sons are also part of the band.

Suzi Hiltz grew up on the farm just east of Sandford and went to Scott Central and Uxbridge High School. Then, she married Mark Stanley from Norland, who is not only a farmer but a rock hound. Picking up stones and going to Gem, Mineral, and Fossil shows is a good part of their yearly activities. A huge greeting goes out to Shirley Hewlett on her 89th birthday. Shirley and Don farmed in Zephyr for many years, taking an active part in church and community affairs, before retiring to Bolsover, where they enjoy the riverside view. Don is not as mobile as he once was, nor are a lot of the rest of us, so we don't get to see them often.

Congratulations to Betty Aldred, who was given a Life Membership in the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 170 Uxbridge Ladies Auxiliary. Betty has been involved with this group for many years, but I recall when she was also quite involved with the activities of our local Red Cross groups, as was her mother. Betty is the mother of Debbie Smith (Gary) and often helped out at the shop when Twinkleberry was a busy business. Congratulations also to Owen Shier who was accepted as a U18 Coach for Brock Minor Hockey Association. Owens' great-grandparents were Ray and Evelyn Shier, who farmed just down the 7th and raised daughters Carol (Bickle), Gail (Williamson) and Linda Wagg. His grandfather, Ron (Jeanne), was also an excellent athlete back in the day.

Once more, the community of Zephyr is mourning the death of one of their former residents, Mary Lunney. Mary was 100 years old. She passed away on April 14th. Mary (nee Tomlinson) was born in Baldwin, but when she married her husband Stanley (deceased), she moved to Zephyr, to a farm north of the village. Here, they raised six children and now have 13 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. They retired and moved to Newmarket in September 2011. Audrey Noble Kester, a longtime friend, shared these memories of her. "Mary bowled and did a lot of crocheting. She made Afghans for the family and also crocheted hats for preemie babies in the hospital. She was very involved with the church and UCW She always had a smile and liked to help people. She made the best date-filled cookies!" There will be a visitation for Mary at the Zephyr United Church on Thursday, April 25th, from 6 to 8 p.m. and a memorial service on Friday, April 26th, at the church at 12 noon, with a reception to follow. Donations can be made to Zephyr Zion Cemetery or the charity of your choice.

Best wishes for a quick recovery to Jenny Van Maurik, who has come down with an excruciating case of shingles.

The Uxbridge Genealogy Group met in person and via Zoom on Thursday, April 18th. Nancy Trimble, president of the Durham Region Genealogy, gave a most exhaustive (and exhausting) talk on how to work with your DNA test results to find the best results. North Durham Nature meets this Tuesday, April 23rd, at 7 p.m. at the Uxbridge Seniors Centre. Guest speaker Dale Leadbeater, an enthusiastic botanist, will talk about her ten-year adventure examining plants in the City of Kawartha Lakes. She, along with many volunteers from the Kawartha Field Naturalists, explored and documented plant communities found in water bodies and landscapes of the Kawarthas. Dale has been involved in most of the nature groups in our area at one time or another. Geoff Carpentier is also soliciting donations for his next Baillie Birdathon raising funds for assisting birdlife in many ways.

On April 26th, One Voice Choir will present their Spring musical at 7:30 p.m., at St. Paul's Anglican Church, in Uxbridge. Tickets are $20.

Bob Kirvan informs me the Horseshoe Club will begin their pitches on Tuesday, April 30th, at the museum, starting at 6 p.m. Curator Katlyn Jones explained to me about the costs. It is $10 to play horseshoes for Uxbridge-Scott Historical Society (USHS) members and $30 for non-USHS members. The USHS Membership is $20. This structured approach is to ensure Horseshoe members sign up for the USHS membership as well as to grow both organizations. The fee is $10 for the museum as we are maintaining the grounds and pitches and creating more advertising options for the Club. There are some 40 members already.

Mark June 22nd on your calendar when Conrad Boyce is planning another musical marvel for us at the Foster. There will be two performances that same day. More info later. Meanwhile we are hopeful the Friday night Concerts will be a go on May 3rd if the mess gets cleared away before then.

Church was at Zephyr Sunday morning with the incomparable Rev. Dr. Bill Fritz leading. Following the service and a lovely brunch, our annual meeting was held. First, the members of each congregation met separately to discuss individual matters before joining together. The financial situation was discussed, and many things might happen before the official closing of Zephyr in November. Ted Meyers was present to explain some of the process following that event. Earlier in the week, a small gathering met with a lady who was suggested as someone who might lead us through this process, and as a result, it was decided to hire her by appointment beginning July 1st until December 31st as a full-time minister. More on that later.