Runaway Mookees, park entertainment and in memory of Larry Cumbie

By Darla Buckhannon

Happy birthday to Debbie Graviett, Janice Eftink, Jamie Keller, Dean Smith, Geralyn Siebert, Kristi Uhrhan, Matt Hanlon, Amanda Horrell, Bridgett Rains, Jody Rister, Don Sheeley, Andy Wilhite, Esten Cooper, Candi Hargrove, Maxine Scott, Nathan McIntosh, Shawn Nix, Bill Dysinger, Berta Payne, Stephanie Phillips and Beth Eichhorn. Also, Billy Davis, George Douglas, Philip Eastwood, Darius Johnson, Linda Kidd, Lula Rogers and Donald Seyer.

Happy anniversary to Jack and Sue Wessel, Jon and Tonyua Townsend, Charles and Sara Hemingway, David and Leslie Herbst and David and Dayneen Glastetter.

Chaffee city updates

The senior center will serve a meal this Friday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, baby carrots, biscuits and peach pie.

You can sign up for swimming lessons at the pool at Harmon Field. There are two sessions, with one starting June 27 and the second, July 18. Lessons are $50 per person and $40 for each additional person.

No wood ducks showed up this year at our place, but there are lots of nesting birds. One is a family of mockingbirds who can be territorial but are quite the songsters. Be sure to water and feed the birds!

Mookees on the loose

Richard and I have had some excitement with his flock of white Indian Fantails and Mookees. If you recall, he purchased a pair of Mookees at the pigeon show in Oklahoma in December. I named them Mookie and Pookie and they have since had eight mookettes! Richard gave two to a friend, and they subsequently flew the coop, and one of our Mookees also got away. Being the good pet owner he is, Richard posted a notice on the neighborhood forum, Next Door. One Mookee was found and the one who left our yard has been spotted several times nearby. It is now a daily activity of driving the area and looking for the lost Mookee. It's amazing how many people have posted comments about the lost Mookees!

Entertainment in the park

Many of you remember attending concerts at Circle Park back in the day. The Chaffee Historical Society proudly presents "An Evening in the Park" this Saturday, June 18, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Circle Park. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy this night of entertainment! Music will be provided by Marvin Seyer and Friends, who play just to have plain ol' fun. Joining Marvin are Donnie Seyer are Jaeson Fraser and Bob Hagget, the latter of whom is known to be a pretty mean banjo player. Admission is free and concessions will be available.

Preserving Chaffee history

The Historical Society has been busy arranging contents of the museum in an effort to preserve our quaint little town. Former residents like to remember Chaffee as the Norman Rockwell kind of town they grew up in. The society welcomes any of you who would like to help with this continued effort. The museum is open every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. To volunteer or arrange for a private tour, call Ronnie Eichhorn at (573) 318-6011.

Remembering the Cumbies

We were so saddened with the news of the passing of Larry Cumbie, who died when he was struck by a car in Plantation, Florida, while riding his bike early one morning. Larry graduated with the Chaffee High School class of 1961 and many of us enjoyed visiting with him at the annual CHS Alumni Banquet. Always a kind, gentle person, Larry was a superb pianist. During his school years, he was a class officer, played the trombone in band, was a member of a cappella and Future Scientists of America and was voted Most Talented, along with Carol Baronowsky, by his senior class.

We also remember his little sister Linda ... and little she was. She played a saxophone that was almost as big as she. Linda and I worked for Rhoton Photography after school and on Saturday mornings. I retouched negatives and she painted portraits. The portraits were beautiful and she made it look so easy. I lived a few blocks from Linda, but oftentimes we would walk together on those dark evenings. One time she invited me in to see their new stereo. Housed in a nice wooden cabinet, the stereo had it all and she was so proud of it.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and many friends of Larry Cumbie.

Final thoughts

Remember to tell those special people in your life that you love them -- those three words mean so very much and are so nice to hear.

Please email your news and comments to darbuck2@airmail.net or leave a message at (573) 887-6430 or (214) 207-7839.

And then ...

Then there was "The Greatest."