By Raylene Quaney

Saying goodbye to summer, Help House thanks everyone that has contributed in one way or another to help make this another successful summer. Beginning with our huge garage sale in June, the Summer Fan Club, the school supplies give away and our very popular silent auctions, we have been very busy. The Summer Fan Club gave out 49 fans. School supplies were given out to 85 children who did not have an opportunity to sign up with ECKAN or receive supplies from Grace Community Church or other school supply resources for the upcoming school year.

The silent auction donors and winning bidders raised $1,205.51 at Melvern Sunflower Days, and $2,788.18 on Aug. 10, during the Overbrook Osage County Fair. These are our two largest fundraisers of the year and will help provide food for about three months for the more than 200 families that depend on the Help House food pantry to supplement their nutritional needs each month.

The crocheted flag, made and donated by Peggy Kampsen, was raffled off and the winner drawn during the Overbrook fair. The winner was Louise Michael, of Topeka. A total of $884.00 was raised through this very gracious gift. We thank you for helping your Osage County neighbors.

Clean, gently worn coats needed

Help House’s next effort for assistance is the sixth annual coat drive and giveaway. We began taking donations for clean and gently worn coats on Sept. 3. Infants and children’s coats are always in short supply, so if your children have coats they have outgrown but are still in good condition, please consider sharing with another child who may not have a coat for this winter. We also need men’s and women’s coats in all sizes. Also coveralls or overalls for those who have to work outside in the weather, and hats and gloves for everyone. The coat closet will be open Oct. 1-31, during regular business hours.

“Passing his farmhouse nearly every morning Monday through Friday, 6:30 to 7:15, for 48 years, he was always up working.

“Returning home, each of those days he was still going strong every afternoon 5:15 to 5:45.”

In the past month, his car wasn’t always in the garage, morning lights weren’t on, he wasn’t apparent at work.

Then the story was printed in the hometown weekly, personal hero Leroy Fechner passed away at 95 years of age.

At such admirable maturity passing probably shouldn’t be too unexpected but the news sent cringing recoil.

The lifelong bachelor cattleman, former renowned quality seed stock breeder merchandizer, conservation-minded crop grower, most ambitious, twinkling-eyed farmer seemed insurmountable.

One felt he’d surely live forever, and probably Leroy’s opinion was likewise such – whenever visiting conversation centered on future plans.

There’d been a couple setbacks in the past decade or so with body injury from farm-ranch work. Seriously out of commission at times forced to live away from his lifetime home some, Leroy always returned.

Back full force ahead, Leroy was checking cows, feeding backgrounders, operating farm equipment, driving slowly down the highway ranchland gazing.

“Greenbacks are the best way to do business.”

The old boss insisted that paper money is the safest and most accurate way to handle payment and receipt transactions.

That was probably 40 years ago the comment was made. Certainly, the truly smart man always had a billfold seeming full of folding bills to buy our Monday dinner.

Have remembered the statement occasionally through time, it definitely came back after a recent horseshow. Headed out of town, the gas gauge was below half as pulled into the filling station. Sure didn’t want to run out and have to ride one horse and lead the other to the ranch.

Heart sank when pulled the billfold out of the glovebox and there was no credit card. Of course, the first thing running through the mind was “What happened to it?”

Couldn’t remember last time it was used or where could have lost it. But, realization soon dawned the biggest immediate concern was paying for pickup gasoline.

Unlike the former employer, cash hasn’t been a form of paying for much of anything for several decades. Seems like if there happens to be any real hard dough readily available it’s usually spent for something unnecessary.

However, oddly and coincidently this time a twenty dollar bill was folded up in the hideaway.

Actually paying for gasoline with cash isn’t even that easy to do anymore. Most clerks get a concerned look whenever currency is brought out to pay for anything.