The Mountain Eagle
WHITESBURG WEATHER

Runaway cow comes for visit

Blair Branch


Hello everyone. I hope this finds each and every one of you doing well. Did you have a nice Memorial Weekend? I hope so. We sure did. It was a very busy weekend, but a good one. Well, other than my husband, Michael, coming down with a cold that is.

I apologize that I pulled a disappearing act for so long. Several people have called Mom, Sylvania Whitaker, either wanting to know why I haven’t written or asking her to encourage me to write. Believe me, it isn’t from the lack of her encouragement. She is very supportive and asks if I am going to write every Sunday when we have dinner at her and Dad’s house. She also lets me know when you call. So don’t hold my not writing against her. I’ve just not had the time. Between home schooling our boys and running them to all their extracurricular activities with 4-H, I’ve felt like I barely had time to sleep. School is now out for summer so maybe I can be consistent again.

Mom has been blessed to have good luck with her new kidney. It is functioning perfectly. We are all so very thankful to God for this blessing upon all of us. She had a pretty bad cough for several weeks, but after many antibiotics is doing better. Any kind of sickness is always scary when you have no immune system and any little thing can cause you to reject the donated organ.

Dad, Allen Whitaker, hasn’t been feeling great, but he’d never admit to that. That’s a stubborn Whitaker for you. Ask any of them, it runs in the family. He has been dizzy and having headaches, but thinks it is mainly his sinuses.

Mom spoke with her sister, Edna Blair Helton, on Sunday. She hasn’t been feeling too well and has been smothering pretty bad. I pray she starts to feel better real soon.

Laramie Adams has been real sick and in the hospital. He had surgery on his gallbladder, I believe. He is home now and doing some better. We were really worried about him.

We had a visitor at our house this week. A neighbor’s a runaway cow decided it needed a vacation in our yard. She was gorgeous and it was fun to watch her roam around, but our dogs didn’t know what to think about her. As Jayane Lynch said, that was the most excitement our dogs have had in their entire lives. The runaway’s vacation has now ended and she has returned home to her own pasture. I hope she enjoyed her stay as much as the dogs enjoyed having her here. I’m not quite sure they know what to do with themselves now that she is gone.

I am so very proud of Tonya Denise Fields and Jordan Whitaker. Both were graduated from Letcher County Central High School on May 24. I truly believe you both are going to go far in this world. Always do your best, work hard, be honest, and hold your head high. There are great things to come.

Rebekah West, daughter of Ben and Sonja West, was graduated from eighth grade on May 17. Congratulations, Annie! You did a fantastic job on your speech.

Ben and Sonja are grandparents again. Ben’s son Josh, and his wife Ashley, welcomed a new little one into the world this week. They named him Gideon Michael. Congratulations!

I’m also thrilled to congratulate Chalena Whitaker- Williams, on graduating from the RN program. She has put a lot of hard work into her hopes to become an RN, and now her dream has come true. Way to go, girl. That is something to really be proud of.

Opal and David Jent are ecstatic to have their son Gardner Allen, his wife Jessica, and the children living here in Letcher County again and that God blessed Allen with a good job. They aren’t the only ones happy though, I too have missed those babies dearly.

Speaking of Opal and David, they really enjoyed the Chaplin Retreat they attended on May 20-23. It was hosted by Whitesburg ARH.

Kylee Faith Gibson celebrated her second birthday with a Sock Monkeythemed party at the Letcher County Recreation Center on May 26. We all had a nice time chatting while the kids played their hearts out. Then, while opening Ky’s presents, there was a surprise for everyone. She opened a gift that contained a shirt that said “I’m gonna be a big sister!” Deidra and Sammy are expecting baby number two. We are so happy for them and pray that the pregnancy and delivery are smooth for both Momma and baby.

After Kylee’s party, Missy drove Mom to Letcher Manor Nursing Home to meet up with Dad. He, Opal, and David were there having church. Mom enjoyed being able to sit on the porch and visited with Mary Helen Blair and Wilma Halcomb.

We had a little family dinner at Mom and Dad’s house on Memorial Day and took Mom’s flower arrangements that she and Opal put together on the graves. They were beautiful. Afterwards, we had cake and ice cream to celebrate Austin Whitaker’s 15th birthday.

Austin recently participated in the national competition with the Letcher County Central Archery Team. The teams placed 18th place, and qualified to participate in Worlds. Jordan Whitaker received the highest score on his team and even had a cameo on the news. Way to go, boys. Show them how it is done in St. Louis at the end of this month.

I was saddened to hear that my sweet friend, Melissa J. Shultz, passed away on May 31, to lung cancer. She was 38 years old at the time of her passing. Melissa was born in Middletown, Ohio, on Sept. 24, 1974, to William and Betty (Bryant) Kelly. Melissa was preceded in death by sister, Sharon Kelly, and her grandparents. Melissa is survived by her parents, William and Betty Kelly; her husband of 17 years, Jason Shultz; her son, Jason (Bubby) Shultz; two brothers, Barry Brown and Shane Kelly; and nephews, Seth, Layne, Hal, and Hayden.

Rest in peace, my dear friend. You were so brave, a light unto this world. You will be greatly missed.

Opal Jent asked that I send out a huge thank you to everyone who helped with the March Against Substance Abuse in any way.

Since I’ve been away for a while, I also wanted to mention that Roger Lee Whitaker Jr. joined the Dixon Memorial Old Regular Baptist Church and was baptized on March 24 by Homer Smith, Rulah Whitaker, Allen Whitaker, Relon Hampton, and Chris Smith. He also wanted his dad, Roger Lee Whitaker, to help, but Roger had a broken foot and wasn’t able to go into the water.

Austin Whitaker and Joseph Grom celebrated their birthdays on May 27; Pamela Adams Mullins, May 28; Pam Blair, May 30; Dennis Ison, June 1; Susie Price and Maurice Collie, June 2; Pinkie Adams, June 3; Benji Smith and Melody Morton, June 4; Kelly Caudill and Teresa Hopkins, June 5. Hazel Bowling will celebrate her birthday on June 6; Stephen West and Taschelle Sexton, June 7; and Wade Whitehead, June 10.

Happy birthday to each of you. I hope your day is filled with all the love and laughter in the world.

Chalena and Robbie Williams will celebrate their wedding anniversary on June 5. I wish you many more happy and love-filled years together.

If I have left anyone or anything out, just let me know and I will be glad you get you next time. I hope everyone has a healthy and happy week. If you would like to contact me, feel free to give me a call or you may email me at alanacouch@hotmail.com.



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