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| Fond retirement wishes for a kind lady |
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| Opinion - Editorials | |
| Written by Doug Carder | |
| Wednesday, 24 December 2008 08:00 | |
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Ruth Towne’s retirement party Friday evening at Learning With A Smile Educational Center was bittersweet for me. I have many fond memories of picking up my children from the center, then called Jungle Ginny’s, and hearing them tell stories about “Miss Ruthie.” It quickly became apparent Ruth had a fondness for every preschool child she taught. It hurt Friday when I reflected on another chapter in this community’s history coming to a close. Ruth plans to move to Olathe to live with her daughter, Cheri. Ruth’s late husband, Joe Towne, was a former publisher of the Louisburg Herald, mayor and county commissioner. I remember Joe taking me under his wing when I first moved to Louisburg 20 years ago. We had long discussions about the pitfalls and rewards of community journalism. His passing several years ago was a loss to me, just as Ruth’s departure from the community is going to be a blow to us all. Ruth speaks proudly about her granddaughter, Megan, a senior journalism major at the University of Kansas, who is following in her grandpa’s footsteps. Ruth is one of the most kind-hearted people you will ever meet. She told me a story about a young 4-year-old who was terribly shy, so shy he wouldn’t speak. When it came time for him to spell his name in Ruth’s learning circle, she told him he could come up and whisper it to her. After a time, his whispers turned into a soft voice, which eventually became louder until he was talking along with the other children. “One day, he brought his baby goat outside to show the other kids,” Ruth said. “He never would have done that when I first met him.” Ruth’s departure will leave a void in this community. Heather Wilson, whose children attended the center, shared similar thoughts about Ruth. “This town is going to be missing a lot by not having her here,” Wilson said. “You can see it in their eyes how much the kids love her.”
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