Volume 35, Number 2 - Fall 1995
President's Message
by Jerry Gideon
After I left county office in January 1995, it was my personal goal to have time to write a chronology of my Grandmother Harding because of the gap in personal and documented knowledge of this individual who meant so very much to me. I had compiled all the information and documents I thought possible and set out to examine each event of this pioneer lady and her family, hopefully to be able to satisfy my curiosity about certain dates and whereabouts.
This of course led to research to confirm dates and places for I knew that members ofthe family were looking forward to verification of many confusing bits and pieces of information in regard to this matter. It must be well done to instill the necessary integrity of the finished document.
I’m not a writer, I have no background or experience in such, and so those of you who are, know my frustration at this attempt to fulfill my goal when one interruption after another occurs. Ten months later I have not accomplished that which I set out to do, but I will.
Since we last met, I’m only 21 days late with this message, or whatever message I should bring to you, but it has been an accumulation of interruptions as I mentioned. A serious illness and death in our family of one brother (single) and another brother with an ongoing illness, both being hospitalized at the same time 40 miles apart made it difficult for my twin brother and Ito attend to most of the problems that arise from such events.
He (my twin) and I had planned for a year to attend a ceremony regarding the 50th anniversary of our WWII unit at Fort Chaffee, Ark., where the unit (16th Armored Division) was activated and sent to Europe to tour with General George S. Patton from France to termination of the tour in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia at the end of WWII. A special program of recognition for the unit by the post commander and the troops of Fort Chaffee along with school children singing patriotic songs and ending with a 2 1-gun salute was a highlight of our lives from a grateful nation. It was a very moving experience, and was great to see some of our old buddies again for the first time in 50 years.
Not only did these events slow my progress in many things I had planned for, but to cap it all off, I got a summons for federal court jury duty which instructs me to call for recorded instructions as to what, when and where to report for duty. It is impossible to make any plans until that obligation runs out in December.
Little progress has been made in relation to the jail building, but I will have some firm commitments by the December meeting if all goes well. The commitment by the city still holds and Dr. Gilmore and I should have more, and I hope, pleasing things to tell you in regard to this matter in December.
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