United Presbyterian Home News

Tom Tanner, Bob Ross and Marion Turnipseed were among the military veterans honored at Case Field Heroes? Night prior to the Washington vs. Solon football game. All community heroes including veterans, police officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians and public servants were escorted to the field and recognized for their service. They remained on the field for the flag-raising while the band played the national anthem. Tom Tanner was honored for military service and 63 years as a Washington firefighter in addition to being a former WHS football player who played on the very field he returned to Friday evening.

UPH resident Lila DePenning gave a demonstration on hand care to volunteers in the Town Center last week. Several volunteers left with softer hands following a little pampering.

Ten residents attended the 40th Anniversary Gala at the Washington Community Theater Saturday night. They enjoyed seeing all those who had gotten dressed up for the occasion. Uniformed wait staff served hors d?oeuvres at the elegant reception. Costumes from past shows were hanging on the walls with the name and date of the show, the actor who had worn the costume and the person who had make it. Esther Bordwell?s daughter-in-law Virginia had made a number of the items displayed. The Southeast Iowa Symphony played familiar show tunes arranged by Conductor Bob McConnell. Greg Wiley dressed in costumes from the shows. He appeared between songs and traded barbs with McConnell. As the symphony played, scenes from previous Washington shows appeared on the backdrop. Ed Colby, son of Dick and Betty Colby, was part of the railroad scene from the Music Man. He also sang with a trio from Guys and Dolls. Mike Jewell and Carmen Fish were soloists. The enthusiastic audience honored Leon Hilfman and his family with several standing ovations.

Tuesday night Dick Anderson drove residents to the piano duet recital at the Community Theater. The four-handed piano selections included some American folksongs in their duets. The Mount Pleasant-based performers Joel Brown and Heidi Riepe are well known to resident Elna Tompkins, as she and Heidi?s mother are longtime friends.

Wayne Brock was honored to be one of the 85 veterans on the Southeast Iowa Honor Flight for a one-day tour of Washington, D.C. Wayne served in the Iowa National Guard Band during the Korean and Vietnam wars. Wayne?s son Ron accompanied his father on the trip as his designated chaperone. Honor Flights are a way of paying tribute to veterans with the respect and dignity they have earned. The day included a delayed (due to fog) plane trip to our nation?s capital and once there a police escorted bus tour of the city with stops at each of the memorials including the Vietnam Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery where they witnessed the changing of the guard. Following a long but exhilarating day of emotional highs and lows veterans boarded the plane and one more trip down memory lane with mail call. Wayne was touched to receive letters from children, grandchildren and service organizations thanking him for his service. Arriving back at the Southeast Iowa Airport at midnight, the plane-load of veterans was greeted by nearly 500 people waiting to shake their hand and give them a proper welcome home.

Norman and Ann Thomas were visited this week by longtime friend Patricia Kampmeier from San Rafael, California. Patricia is originally from the Des Moines area but met Ann 53 years ago while they both lived on the east coast. They have remained friends all these years.

Jody Tanner celebrated her birthday in the Town Center with family and friends Wednesday morning. Pat Goff brought treats to share with the group.

Classics Et Cetera for Sept. 22, included the overture to ?Kopf and Herz? by Franz von Suppé; Selections from ?Platée Suite No. 1? by Jean-Philippe Rameau; ?I Hear You Calling Me? by Charles Marshall; ?Beer Barrel Polka? sung by the Andrews Sisters; 1st Movement of Piano Concerto No. 1 by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky; ?Emblem of Freedom,? march by Karl L. King

Peter Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) had completed his now famous Piano Concerto No. 1 and needed to know if it was worthy, so he sought out one of his best friends, the concert pianist and teacher, Nikolai Rubinstein (1835-1881). After he played the new work there was a stony silence, until Rubinstein broke out with a torrent of negativity??unplayable, worthless, clumsy, fragmented, vulgar!? The sensitive Tchaikovsky responded in fiery anger, vowed not to change a note, and left. Eventually the two were reconciled. Rubinstein became a champion of the concerto, and Tchaikovsky ultimately made two revisions of it.