Benewah County Hospice will host the Tree of Memories memorial service at 5:15 p.m. Friday at the courthouse in St. Maries.
The nonprofit organization has organized the ceremony for more than 20 years.
This year’s event includes a service conducted by Pastor Greg Worch, special music, and reading of the submitted names of deceased family and friends.
Each season Hospice collects names of the deceased with a $5 donation and places the names on an ornament that adorns the tree set up in the rotunda at the courthouse.
As of Friday afternoon approximately 150 names had been submitted, but Jeanne Johnson, who assembles the ornaments, said she expects that to double this week.
“People often wait until the last minute to get their names in, but I will be putting ornaments together up until Friday afternoon,” she said.
Mrs. Johnson has been involved with the organization for six years.
“I’ve been involved with so many people that have benefited from the program and I myself have had cancer and they helped me through it,” she said. “The organization does great things for our community.”
Jeanne Johnson puts together the personalized ribbons that decorate the Benewah County Hospice tree and garland each Christmas in the county courthouse. The nonprofit group organizes a memorial service each year. This year's service is 5:15 p.m. Friday.
Personalized ribbons and doves will be placed on the tree at the courthouse this year.
Previously residents in Plummer or on the WestSide of the county would submit names to be placed on doves for a separate tree and ceremony, however this year those names will join the others at the courthouse and no ceremony will be held in Plummer.
Names do not have to be submitted before the ceremony and will continue to be placed on the tree throughout the season. The tree will be dismantled after Christmas.
More than $1,500 is raised from the ornament sales each year. The money goes to purchase medical equipment that Hospice loans free of charge to families who have a loved one suffering an illness.
“All the money stays in Benewah County and helps support our medical equipment shed,” director Robin Hodgson said. “It is a free service we provide to county residents.”
Equipment includes wheelchairs, incontinent products, braces, walkers, crutches, canes, bath and shower stools, sheet and medical gowns.
“We have just about anything that people suffering with an illness might need,” she said.
Because we’re ready.
Of course, if you’re familiar with us you know we’re always ready to celebrate each season. Winter is no different, and we are about to ring her in.
Saturday marks the annual Christmas in St. Maries celebration. The day-long event celebrates small-town merriment with horse-drawn wagon rides, open fire pits along Main Avenue, a multitude of Christmas-themed contests and shopping.
Annie Fredericks, Sue Shoemaker, Kristina Mills and Shirley Ackerman have helped organize this year's Christmas in St. Maries celebration. The annual celebration is Saturday. Events are planned throughout the day and will culminate with the Lighted Christmas Parade at 5 p.m.
Christmas in St. Maries Schedule of Events
12:45 p.m.
Santa’s arrival on Main Ave.
1 – 4 p.m.
Horse-drawn wagon rides
Professional photos with Santa and Timber Country
Letters to Santa at The Paperhouse
Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Contest (register at Chamber’s table)
1 – 5 p.m.
Stroll onMain
4 p.m.
Line up at Jack’s Pharmacy for Lighted Christmas Parade
Entries for Dashing for Dough contest must be submitted to Chamber’s table
5 p.m.
Dashing for Dough drawing
Lighted Christmas Parade (travels from Jack’s downMain Ave)
All day
Craft fairs at Eagles Lodge, Grub Box and Four Seasons Realty
Fire and wine tasting and Origami Owl open house at BrickWall
Annual BetterCARE Fundraiser Sunday
The Christmas spriit carries over into Sunday and well into next week as the celebrating continues. The annual BetterCARE fundraiser will open with a social hour at 2 p.m. in the gymnasium of the St. Maries Church of the Nazarene. The semi-formal dinner, catered by Darcie Humphrey, and program, performed by students from Inspirations School of Dance, will follow at 3 p.m.
Portions of "The Nutcracker" ballet will be presented at BetterCARE's annual Christmas Gala this year, Dec. 8, by students at Inspirations School of Dance. Here, Taylor Humphrey and Nancy Becktel are pictured with Scrubbie, the BetterCARE bear.
The dancers will perform portions of the Nutcracker ballet as the entertainment for this year’s fundraiser organized by BetterCARE, a nonprofit foundation that supports projects at Benewah Community Hospital. Since its inception in 1987, the group has raised more than $375,000 for hospital improvements and projects. The gala is the group’s largest annual fundraiser. Last year the event netted about $12,500.
Tickets cost $25 and area available from any BetterCARE member or at the hospital lobby.
Community dinner Monday
Twenty-four turkeys and 70 pies will feed the St. Maries community this year at the annual Christmas dinner, which is organized by theNazareneChurch.
This year’s dinner is from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Eagles Lodge Monday, Dec. 9.
Holly Holly, Jamie Spooner, Sue McDonald and Becky Luther, along with Michelle McDaniel (not pictued) are organizing this year's Community Christmas Dinner, which is done by the St. Maries Church of the Nazarene. The dinner is Monday, Dec. 9.
One hundred and six volunteers make the effort possible. Five ladies – Jamie Spooner, Holly Holly, Michelle McDaniel, Sue McDonnell and Becky Luther – comprise this year’s committee. Each has helped with the effort in some small way before deciding to be a part of the committee.
Although deliveries are not available, to-go boxes are for those who are not able to sit down and eat Monday night.
For more information, call the church at 245-4594.
This year will mark the 10th year Adie Darden has served as the chairman for the Elks Christmas Baskets.
It will also be her last.
Her daughter, Sara, plans to manage the effort next year. This year, the two are co-chairing the effort in hopes that Sara will take it over next year.
Sara Darden and her mom Adie are this year's driving force behind the annual Elks Christmas Baskets. Sara plans to take over as the chair for her mom next year. Adie has been the chair of the effort for 10 years, and her daughter has helped her each year she's led the effort.
“It’s not that I’m burned out,” Adie said, “but I want to get some fresh blood involved. And they are willing to get involved.”
The idea to have Sara take over next year came up when the mother-daughter duo were discussing this year’s effort. Sara has been involved with the effort as long as her mom.
“I’ve done it forever and it’s a ton of fun,” Sara said. “One day, I was just talking about how maybe I would take it over one year and she said ‘well how about next year?’”
Sara said she knows the ins and outs of the project, but admits she will have to learn a bit more before she takes over. Adie agreed to train her daughter this year before putting her in charge of next year.
“I’ll still be around to help her if she needs it,” Adie added.
The effort, which has been around for years, provided baskets to 226 families last year. This year, families across Benewah County should request a basket by Dec. 15.
The baskets traditionally include a complete Christmas meal: a turkey, potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, vegetables, fresh fruit and a pumpkin pie.
“We also add in other items, but that is what makes the basic box,” Sara said. “We try to give people a good variation of items.”
Gifts are also provided for children who are living in the household. After Thanksgiving, the Elks will put up the Tree of Sharing at Archie’s IGA and Harvest Foods. Tags on the tree will provide information for a child who is in need of a present. If one chooses to do so, they can purchase a present for that specific child. Gifts should not be wrapped.
In addition to gift donations, the Elks are also collecting non-perishable food items for the baskets.
“Everything that is donated goes to local families,” Adie said. “It will all stay here in the community. If someone doesn’t want to shop, we also welcome cash donations.”
The Elks will be assembling this year’s boxes beginning at 9 a.m. Dec. 15. Everyone is invited to come and help assemble the boxes.
“We had more than 100 people show up last year,” Sara said. “People are welcome to show up throughout the day and its crazy how many people do show up.”
Adie said the boxes have numbers on them during the assembling of boxes and the Elks are very discreet about those who are receiving boxes.
Baskets will be available for pickup or delivery Dec. 17 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Volunteers will not leave baskets if recipients are not home.
Families can request a basket at the St. Maries Food Bank or by calling the Elks Lodge at 245-1418. Those who want baskets will need to leave their name, phone number, number of people in the household, ages and gender of children and specify delivery or pickup.
I know, I know.
I get that a lot of people don’t want to decorate, or sing carols or even talk about Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving has had its turn, but this is too exciting not to mention. You see, every year we put on a big event that turns St. Maries into an old-fashioned snow globe: We roast chestnuts on the sidewalks, block off Main Avenue and set up fire pits in the middle of the street, we visit with Santa and our friends, and we shop at local businesses owned by our neighbors. But mostly we spread seasonal cheer.
This year, Christmas in St. Maries has started early, and we’re kind of excited about it. A new holiday contest was introduced last weekend that encourages shoppers to spend their money locally. The “Ho, Ho, Ho Dashing for Dough” Shopping Giveway is the newest addition to the annual celebration.
The St. Maries Chamber of Commerce and local businesses are sponsoring the contest. Shoppers who spend $10 or more at 15 participating businesses will be entered into a drawing to win $400 in chamber gift certificates. A second place prize of $100 in gift certificates will also be awarded.
Mykel Jensen, 4, receives a candy cane for getting his photo taken with Santa Claus during the 2012 Christmas in St. Maries celebration.
A total of 25 businesses are participating, including Country Fair, Timber Country, IGA, Jack’s Pharmacy, The Paperhouse, Grub Box, Taco Shack, Harvest Foods, Junction Drive-In, Suntan Etc., St. Maries Saw & Cycle, BrickWall, Hughes Ace Hardware, Triple XXX, Pizza Factory, KNRH Printing,NAPA, St. Maries Co-Op, Blue Goose, Heidi’s Sandwich and Catering, Big River Designs, Idaho Rigging, Main Street Espresso, Cabin City and Inspirations Hair Salon by Sabrina.
Punch cards for the contest can be picked up at any participating business, and all cards must be submitted to the Chamber’s Christmas in St. Maries table by 4 p.m. during the festivities, Saturday, Dec. 7. Winners will be drawn at 5 p.m.
Santa Claus arrives by horse-drawn wagon with a load of children.
Also new this year is a snowman building and decorating contest. A $25 gift certificate will be awarded to the first place winners of each age group. Other festivities included are horse-drawn wagon rides, professional photos with Santa, letters to Santa, a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Contest, the Stroll on Main, craft fairs and the main event, the Lighted Christmas Parade.
Mira Cook looks at the trees entered into the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree contest on Main Avenue during the 2012 Christmas in St. Maries festivities.
Three local heroes have been commemorated in such a way that that their stories will be told nationwide.
Local Medal of Honor recipients Vernon Baker, Lloyd McCarter and Gregory Boyington are listed on a stamp booklet released by the U.S. Postal Service last week.
The Medal of Honor booklet is the first of a new format for the Postal Service, the Prestige Folio. This format includes a large sheet folded in half to form an 8 1/2- by 7 1/2-inch booklet. The first issuance honors Medal of Honor recipients of World War II and includes historic photographs of the last 12 living recipients, photographs of two Forever Stamps that feature the Army and Navy versions of the medal, a list of recipients, information on the award and 18 Forever Stamps.
Kari Turner and Carolyn Crowe of the St. Maries post office display the new World War II Medal of Honor recipients stamp booklet, now available at the office.
Vernon Joseph Baker was awarded the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism in action April 5-6, 1945 near Viagreggio, Italy. He did not receive his medal for more than 50 years after the war because he was a black man and a victim of the policies of a segregated Army and country. Baker, who lived in the Benewah Valley with his wife Heidy, died from brain cancer in 2010 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Lloyd McCarter was born and raised in St. Maries and attended local schools. He was an athlete in high school and attended Gonzaga on a football scholarship. He enlisted in the Army in 1941. Mr. McCarter died in 1956 and is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery.
Gregory “Pappy” Boyington, a Marine Corps aviator in WWII and the leader of the renowned Black Sheep Squadron, was born in Coeur d’Alene in 1912. He spent his childhood years in St. Maries, where he attended school and had his first flight. Toward the end of his second tour Mr. Boyington was shot down over the Pacific and captured by the Japanese. He spent 20 months as a prisoner of war. He died in 1988 at the age of 75.
The St. Maries post office has 200 booklets available for purchase for $9.20 each. For more information, call the local office at (208) 245-2031.
