The Port William-Lumberton Senior Citizens met on Feb. 4 at the Center for a carry-in luncheon.

Before the meeting, Erin Mustard from the Clinton County Health Department took blood pressures of some of those present. President Jim Armstrong led the Pledge of Allegiance and Rev. John Beers gave the invocation to open the meeting.

The committee of Donna Ryder, Jim Armstrong and Leta Thordson had decorated in a valentine theme with bouquets of red roses and Valentine balloons down the middle of the tables, placemats with a pet puppy or kitten valentine that changed expression when moved, napkins with hearts and some candy at each place setting.

The February birthdays of Ben Hargrave and Ruth Gills and the anniversary of Rosalie and John Beers as well as guests Nancy Haley, Liliana and Tom Popp, Rita Butcher, Sharon Miller, Rita Howell, Pat and Brenda Haley and Michelle Morrison and daughter Frai were recognized.

President Armstrong then related some surprising facts about St. Valentine. .

After the meal, Rita Butcher gave a presentation regarding her book “A Place Called Port”. Having grown up in Port William, she gave so many interesting happenings of her youth; one account of the bank hold-up where the robber came into the bank with a vial of nitro glycerin and walked out with $300 plus.

He took off in the a 1927 automobile and the men of the community went to the hardware store and got shotguns and followed him on Gallimore road to where he didn’t make a turn and the nitro blew up causing him to die in the fire. An amazing fact about it was they recovered all the money but a few cents.

She also said, she had kept scrapbooks helping her with a lot of the stories and especially about the basketball teams when they were winning.

Mrs. Butcher introduced her brother Pat Haley, who talked about his book on the Danes murder. Where a peace-loving family of four living in Wayne Township were killed when he was sheriff of Clinton County. How that changed the innocence of the people who had always left doors unlocked etc. He also mentioned his book “The Story Teller”.

After the business meeting door prizes were given out by Leta Thordson to Sharon Miller, Michelle Morrison, Eva Botts, Rita Butcher, and Ruth Brandenburg.

Others present were Barbara Fowler, Sally Orihood, Marian Orihood, Susan Smith, Roni Crum, Bev Stout, Clarence Dinnen, Donna Borst, Mary McConnell, Judy Bryant, Ruth Brandenburg, Dennis Harlow, Diane Ewing, Ron and Pat Whitacre, Rick Cook, Joan Turner, and Dorothy Weidinger.