Work

A View Of Columbus Through Rose-Colored Glasses

This column is dedicated to acknowledging examples of positives that express the community spirit of Columbus – our town.

How often do you observe a person at work and think, “my, how hard he works”! Perhaps you’re eating in a restaurant and watching the waitress move really fast as she carries a bevy of dishes and you can’t believe how tired her feet must be. Then another example of “difficult work” is the man building a bridge or highway in the Texas summer heat. A very fine example of diligence – hard work- could be Henry and Pam Potter at the western store. If I pass their store (out on the by-pass) and see both their pick-up and car, and it’s nearly dark on a Saturday night, I am convinced that folks in this town still know the meaning of “diligence”. That “work ethic” is such an admirable trait and one that has numerous examples in our town and county.

My topic of “work” and “diligence” was well demonstrated by our parents and relatives. A prime example in the early days of Columbus was a lady named Kate Thrasher. I learned of Kate from my friends, Betsy and John Wagner. Kate Thrasher was John’s maternal grandmother. I doubt that there are many folks here who knew Kate. After hearing of Kate, there is a strong sense of Kate’s energy and work ethic. John’s family, Evelyn and John Wagner, lived with Kate. Grandson, John, tells with pride how Grandmother Kate worked at Minimax in the produce department and anywhere else in the store where she might be needed. Not only that, Kate walked home for lunch every day and then back to the store after lunch. Tuesdays were special. She worked her morning hours and then went home to cook lunch for the whole family. That was her afternoon off. Her meal would often have two meats – one being fried chicken. A prime favorite element of Kate’s meal was her biscuits. You can fill in the blanks --- she was sure to serve fresh vegetables from the Minimax or her garden. Kate had other interests. She was a Methodist and a faithful member of Eastern Star. The memories of Kate Thrasher will remind some of our readers of their grand parents and the life style they lived. The lunch description reminded me of my Mamaw, who loved those family meals and also made the “drop dead” biscuits. She could have won a prize with her biscuits and blackberry cobbler.

Let’s take time to reminisce with our grandchildren about the many examples of work ethic that our forefathers demonstrated. That’s one of the best thing that we can pass on to our kids. In case you are interested, Kate’s son was the well known postman, Big John Wagner, who walked 14 miles daily delivering mail while encountering numerous yappy, ankle biting dogs. His wife Evelyn worked at the hospital/ clinic.