Lonnie Krider Memorial Drive runs right through Downtown Champion. Lonnie said his birthday was three days before the attack on Pearl Harbor. He did not think he caused it, but as he grew up he thought about it when his birthday rolled around. He was a farmer, a teacher, and advisor and a wonderful musician of the bluegrass variety. He was a fan of Doyle Lawson and acapella gospel was his forte. He passed away in 2009, leaving a legacy of farmers, teachers, advisors and musicians and more. He would be 79 this year and it has been 79 years since Pearl Harbor, where we lost 2,403 lives in one day. We lose about that many people every day now, many of them Veterans of the War that America joined following that attack. They had the support of every American as they fought. This battle is just as serious, even more deadly, and we are all in it together right here on our own soil. We hear the type-setter at the Herald is still recovering from a hard Thanksgiving week with the Covid, “It does a number on you.” To all those convalescing, give yourselves plenty of time to heal.

Early frosty mornings are a sight in Champion. The sunlight races across the valley floor shifting silver sparkles to soft shades of summer green. Birds are busy out every window. Yard dogs are getting a rest with fewer deer hunters touring country lanes. Some days the only vehicle to trundle by is the mail truck. What a service! Newspapers, Christmas cards and letters from grandchildren get mixed in with the bills, junk mail and catalogues. One day is much like another but for the possibility of something special in the mail. One of Winthrop’s town folks sang that Montgomery Ward sent him a bathtub and a cross-cut saw on the Wells Fargo Wagon. Wells Fargo does other things these days and we now have the USPS. We appreciate our letter carriers keeping us connected, our grocers keeping us fed, our truckers keeping us supplied, our first responders and health care workers keeping us safe, and many others, especially our teachers and school staff doing the remarkable job of educating our children in difficult times. Thank you all!

How wonderful it is to think we are out of ‘The Mean Season’ that has been the mark National politics in these very recent years. Our dearest hope is that polka dots and stripes can join to mend the tattered garment of our democracy.

Old Burl Ives has been outdone by The General himself. “Oh, by golly, have a holly jolly Christmas this year!” Friends laughed remembering a warm, sultry evening summer before last when Dennis and his friend, banjo Dave, kicked off “Jingle Bells” to the delight of those at the Vanzant Bluegrass Jam. In the middle of a heat wave and the tick-picking and hay making, it seemed like a long time until Christmas. Now, it is fast upon us, and one unlike any most of us have seen. The joy of the season will triumph. The charming Champion Spouse seems to keep her name on both the naughty and nice lists, and that is just part of what makes her special in the special part of the world. We are given to believe that she is a big Kansas City Chiefs fan. She must really be enjoying these days.

Among art supplies shared by Barbara Anderson a couple of years ago were some photographs of old barns and old store buildings, some of her favorite subjects to paint. One photo is of the Old Champion Store, taken somewhere around the turn of the century. Linda Clark is ascending the steps on the east side of the building. Kenneth and Wayne Anderson are sharing the bus seat on the porch, and stepping up on the porch from the west, obscured slightly by the waving flag, looks like Lonnie Krider. It was just another typical, perfect day. The building has changed, but the essence of the place is very much the same—picturesque, peaceful, and pleasant. Champion! Looking on the Bright Side!

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