Saturday, August 27, 2011

LAWRENCE FINCH'S 100TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION


Lawrence Finch celebrated his 100th birthday, August 13, with a weekend of events including a family reunion dinner followed by an open house for family and friends at the Fossil Creek Inn banquet hall. Hundreds of well wishers traveled from near and far to give tribute.
Finch was born August 13, 1911 south of Natoma, Kansas. Until recently he was a long time resident of both Natoma and Paradise. He now resides with his daughter Dixie Eggleston, Liberty, Missouri.



Photo:  Lawrence Finch celebrated his 100 birthday with hundreds of well wishers including his daughter, Dixie Eggleston.
Born August 13, 1911 south of Natoma, Kansas, Finch experienced 18 United States Presidents beginning with William Howard Taft at the turn of the century.



Photograph and storyline:
Laay Tucker, 785-885-4116



I received an email and the following pictures from Dixie.  She said . . . .
"Dad wasn’t really feeling to good that day and had to leave for about an hr and came back in at around 2:30. He was pretty weak so we had a wheel chair for him. Then Sat. night he fell and we had to have the ambulance take him to the hospital as he really bumped his head and had a cut above his eye. He was so dehydrated they pumped him full of fluids for a couple of days. We did get him home back here Monday. He isn’t doing very good. If you need anything else let me know. Dixie"


Lawrence, Dixie & Brodie   
Behind Dixie is her daughter, Beverly
and Dixie's grandson, Chad.



  Lawrence & Robbie



Kendra & Jo (Great, Great, Great) 





Sunday worship at the United Methodist Church in Paradise brought family and friends for a special message by guest Lay Pastor Dennis Finch formerly of Natoma. Preaching from the Gospel of Matthew coupled with life experiences, he honored his uncle Lawrence Finch who celebrated his 100th birthday the previous day, August 13. Family and friends enjoyed the service followed by an ice cream social. The event also brought together life long friends and former Prophet Band members, Dennis Finch of Beloit, Gene Angel and Dan Hoisington, Paradise. The Prophets, a regional band during the era of The Beatles, played throughout much of the 1960's before disbanding. Finch now pastors two churches: First Baptist Church of Barnard and Simpson Community Church in Simpson. Angel and Hoisington are members of their home church in Paradise, Kansas."

Photograph by Courtney Thompson, Salina

Storyline by Laah Tucker, 785-885-4116


Janette (Angel) Ross also sent an email about the church service . . . . .

"Dennis gave a wonderful sermon (which I know would be very hard in your own almost home-town) about wanting to see all of us – his friends and cousins in heaven. And he gave the message of salvation.
.Dennis, Gene & Dan spent many hours practicing in my mom & dad’s basement! I’m so glad that we visited Paradise this past weekend to be there to hear this wonderful message and so that Dennis could hug my mom for all she put up with in her basement (you can imagine – loud guitars, drums & great singing)!! I got to enjoy them too along with some of these guys girlfriends and we’d dance together to their music.
 THEY WERE GOOD! As good as the Beatles (we thot)....WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND!!!
.
Dennis told many stories of playing basketball with Glen Strecker, Gene Angel, & Dan and how they beat Natoma in basketball that year of 1965, I think! Do you remember it? Any way Dennis was a great ball player himself (however, he didn’t mention that)! He just explained how the Natoma team could not hold down that Paradise team and got beat that year. Of course we all enjoyed hearing about that!!! Then Dennis mentioned a few of his sins: one of which he came to Paradise (probably with other guys from Natoma, tho he didn’t mention that) and stole our Paradise Pirate – took it to Natoma and thought it was so great that he’d captured the Pirate! But Mr Rogers, Natoma principal,  had Dennis in his office the next day WIth THE PIRATE – let Dennis borrow his pickup and he had to bring the Pirate back to Paradise.
Do you remember any of this? Ask Dan about it OK – he may
remember other funny stories about Dennis too!  Janette" 

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