Old-timers' night

Thursday evening we did something unusual - at least for the time we are in right now - we drove up to Dummerston to attend an event at the Historical Society: the celebration of the life of 93-year-old, old-time resident, Don Hazelton. We met in the Dummerston Historical Society building, a former one-room schoolhouse, a school Don had attended as a child. He was born in Dummerston, and his parents, Merton and Hazel Hazelton, had grown up in Dummerston as well. The family owned an orchard and farm, and were well-known especially for their apples, strawberries and maple syrup. Many people at the meeting had worked for the Hazeltons picking apples or strawberries. When I first came to Dummerston, in 1956, Don was working for his father, who was still active. When Shirley and I moved into the parsonage in Dummerston in 1957, just after my graduation from seminary, we became neighbors of Don and his wife, Bunny, who lived next door to the parsonage. They had a little baby boy, Michael, who was about a year old or so, and he was often left in his play pen, which was set up in the yard between their house and ours. One day he managed to get his head caught between the slats of the playpen and strangled to death: the worst thing that one can imagine happening. I went next door to see Don and Bunny, as a neighbor, but also as a new pastor. It was my first experience of the death of someone in my parish! Bunny loved telling this story and did so on any occasion she could. (She died a few years ago). Shw would say, "Larry didn't have any idea what to say, so he just came in and cried with us." She was right. I didn't know what to say. Three years of seminary had not taught me what to say to parents of a little toddler who died under those circumstances. Actually, no one can teach such a thing - the words come to you, or they don't. So we just held each other. It was my "baptism by fire" as a pastor. There were a lot of stories told last night. Four of Don's five children were there: Phyllis, Steve, Ted and David. They each talked a bit about their dad and mom, and growing up in Dummerston. And in the case of three of then - deciding to move away. There were two men there at the meeting who had graduated from high school in Brattleboro in Don's class - Class of 1948 - and thus this year was the 75th anniversary of their high school graduation. So it was a fascinating occasion, and Ellen really enjoyed it too, even though she did not know many of the people. She did know some through our connection with the Dummerston Church. And one of those three men who graduated with Don was Tucky Houghton, whom we know through the Guilford Church. Here are some pictures:

The guest of honor, Don Hazelton. Below are the four children who were there; a fifth, Jeanette, was unable to come.

David

Steve

Ted

Phyllis

Chuck Fish, one of the officers of the Historical Society, who presided over this meeting.

Bob Evans, one of Don's high school classmates.