George, my web master making corrections and putting last week's web page on line here at this location.

    Happy New Year to everyone

It was grand being able to go for our regular one mile walk this New Year's morning with my Queen. It is a beautiful sunny morning today. It is a great day to be alive!!

Upon our return I sat with my coffee on the lower park bench. Starting the day with some meditation is a highly recommended method of starting ones day. I realize that to many they just don't seem to have the time. Believe me it is well worth taking the time.

As I think about the state of our world and I see it is constantly in a state of flux. As much as things change they stay the same!!
   

I am an admirer of the writings of Peggy Noonan. She was a Reagan speech writer and a staff writer for the Wall Street Journal. Here is a small excerpt from her latest article where she writes this about  the latest world tragedy. The devastating floods  in the world.

   "Of all the things I've heard said of the great horror, nothing seemed to me to sum it up as well as a woman chatting with a man as he cut her hair in New York. The TV was on, CNN. They stopped and watched the latest video of surging waves crashing through a hotel. The man sighed and shook his head. "Life is terrible," he said. The woman said, "Oh it's beautiful, beautiful, but full of pain."

That says it all.
   

Today I really hit the jackpot with stuff from readers. I got this from Helen Tucker.These are so outrageous that they are absolutely marvelous!!

"With a special aside to George Ashman!"

Just to get the New Year off to the right start! Happy New Year!!
Puns for Intellectuals

1. Two vultures boarded a plane, each carrying two dead raccoons. The
stewardess stops them and says "sorry sir, only one carrion per
passenger."

2. NASA recently sent a number of Holsteins into orbit for experimental
purposes. They called it the herd shot round the world.

3. Two boll weevils grew up in S. Carolina. One took off to Hollywood and
became a rich star. The other stayed in Carolina and never amounted to
much--and naturally became known as the lesser of two weevils.

4. 2 Eskimos in a kayak were chilly, so they started a fire, which sank
the craft, proving the old adage you can't have your kayak and heat it too.

5. A 3-legged dog walks into an old west saloon, slides up to the bar and
announces "I'm looking for the man who shot my paw."

6. Did you hear about the Buddhist who went to the dentist, and refused to
take Novocain? He wanted to transcend dental medication.

7. A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel and met in the lobby,
where they were discussing their recent victories in chess tournaments.
The hotel manager came out of the office after an hour, and asked them to
disperse. Apparently, the hotel won't tolerate chess nuts boasting in an
open foyer.

8. A woman has twins and gives them up for adoption. One goes to an
Egyptian family and is named "Ahmal." The other is sent to a Spanish family and is
named "Juan." Years later, Juan sends his birth mother a picture of
himself. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her husband, she wishes she also
had a picture of Ahmal. He replies, "They're twins for Pete's sake!! If you've
seen Juan, you've seen Ahmal!!"

9. A group of friars opened a florist shop to help with their belfry
payments. Everyone liked to buy flowers from the Men of God, so their
business flourished. A rival florist became upset that his business was
suffering because people felt compelled to buy from the Friars, so he
asked the Friars to cut back hours or close down. The Friars refused. The
florist went to them and begged that they shut down. Again they refused. So the
florist hired Hugh McTaggert, the biggest meanest thug in town. He went to
the Friars' shop, beat them up, destroyed their flowers, trashed their
shop, and said that if they didn't close, he'd be back. Well, totally terrified,
the Friars closed up shop and hid in their rooms. This proved that Hugh,
and only Hugh, can prevent florist friars.

10. Mahatma Gandhi, as you know, walked barefoot his whole life, which
created an impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very little,
which made him frail, and with his odd diet, he suffered from very bad
breath. This, of course, made him a super-callused fragile mystic hexed by
halitosis.Groan!!

11. And finally, there was a woman who sent 10 puns to her friends with
the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh. But, alas, no
pun in ten did!

This just came from Bob Dunn. His Dad was the manager of the W T Grant store on Delaware Avenue and Bob also has fond memories of Palmerton.

Subject: RE: The Palmerton Press
Greetings Bob,
May I and my family wish you and yours a very safe, healthy, and Happy New
Year. 
Regarding the small stores in the Palmerton area, my daughters remember
going to Anna's on Lafayette and I remember my father taking me into a small
store on the corner of Third and Lehigh when nip came to tuck and mom needed
something on a Sunday.  I also remember going into Nicky's Candy Store after
classes at Franklin Elementary.  The store was an old wood shack on the NE
corner of Sixth and Franklin.  Good candy at a cheap price...parents hated
it, but the kids loved it.
 
May the two of you continue to be blessed in 2005.
 
Bob Dunn

This is from Barbara Shepherd in Florida:
Dear Bob,
 
For one reason or another I have not written for awhile, but there are two
things that I read from your paper some weeks ago that stayed in my mind.  I
debated writing of them, and decided that I.will.  They concern death
announcements.
 
The first was Ethel Jelley.  Way back when I was ten, I went to Camp Riker.
That was when I was a Camp Fire Girl.  Girl Scouts were not yet an entity in
Palmerton.  Ethel was one of our counselors, and had an ebullient sense of
humor.  We all adored her, and had much merriment while in her company.
Mrs. Luther was the director of the camp, and mothered us all.  My memories
of the camp, which I attended each year that it was open, are vivid and
happy ones.  Times with Ethel stand out remarkably.  I never saw her again
after she graduated and moved away, though I can pull up memories of a bunch
of us in falling down laughter with her, and because of her.
 
Some years ago I knew that her sister, Caroline, was living on the East
Coast of Florida. I'm not sure where, but she had that same sense of humor.
I'm sorry that we lost touch, for she was the younger sister, and I knew and
liked her tremendously.  She was in my brother's class, and would join us
for get togethers when a cousin her age visited us from Massachusetts.
 
The other heads up was Charlie George.  He was four years older than I so I
would have been in second grade, I suppose, when he walked home with me one
day from the Delaware School Building, and was really nice to talk to.  We
lived on Columbia Avenue at the time, and he lived farther on.  I remember
standing on the wall at our home and watching him walk all the way down the
block.  Before he turned the corner, he looked back, saw me and waved.  I
waved back.  It was so unusual for me to be noticed by a student older than
I in such a  kind way that the incident remained sharp in my memory.  It
never happened again, though he always smiled when we crossed paths in
Palmerton, and I always thought of him as an especially good person.
 
I heard that he married Betty Hawk, but didn't realize that she died a few
years ago.  She was one of my classmates, and I remember her as a brunette
with a beautiful smile.
 
Isn't it remarkable what pops up in our thoughts.  I have tears for the
sweetness of these I remember so fondly, and who  remain forever young in my
memories.
 
Happy New Year to you both,  Barbara

Here are some photos of our New Year's celebration activities last night. A good time of eating and good conversation was had by all.

Tonight we are invited to the Lafayette Avenue Elliston family for dinner. It was a superb meal of roast beef, mashed potatoes, and peas.Then they had a Boston cream pie for dessert.


Sunday January 2, 2005 8:14 am 32.3 at Slatington E.S. and 31.5 in the bus stop
I don't think we will be going for a walk this morning. Last evening at dinner I got the chills. So we hastily headed home. Then I took a shower as hot as I could stand it. I stood under it for over 10 minutes and tried to get my core temperature up. I did get properly warmed up. Then it was off to bed. Needless to say I didn't have the best of nights. When the bed doesn't feel good to Bobby he is sick. It certainly did not feel good!
   

This morning I do feel better. I want to be able to go to the eye specialist this Tuesday for my laser treatment.

Here is a photo from our dinner at the Lafayette Ave. Elliston's last night.

This afternoon we got a phone call from our old friend Dave Horn out in New Freedom, Pa. He said he had the same thing I have. Chills and couldn't get warm. It was good talking with him. We all go back a long way together. We got our two rings from the Elliston's so they got back safely.
   

Tonight for supper Queen made homemade beef vegetable soup. It is first class stuff. My appetite is nothing to write home about but it went fairly well.

It is with great sadness that we are forced to report that the Editor-In-Chief of the Palmerton Press, Bob Elliston, passed away this morning in his sleep. We thank you all for your support, thoughts and prayers in this most difficult time. We know that Bob appreciated all of your support and help in the past couple of years in making his dream of The Palmerton Press a reality. We know that he looked forward to hearing from each and every one of you, his loyal readers. Many of you supplied him with ideas, articles and photos, which he used as the start of some news item.

We will all miss his friendship, wit, humor, common sense and hearty laugh.

God Bless You All,

The Elliston Family

---

January 5, 2005

From the Times-News:

George R. Elliston
George R. "Bob" Elliston, 78, of Palmerton, died early Monday morning in the Blue Mountain Health System's Palmerton Campus. He was the husband of Ruth G. (Greenawalt) Elliston. They observed their 22nd wedding anniversary last Feb. 20.
He owned and operated the former Elliston Radio and TV Service, Palmerton, for many years until retiring in 1980, and also wrote and edited the Palmerton Press newspaper.
Born in Palmerton, he was a son of the late George R. and Belva A. (Ashelman) Elliston.
He was a member of St. John Episcopal Church, Palmerton.
Elliston was a former board member of the Palmerton Memorial Park Association and a member of the HAM Amateur Radio Association.
He was a 1944 graduate of Palmerton High School.
Surviving in addition to his widow are two daughters, Belva, wife of Henry Williams of Shermans Dale, Perry County, and Mary, wife of James Hill of Malvern; a son, George R. II, and his wife, Kathy, of Wilmington, Del.; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
He was also preceded in death by a son, John E., who died in 2001.
The Campton Funeral Home, 525 Delaware Ave., Palmerton, is in charge of the arrangements.

---

January 6, 2005

This from the Allentown Morning Call on January 6, 2005:

George R. Elliston
George R. Bob Elliston, 78, of Palmerton, died early Jan. 3 in Blue Mountain Health System-Palmerton Campus. He was married to Ruth G. (Greenawalt) Elliston since February 20, 1982. Born in Palmerton, he was a son of the late George R. and Belva A. (Ashelman) Elliston. Bob owned and operated the former Elliston Radio & TV Service in Palmerton for many years. He was a member of St. Johns Episcopal Church, Palmerton. Bob was a former board member of the Palmerton Memorial Park Association and wrote, edited the Palmerton Press Web Newspaper. He was a 1944 graduate of the Palmerton High School. Survivors: Wife; daughters, Belva, wife of Henry Williams of Shermans Dale, Perry County, Mary, wife of James Hill of Malvern; sons, George R. II and Kathy Elliston of Wilmington, Del., John E. Elliston deceased, 2001; 6 grandchildren, 2 great-grandchildren. Services: private graveside services. Memorial services will be announced by Campton Funeral Home, Palmerton. Contributions: Palmerton Memorial Park Association and Church Memorial Fund, both c/o the funeral home, 525 Delaware Ave., Palmerton 18071.
Published in the Morning Call on 1/6/2005.

---

January 7, 2005

SPECIAL NOTE FROM THE WEB MASTER: We will be posting several testimonials and e-mails from family and readers on this site in the near future. A photo collage has been posted and can be reached by clicking  HERE . We will notify all readers on the present list of recipients of any new postings. In the meantime, the Elliston Family would like to thank each and everyone of you for your prayers, thoughts, cards, E mails, support and concern during this most difficult time. Bob was a special person who touch many lives with his thoughtfulness, kind words, wisdom and love.  As he said in the recent past  " When the man upstairs calls your name, that is it!"

We have included here the original article published in the Time News concerning Queen and Bobby:

An unexpected love story

By Pattie Mihalik

TIMES NEWS Staff

Sometimes you just know.

When the phone rings, before you even answer it, sometimes you know it’s bad news.

Ruth Elliston had that ominous feeling when the phone range early one evening as she made supper for her husband, Richard.  The call came about the time he should have been driving home from his job in Reading an hour away.

“There’s been an accident,” said the caller, telling Ruth only that her husband was in the hospital.

The Palmerton woman immediately called her husband’s family.  “I’m afraid it’s going to be serious,” she said.

It was.

While Dick Elliston’s body was battered in the one-car crash, his brain was most severely damaged.

The gentle man who could once fix anything was robbed of all his skills and basic abilities.

The accident stole everything.

Even his gentleness.

The quiet woman from West Virginia who reveled in her role as Dick’s wife found she had to take on a two new ones:  Breadwinner and nurse.

In between working swing shifts as a telephone operator at Palmerton Telephone Company, Ruth rushed home to tend to her husband.

Fortunately for Ruth, her in-laws lived across the street.  Dick’s entire family tried to surround her with love and support.  Most supportive of all was Dick’s younger brother, Bobby.

For year, Dick and Bobby worked together at their own television repair business.  When there wasn’t enough business for two paychecks, Bobby offered to do without his.  Because he lived at home with his family, he figured he could get by.  With a wife and three children to support, Dick needed the money more, Bobby reasoned.

Later, though, the lure of a steady salary made Dick decide to leave the TV repair business for a job in Reading.  His brother stayed to run the TV repair shop.

After Dick’s accident, Bob would finish at the shop and rush over to his brother’s house to try to cheer him up or give Ruth a hand.  As he watched his sister-in-law, he admired the strength he saw behind her gentle exterior.

For 12 long years of Dick’s illness, as Ruth’s responsibilities mounted and her husband’s condition deteriorated, she never wavered in her loving care.

When Dick realized he was dying, he had one request for his brother:  “Take care of Ruth.”

Bob spent more time at his brother’s house than he did at his own.  When the weather was bad, he drove Ruth to work.  He helped her whatever way he could.

His defining moment – the moment that put life in perspective for Bob and allowed him to more clearly examine his own motives – came during another crisis.

Dick fell as he was being carried from the house for medical care.

“After we picked him back up and the crisis was over, I was startled to realize that during the whole episode I was watching Ruth’s face.

“Right there and then, this old bachelor knew something important about myself.  And I knew I had to keep my feelings to myself,” Bob recalls.

He never said anything to Ruth, not even after his brother died.

But then she told him something alarming.  She was planning to move back to West Virginia to be close to her family.

“But we are your family,” Bob countered.

“I know, Bobby, but I have some decisions to make,” Ruth told him as she left for work.

While she was gone, he made a decision of his own.

It was time.

He cooked her favorite meal, set the table as fancy as an old bachelor knew how, and rehearsed in his mind the words he wanted to tell his sister-in-law.

They talked and laughed during the meal like two old friends who were comfortable around each other.  Until Ruth started talking about her moving plans.

It’s now or never, Bobby told himself.

At 55, the confirmed bachelor who never before had need for those words, spoke them for the first time to Ruth.

“I love you, you know.”

“I know, Bobby.”

He asked her how she could know the secret he had guarded so closely.

“A woman just knows those things, Bobby,” she answered in the gentle way he so admired.

Neither Ruth nor Bob remember what was said next.  They just know it was at that moment that both their lives were forever altered.

Sixteen years later, Bob and Ruth Elliston are still sitting at the table talking like two old friends comfortable with each other.  And it’s still the same house and even the same table they sat at more than a decade ago when Bobby asked Ruth to be his wife.

What started as a tragedy into a love story for the Palmerton pair who still take daily walks holding hands and sharing laughs.

People in town call them “the love birds” because although Bob is 71 and Ruth is 81, they still act like giddy teenagers infatuated with each other.

But he no longer calls her Ruth.

He calls her “Queen.”

He wants her and the rest of the world to know that she’s his Queen of Hearts.

He’s her Bobby, a man with a hearty laugh and a zest for life that uplifts her quiet nature.

“And just think,” laughs Ruth Elliston, “I didn’t even have to change my name.”

In closing, here is a special letter Bob wrote to all of his "children" at Christmas 1989.
The original text was hand written and sent to each of us.

To all my children at Christmas 1989

Somehow I feel compelled to sit down and write a few words to you all. (I am trying to write one legible copy and xeroxing it.)
 
As you all must know my life has been completely changed. (All for the good! Sort of like Scrooge.)
This is no letter of religious fervor, but one of my Great Love.

Your Mother has brought so much happiness into my life. As an old bachelor of 55 years and set in his ways, I think that I have at last sorted out the things in life that are important. The love, tenderness, kindness and all that makes up your Mother is tremendous warmth which has enriched my life. We may not live in a mansion or have great wealth or many of what people today take for granted; but we do have reasonable health, our love for each other, and of course Fred the wonder dog.

All this brings me to you children and what you mean to me. I may not be your biological Father, but by God you are all my nieces and nephews. I can see a small bit of me in all of you, both good and bad. A bit of what I think of you all follows.

Mary,
Mary is almost an exact clone of my sister Mary. Not physically but emotionally and mentally. She is resourceful, unflappable, and full up to her ears with Love.

She has been going though a very difficult time. However, she is not going to be defeated. She simply will not let it happen. She is learning that it is amazing what you can do when you have to.

Her calls to her Mother are sources of great joy to both of us. She is always there. We love her very much.

Belva,
Belva has many of the qualities of her namesake. She is intelligent, efficient, and a true craftsman. Her love of her husband and family and her great way of expressing her love and feelings remind me so much of Queen.

Both she and Fritz greatly enjoy making music and listening to it. They compliment each other in all of their life. Man may not live by bread alone but there is nothing wrong with being a damn good cook. I never had a bad meal there.

Fritz I consider to be one of my very best friends, one that goes back long before their marriage. We usually insult each other when we get together but there is a bond that is very strong. (P.S., He’s OK)
 
Jack,
A kind, gentle, brilliant man with compassion for all mankind. A man who has suffered much, but who now is among strong, loving, and supportive friends.

He and I have much in common in our love of music. I am so glad that he has found a peace not available to him much of his life. The Emrich’s have brought to him and thus to us all a kind and loving environment which enriches both he as well as Queen and I.

Linda is a real jewel. Her love, sense of humor, inspiration, and strength mean so very much to his well being. Queen and I love her dearly.

George,
George is a brilliant young man who brings together a vast amount of common sense along with a technical expertise rare in young people of today.

His father would be very proud of his exploits in the technical and engineering field. However his job, while important and to which he gives 100%, is not the compelling force many use to get ahead today at all costs.

His family means so very much to him. His “patience” with his children, his love and compassion for his wife Kathy, and her problems and their children’s problems, are things foremost in his life.

Fortunately or un-fortunately, he is blessed with a son Andy who is so like “Pop” it scares you. Jason is a bright a talented young man with a flare for art; much like his Grandfather John.

Kathy is a good gal who is doing her best to hold things together. We love them all.

So I bring this to a close. My heart is full up with love. Love for my wife and love for my children. You all mean very much to me. I want you all to know that you are ALL loved and appreciated.

Love,
Bob