By Leigh Ann Rutledge
Accent Editor
December 8, 2009
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| Frank Truman is shown above with the certificate he received for Grange membership. From left is Norman Metzger, Jr., Frank Truman and Norma Metzger. |
Frank Truman is celebrating a diamond anniversary.
Truman, 93, was honored as a 75-year member of The National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry. He joined the Atwood Grange around 1930 transferring to Sherrodsville Grange #1538 when Atwood turned in its charter in 1938. The Atwood Grange Hall was located next to his aunt’ s home where Truman was raised. The former blacksmith shop in Atwood was refurbished by the Grange when Atwood organized around 1911.
The Grange is the nation’s oldest national agriculture organization. Truman, born and raised in Atwood, worked an 85-acre dairy farm with his brother where the Atwood Resort is located. He also worked for the former Warner-Swayze (now Gradall) as a machinist in New Philadelphia.
During his active years in Grange, Truman explained the group visited other county granges, sponsored programs and held a lecture hour at each home meeting. One of the community activities he remembered participating in was when Atwood Grange planted trees around the Grange Hall.
Norman Metzger, Jr., master of Sherrodsville Grange #1538, presented Truman with his certificate. The certificate was signed by Edward Luttrell, president of the National Grange and included a letter of congratulations from State President Gary Brumbaugh. Metzger said, “Frank has the honor of being the longest serving grange member.”
Metzger is planning on researching to see how long some of the other members have been involved in the Grange. “We are going to get reacquainted with some of the members who are in rest homes, get up to date with them,” Metzger explained. “Even though some of them are not active, they still have thoughts and stories to share.”
Ohio Grange President Brumbaugh has been active in archiving grange records. The new state office building includes four rooms reserved just for archive records.
Today, Sherrodsville Grange has 22 members. “It is tough to get families to participate. The kids are involved in activities, usually both parents work,” said Metzger. Sherrodsville Grange meets the second Thursday of each month at 1:30 p.m. at the home of Mary Scott in Perrysville. The group has activities planned for 2010 including one-day trips within Ohio. Metzger welcomes new members and when membership is large enough, meetings will move to the Perrysville Twp. Hall. Truman has resided at the Carroll Golden Age Retreat since Jan. 2007.
For more information, visit www.nationalgrange.org. |
