{"id":44357,"date":"2013-04-06T12:00:19","date_gmt":"2013-04-06T16:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=44357"},"modified":"2013-04-04T12:46:30","modified_gmt":"2013-04-04T16:46:30","slug":"to-kate-our-rural-communitys-beloved-mother-teresa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/?p=44357","title":{"rendered":"To Kate: Our Rural Community\u2019s Beloved \u2018Mother Teresa\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pictured from left is Hobie Morris with Kate and Ken.<\/em><\/p>\n

The Musings of a Simple Country Man<\/p>\n

By Hobie Morris<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0If nobody smiled and nobody cheered and nobody helped us along<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0If each every minute looked after himself and good things all went to the strong<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0If nobody cared just a little for you, and nobody thought about me,<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0And we stood all alone to the battle of life, what a dreary old world it would be!<\/i><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Making of Friends\u201d\u00a0by Edgar A. Guest<\/p>\n

(Brookfield, NY – April 2013\"Kate<\/a>) This simple country man strongly believes that in every rural community there is at least one (or more) very special \u201cMother Teresa.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0A woman (or man) whose positive and loving personality indelibly affects the lives of many people in that community. Each daily radiates a loving kindness that this simple country man finds extraordinarily refreshing in an age of suffocating negativity that pulls us down into the depths of cynicism and despair.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0These very special people hearken back to an America that was more compassionate and caring.<\/p>\n

Be a friend.\u00a0\u00a0You don\u2019t need money.\u00a0\u00a0Just a disposition sunny;<\/i><\/p>\n

Just the wish to help another get along some way or other.<\/i><\/p>\n

Just a kindly hand extended out to one who\u2019s unbefriended.<\/i><\/p>\n

Be a friend.\u00a0\u00a0You don\u2019t need glory.\u00a0\u00a0Friendship is a simple story<\/i>.\u00a0–Edgar A. Guest<\/p>\n

Kate is our near neighbor.\u00a0\u00a0Sadly she is in severe pain most of the time.\u00a0\u00a0When visiting she periodically has to stand and lean against a chair.\u00a0\u00a0Her hands show the ravages of a lifetime of extremely hard work and now arthritis.\u00a0\u00a0She has never had a driver\u2019s license or driven a car.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Now in her early 70\u2019s she is burdened with many concerns; enough to defeat a person of far lesser strength and character.<\/p>\n

Despite all this, this diminutive, bespectacled, gray haired lady is one of the most loving, compassionate and \u201cgiving\u201d people my wife and I have ever met.\u00a0\u00a0She has an inner and outer beauty that illuminates her entire being.\u00a0\u00a0Her constant, beautiful smile reflects a genuine concern for others that is legendary in this rural community.<\/p>\n

Four miles from the Brookfield village a dirt lane splits off from a macadam road.\u00a0\u00a0It gradually descends a hill into a narrow upland valley.\u00a0\u00a0The road then continues into the forested State Land.\u00a0\u00a0At the bottom of the hill stands an old farm house and several wooden outbuildings.\u00a0\u00a0This particular spot is usually among the coldest areas in the Township.<\/p>\n

The farm house is modest, nicely kept and obviously well loved.\u00a0\u00a0Plumes of wood smoke can usually be seen coming out of chimneys located at both ends of the dwelling.<\/p>\n

Ken, his wife Kate and their adult son Mike have lived here for decades.\u00a0\u00a0They live simply and frugally\u2014as do most rural people these days.\u00a0\u00a0They don\u2019t have college\u00a0degrees or\u00a0other worldly pedigrees.\u00a0\u00a0They know all about hard times.<\/p>\n

Seventeen months ago Ken had a massive stroke.\u00a0\u00a0Kate has had sundry surgeries including several on her back.\u00a0\u00a0Last Fall Kate was almost killed when several huge logs rolled onto her from the top of a tall pile of logs being cut up for firewood.<\/p>\n

What sustains them is a rock hard determination and unshakable faith that might just put many seminary trained clergy to shame.<\/p>\n

The Germans have a wonderful saying that goes, \u201cThe fingers of the housewife do more than a yoke of oxen.\u201d<\/p>\n

On any given morning around 4 a.m. lights appear in Kate\u2019s large kitchen. Her day is beginning and won\u2019t come to a close until around 10 p.m.<\/p>\n

During the day Kate\u2019s hands never rest.\u00a0\u00a0They are a constant whirlwind of motion.\u00a0\u00a0Mixing, baking, preparing meals, cooking, slicing, kneading, cleaning, etc. and a Herculean task, in season, of canning hundreds (or is it thousands?) of glass jars containing a wide assortment of garden produce, fruits, berries\u2014even meat.\u00a0\u00a0The jars are carefully stored in their dirt floor basement.<\/p>\n

Nothing in the world makes Kate any happier than to quietly slip down the basement stairs and soon emerge lugging a heavy cardboard box full of a variety of her delicious produce.\u00a0Only the good Lord knows how many people in this area have been blessed by the \u201cfruit of her labor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her generosity and hospitality are powerful magnets.\u00a0\u00a0All day long people are calling or driving down the hill and pulling into their driveway; being met at the door by a huge smile on the beaming face of a lady barely over five feet tall.\u00a0\u00a0Whatever she is doing, she\u2019s always thrilled to have you come in, sit and visit.<\/p>\n

\u201cWould you like some coffee?\u201d she asks before you barely have time to sit.\u00a0\u00a0People seem to flock to this unassuming farm house way out in the countryside.\u00a0\u00a0I imagine you know what envelopes this house and the generosity given to each visitor.\u00a0\u00a0It\u2019s something we can all use and then pass on to others.<\/p>\n

It seems rural people\u2019s needs are many.\u00a0\u00a0Special needs are met by the community joining together in organizing various fundraising benefits.\u00a0\u00a0When the word gets out Kate is always among the first to volunteer.\u00a0\u00a0This piercingly blue eyed human engine rolls into high gear.\u00a0It\u2019s not unusual for her to bake 15 to 20 pies, dozens of cookies, cupcakes, cakes for a single benefit!\u00a0\u00a0She just waves off her colossal effort with a \u201c\u2026that wasn\u2019t anything\u2026.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0If there is anybody in need, Kate happily figures out how she can contribute.<\/p>\n

A few days after her run-in with the rolling logs, with a bandaged head and many deep bruises, she was happily \u201cbaking up a storm\u201d for a new benefit.<\/p>\n

Despite all their own travails, Kate and Ken are always smiling.\u00a0\u00a0When the dear lady finally crawls into bed the good Lord must have a huge smile on His face.\u00a0\u00a0She rests peacefully and satisfied that during that day lives were made happier and the world was a tad better place in which to live.\u00a0\u00a0Faith and love had been the beacons to their little homestead.<\/p>\n

To this simple country man Kate and Ken have these priceless gifts\u2014freely given to others.<\/p>\n

Among them the gifts of listening, affection, laughter, written word, compliments, cheerfulness and the gift of prayer.<\/p>\n

My wife Lois and I have been immeasurably enriched and truly blessed by our friendship with our dear neighbors.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019ll always consider her Brookfield\u2019s \u201cMother Teresa.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019m also immensely proud of all the other community\u2019s special \u201chelpers.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0God Bless you All.<\/p>\n

Hobie Morris is a Brookfield resident and simple country man.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pictured from left is Hobie Morris with Kate and Ken. The Musings of a Simple Country Man By Hobie Morris \u00a0If nobody smiled and nobody cheered and nobody helped us along \u00a0If each every minute looked after himself and good things all went to the strong \u00a0If nobody cared just a little for you, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2496,9057,20466],"class_list":["post-44357","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-brookfield-ny-news","tag-hobie-morris","tag-the-musings-of-a-simple-country-man"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44357","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=44357"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44357\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=44357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=44357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/madisoncountycourier.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=44357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}