Last year at this time I was getting as much work done ahead of schedule as possible, looking forward to a quick vacation trip back home to share Thanksgiving with my family living on the East Coast. That celebration ultimately got delayed a day due to eight inches of snow that fell overnight Wednesday into Thursday, but the turkey and mashed potatoes tasted just as good on Friday. This year, I am staying put for Thanksgiving but hope to make a trip to visit my dad and the rest of the family before the end of the year, provided there are no major storms to snarl the plans.
Most of the last several years, Thanksgiving has been one of the holidays spent at my son-in-law Judd’s grandparents’ home in Escalon: Jon and Joyce Pearce. Joyce passed earlier this year and we lost Jon just over a month ago. His service was Saturday, Nov. 15 … and though we mourn the loss of both Jon and Joyce, I am grateful for having been a part of their traditions, with my daughter Allison marrying in to the family.
We have spent Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas there, the home always filled with more food than the pool table/buffet could hold, the warmth a welcome respite from the outdoor chill, the laughter a comforting sound.
Originally meeting Jon as “Mr. Pearce” who spent years teaching and coaching in Escalon, we shared pleasantries each Friday night as he settled in to watch home Cougar football games on the sidelines, setting up his folding chair near the scoreboard keeper’s box.
Later on, when we would attend one of the many family gatherings at the Pearce home throughout the year, Jon would always greet me with a “Hi Marg, the coffee’s ready” as he knew my fondness for the caffeinated beverage.
Holidays truly won’t be the same but I am thankful for the gift of having known Jon and Joyce.
We also recently lost a longtime Escalon resident, involved in the community and the local American Legion Post for years, as Al Bellinger passed in late October. He and I knew each other through the many Veterans Day and Memorial Day events the Legion puts on, as well as seeing him at every parade and home football game as one of those Legion members presenting the colors.
My last conversation with Al was when he was traveling home from a road trip to visit family; he called to make sure I was on board as a judge for the Legion’s annual chili cook off in mid-October. He wasn’t going to be home in time to attend but wanted to make sure I was going to honor the commitment to be a taste tester and judge.
We chatted, laughed, and I told him I would see him at the Veterans Day ceremonies, if not before.
Instead, we remembered him and honored his legacy that day; he was also remembered during the Nov. 7 special assembly for Veterans Day hosted at Escalon High School. Rows of chairs behind the podium in the main gym at EHS are set aside for the military members in attendance, special guests and speakers for the program. This year, they also made sure that Al’s wife, Eva, took a spot there, sitting in the chair where Al would have been seated for the ceremony.
At this year’s Thanksgiving table, we will definitely miss those we have lost in the last year but I will focus on what I am grateful for; family, friends, a granddaughter I cherish, a supportive community and co-workers that make coming to work a joy and are truly a second family.
Wherever you spend the holiday, may it be a blessed one for you.
Marg Jackson is editor of The Oakdale Leader, The Escalon Times and The Riverbank News. She may be reached at mjackson@oakdaleleader.com or by calling 209-847-3021.
