BY SUSAN RUMBLE

Special to The Press

Volunteers at Northern Valley EMS, NOVA, will be baking cherry pies for their next fundraiser over the Presidents Day holiday.

Call Julie at 610-262-7749 by Feb. 12 to reserve pies for pickup on Feb. 18 or 19.

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With the arrival of Presidents Day, I am recalling that every classroom in the school during my elementary years had portraits of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln hanging on the wall above the blackboards and teacher’s desk.

Although we did not have off from school, we knew the birthdays were Feb. 22 for Washington and Feb. 12 for Lincoln.

We learned about the presidents from a book called “Heroes, Heroines, and Holidays,” which had a red, white, and blue cover.

Schnecksville School did not have a central library, but each room had a bookcase where students could find books to read.

My favorite was the biographical series Childhood of Famous Americans.

The books had turquoise covers and black silhouette illustrations.

The volumes stretched over an entire shelf.

I read all of them.

Some of my favorites were Louisa May Alcott, Jane Addams, Juliette Lowe, Abigail Adams, Dolley Madison, Amelia Earhart, Helen Keller, John Wanamaker, and George Washington Carver.

The editors were ahead of their time by including so many women who had accomplishments in American life.

Stories were appealing and helped children learn some history through enjoyable narratives.

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Union United Church of Christ, Neffs, will have a Shrove Tuesday pancake supper 6-8 p.m. Feb. 13 in Fellowship Hall.

The Ash Wednesday service will be at 7 p.m. Feb. 14.

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Union Lutheran Church, Schnecksville, will offer Ash Wednesday services with imposition of ashes 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Feb. 14.

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St. John’s United Church of Christ, 1415 Rising Sun Road, Laurys Station, will have an Ash Wednesday worship service at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14.