PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND

October 16, 2022

BUILDING COMMUNITY

When I was the Pastor of the United Methodist Covenant Parish a member paid for Diane and me to attend Bill Gothard’s Institute in Youth Conflict that was held in Chicago.  One night Bill gave an interesting, modern day interpretation of Ephesians 6:1-9. Rather than verses 5-9 being about masters and slaves, they were about bosses and workers.  Bosses should provide good working conditions for their workers.  Workers should strive to make their bosses look good.

Thursday, October 6, there was a service of celebration of the life of Betty Louise Pinney Laramore who died on September 29 at the age of 93. Betty Lou exemplified in her life what it means for bosses to provide good working conditions for their workers.  As co-owner of Bosworth’s she was a pioneer in providing medical insurance for its employees.  She worked to make sure that the lady who cleaned her house had medical insurance and social security.  By extending these concerns to the greater Plymouth community, she helped the town to become a better place to live, work, and to play.

Near the end of the celebration, Pastor Lauren Hall gave an illustration about an old man who in the evening would sit on his porch and play and sing.  People from the community would come and join him.  This went on for a number of years.  Finally, the old man died.  The whole community was depressed.  There would be no more music.  As his funeral was ending, hesitantly a young person began to sing.  Slowly, he was joined by others until everyone was singing.  They would continue the old man’s music.

At the committal for Betty Lou those attending were invited to join in the singing of one verse of “Amazing Grace.”  The singing was a tangible reminder that all of the things that Betty Lou had done to help build the Plymouth community would continue.  As one travels around Plymouth and Marshall County one can see the examples of how Betty Lou helped build its social capital.  You will see the Saint Joseph Health System Plymouth Medical Center, the office of the Community Foundation and United Way, the library, Marian College at Ancilla, PIDCO’s office, and the First United Methodist Church.  During her lifetime she gave leadership to each of them as well as Tri Kappa, United Telephone Company, the Indiana Medical and Nursing Distribution Loan Fund and television station WNIT.  Each of them continues Betty Lou’s song.

During her lifetime Plymouth, Marshall County, and the state of Indiana recognized Betty Lou as a community builder.  She received the Plymouth Jaycees Distinguished Citizen Award in 1972, the Ancilla College Distinguished Service Award in 1983, the Community Spirit Award given by then St. Joseph Regional Medical Center Plymouth in 2003, and the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Citizen Award in 2005.  She was honored as a Sagamore of the Wabash by Governor Joseph E. Kernan in 2004.

In Jesus’ Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) a man tells a servant to whom he had entrusted five talent “Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master (Matthew 25:23).”  I can imagine God saying to Betty Lou Laramore on September 29 “You have been trustworthy with resources entrusted to you and have enhanced the lives of many and helped build a better Plymouth and Marshall County, enter into the joy of your God.”so