 |
 Holabird AdvocateProviding all the news we see fit to print since 2002!Saturday, May 19, 2007 Readers Looking for John Zilverberg All of us here at the Holabird Advocate are thrilled that John Zilverberg's blog is being so well received. If you haven't read "My Opinion by John Zilverberg" yet, you really should start. At 93, John is the oldest of the major bloggers in the state. For all we know, he may be the best, although Hemmingsen and Lund may not agree. Read it for yourself: johnzilverberg.blogspot.com/ Jensen Benefit Overflows The Hyde County area did itself proud Thursday evening. There was a benefit for Larry Jensen, and people attended in droves. The crowd in the East Wing of the Auditorium was so large that some benefactors had to be seated in the arena. The exact amount of money raised has not been reported, but our Publisher noticed a lot of people dropped $20 bills in the pot. On top of that, there was a silent auction. Several items were donated. So many, in fact, that Mary Hinkle's "Paris Hilton with Morals" handbag was barely noticed. It raised a mere $5, while Paris Hilton without morals charges $1200. Oh well, at least Mary's $8 wheat wrap sold for $15. (note to the buyer: 3 minutes in the microwave, and you too can say "That's HOT!"). Possibly the most talked about donation was the 10 gallons of homemade ice cream, which was donated by the Rhienbolt family of Spring Lake Township. That alone was worth the price of admission. Those in charge of the benefit did a great job. The Life and Times of Leon Aasby Leon R. Aasby, 70, Pierre, died Tuesday, May 15, 2007, Maryhouse TCU, Pierre. Visitation will be Friday, May 18, 2007 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., with a 7 p.m. Prayer and Masonic service, Feigum-VanLith Funeral Home, Pierre. Funeral service will be 10 a.m., Saturday, May 19, 2007, Resurrection Lutheran Church, Pierre. Interment will follow at Scotty Philip Cemetery, Fort Pierre. Leon was born Feb. 22, 1937 at Highmore to Emil and Gertrude Aasby. On Dec. 3, 1961, Leon was married to Bonnie L. Ripley. They have two children, Carey Smalley and Allen Aasby. Leon worked at several jobs during his life time. He served in the Army for two years before he married. He worked for Sully Buttes Telephone for a couple of years and then moved to Philip, where he worked for Western Area Power for almost seven years and then moved to Lemars, Iowa as an apprentice lineman. Three years later he moved to Pierre, as a journey lineman and has lived in Pierre the rest of his life.He was a lifetime member in the Loyal Order of Moose in Fort Pierre, and also held several offices in Thrivent for Lutherans for several years. Leon was also a member of the Pierre Masonic Lodge No. 27. He did a lot of volunteering when he was needed. His hobbies were working with wood making clocks, cars and shelves. He loved to go fishing, camping and hunting.He is survived by his wife Bonnie; one daughter Carey (Grant) Smalley; one son Allen (Angel), both of Pierre; four grandchildren, Taylor Smalley, Zach Smalley, Makayla Aasby and Tristen Aasby; two sisters Virginia Trabing, Lucy (Al) Sarmiento of Cripple Creek, Colo.; one brother Eldon (Joyce) Aasby of Brighton, Colo.Leon was preceded in death by his parents and two daughters, Rachael and Cathy. In The News Moral Majority Founder Dies at 73 On Tuesday, Rev. Jerry Falwell, the founder in 1979 of the civic advocacy and political action group called the Moral Majority, died in Lynchburg, Virginia, at age 73. A fundamentalist Baptist preacher who first came into the public eye as a religious broadcaster through his TV program, the "Old-Time Gospel Hour," Falwell leaped to greater prominence in 1979 as the leader of the Moral Majority, an organization that had a huge impact on American politics for a decade. Falwell, who became a committed Christian in 1952 at the age of 18, went on to start the Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, remaining its pastor until his death. In 1971, he established Liberty Baptist College, later renamed Liberty University, as a national school for fundamentalist Christians. He was chancellor of the university and was in his office there when he was found unconscious Tuesday morning. He was taken to a hospital where he was later declared dead. His demise was the result of cardiac arrhythmia. Initially Falwell was opposed to the idea of clergy and the church being involved in political action. He followed the fundamentalist tradition that called for the church to pay attention to matters of the soul rather than to the earthbound world of politics. In 1973, however, the Supreme Court decision in the Roe v. Wade case, legalizing abortion, changed the preacher's mind. He not only opposed abortion personally, but viewed it as an affront to God's law. He began calling for Christians to become politically active. In 1979, at a meeting in Falwell's office, conservative activist Paul M. Weyrich said to him, "Jerry, there is in America a moral majority that agrees about the basic issues. But they aren't organized." That comment suggested to Falwell the idea of a movement larger than just fundamentalist Christians, one including Protestants, Catholics, Jews and even nonbelievers who shared a similar agenda on abortion, gay rights, moral values and patriotism. Thus was born the Moral Majority, aimed a turning back "the flood tide of moral permissiveness, family breakdown and general capitulation to evil and to foreign policies such as Marxism-Leninism," Falwell said. Within three years of its founding, the Moral Majority claimed a budget of $10 million, with 100,000 members of the clergy supporting it and millions of volunteers. It also played a role in getting Ronald Reagan elected to the presidency twice, influenced several Congressional races and helped to build support for the Republican Party. Falwell was not without his critics, both within the church and in the political community. The Moral Majority was accused of being chauvinistic, absolutist, rigid, bigoted and pushing a right-wing agenda. Many of those same critics, however, while disagreeing strongly with Falwell's views, found him personally to be patient and genial and expressing goodwill even when facing hostile audiences. One writer described him as "about as menacing as the corner grocer." Also, unlike some of his contemporary televangelists, Falwell was never accused of any personal wrongdoing. Neither was there any whiff of scandal around his ministry. Falwell's influence on the national scene diminished after the Moral Majority disbanded, though he continued to comment on events, and sometimes was taken to task even by his usual supporters for extreme statements. Shortly after 9/11, Falwell essentially blamed feminists, gays and liberals for bringing on the terrorist attacks. This drew a rebuke from the White House, and Falwell apologized. Despite his political involvement, Falwell remained a preacher at heart, believing a literal view of the Bible and convinced that political, social and moral behavior should adhere to scriptural standards. 
|
 |