Page 10 - Leisure Living Magazine Holiday 2019

important. The Senior Center really helps people to get together, which is especially important for seniors,” Valerie said.
Valerie is also active with the Put-in-Bay Garden Club. She’s a member of the Lake Erie Islands Historical Society and a member and offi- cer at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. She was induct- ed into the Ottawa County Senior Hall of Fame in 2016.
Valerie’s family lived on the island for gen- erations. Her grandparents settled in Put-in-Bay when they emigrated from Germany in the 1920s and her mother was raised there. Although Valerie lived there shortly after she was born, she grew up in Columbus. She moved back to the island in 2012.
“Put-in-Bay is a whole community of volun- teers. When I’m involved with an activity, even if I’m in charge of it, it would not happen without volunteers,” she said.
She encourages other seniors to volunteer so they can continue to have a social life, which is important to anyone at any age. When she is not helping others, Valerie enjoys spending time with her three children and eight grandchildren who live in the Columbus area.
Service Is A Family Tradition - Cindy Holmes & Ed Terry
By Jordan Killam
On a small island with a small population, it’s necessary for folks to wear many hats in order for things to run efficiently. For example, one of the Kelleys Island Village Councilmen is also
Ed Terry and Cindy Holmes are among the several volunteers who have helped to build the Kelleys Island Chamber into a dynamic organi- zation.
a Paramedic and picks up serving shifts at the Kelleys Island Wine Company.
When it comes to running island organiza- tions and planning events, it’s likely that those who are ready and willing to help already have a dozen things on their plate. However, as the old saying goes, “if you want something done, ask a busy person”! Enter Cindy Holmes and her son, Ed Terry, the mother/son duo who operate the Kelleys Island General Store. The General Store serves as a destination for souvenirs, household products, apparel, camping supplies, golf cart rent- al, and more. Cindy’s father, Ed Curilla, bought the Kelleys Island General Store in 1976 and she began working there in 1978.
Cindy ran the store for 40 years and still plays a somewhat active role in the business. Ed Terry is now in his second year of ownership. He has taken The Kelleys Island General Store into the new millennium, streamlining operations with new technology and diversifying product offerings. He has built quite an impressive business since work- ing there as a teen!
Involvement in The Kelleys Island Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau also runs in
Volunteers Who Give
“I expect to pass through life but once. If therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing that I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, and not defer or neglect it, as I shall not pass this way again.”
- William Penn
Each year it is the tradition of Leisure Living Magazine to honor volunteers whose efforts make someone else’s life easier or better because of their own sacrifices of time and effort. There is a common thread that ties the annual honorees of the Leisure Living Magazine “Giving Back” feature and that thread is the recipients’ attitude of modesty and their desire to shine the light away from themselves. This year’s group is no exception.
~ Barb Clemons, Editor
10 |LeisureLiving Holiday 2019
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