Hancock County recently hosted the Morgantown Area meeting of the WV Community Educational Outreach Service (WVCEOS.) Sixty-one members and three WV Extension Agents, from six counties, attended. The theme of the meeting was “Growing Memories.” Hancock County CEOS President, Becky Wiegers, compared the CEOS organization to the Tree of Life, pictured on the program. She said, “Our CEOS roots run deep. We pull knowledge and know-how from our ancestors, filter it through the trunk of our selves, and then pass it on to the branches and twigs of the future.” In that way, she said, “We fulfill the important mission of bridging the gap between our past and the future.”

In addition to the business meeting, a quilt raffle was held to benefit the Morgantown Area CEOS, which raised over $2,100 for the area treasury. The quilt, made by Lois Hammond Foster of Monongalia County, was won by Lya Stroupe, also from Monongalia. A silent auction in support of the BEE-Cause project that is shared in kind with other CEOS throughout the U.S. raised $423 for the project.

Local reporter and author, Fred Miller, was the speaker for the event. His stories of growing up, raising a family in West Virginia, and what it means to be a Hoopie were more than well-received; if the number of people lining up to buy his books was any indication, they were a huge hit!

The Fiesta Tableware Company provided a number of their popular disk pitchers to be used as centerpieces and also provided a display of the new Fiestaware color, Sky. Something different was the addition of a floral pattern to some of the pieces.

Other contributors to the day were WVU Hancock County Extension, Hancock County Senior Services, Connie’s Corner, and Chestnut Hill Candle Company.

Pictured: Front -Betty Wagner, Virginia Lawrence, Barbara Jones, Doris Musselman, Janet Keller. Back – Wendy Backus, WVU Extension Agent Zach White, Vicky Cunningham, Kathy Johnson, Marilyn McClure, Becky Wiegers