The Lincoln Times

LINCOLNTON JAYCEES PAINT HOUSE FOR ELDERLY SISTERS
By DEL LAZENBY

They were all there—except painters!

It was a sweltering Wednesday afternoon last week—and doctors, lawyers, and businessmen were deployed like flies on the outer walls of a residence at 507 Rhyne St., Rhyne Heights.

It might have been funny—except for the sober purpose behind it.

Here, as the Lincolnton Junior Chamber of Commerce swung a collective paint brush, was community action at its best.

The Jaycees ranged high and low on ladders—surrounding the house, were flexing their muscles to paint the abode of two elderly sisters—Misses Maude and Jennie Ramsey, two of the city's best-respected ladies, now handicapped by age.

FIRST TASK

First, the Jaycees chopped down the shoulder-high weeds that almost hid the little house from the street. Then they applied the paint in two coats, taking two Wednesday afternoons to complete the job. The residence got a glistening white coating, and the window screens were trimmed in black.

Neighborhood children got into the spirit of the enterprise and hauled off the chopped-down weeds.

Some 30 Jaycee members turned out to lend a hand with the painting. The 20 gallons of paint were donated by the Cornwell Company, Ernest Cornwell & Sons, Seth Lumber Co., Cronland Warp Roll Co., J. C. McGinnis, Modlin Bros., Ballard Hardware, City Paint Store, Ramseur Hardware, Lincoln Hardware, Belk-Shrum Store, Western Auto Associate Store, Sandtane Gas Co., Abernethy Equipment Co., George Rhyne, Saunders Woodwork, Paul Eurey, and Dixie Grocery Co. J. C. McGinnis and the Jaycees furnished the brushes.

Misses Maude and Jennie Ramsey sat inside the little house, watching, and hardly knowing how to express their gratitude. With them, the Lincolnton Junior Chamber of Commerce is the most civic of the local civic clubs.

Miss Maude took a red crayon pencil and scribbled the following note on a piece of cardboard and handed it to a Times reporter:

"We want to thank the Jaycees for the nice job of painting our house and cleaning the yard."

STRAIGHT FROM HEART

Nothing flowery—just humble gratitude. Miss Maude explained that her old teacher, Prof. Heavner, always stressed the importance of brevity in writing. Besides, she had already told the 30 amateur painters how she and her sister felt about the matter.

She and Miss Jennie had constructed the house in 1938 with $700 insurance money, to replace their old home, which had burned down on the same lot.

The two will get a lot more pleasure out of their residence now that it has been repainted.

And the Junior Chamber of Commerce, despite sore muscles, is feeling pleasure today in a noble deed performed. Some of the members say they will form their own painters' union!

The Lincolnton Junior Chamber of Commerce didn't move mountains, but it did remove a veritable jungle in the project pictured here. These are "before" and "after" views of the home of Misses Maude and Jennie Ramsey on Rhyne Street in Rhyne Heights. The Jaycees cleared the yard and painted the residence for the elderly sisters.