Sheldon students honor grandparents

Sheldon grandparents got a chance to sit in on some classes and see what their grandchildren are up to at school Friday at the Sheldon schools. Grandparents Day activities included having the grandparents observe the classes and participate in an assembly in the schools gym. Mrs. Sprenkle, school superintendent, presided over an assembly for the elementary students. Ray Ammons, music teacher, lead the sixth grade class in singing "America the Beautiful" to begin the festivities. Students prepared for the assembly, which featured then and now comparisons of holidays, by talking with their grandparents and listing how different holidays were celebrated over the years. One striking item that stood out was that although in many cases the practices were the same the preparations for them were different. Store bought items replaced homemade ones and computer games replaced games like tag and jump rope. One set of grandparents was honored for having the most grandchildren and great-grandchildren. James and Pearl Larson, Nevada, have 35 grandchildren and 36 great-grandchildren but out of that brood only one attends the Sheldon schools. The honor for the most grandchildren in the Sheldon school system went to Jean Kirbey. The grandparent who came the longest distance went to Michael Guidry, New Iberia, La. Volantie Bogart was the youngest grandparent attending and Sylvia Cady was the oldest. According to grandparents-day.com, the Sunday following Labor day is designated National Grandparents Day. The brain-child of Marian McQuade, a Fayette County, W. Va., housewife, she came up with the day as a way to "champion the cause of lonely elderly in nursing homes." Her hope was to encourage young people, especially grandchildren, to delve into and take advantage of their grandparents' wisdom and understanding, and to take care of older people. President Jimmy Carter first proclaimed it an official observation in 1978.