Appreciation luncheon celebrates four-county Foster Grandparents

To The Press

Foster Grandparents from four counties where honored for their years of service to the program at the 2021 Foster Grandparent Program Appreciation Lunch held recently at the Music Man Square in Mason City.

Entertainment was provided by Pastor Drew McHolm, pastor of the Little Brown Church in Nashua, and his wife, Jesse Boatright. McHolm grew up in Scotland while Boatright is an Iowa farm girl. And they shared stories of the travels and their family, ending the morning with the famous song about their church, “The Little Brown Church in the Vale.”

Charles City Administrator Steve Diers was the master of ceremonies, announcing all the Grandparents, their years of service and the sites where they served. The program, based in Charles City, is the longest-running Foster Grandparents program.

While Diers was announcing the Grandparents, program Director Jennifer Lantz was giving each one their awards and pins, office coordinator Jean Boley was handing out gift certificates and program assistant Colleen Ortmayer was presenting each of them with a flower planted in a coffee mug.

Grandparents honored at the ceremony were:

• Less than 1 year of service: Donna Hulion of Charles City.
• 1 year of service: Tammie Garber of Mason City, Carmen Ramsay of Mason City, Annie Stallworth of Charles City, Connie Walker of Mason City and Renae Weipert of Osage.
• 2 years of service: Mary Church of Mason City, Jayne Hansen of Charles City and Marlys Kiel of Charles City.
• 3 years of service: Sharon Bormann of Charles City, Donna Feistner of Mason City, Jody Jacobson of Charles City and Carol Pollard of Osage.
• 5 years of service: Cindy Kinney, Kathy Ranc and Diane Winter all of Charles City.
• 6 years of service: Patty Martin of Mason City, LaDonna Norris of Mason City, Aletha Powell of Charles City and Charlotte Reams of Charles City.
• 7 years of service: Martha Hoevet of Osage and Rose Leichtman of New Hampton.
• 8 years of service: Colleen Huebsch of Osage, Vicki Inman of Rockford and Wanda Ward of Charles City.
• 10 years of service: Jackie Ferch of Mason City.
• 11 years of service: Wilma Lensing of New Hampton and Toni Pieper of Charles City.
• 12 years of service: Barbara Brown of Rockford and Alice Embretson of Charles City.
• 13 years of service: Mavis Beenen of Mason City.
• 15 years of service: Sheral Tumilson of Osage.
• 19 years of service Bernice Voelker of Charles City.

“All of these Foster Grandparents have served their sites in Cerro Gordo, Chickasaw, Floyd and Mitchell counties,” said Lantz. “Even though many have been quarantined, told to stay home and some have even had COVID-19 this last year, the dedication to their students is their highest priority.”

She said the appreciation lunch was canceled due to COVID last year and a lot smaller this year, but “we are hoping next year they will be able to have their teachers and site directors join them again for the Appreciation Lunch which will also be our 50th year in North Iowa.”

For more information on becoming a Foster Grandparent or to have a Foster Grandparent in a day care center, preschool, Head Start or school, contact Lantz at (641) 257-6327.