Diane Johnson thanks Beta Sigma Phi for scholarship

Members of Preceptor Omicron Epsilon Chapter Beta Sigma Phi heard from a nursing scholarship winner and learned amazing facts about pumpkins when they met Oct. 21 at Country Place Village.

Jennifer Utzman served as hostess. President Annette Morgan presided, calling the meeting to order and leading members in the Opening Ritual.

Mrs. Morgan introduced Diane and Charles Johnson. Mrs. Johnson, recipient of the chapter's Margaret Matlock Nursing Scholarship this semester, said she believes nursing is a calling and that everybody deserves the best of care. It is this belief that led her into the nursing program at Kilgore College.

She added that her mother recently died of a heart attack and she hopes to eventually work in cardiology. Whatever the future holds, Mrs. Johnson said she wants to be the best she can be and works toward that goal in her classes. Recognition of this dedication led her to be chosen for the scholarship.

During the business meeting that followed, Treasurer Yvonne Kennedy reported a memorial for Peggy Campbell was sent to the Margaret Matlock Scholarship Fund. Various activities were discussed, including the Exempler Dinner planned for Tuesday, Nov. 18.

Debra Albertson was introduced to give the program. In celebration of Halloween, Miss Albertson chose pumpkins as her topic.

Pumpkins and squash are believed to have originated in ancient North America. Seeds from related plants dating back to 7,000 to 5,500 B.C. have been found in Mexico. Native American Indians used them as a staple in their diets centuries before the arrival of European settlers. They would roast long strips of pumpkin on the open fire and eat them.

When the Europeans saw pumpkins grown by the Indians, the pumpkin became a staple of their diets. Earlier settlers used them in a variety of recipes from desserts to stews and soups. Without pumpkins, many early settlers might have died of starvation.

Miss Albertson concluded her program by reading a list of unusual pumpkin facts. One described the largest pumpkin pie, which was 5 feet in diameter and weighed 258 pounds. Eighty pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar and 12 dozen eggs were used and it took six hours to bake.

Those present were Jenny Daigle, Vivian Patton, Jennifer Utzman, Pudge Griffin, Yvonne Kennedy, Janice Slater, Roberta Boggs, Debra Albertson, Annette Morgan and Marion Dovel.