Editor, Times-Union: My daughter, Lathan Lee, told me by phone recently that she had been blessed so much that it made her feel really uplifted. This was very good news since she recently lost her husband while they were living in Indiana selling Home Health Care policies out of their home.
She has only been in her condo in Fort Myers a very short time when she read an ad in the Fort Myers newspaper asking for help in manning phones from victims of Katrina trying to get in touch with their insurance companies or agents, and when she has told them how to make the contact, they thank her and bless her as they say goodbye.
She contacted the manager of the operation and when she handed the lady her resume, the manager stated, "You are well qualified for this job." Then Lee told her she just wanted part-time work and the manager stated they only worked four-hour shifts since the stories they were told by the people calling in, four hours was enough.
The manager further stated that she might become "burned out" in a few weeks and it would be entirely up to her whether she wanted to return after a few weeks or end the job. But knowing my daughter, if she does in fact "burn out" she will be back at it in a few weeks.
I am glad she doesn't have a truck or she would be down there trying to gather the pets all those people had to leave behind. Her compassion, which she has a lot, shows in her voice, which I am sure makes the people feel how much she cares.
My husband, Joe, wants to thank the Marion Chronicle for running a picture of his great-grandson Brennen playing with his new pet Labrador dog that his dad, Chris Butche, shown in the background, brought back from one of the parishes in Louisiana. He is a member of the Marion Police Force, and a group of them recently returned from a trip to help those people who need help so very much. We are very proud of both of them.
Joe and Donna Butche Syracuse
Doing Better
Editor, Times-Union: Dean and Betty Parker, formerly from Claypool, lived through a harrowing hurricane named Rita. They live on Sam Rayburne Reservoir about 25 miles north of Jasper, Texas, that was hit hard. The storm knocked out power and phones for miles.
Dean is on oxygen and his tanks were running low. He was only on half of what he needed and couldn't breathe very well. The temperature was in the high 90s and no air conditioner. Mrs. Don Taylor of Pierceton talked to our nephew Rex Taylor of Louisiana and he brought them a small generator he had, and Dean could survive enough to get them to town for more oxygen and supplies.
Barbara Jean Parker, Betty's sister, of Warsaw, kept in touch with a cell phone. The doctor told them to leave there because there won't be any electricity for three or four weeks yet. Betty packed up what she could and they left for their daughter's place in Fort Collins, Colorado.
There are poles broken off and trees down in the addition. The trailers that belong to Don Taylors of Pierceton, Delbert Hedingtons of Etna Green and Barbara Hedington of Warsaw seemed to have withstood the storm but trees are down.
Barbara Jean keeps in touch and they are doing a lot better.
Rita did a lot of damage in deep east Texas.
Mrs Lorene Taylor Pierceton, former resident of deep east Texas
