Collierstown

Deborah Potter McCormick, 540-463-7652

Many thanks to all who participated in the community roadside clean-up day on Saturday, March 23, sponsored by the Effinger Ruritan Club. Area residents are encouraged to join the club’s efforts for the remainder of March by picking up trash and by cleaning the roadways around property lines, churches, and other locations.

The Effinger Community Easter Egg Hunt will be held Saturday, March 30, at the pavilion on the grounds of the Collierstown Baptist Church from 11 a.m. until noon. The Effinger Ruritan Club has asked the Easter Bunny to be on hand to meet and be photographed with the children in attendance.

The sponsoring community’s churches for the event are Union View Advent Christian Church, Collierstown Baptist Church, Collierstown Presbyterian Church, Collierstown United Methodist Church, Mt. Horeb United Methodist Church, Oxford Presbyterian Church and the Rapps Mill Church.

Union View Advent Christian Church will hold an Easter sunrise service at 7 a.m. on the church grounds. Those in attendance are invited to enjoy a fellowship breakfast that will follow the service in the church. At 11 a.m. the community is invited to join the congregation for the traditional Easter worship service. Pastor Nathaniel Rutan will lead both services. The church is located at 4574 Turnpike Road.

The Collierstown Presbyterian Church will hold an Easter sunrise service at the top of cemetery hill at 6:45 a.m. All are invited to enjoy a hot breakfast in the fellowship hall following the service. In the event of inclement weather, the service will be held in the church sanctuary. At 11 a.m. the Easter worship service will be celebrated. Church and community members are invited to place flowers and greenery representing Christ’s resurrection on the cross located outside at the front of the church on Sunday, March 31.

The Collierstown United Methodist Charge will have a Holy Thursday service at 7 p.m. at the Collierstown Church. A Good Friday service will be held at 7 p.m. at the Mt. Horeb United Methodist Church. There will be an Easter sunrise service held at the Seclusion at 7:15 a.m., followed by breakfast at the Collierstown United Methodist Church at 8:15 a.m. The Easter Sunday worship service will be held at 9:15 a.m. at the Collierstown Church.

The Collierstown Presbyterian Church’s Cemetery Committee wants to remind families and friends of loved ones buried in the church cemetery that artificial flower arrangements, decorations, and other items need to be removed from grave sites to facilitate mowing of the cemetery grounds by April 6.

The Collierstown United Methodist Church is having a baked potato/chili/salad bar dinner at the church on Saturday, April 6, from 5 to 7 p.m. The meal will include dessert and a choice of beverages. The cost of the meal will be by donation.

The Buffalo, Collierstown and greater Effinger communities are remembering and celebrating the life of J.D. Clemmer who passed away on Wednesday, March 20. J.D. was a “community man,” growing up in the Effinger community, being educated at the Palmer Graded School, Effinger Elementary and Effinger High School, before graduating from Lexington High School following school consolidation. He owned and operated the North Buffalo General Store and worked as rural mail carrier for Route 2, which included the Collierstown community.

In the 1970s J.D., along with Clinton Rhodenizer, Johnny Clark and Kenny Bane, saw the need for a volunteer fire department to serve the Effinger and Buffalo c ommunities. O n Feb. 16, 1976, the Effinger Volunteer Fire Department was chartered. J.D. served in the fire company, was its president for several years, and became its chief fundraiser and public relations man.

The fire department became a hub of community activity under J.D.’s leadership, with a two-weekend carnival and parade kicking off the Memorial Day celebration, chicken barbecues, horse pulls, hunters dinners, holiday dances and apple butter making. He worked with Dr. Clinton Anderson and Henry Hatcher to initiate an annual Effinger School Homecoming. It became a big fundraiser for the fire department, drawing many alumni and residents each year for 42 years. J.D. always had a pocketful of raffle tickets for everything from country hams to automobiles. Many community residents, whether natives or transplants, would be welcome to spend the day at the fire department peeling apples, preparing for the next fire department activity, and always sharing lunch and good fellowship.

A member of the Oxford Presbyterian Church and the Lexington Moose Lodge, and a devoted family man, J.D. was the catalyst for community service and good will. We honor his example and will hold his memory close.