Death hit outstanding citizens and well-known families often and quickly last weekend. Four well-known people died within a few hours of each other. A fifth joined them in mid-week.
The morning after I had done a year-end review of 2008 on WRUS’ Feedback that included a shocking number of deaths and serious illness of well-known people, I saw Marilyn Hale at Wal-Mart. She told me that her husband David was dying, that his illness was terminal.
David Hale  was a minister and a school counselor. He was a loving and caring man. In Kentucky schools, guidance counselors have so much piled on them in scheduling students’ classes and other duties that their time for actual counseling is limited. David Hale found time. Students at Russellville Middle School and then Adairville Elementary and Middle School knew they had someone to talk with who understood what they were saying and going through. He kindly steered them in the right direction.
For many months, our church family has prayed for Bill Johnson and Donald ‘Pete’ Peters. Their sons, Mitch Johnson and Darren Peters, are deacons of Crittenden Drive Church of Christ. The dads both died at almost the same time. Death also claimed one of the sweetest women I have known, Emily Sosh. All of them were in health care facilities in Bowling Green.
Meanwhile Berks Brown and his daughter Cathy were vacationing in Cancun, Mexico. They were to come home last Saturday, but Friday Berks suffered a stroke about midnight and was hospitalized, relying on a ventilator. He died Monday about 3 a.m.
Bill Johnson  was a retired head of the local soil conservation districts. He was the ag representative for First Southern National Bank when he contracted cancer. He was active in LEAD and was a leader in trying to implement land use planning in Logan County.
Don Peters  rose through the ranks to become Human Resources Manager of Carpenter Co. An unassuming, unpretentious volunteer leader, he was a hard worker as president of the Logan County Chamber of Commerce. He was overcome with an uncontrollable infection of the pancreas that kept him hospitalized for more than half a year.
Emily Sosh  was a 90-year-old retired teacher in the Russellville system who supported her late husband Winky as he helped start WRUS and cablevision in Russellville. Her son Lon and daughter Jean Reynolds are local leaders, and her other daughter Ann joins Jean in reflecting their mom’s gentility.
Berks Brown  grew up in the Southern Deposit Bank that his late dad Macon headed. He was a long-time banker himself. Berks was a leader in Jaycees, Rotary and the Chamber of Commerce.
Loganandbeyond
His many friends are concerned about the health of former clothier Fred Wright, who suffered a serious leg injury Sunday while using a powersaw to clear up debris in his yard from the recent ice storm. After being stabilized at Logan Memorial Hospital, he was flown by helicopter to Vanderbilt where he has been through extensive surgeries.
I’ve been told that Fred, who was my classmate throughout my school years, probably can thank the metal in his leg, which had been inserted in a knee replacement, for his leg not having been completely severed.
Loganandbeyond
Congratulations to the Auburn Tigers and Lady Tigers for winning both championships of the Logan County Middle School Tournament Friday. Coach Josh Hall’s girls beat Olmstead in the opener and his boys won over Chandlers in the boys championship game.
Both were closely contested games. The huge crowd-always one of the biggest in the sports year-was entertained and encouraged about the future of LCHS sports.
Loganandbeyond
Junior Achievement recently honored area businesses which supported it financially last year. The JA investors tied to Logan County that I found included:
Golden Circle ($10,000 plus) Houchens Industries, U.S. Bank
Leadership ($5,000-$9,999) Bluegrass Cellular
Free Enterprise ($2,000-$4,999) Atmos Energy, BB&T, Dollar General Corporation, Emerson Electric, Logan Aluminum
Entrepreneur ($1,000-$1,999) First Southern National Bank, Minit Mart, Papa John’s
Adopt-a-Class ($500-$599) Russellville Electric Plant Board, Logan Memorial Hospital, Logan Telephone Cooperative