Not many people these days spend their lives in the same small town where they were born and raised.
Sure, the world is a big place with lots to offer and explore, but there’s something to be said for being content with those four sleepy corners where time moves just a little slower, folks are just a little friendlier and families are just a little closer.
Things don’t change much in the Village of Leonard and that’s just fine with lifelong residents Wes and Linda Douglas, who will serve as parade grand marshals at the 63rd annual Strawberry Festival on Saturday, July 18 (see ad on Page 4).
‘I feel it’s a privilege to live here,? said Wes, a 1959 Oxford High School graduate. ‘It’s a blessing. It’s been a great life living here.?
Being named parade grand marshals is just icing on the cake.
‘We were pleased they thought to ask us,? said Linda, a 1961 OHS graduate. ‘It’s not something we ever thought we would do.?
‘It’s unexpected and it’s a great honor,? said Wes, who served in the U.S. Army from 1959-62.
The only downside Wes can see is the fact grand marshals are typically selected from amongst the town’s more mature citizens.
‘Now, we’re the old people,? he said.
Married in the Leonard United Methodist Church, the couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in February.
Wes and Linda haven’t just lived in Leonard, they’ve helped shape and protect the community over the years by wearing a variety of hats in the public sector.
Linda spent approximately 20 years on the village planning commission and about 18 years working as the deputy clerk for Addison Township. She even spent a year as Leonard’s clerk back in the 1970s.
Wes spent approximately 20 years as a member of the Addison Township Fire Department and spent some time overseeing the agency as a member of the fire board. He also served on the village council for about 20 years, four of which he was president.
Serving the community is in the couple’s blood.
Linda’s father was Edward Porter, Jr. one of the founding members of the fire department, established in 1949.
She recalled growing up with one of the township’s three ‘fire phones? in her parents? home. Somebody had to cover these phones 24 hours a day in case there was an emergency.
When a call came in, a siren was activated.
‘It rallied the troops,? Linda said.
Linda’s mother, Lucille Baza Porter, served as village treasurer for about 10 years and as a clerk for about a year.
Her grandfather, Edward Porter, Sr., settled in Leonard in 1907. He bought a general store and from it, he operated the town’s post office. He even built the village’s gas station in the late 1930s. Even though it’s now closed, it still stands at the corner of Elmwood and Forest streets, the town’s main intersection.
As for Wes, his father, John Wesley Douglas, was born in Leonard and he, too, spent his life there. He served on the Leonard School Board, back when there was one, and volunteered with the fire department.
One of the things the couple loves about Leonard is how tight-knit the community is.
‘We used to know everybody,? Wes said. ‘And it’s still a good town for that. If something happens, people help out. They’re there.?
Linda noted how she’s part of a group of four girlfriends who grew up in Leonard and went to school together from kindergarten through high school.
‘We make it a point to get together once or twice a year,? she said. ‘I’m the only one that still lives in the village.?
Both Wes and Linda are looking forward to this year’s Strawberry Festival.
Not just because the spotlight is on them, but because the annual event doubles as town reunion of sorts. Family, friends and neighbors who have moved away over the years always return on the third Saturday in July for fun, food and fellowship.
‘I love to see all the people coming back,? Wes said.