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Past 65 ByCarlRiblet Jr. Q. "I can't locate a friend and old pen pal of about my age of 73. He lived in St. Albans, W. Va., and all his friends and relatives were there. He was a widower with three daughters who I suppose are now married and so I can't trace him through them . He had been a member of the Atkinson Memorial Methodist church in St. Albans. I^vrote him in care of the church. My letter was returned 'Addressee Unknown.' My friend may be dead but there ought to be a trace of him. Do you know any way I can find out about him, short of hiring a detective?" - Thelma K. A. Good detectives solve cases because they use in­ stinct, common sense and diligence. Thelma can employ similar faculties. First off, she can study a map of the area surrounding St. Albans, W. Va., and make note of the nearest cities, towns and villages. Then she can do these things: 1. Go to the telephone company Library of Directories which will be in their office in the big city near her, and look in all of the phone books covering the St. Albans area, for her friend's name. If he is not listed, she can make a list of each similar, or same, last name - the surname - with its address. 2. Send a form letter she can have produced by a cheap multi-copying process, to each of the names on her surname list, explaining her quest and asking for a clue to the whereabouts of her friend. 3. Write to the public library at St. Albans to inquire if his name, or the names of his daughters, are in a new, or old, city directory. 4. Think positive about the daughters. Perhaps one or two of them never married. The surname list may in­ clude them. 5. Write to her congressman, or the congressman from the St. Albans district, for help in looking for her friend's name in government files such as veterans records, and maybe even Social Security. 6. Place a classified ad in the St. Albans Advertiser, a weekly newspaper, P.O, Box 617, St. Albans, W. Va. 25177, that may read something like this - "Wanted. In­ formation on the present whereabouts of my old friend (name) whose family lived in your town. "He was a member of the Atkinson Memorial Methodist church. Please write or phone me collect." Thelma should include her name, address and phone number. If she follows those leads, she is bound to find a trace of her old friend. All of the ideas given are leads that a good newspaperman would follow if he were trying to find somebody for a story. She could wind up the whole project in a matter of weeks. Q. - "My husband is 63 and collecting Social Security. He wants to know if veterans are entitled to retirement pay when they reach 65, whether disabled or not." - Mrs. Reo A. A. He can find out oy contacting the Veterans Administration. Q. "I have a lawyer who is stalling me I think. I hired him to file suit against the city. I paid him 1200 as a start-off fee but nothing happened, except he cashed the check. He hasn't filed suit yet. He says, when I ask him why, that his in­ vestigations are still under way. He took the case last June. Every time I phone him he acts as though I am bothering him. Once while calling in person I heard his secretary say that he was awfully busy because he has dozens of cases he's working on. Don't you think four months is a long enough time to prepare for a case of seeking damages after an accident in which the city was involved with one of its trucks?" - Dot G. A. I do. But lawyers spread themselves thin. They want all the fees they can garner and then they all too often take their own sweet time earning those fees. A single lawyer with dozens of active cases isn't serving any of his clients > very well. Dot might get some action from him by telling him to get going or return the $200 to her. If he thai doesn't act either way at once, she can report him to the state bar association. In the 50 years I have worked as a newspaperman and writer of four published books, I have often observed how lawyers abuse, stall and neglect their clients. Sometimes they are a pain in the neck; I mean the lawyers, not the clients. Q. "It is not only senior citizens who can 'adopt' a mother and her child so that they can experience the joys of make-believe adoption. Anybody can do it. And anybody, such as a couple and their children, can adopt grandparents like it's being done all over the country with results that are joyous and of great help to people who are lonely. Why don't you tell your readers to adopt some parttime grandparents?" - Jennie Q. A. What Jennie is saying is basic. Lonely people in need of grandparents or grand­ children, whatever, need friends. Whether the relationship is adoptive or merely neighborly, does not matter. It is a matter of finding friends. One obtains - friends by being a friend. - Q. "My Dad, who is 94, had , surgery three years ago and the doctors did not bill Medicare. My Dad paid the doctors $1,300. Now he has discovered that he can't collect at all from Medicare because of a two-year deadline for filing the claim. The doctors took his money but didn't tell him what to do with Medicare and they themselves wouldn't accept assignment from Medicare. I am very angry with those doctors." - Bea C. A. Of course, Bea is angry. So are hundreds of thousands of others who have been told by doctors' bookkeepers that they, the employees of the doctors won't even assist in filling out Medicare claims. Many other doctors, of course, do file claims for their patients, but their numbers are decreasing rapidly. Bea should try again with Medicare for her old father. If that is not successful, thai she should contact the omsbudsman for the Council on Aging in her county. Q. "Can you tell me if the food allergy tests as outlined PUBLIC NOTICE! 15th ANNIVERSARY Sale McHenry Hearing Aid Center 385-766! 3937 MAIN ST. SERVICE CENTER HOURS: Wednesday* A Friday* 10 to 5 EVENINGS BY APPOINTMENT Zenith Custom 200 •FREE Hearing Tests Hearing Aid Check ft Clean An in-the-eor aid designed and built for your individual hearing loss. • > Robert Stensland -Mgr. (25 Yrs. Experience) Robert Decker-M.A. Audiologist WE MAKE HOtSE CALLS! , Batteries V%Price in the enclosed clipping are good or bad? I work as a volunteer with the 'Loaves and Fishes' program. We could use the information." - - Beatrice D. A. Beatrice could ask a doctor or a nutritionist. She can inquire also at the university in her city. Q. "In 1967, I was in an auto wreck. I was working then for the railroad. The doctors said I would be 100 percent disabled for the rest of my life and after 13 years of it I believe them. Social Security said I can't draw SS benefits because I have a Railroad Retirement pen­ sion. I know a man who worked for a big grocery chain who had to retire early because of ill health. He gets both SS and a pension from the grocery chain that is double what I get. Shouldn't I be eligible for both?" - J.B C. « / A. J.B.C. can get a definitive answer by asking the Railroad Retirement board to relate its ex­ perience with such a problem. The board should know if SS is right, although I don't think SS would say J.B.C. can't draw a SS benefit if he is indeed eligible to do so. The size of anybody else's pension benefit would seem to be immaterial. Q. "You're a journalist and, as I have been told, you have been just about everywhere covering wars, politics, murders and other interesting things. I thought, and other members of my senior citizens club think the same, that you might know enough to tell us how our country is going to come out of the mess we're in when we really don't know who to vote for - Carter, Reagan or Anderson. What's going to happen to the U S A? We old people are scared stiff." - Marcella V. i A. The whole world marvels at how Americans have maintained a stable government for more than 200 years; one that digs In its heels at the very brink of disaster every four years to be saved in the nick of time by the ranting and raving of two or three expendables - one a Democrat, another a >lican and now, an ident. Fisher Ames, a statesman in the year 1795, said something that cheers me. It was said in a speech he made in the House of Representatives: "A republic is a raft which will never sink, but then your feet are always in the water." Q. "The 'Vagabond Waltz' was written in the Finnish language and I would like to know if anybody out there could send in the English language version." - Mrs. William S. A. If anybody knows the words, please send them to me for forwarding to Mrs. William S. Q. "Mrs. Robert T.H. wanted the words to the song 'I Shall Not Be Moved.' She can find the song in the Stamps-Baxter Music book in the section of the book subtitled 'Favorite Songs and Hymns.' Any large library should have a copy of the book." - Mrs. C.M.B. A. The book is on the shelves of many public libraries. All who want words to songs and poems could do well to try first to gratify their desire by going to the public library. It is a wonderful place to spend a few hours a week. A public library offers an experience that can open up new worlds to many elders. Q. "Goodren G. wrote to you about the delay in set­ tling a small estate. When my mother died in California I got action by writing to the Los Angeles County court. The court wound up the estate pronto. I didn't have a lawyer. I say - just write to whatever county court is in charge. That will do it." - L.A.N. A. L.A.N, gives , good advice. It's worth a try to ask the court before wearing out the seat of the pants and patience by waiting and waiting. Q. "You complained because some of us readers don't always send self- addressed, stamped en­ velopes with our questions. You said that your envelopes cost you five cents each. You should trade at my friendly neighborhood discount store where they sell in boxes for $1 for 100." ~ A.N.E. A. My envelopes are printed. The typesetter, paste-up artist and the PAGE I - PLAINDE ALER - WEDNESDAY. NOVEMBER 5,11 Santa Names Helpers hooked rugs; 1-1:30, quilting. Featured booths at the bazaar will be bake sale, Christmas, handicrafts, plants, infants and baby, country store and a tea room. Pictured above are 'Shepherd of the Hlll> Santa's helpers: back row, left to right, Seth Roland. Chris Truelson, Jennifer Gibbs. Shem Roland, and Brooke Jantien; front row, Laura Busse, Mac Warren,Catie Sitz and Kristin Zid. Shepherd of the Hills Holiday Happening will present "Get a Kiss from One of Santa's Elves", starring Misses Amv printer all combine to charge me a total of about $25 for 500. I think that is a low price for what I get. Write to Carl Riblet Jr. at Box 40757, Tucson, Ariz. 85717, with SASE for in­ formation and advice on questions you may have as a senior citizen. All questions will be answered, if possible. No identities will be revealed. Mowrer, Laura Busse, Brook Jantzen, Catie Sitz, Kristin Zid and Masters Mac Warren, Shem and Seth Roland. These children will present on-lookers with chocolate candy kisses at the church Christmas bazaar Saturday, Nov. 8. The bazaar will be held at the church, 404 N. Green street, McHenry, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Special demonstrations will take place through the day. The schedule is: 9:30-10, silk flowers; 10:30-11, macrame; 11-11:30, spin­ ning; 11:30-12. ojos; 12:30-1, TOY DRIVE Each year the Ridgefield- Crystal Lake Presbyterian church gathers toys which are shipped to their mission worker at an inner city church in Augusta, Ga. This year is no exception. The "afternoon circle" will be collecting toys Nov. 9. Persons are asked to bring any useable toys to the church to help some less fortunate children have a happier Christmas. CONSUMER ^CHECKLIST Leasing merchandise may offer consumers a practical alternative to buying, how­ ever, before signing a lease, which Is a legal contract, be sure you understand every word of the disclosure state­ ment. Know when the first and subsequent payments are due and know the total amount you'll owe over the term of the lease. Also find out about any Insurance re­ quirements, and what war­ ranty Is offered. McHENRY'S LARGEST SPORT CENTER INVITES YOU TO ATTEND THEIR o e/%nroeirsairw gale ' if MEN'S *25.95 *29.95 PEDIGREE LIGHTWEIGHT MCKETS NOW *18" J1550 $17" Located on Green Street In Downtown McHenry LADIES SPECIAL "4 DAY SALE" Hours WED. THRU FRI. Till 8:30 PM SAT. TILL 5 PM NOW IN STOCK WARM-UPS SWIMSUITS SPEEDQ OFF IMPORTANT SIGN UP TO WIN IN OUR FREE ANNIVERSARY GIVEAWAY!! ..s. PRIZE MENS OR LADIES ASPEN SKI SWEATER •2nd PRIZE- METAL TENNIS RACKET •3rd PRIZE- ROWLING BAG r-- -- -- NO PURCHASE NECESSARY , McHENRY'S FAVORITE SPORT'S ! ANNIVERSARY GIVEAWAY Name Address, I Phone I ONE ENTRY PER PERSON McHENRY'S FAVORITE • SPORT CENTER sb 385-1000 1210 N. Green St. McHenry HOURS: MMTHUtS M* fll MJ SAT. 1540, ClOSEO SUISAV NOLAYAWAYSON SALS MERCHANDISE