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By  Betty Etchison West

Cana/Pino Correspondent

Christmas is coming, the Fellowship Hall at Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church is decorated and the delicious food will be ready from 6:30-10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 16.  ou are invited to come to breakfast and to spend time visiting with friends. The menu includes country ham, sausage, scrambled eggs, grits, red-eye gravy, sawmill (white) gravy, baked apples, home-made biscuits, jelly, juice, and coffee. We hope you will come to Wesley Chapel, which is three miles west of Farmington, just off of NC 801 North on Pino Road for a good Christmas country breakfast. No set charge.  Donations are appreciated.

The Wesley Chapel Women of Faith still have some nuts for sale. These pound bags of nuts make great last-minute gifts because they are absolutely delicious. Also, they will add the perfect taste to your Christmas baking. The nuts are $15 for the pound bag—really a bargain. Pecan halves and pieces, cashews, chocolate-covered-peanuts and raisins are still available. Call any of the Wesley Chapel women if you want to buy nuts.

The extended West family had good news this week when Gideon Henry Alvarez was born. The proud parents are  Autumn Spillman Alvarez and Peter Alvarez.  Autumn is the step-daughter of Henry West, who is certainly a proud grandfather of Gideon Henry.  The mother and baby are their home in Yadkinville after suffering some difficulties. The whole family is happy that Gideon Henry has arrived, especially Uncle Alexander, who is the twin brother of the baby’s mother, Autumn.

Everyone in the Pino was saddened last week when news was received that Nathan Keto, the 18-year-old grandson of Bob Ellis, had died suddenly.  Nathan spent time with Bob and Kathy here in Pino each summer and people in our community were always glad to see Nathan, who always seemed to have a smile on his face.  He loved to spend time with his grandparents. Bob and Kathy went to be with Bob’s daughter, Amy, and her husband as soon as they got the news.  The family lives near Jacksonville. Fla., and Bob and Kathy stayed with Nathan’s family for more than a week.  They attended Nathan’s funeral on Thursday.  About 300 people attended which showed the love and respect the people in his school and community had for Nathan and his family.

Rick and Judy Wilson and Judy’s mother, Violet Coursey, have returned after spending a week at North Mrytle Beach. Bob and Kathy Ellis were vacationing with them until they received the news that their grandson had died.

The book, “The Structures and the People of the Pino Community in Davie County, North Carolina” is back from the publisher.  The book is about the buildings and people in the area from Bonkin Lake Road to Cedar Creek Road on NC 801 North, the Cana Road from 801 North to Dale Latham’s driveway, and all of Pino and North Pino roads; in other words, it covers the Pino community which has no official boundaries.

Research found that people who grew up in that area did amazing and interesting things. One family produced a medical doctor, two dentists, a college professor, several teachers and the list goes on because there were ten or 12 children in the family.  How was a farming family able to get so many children educated? A member of another family was a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for 26 years. This lady was probably the world greatest authority on termites because she traveled around the world studying those little creatures.

Mapleshades, the house on Cana Road that was home to James and Lelia Essic’s family for many years, has been sold. Pino people hope the new owners will keep the old house as it is because it is such a landmark in the community.  It is believed that the house was built in 1914 by Mr. John Swing, who lived there with his wife, Josephine, for the rest of his life.  Both of the Swings were very special people who contributed much to the community and Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church.