Donor to the South County News Offered Personal Service

A sprightly voice on the South County News answering machine wanted to know how much it would cost to subscribe to the newspaper. The woman wondered if she could charge it to her Visa card. A return call informed her that the paper is a nonprofit and thus doesn’t have subscriptions. However, all who donate their time to work on it are most appreciative of any donation she might wish to make but to control costs there is no way to accept Visa payments.

Jane Decker, the caller, didn’t think she could even get out to the mailbox, as she is past 84, and lives on an extremely icy and snowy hillside on Indian Lake. An offer was made to pick up a check.

That sealed the deal. She had donated in July of 2013 when the paper was just getting started and wanted to do her part once again.

Decker said she reads the personal stories first, and then the others from cover to cover. She is originally from Scotts and married a young man from Scotts, Kenneth (Jack) Decker. The family has had several homes in the Vicksburg school district, bringing up a son, Dean, and daughter, Cheryl, who have also settled in this area. She has seven grandchildren, and “texts” with all of them although she doesn’t own a computer. “They get a kick out of that,” she chuckled.

“When I was young, everybody was poor and you didn’t know the difference. I’ve been blessed with my life, and just lucky to have lived this long. My dad was the smartest man I have ever known, even though he only had an eighth grade education. He came from Holland and settled on a farm in Scotts,” she explained.

“Do it gently,” were her parting words to the check pickup person, as she realized she had been interviewed for a newspaper article.