My moose hunt, daughter's wedding and my eye operation

I finally got back to driving the bus in September, I was able to get some extra runs that helped me out in the paycheck department.
In October we had our daughter Diadem marriage on October 9, 2010, and the next day I was headed to Aroostook County for my moose hunt. I got a permit to shoot a cow moose in the October season. We --Carroll and I, along with Zebadiah Strout and his girlfriend Molly Ulku, and Zachary Strout my second shooter if I miss arrived late Sunday and stayed at Russell's motel in Caribou. Brent and Ryan McQuire of Columbia Falls also arrived at the Motel as they had a permit to shoot a bull with Zachary as Ryan's second shooter. Our friend Rudy St. Peter of Caribou arrived to talk with us. We should of called him earlier on, but needless to say he was able to go with us hunting on Monday. We all left about 5:15 am to travel to a place that we sat and waited till daylight to come. There was two moose there but they left before daylight came. We left there and was heading out to another place that Rudy thought we might see some moose. On our way out I spied two moose, a cow and calf. I told Zac to stop the truck and I jumped out, and made it across a deep ditch and into the field where I place two bullets into the 8 mm rifle that I carried. I aimed and shot at the cow moose. I saw her run and then disappear out of sight. I thought I had missed. I hollowed to Zac and said shoot. He said "Mom you got it" I saw where you shot at it. I thought he was wrong but we went up to the spot and started looking for her when Zac said "mom come on over here, you got her". Wow I was some surprised...Molly came up and took a picture of me and the moose on her phone and sent to her parent in Minn. Zac called Michelle and everyone knew I had killed my moose within 5 minutes. It was 6:30 am when I shot her.The boys Zac and Zeb field dressed the moose then Zac pulled it down to the road with his truck and they loaded it into Zeb's truck where we headed for the tagging station in New Sweden. The moose weighed in at 636 lbs field dressed. After we left the tagging station in New Sweden we took her to the butcher in Mapleton.
We were at Governor's Restaurant in Caribou eating breakfast by 9:30 a. m. Afterward's we went hunting for partridge as son Zeb wanted to get some. We rode over a lot of roads looking but did not see any.
The McQuires shot at a moose but missed as they did not find it after looking for it. That night we talked over my moose hunt and I went to bed happy. Tuesday arrived and Zeb, Molly, Carroll and I took off to look for moose and then to go partridge hunting again. Needless to say Zeb only got one partridge but by the time we had that we got a phone call and said that Ryan got his moose, to meet him at the tagging station in New Sweden. We all checked out of the motel before 11 am and was heading home after going to the butcher to pick up my moose that was all cut up and packaged. After getting home I wrote down all that I got for meat and weighted it out before placing into the freezers. On Wednesday I canned and bathed off the stew meat between my bus run.
November, I began my Christmas season, picking the brush, making kissing balls, wreaths, four table top trees, centerpieces etc. and driving the bus. Carroll went to the hunting camp and got a buck deer during the deer season and that was cut up and packaged by us for the freezer.
My check up on my eye with Dr Hoffert came up on November 29 at 1:30 PM where I found out that my macula hole in my eye had reopened and I needed another operation to close it up again. I had to go back on Dec. 2 for some eye scan and paper work that I should of done when I was there on Monday the 29th of November. I drove bus on December 2 and 3rd. only. On December a storm came up with lots of rain etc. so we went to Brewer and stayed with our friend Dick and Alice Trott as I had to be at the hospital on December 7 at 5:30 in the morning. I was in the hospital till sometime after lunch I think, we went to Olive Garden where Carroll went in to get soup and salad to go and went back to the Trott's. We stayed there that night with my head down and I sat at their kitchen table all night with my head down. The next morning I was at the dr's office at 9:30 for my post op check up, then headed home....On Saturday December 11, Zeb's birthday, I felt a lot of pain in my eye and through out the weekend it was horrendous, I was quite miserably,I could not sleep or rest at all it was so bad, like a hot poker in my eye. On Monday December 13 I went back to Bangor for another appointment and found that my cornea had detached and that was why I had so much pain. Dr. told me I did not have to lay face down anymore and that I could get into my bed to sleep. She gave me a prescription for the pain that would help me. We got that filled and then headed home as quickly as possible after Carroll got something to eat at Frank's bakery cause he needed it immediately and I had to wait for him to eat. I was still in a lot of pain.
On Monday December 20th I returned for another checkup with my surgeon Dr. Hoffert again where she felt that everything was going okay. On Wednesday January 5, 2011 I had another follow up that the Dr. said she could see that the hole was closed up. I have another appointment on January 17th with my regular eye dr. in Ellsworth to check my other eye and then on January 24 with Dr. Hoffert in Bangor. I am trying to be very careful with what I do. No heavy lifting nothing that is over 25 pounds etc. I hope that everything will be okay and I will be back to work soon driving the bus. The gas bubble that was put in during the operation to help heal the hole is now down to about 20% and I hope by February it will be completely gone. At the moment today January 12,I have a lot of reflection from the bubble and it does not help to see. I think the dilation of my eye is back to normal so that will help in me driving soon. I have gone out and drove one day to the post office and found that the sun was too much for me even with glasses on. So will try again when the weather clears up from this Nor'easter we got today of 12 inches of snow. Will update this as I find out more on my eyes.

Summer doings

Have been busy lately with doing some house cleaning for some folks in Brooks Maine and here in Addison. I have been working in the garden, trying to keep the lawn mowed, as well as clean the shed out. What a job, when you need to do something and it is hot and humid. I am trying to get rid of stuff and put the items in order so we will know where to find them.
I happened on a few books and sat down in the shed at my table and started to read Jean Auel the Clan of the Cave Bear, now I am now on the Valley of the Horses. I have read them many years ago when my daughter was reading them when she had mono in grade school. Of course I should not be reading as I have so much need to be done around the house. Oh well that's life I guess.
I have been able to go to another DAR meeting, I do enjoy them and have met many new folks. This Saturday July 10 we were at Barbara Maloy's home in Machiasport for the meeting. The speaker was Henna Castro of Machiasport who spoke on Victorian clothes and had some to show us from the Machiasport Historical Society. I just had to call my daughter and tell her about it.
Two new members of the Hannah Weston Chapter was at their first meeting, Karen Flagg of Eastport/Douglasville, GA and Janet Danbnaker of Machiasport, Maine.
Roberta Hammond is the regent for the next three years. I car pooled with Roberta and her sister Rosa Dykes of Alabama.
I also was able to attend some of the Addison Days events and took photos to put on Facebook. I missed the parade as I wanted to go to the DAR meeting.
This summer I have not been able to attend much due the fact of my financial situation. I missed the Cherryfield Days, Jonesport 4th and was not able to go any wheres for the 4th. I have not been to any public suppers or benefit dinners. Ijust could not do it. Besides I have been eating out of my freezers and that is good as the garden will be producing new vegetables later on this summer.
I really want to go to the house tours in Cherryfield, but will have to wait and see if I can do it next weekend July 17th.
Every Friday night we join three other couples for dinner at our friends cottage in Milbridge, so I do get to eat out even if it is a late meal.
I have been to Eastern Star meetings every month so that is good.
On July 12th I go for a cataract evaluation, and hope to get that taken care of soon.
I really need my eyes as I drive a school bus and that is my job. If I can't drive this fall I am going to be in financial ruin.
My husband seems not to be able to do anything constructive around here, if I am gone nothing gets done. Yesterday while I was gone he sat in his chair and watched tv waiting for a rain storm. He could not get out and do something because it might rain. He eats everything in site so I never know if I will have the item for a meal until I go and find it missing. That is life on the homefront.

The Church in Pleasant River Valley
Before 1820
By
Clarence Day: Copied by Ronie Strout

The pioneers who came to this down-east valley ‘now over’ two hundred years ago had keen eyes for both beauty and utility. They viewed the bold headlands and the sparkling waters of the bay and the rugged mountains in the distance, the broad marshes heavy with salt hay for their stock, and the primeval forests filled with towering pines for their sawmills and named their future home—Pleasant River.
Their settlements were not compact like those at Machias, but families were scattered at intervals here and there along both shores of bay and river from Cape split to the head of tide and beyond. For many years their only road was water.

Not only were the people scattered, like all frontiersmen they were poor. Lumber was almost their only source of income, and during the seven lean years of the Revolution English vessels patrolled the coast and ruined the lumber trade. The settlers were self-sufficient but they had little surplus for such things as schools and churches. In 1780 the number of people living within the present limits of the towns of Addison, Columbia Falls, and Columbia did not greatly exceed two hundred. More than thirty years elapsed before the pioneers at Pleasant River secured legal titles to their homesteads or had formed a town government.

While the Pleasant River settlements were slowly growing, the religious life of New England was experiencing profound changes. The established church was Congregational and its ministers were supported by taxation. They were influential, highly respected, and most of them were college graduates. For more than a century established church had the entire field to itself, but in the later decades of the eighteenth century new denominations had arisen, of which the Baptists and Methodists were most active. Their ministers, with notable exceptions, had little formal education, and their preaching was less intellectual and more emotional than that of their Congregational rivals.

The field was large enough for all. In fact it was too large for the number concerned. The district of Maine was growing rapidly and numerous settlements were too new and too small to support a settled minister even had one been available. The Reverend James Lyon of Machias was the only regular Congregational minister in Washington County from 1771 until his death in 1794. As late as 1820 Maine had only seventy-one congregational ministers and the pulpits in sixty-one churches were vacant. The same situation with the other denominations prevailed.

Methodists attempted to meet this challenge through their system of circuits and circuit riders. Congregationalists sent out men from time to time who made long journeys through the frontier settlements, preaching sermons, distributing literature, marrying and burying, baptizing infants and converts, and organizing little churches wherever a few earnest believers could be gathered together. Baptists did the same except that they did not believe in infant baptism.

One of the earliest and most active of these dedicated itinerants was the Reverend Daniel Little, pastor of the congregational church at Kennebunk from 1851 to 1801. He made so many visits to Eastern Maine that he was sometimes called “the Apostle of the East.” His first mission was in 1772 under the auspices of the “Trustees for Eastern Mission.” In 1774 he spent several weeks between Castine and Gouldsboro, and came east again several times after the Revolution. While there seems to be no existing record that he ever came to Pleasant River, it would appear probable that he visited here several times.

Edward E. Bourne, in his History of Wells and Kennebunk, wrote of Mr. Little: “His labors were very arduous. There were no roads, and he was obliged to travel on horseback through forests, and much by boat among the islands and on rivers, and was occasionally in much peril.” However, he “pursued his way with a cheerful heart. ‘The more labor, ‘ he says, ‘for the good or others, the more peace and comfort within.”

Of the Congregationalists, the Reverend Jotham Sewall, 1760—1850, labored most abundantly of them all. The Reverend Calvin M. Clark of the Bangor Theological Seminary wrote: “He had beyond question assisted in ordaining more Congregational ministers, and in forming more congregational churches, in every part of Maine, than any other Congregational minister in the whole history of these churches.

On his many missions to eastern Maine, “Father” Sewall preached 43 times at Addison, 30 times at Columbia, and 233 times at Machias. His first journey was in 1801 under the auspices of the Massachusetts Missionary Society. Sept. 13, he wrote in his diary: “rode to Columbia and preached in the evening to quite an assembly, and God graciously offered his aid both in preaching and in prayer, a solemn season. Thanksgiving and praise to my good Master.” Sewall went as far east as Eastport and on his return in October preached one afternoon at Columbia and that evening at Addison. One or two candles lighted the meeting place only and the dimness added solemnity to the occasion.

In spite of the labors of Little, Sewall, and others, Congregationalists never organized a church or gained a firm foothold in the Pleasant River Valley, perhaps because the Baptists were too strongly entrenched. In 1785 the Reverend John Whitney, then of Gouldsboro, preached for some time in this area. “Several persons professed piety and the character of the people considerably improved,” testified the Reverend Joshua Millett in his History of the Baptists in Maine. Whitney was a Free Baptist itinerant and was active at that time in preaching “in the eastern country.”

The first Calvinist Baptist of record to labor in the Pleasant River Valley was Elder Elisha Snow. A prominent businessman in Thomaston he was converted to the Baptist faith at a series of meetings held there by the Reverend Isaac Case, who later married his daughter. Mr. Snow was pastor of the Baptist church at Thomaston from 1794 to 1821.

Elder Snow visited Columbia in 1786. “He preached the gospel to them, “wrote Millett, “light celestial dispelled the darkness from many minds; the doctrines of grace supplanted their works of righteousness, and many became converts to the gospel as preached by Elder Snow. At their request he embodied them into a regular church. Although favored with but little preaching for many years, and in the midst of various modes of opposition, they lived in unity and love and prospered.”

The Baptist Church at Columbia was the first Baptist church east of the Penobscot, and the second Protestants church of any denomination in Washington County. It later became the mother of Baptist churches in Addison, Indian River, and Harrington. One would like to know more about this early church and its members but, as Millett says, “much of their early history remains in obscurity.”

Their first and only regular minister for nearly thirty years was the Reverend Joshua Young who served as their pastor from 1794 to 1797. Again Millett, who was at one time pastor of the Baptist church at Cherryfield, tells us that “Mr. Young found himself in the center of a vast community, comprising several settlements nearly destitute of the gospel. Among these he labored most assiduously. Nor were his efforts in vain. God blessed them. In 1796 a revival was experienced in Columbia and Addison, and was extended to other places.”

Alexander Baring, who later became Lord Ashburton, was in Pleasant river in 1796, and wrote: “It (Pleasant River) presents more the appearance of cultivation and of old countries than any other and I should certainly prefer it as a place of residence. The people are agreeable and when we were there they were getting their church ready by subscription and had appointed their clergyman and built him a handsome mansion.”

The same year James Murphy, a Baptist from Nova Scotia, who later served as pastor at Cherryfield and then at Eastport, joined the church by letter and received a license to preach. “Now commenced a train of circumstances adverse to their influence,” wrote Millett. “In 1797 Mr. Young and Mr. Murphy ceased their labors in Columbia, and for seventeen years the church had no pastor. In 1799 a Methodist minister came among them, who scattered seeds of contention, the fruits of which were, much wrangling and disputing about the doctrines “Divine efficiency,” ‘election’, and final perseverance. In their extremity Elder Case visited them and with the skill of a wise peacemaker he allayed the strife, and placed things again on their proper basis.”

Elder Case had already had experience with the Methodists who had built the first Methodist meeting house in Maine in Readfield where he had organized a Baptist church of which he was pastor. Some were fearful that the newcomers might try to make proselytes among his members but he declared that they were “Case-hardened.”

The Reverend Isaac case came to Maine from Rehoboth, Mass., and was pastor of the Baptist church at Thomaston from 1784 to 1792 and of the one at Readfield from 1792 to 1800. He was active in home mission work during that time and after 1800 devoted the remainder of his long life to that service. As Millett says: “Many of the churches in Maine owe their existence to his efforts, and multitudes of souls, their salvation to his instrumentality.” He earned a place beside Father Jotham Sewall in that respect.

Elder Case was probably in Columbia and Addison in 1796, since he aided Elder Young in holding revival services and organizing a church at Cherryfield that year. He came eastward many times later and was most helpful in keeping the little church alive and prosperous when they were sheep without a shepherd.

Elder Case preached at Addison in October 1805 when converts were made and thirty-four members were added to the church. The following December he visited Steuben, Columbia, Addison, and other places in Washington County. At Addison he baptized (by immersion) six persons. He noted in his diary: “The tide had ebbed about six inches, had it continued ebbing it would not have been so convenient; but as the Lord would have it, there came in an undertow, as they call it, and the water was higher than before. I think I was never in any place where Christians were more engaged in religion and where people took more pains to attend the word. Some came as many as twenty miles.”
Ministers of the established church were supported with tax money by the town. These taxes were extremely unpopular with Baptists, Methodists, and other newer sects. They had to maintain their own minister and help support the orthodox minister as well. So much opposition finally developed that the custom was abandoned. Two votes taken by the town of Columbia throw a ray of light on this situation. In 1801 the town voted to raise $75 for the support of the gospel and chose Deacon David Wass to secure a minister, presumably a Baptist since that was the only church in town. The next year the town voted that the $50 raised for that purpose be used instead for the support of schools.
From 1797 to 1814 the Baptist church was without a minister, but it was visited from time to time by itinerants among who besides Elder Case were Elders Henry Hale, Robert Low, and John Haines. In 1814 Elder Benjamin Lord of Surry was engaged as minister. He remained until 1816 and then returned to Surry. While he was here “another revival blessed the community and the church, ‘Second Addison’ was constituted,” under the leadership of Elder Isaac Bridges, with twenty-five members. It was at first called the Jonesboro and Addison church and was apparently located at Indian River some distance from the parent church.

The departure of Elder Lord issued in another time of trouble for the original church, which was now a member of the Eastern Maine Baptist Association. Millett relates the story: “1819 was a year filled with darkness, division, and painful trials. Elder McMasters, who was their minister, labored in vain to restrain the raging elements. Two parties, claiming to be the church, existed, and each reported itself to the Association as such. A committee was sent by the Association to look into their state, who visited them, and after examination and deliberation, reported to these brethren, that it was their decision that all those members who could unite in a renewal of ‘covenant’ was the church. Whereupon, a large majority of both parties signified union and fellowship, and soon most of the minority joined them. This method of settling the difficulty was accepted by the Association. It was not considered a re-organization, but a restoration of union.”
Meantime Methodism had come to Pleasant River from Canada in the person of the Reverend Duncan McColl of St.Stephen. Duncan McColl was a Scotsman who had served in the British Army in the War of the Revolution. He came to St.Stephen in 1785 and soon began to preach the gospel according to the Methodist faith. He continued to labor there and at Calais until his death in 1830. He was also endowed with the missionary spirit and preached at times in the smaller towns on both sides of the international boundary.
“One of his excursions,” says the author of the Annals of Calais and St.Stephen, “in 1787, reveals the condition of things then, in several respects. He went to Pleasant River in Maine, and spent several weeks in preaching and trying ‘to Build up Zion.’ Being ready to return; the good people of the place gave him as the reward of his labor, $3.50 in money, and three cheeses. He started homeward a happy man. He reached Indian Point in safety, but found there no vessel to take him home and no road leading up river. But go he must; and shouldering his three cheeses, he walked along the pathless shore of St.Andrews Bay, all the weary way to Robbinston. There he found a boat to take him to St.Stephen. The generosity of Pleasant River, the absence of roads, and the hardihood of the man, are characteristics of the times.”
However, not until the coming of Jesse Lee was any organized attempt made to plant the Methodist flag in the Pleasant River Valley. Jesse Lee has with reason been called the father of Methodism in Maine. He was one of the greatest of the early Methodist evangelists and his field of labor extended from Canada to Florida. He made several journeys to Maine, preaching, baptizing, and organizing churches. He preached what he considered the first Methodist sermon in Maine at Saco in 1793, and dedicated the first Methodist meeting house in the District two years later. He made two or more journeys east of the Penobscot and came first to Pleasant River in 1795.

Venting on the Town of Columbia

Would you believe there are others in this area that knew that the Haags were fake last Sept. and did nothing about it? This person went to the Town Office and told them about this, and the town office did not call me on it back in Sept.
I say the blame could be that the Town Office should be ashamed on not contacting me and telling me this and had me get in touch with this person.
If everyone had reported what they had found out to the police we could of had them in jail sooner, instead the Haags were all packed and ready to run again when they were arrested.
The sheriff department just shrugged me off as a disgruntle person, and did not want to get involved. Think about it .....they did not want to get involved....but now it is to do with kidnapping etc. they get the pat on their backs for tracking them down.
I found out today the other church had found out they were fakes and did not call the police, but they are crying now that they were used and had things stolen from them. Go figure,...

The Town of Columbia thoughts are: -I don't want to be involved in this, but will than talk behind your back and say things like - why didn't I know this in the first place.....The people of Columbia know I am the only one that is concern with this church, do they want to help keep it, NO THEY DO NOT! They are so insecure in their life, and keep everything a secret, hide behind others, and look like the goody two shoes that they think they are. So what if your husband or wife is an alcoholic, or a jerk, or a no good for nothing...we all know it anyway,it is a small town and every one knows everyone and besides we are all related. Can't they live their life as an upstanding citizen and stop being such a jerk and make their town a place that people want to come to and live. No these same people want to put down everyone that can think for themselves and tries to make themselves a better person. They want you or rather me to fail, it must give them a high.
Now I am not saying they are all like this, there are a few and I mean a few that are decent people, but you know .. come to think of it, they came to Columbia to live, they had no ties to the town, they wanted to live in a small town and they are trying to make a better life for them and to make the town a better place. Of course I have heard comments from the locals saying these newcomers are trying to take over the town, putting them down before they know who they are and don't even welcome them to the town. Then complain know one wants to do anything. the locals are the ones that need readjustment in their life.

I grew up in Columbia in a large family, my grandmother, mother and I have tried to keep this church going. The society would meet every month to make quilts to sell for the upkeep for this church.They put on suppers, ice cream socials, shooting matches to earn money Do you think these people of my age helped? NO they did not, they wanted to be a member, but did not do anything to help in these projects.
What it amounts to is they are jealous of whatever "I"do and want to make me look awful. Well I will prevail over their simple minds! I will survive this, they won't!

I got a lot of flack when I started the Worcester Reunion up, I organized it,promoted it and took money out of my own pocket to get it going. Did they appreciate it? NO, the only appreciation that I got were from the older folks that came. My Dad was glad that I did this as he got to socialize with other folks that came from Columbia and moved away. It was a social event for the Worcester family of the older generation. The relatives in TOWN thought it was beneath them to come to this. When some came they put down all the work I did in organizing it, and my genealogy was put down as not being right. My own family (siblings) said I was stupid, I had researched a lot of the Worcester family and had a chart made on how everyone was related on the wall. This chart was done by someone out of town and given to me. It was everything that is in the genealogy book that Leonard Tibbetts wrote later and published. But oh I could not be right, I was stupid they knew better. I had a family member call me and told me in no uncertain words not to put down what I had found out about our family, it was history. Yup it is history, who really cares if you have been married more than once it is on paper, filed and anyone can research it.

Enough of my venting.....tonight. Life will move on, and in a week all of this on the Haag's will be old news and something else will take there little minds to talk about and entertain them for another day or so. Something they know more about and do nothing about!
I suppose I should edit this but oh heck I'm venting so why should I?

Bangor Daily News Article Comments

I was very disappointed in the article in today's paper, I am from Addison not from Jonesport, and they preached in Columbia and not in Addison, They have been in this area since last fall duping people. Also alleged thefts, they did take from the church, I had proof!. At least my name was spelt right for a change.
They have been preaching since Sept 5th in Columibia, and only was interviewed and maybe preached in Addison once or twice. So I guess the background check did not really happen to find that they were here since August?
Well I notice they have disabled the comment section? I don't think that should be disabled, there are a lot of folks riled up over this article and the comments should be there!
Suzie Burks Gowie
I take offense to the fact that this guy calls himself a minister and a preacher. He is not, nor has he ever been. A Good Shepherd protects the sheep, not take advantage of them. There is great responsibility that goes along with wearing the collar of a clergy-person. There is also great authority that some take advantage of. I'll get off my soap box now.
Muriel Tucker Smith
If they can't get it right then they should not write it
Geri Moore
That's odd that they did disable that comment section. They wpuld have gotten a few doozies !! Ronie, when did you move to Jonesport and move the Union Church to Addison? You should write your own article. Maybe they are saying "alleged" because they haven't been convicted yet. At least we know what happened to the old man and we won't be finding his body out behind the church!!
Kelley Church
I posted the article from the paper. We can write our comments there cause the paper wont let us write comments on their site.

Ronie L. Strout
They were packed and ready to run on Sunday when they got arrested.
Kelley Church
Thank god they didn't get that chance.
Dawn Tibbetts Robbins
You had the courage to stand up to him and you demanded that he returned the property which he stole, and I'm certain that played a big part in bringing this whole thing to the front.
Dear Ronie,
I only today read your message recounting the difficulty you and your church were put through by
dishonest people. I pray that all is returned to you and that you can recapture some of your faith in
in people. We all have to be alert for such people, and there are very few who have not been deceived
by falsehoods. I have encountered my share of deception, and sympathize with your trials. I admire
your tenacity and resolve in pursuing the matter. I pray that only good people come your way.
Keep the faith,
John Morrison

Geri Moore----GO RONIE GO !!!!
Donna-jean Metta
I can't believe he made his father live in the basement everywhere they lived. Probably thought his father would rat him out about everything including the kids.

I was told he was an alcoholic, but I did meet him and he seemed pleasant enough. I had wondered where he went to as nothing was mentioned of him the few times I was at the church.
They did not find anything of the church at the house the hymnals and table and candle holder is amongst the missing forever now.

Richard Farnsworth
looks like Addison has it's own version of Miss Marple

Kelley Church
They should of tried to get all of the facts straight before they printed this article.

Debbie Howe
you've done your good turn, my friend!
about a minute ago ·

Union Church pastor arrested...

More breaking news on the so call minister...of the Union Church of Columbia.
He was arrested on Sunday and is in the Washington County Jail. I have been researching him on the internet and found a site that he was impersonating a Navy Seal. I know you can't believe every thing on the internet, but my inkling was getting to me really hard, saying he sounds like a con man and why the police report did not help a bit. I had some folks edging me on to put it out to the community at large that he might not be who he says he is. The chit chat must of brought results as they reopened my case and started to do some investigating. Of course, I had begun my own snooping. I sent info off to a special agent in Texas, a kid I knew and asked him what he thought. Yup he said sounded like a con man. Than I got a whole of Haag's resume and photo of them and started to check in on his references that he gave. Looked up on the internet to get phone numbers to call and had started to make calls to some of them. Left messages that I wanted their references on this man. Took my camera and took pictures of their license plates and sent that off to the sheriff department and asked why they could not do a back ground check on this guy. Their car drove by my house three times casing my yard, while I watch from my front porch. The third time I waved at them to let them know I saw them. They did not come back by. Later I went to the Four Corners to get pictures of their license plates.I was determined to find out what they were up to.
This Colin Haag had changed his phone numbers three times that I know of, changed places where he lived and I believe he was in the process of running again on Sunday when he was arrested. Why else would they leave those girls in a motel room instead of at their residence in Jonesport?
I was hoping the Lenfesty's would catch him on some of the lies he was telling them, I guess he had to see proof that was captured on camera that Colin took the banner saying Victory Baptist Church down, when he had told Lenfesty that he didn't.
I notified Kim Look and told her that I believe he was a con man and to watch him, cause he might run off with anything that was not bolted down.
I had planned on following up on the phone numbers that I had, but had an operation on my eye that put me down for a week, and I mean face down a whole week, waking and sleeping. Since my head is now up, I was back into the research when it broke loose. I emailed a newspaper reporter and asked her if she could find out something for me. Told her this was the man that stole from the church in Columbia. See did and a story was in the making. The news is out and will be in the papers tomorrow and a bit on the TV tonight. I might not get any credit for ratting him out, but at least I know I did the right thing especially for those girls to be reunited with their father.

So now the waiting begins, on Monday April 12 will be at the hospital at 9:30, operate around 10, recover (if I can do that)stay overnite and get checked out sometime in the morning hopefully. Ride home with my head on pillows and down. Get home and try to get comfortable and hope someone will be able to help me out and I don't have to worry about the little things. Go figure it won't be about HIM now it is about me and what I need. So trying to get organized here at home, bills to be paid on line, paper work filed, house cleaned, clothes washed up , beds made, and get ready for son to arrive with his girl friend on the 18th. As Zeb said to me. "So we're gonna be a pretty bunch at the strout house. Dad already bumbles around on one leg, you're gonna be face down blind, and I'll be sucking food through a straw with a face that looks like it got run over by the tractor." ( Wisdom teeth pulled) LOL....