This month everyone is invited to bring his detector to the meeting. I'm not quite sure what the whole plan is, but if it is like what we experienced at the Spring Hunt, it will be a real eye opener! Tom Latterner dug up some unusual targets and we took turns trying to identify them. Many people had guessed gold rings and gold coins were foil, tabs and screwcaps. You don't need to have visual target I.D. or tone I.D. to benefit from this program.

        I can hear some of you saying, "What's new about riding home with a turkey?" Now come on, let's be nice! After all this is the season for giving thanks. And what better time to thank God for the wonderful fellowship of friends and family.

        Each year our club treasurer puts on his pilgrim's hat and goes turkey tracking. After the lead flies, it's off to a chopping block, then hours of feather plucking! Next comes the real challenge: finding a way to stuff those fat birds into plastic Spartan bags so you will think they are store-bought!

        When you enter the club house on meeting night, be sure to pick up a gray door-prize ticket. That's all there is to it! There is no catch and no fine print! You simply need to be present and holding the right ticket! If you don't win the first turkey, don't despair-- there are two birds who are looking for good homes!

New Coin Raffle

        That's right! A beautiful 1825 Capped Bust Half Dollar! I pulled this picture from an e-Bay seller's store page and he wants $575.00 for this one! Mike tells me that the coin the club has is really a beauty! So, it was our good friend Tim Peterson who walked away all smiles after winning the gold coin at the last meeting! Way to go Tim! Perhaps this coin has your name on it! But the only way that can happen is if you buy a raffle ticket.

        Club member Dennis Robinson of Otsego, MI passed away Friday, November 7, 2008, at his home. Dennis was born December 16, 1938, in Kalamazoo, the son of Asa Robinson and Garni Burr. He graduated from Plainwell High School in the class of 1956 and he served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1959 to 1963.

        Dennis was employed as a Substation Journeyman Tech. with Newkirk Electric retiring in 2002. He was a member of the Marine Corps League, NRA, Trappers Assoc., VFW Dad's #56 and Southwest Michigan Seek and Search Club. Dennis enjoyed golf, metal detecting, sports, his family, hunting and fishing.

        On May 7, 1966, in Parchment, he married the former Lena Maze who survives. Also surviving are 5 children and their spouses, 16 grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and a granddaughter. Dennis was always encouraging me by telling how much he looked forward to the next newsletter. Please keep this family in your prayers.

        Jack Short sent me this story by e-mail. Actually it has been traveling around in cyberspace for a long time because I saw it a couple years ago. I hope you enjoy it. I have worked with several missionaries and this sort of thing is more common than you would ever think. This beautiful story was written by a doctor who worked in Africa.

         We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive, as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator) . We also had no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts.

         One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool that the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst (rubber perishes easily in tropical climates ) .

        "And it is our last hot water bottle!" she exclaimed. As in the West, it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways.

        "All right," I said, "put the baby as near the fire as you safely can, and sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm."

       The following noon , as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle, and that the baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died.

       During prayer time, one ten -year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. "Please, God" she prayed, "Send us a hot water bottle today. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby will be dead, so please send it this afternoon."

     While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added, "And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?"

       As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say "Amen"? I just did not believe that God could do this.

        Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything; the Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland.

        I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever, received a parcel from home. Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!

        Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there on the veranda was a large 22-pound parcel. I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children.

        Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box.

     From the top, I lifted out brightly-colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored.

        Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas - that would make a batch of buns for the weekend. Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the .....could it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out. Yes, a brand new, rubber hot water bottle. I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could.

          Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, "If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!"

         Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted!

       Looking up at me, she asked: "Can I go over with you and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?" Of course, I replied!

        That parcel had been on the way for five whole months, packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child - five months before, in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it "that afternoon."

"Before they call, I will answer." (Isaiah 65:24)

          A good friend of mine purchased an Italianate style farmhouse down in southern Michigan. He purchased it from a lady who bought it in an auction. The place was a basket case. The last people who were staying there were squatters and they lived there without water, electricity or plumbing. For toilets, they used pizza boxes and rooms were littered with them! Kevin found a dog skeleton in one of the rooms and another dog skeleton on a leash in the back yard. He had starved to death.

        I saw the 'before' pictures and I had to think it would take an army of craftsmen to fix this place up. Well, Kevin and his wife and daughters have turned this giant old house into a thing of beauty! The narrow windows run from the floor up ten feet towards the ceiling, which is twelve feet high!

       Most of the interior doors are a double french-style and they each had to be disassembled. Each piece was traced to provide an exact template, then the new door was built by hand. The wainscoting was covered with many coats of paint, as was the staircase. After stripping away the paint, Kevin found panels of light oak and deep red cherry wood!

      He gave me a picture tour and I was amazed at how beautiful and spacious this home is! Someone had found a trunk in the attic with items that belonged to a young Scottish girl who, as it turned out, was the house servant. I toured the servants quarters and it was an amazing difference! The stairwell and hallway were built very narrowly and the two or three servants rooms are very small. Even the doors are pint sized!

      When he finished the parlor, he was hoping to find an 1860's- 70's era pool table for that room. Well, the right one was found but, like the house, it needed some love. The lady wanted $1,500 for it, but offered it to Kevin for $1,250. After getting it home, he found out about a restoration expert living in Wisconsin, whom he contacted by e-mail. To help Kevin identify the model of his table, he was instructed to look for numbers under the table. After Kevin e-mailed the numbers, the guy e-mailed back a message, "You must call me!"

       I think Kevin said that his table was built at the close of the Civil War and it is the second rarest table Brunswick ever built. Apparently, because these item are not considered furniture, it doesn't hurt the value to restore them if done right.

       The condition of Kevin's pool table was nasty! It looked like someone had painted it a dark flat-brown. When I saw the 'finished' photos, it blew me away! The side panels angle in and are massive. All the panels are inlaided with beautiful woodwork in colors that match the parlor's wainscoting! This pool table with matching pool cue rack is worth over $50,000!

       Kevin would like to find and dig the privies. He has been trying to find them on his own because he wants any relics he finds to stay with the house. I haven't been able to get down and help him, but I have been instructing him by cell phone. So far, he has located one pit that looks to have been dug partially into an earlier or older pit. Have you ever chatted on your cell phone with someone in an outhouse pit? It is safer than talking with someone driving across town!

JEWELRY

1. 14K NECKLACE & PENDANT                                                                         By: MIKE WALKER

2.CATHOLIC PENDANT                                                                                     By: ERNIE LAWSON

3. TRAIN ENGINE HAT PIN                                                                             By: BRIAN MATECUN

4. .925 PENDANT NECKLACE                                                                             By: LESLIE BEILBY

5. STERLING RING                                                                                           By: SALLY OSBORNE

6. 10-K GOLD RING                                                                                              By: RON OSBORNE

7.10-K GOLD RING                                                                                                      By: DIVER DEB

8.QUEEN RING                                                                                                         By: RICH BURCH

         Mike Walker was the winner with his heavy 24-inch gold chain and pendant. There is a short story behind this one. The story starts back at the fall seeded hunt at the Fly Wheeler's Show Grounds in South Haven. On Saturday, many of those who were camping got together for a fellowship hunt at the beach.

       Mike and his daughter Shelby were hunting together when a lady approached them and asked for their help. She had lost a gold necklace and was hoping they could find it.

       They didn't know what they were getting into when they started to follow the lady to the search location. It was a very long walk!

    Well, true to their names, and being good 'walkers' (small w), they trudged through the deep sand until they arrived at the site. Within minutes the lady had her necklace back! The necklace was a graduation gift from her mother and was purchased in Moscow, Russia, where the young lady lived.

1.1902 CANADA LARGE CENT                                                                           By: MIKE WALKER

2.1963 CANADIAN DIME                                                                                 By: BRIAN MATECUN

3. 2 SACAGAWEA DOLLARS                                                                                By: BILLY KNAPP

4. 1848 LARGE CENT                                                                               By: JOHN ASSENMACHER

5. 1831 CAPPED BUST HALF 10¢                                                                          By: JACK BARNES

6.1926 INDIAN HEAD NICKEL                                                                             By: TOM HERMAN

7. 1944 SILVER WAR NICKEL                                                                         By: SALLY OSBORNE

8.1904 INDIAN HEAD PENNY                                                                                 By: RICK BURCH

9.1841-O SEATED LIBERTY 10¢                                                                            By: BRUCE WOOD

10. 1899 INDIAN HEAD CENT                                                                       By: TRACEY OSBORNE

        As I put this list together I was amazed at the great coins our club members find! Jack Barnes was our winner with his 1831 Capped Bust Half dime! What an awesome find, Jack.

1.1863 CIVIL WAR STORE CARD                                                                        By: MIKE WALKER

2. CIVIL WAR STORE CARD                                                                    By: JOHN ASSENMACHER

3. ALABAMA TAX TOKEN                                                                                     By: TOM HERMAN

4.1958 DOG LICENSE                                                                                         By: SALLY OSBORNE

5.1946 ALPACE TOKEN                                                                                                By: DIVER DEB

6.1863 CIVIL WAR STORE CARD                                                                           By: BRUCE WOOD

7. CHICAGO TOKEN                                                                                            By: ED KAMINSKAS

8. WW II BOY SCOUT BADGE                                                                                        By: DAN HILL

      
   Mike Walker was our winner for the second time at the October meeting. Mike did some serious research on his rare Civil War Store Card. This token advertised,
W.R. BRAISDELL, STOVES, TIN, HARDWARE, LOWELL MI.

        This store card is one of only ten known and the price guide lists it at $700.00! Great find, Mike! We had 3 awesome Civil War store cards entered!

1.GOD IS OUR HOPE BUTTON                                                                  By: BRIAN MATECUN

2.2 1850'S CROTAL BELLS                                                                             By: MIKE WALKER

3. METAL LADY BELL                                                                                   By: LESLIE BEILBY

4.2 CIVIL WAR BUTTONS                                                                               By: JACK BARNES

5.CIVIL WAR SWORD HANGER                                                       By: JOHN ASSENMACHER

6. BULL'S NOSE RING                                                                             By: CHARLIE TURNER

7. SHEEP BELL                                                                                                By: TOM HERMAN

8. ENGRAVED SILVER SPOON                                                                  By: SALLY OSBORNE

9.MARBLES & PAD LOCK                                                                              By: TOM BELLIEL

10. SMALL BUTTON                                                                                         By: RICK BURCH

11. OLD TOY SOLDIER                                                                                         By: DIVER DEB

12.1923 SOAP BOX DERBY                                                                                 By: RON JENNER

       
         Our winner was Leslie Beilby with a neat antique figural bell shaped like a Southern Belle. I told Leslie that I would look it up in my cast iron toys and bank book, but I could not find it listed. This book has an amazing amount of this stuff listed, so I was really surprised it wasn't pictured. These cast iron figural toys and banks are very rare because many were melted down during the wartime scrap drives. Very nice find, Leslie!  (I now think this is a very old teacher's bell)

        This month we start up the Miscellaneous category. This is for entering items that you found without your detector. It could be a neat treasure you picked up at a yard sale or flea market.

        Dan Clark finished running the Chicago marathon with a good enough time to qualifiy for the Boston Marathon! At the last meeting Dan had just turned 61! Way to go, Dan!

      MEMBER DUES are due next month and you can start paying them this month. The dues are still only $20.00 for the whole family.

John Neuman won the Lesche digger and Rick Burch won both halves of the 50/50 raffle! Charlie Turner and Ron Osborn won the silver dollars.

SEE YOU AT THE MEETING NOVEMBER 18th MEETING STARTS AT 7:00