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Show eflex-Journ- Davis al OCTOBER 7, 1986 L, Reflex bids farewell to valued employees AFTER NEARLY 20 years as a e news writer and manager of the Davis Reflex-Journoffice in Layton, Virginia Bennett is moving on to other pursuits. full-tim- for her reporting career at the Davis County Clipper, Kathryn Jennings is famous for her roses. She recently retired from the Bountiful newspaper after 30 years of service. BESIDES BEING WELL-KNOW- N al Virginia Bennett Kathryn Jennings PAULA HUFF By It is hard to tell exactly how many years Kathryn Jennings has worked for the Davis County Clipper. Since Mrs. Jennings accepted John Stahle Sr. offer to work as a correspondent for the Clipper, she has worked on and off again for 30 Farmyears. Now the ington resident is retiring. But Mrs. Jennings remembers when she first became a newspaper reporter. Mr. Stahle, then the publisher of the weekly, often walked from Bountiful to Farmington to gather news because he did not always have a car. He stopped by Jennings Lumber and Hardware store, which Kathryn and her hus band Walt owned, asking if the two knew of anyone willing to report Farmington news for his paper. For about 30 years now, Mrs. Jennings has kept track of the numerous city council meetings, police reports and community affairs. I wouldnt dare say how many articles Ive written for the paper it must be a good many thousand, she said. One of Mrs. Jennings best known contributions to the Clipper were her recipe articles in every Tuesday paper. Since she started writing the articles 14 years ago, she has contacted several religious organizations asking for people interested to submit recipes. Over the years she has talked to many men, women and teenagers Kathryn unveils her own favorite recipes The favorite recipes of Kathryn Jennings are orange rolls and chicken strata. Of course there are other special recipes. I always keep the orange rolls in the freezer, so there are some to take to a friend who enjoys them so much. Or for a birthday to some home bound person. 1 have made them for many years and am often asked to bring some to a luncheon somewhere. They are easy and I really enjoy making them and having them ready to take somewhere. 2 pkg. A cup ORANGE ROLLS or 2 Tbsp. dry yeast warm water lh cup sugar 1 cup warm water 3 eggs, well beaten 'A cup margarine or oil 3A tsp. salt 4 'A cups flour ORANGE FILLING Butter or margarine, softened 1 cup sugar 'A cup grated orange rind GLAZE 2 Tbsp. butter, softened 3 Tbsp. orange concentrate or juice 2 tsp. grated orange rind IV2 cups powdered sugar To mix the rolls, dissolve yeast in warm water. Mix sugar, margarine or oil, eggs, beating well. Add the cup of warm water, salt and yeast mixture. Add the flour gradually, beating with mixer until too thick, then stir in remaining flour and let rise in bowl until double in bulk. Stir down and let rise about another half hour. Turn dough on floured board of pastry cloth and divide into two portions, kneading a bit to smooth dough. Roll each portion to about one fourth inch thick, without breaking through the dough. with Spread lightly with butter or margarine and then sprinkle with the mixed grated orange half of the sugar which has been rind. Roll as for jelly roll, cut into one inch slices and put into oiled muffin pans. Let rise until double in bulk and bake at 375 degrees until a While hot, spread a thin gold brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. and cool. rolls the layer of glaze over For the glaze, mix all ingredients and be sure it is quite thin for glazing the rolls. These rolls may be frozen in tight bags and will keep for several months in the freezer. Warm before serving. This makes about two dozen large rolls or three dozen of medium size. about their favorite recipes. People really enjoyed those food articles, she said. Lots of people were glad to give their recipes. And you know, Ive kept all those recipes in boxes in my just in case someone needed one and they didnt have a copy of the newspaper, Mrs. Jennings said. Although the newspaper business has kept Mrs. Jennings occupied for many years, she has always had time to pursue other interests. At one time, Mrs. Jennings had bushes in her yard. She cant recall and doesnt care to count the number of ribbons her roses have won at state and county fairs. She often refers to her rose and flowers as her friendship garden. I call it my friendship garden because so many people have given me plants and I have given so many away. The garden started while Mrs. Jennings was on the mailing list of n Jackson and Perkins, a flower business. She received many of her rose plants from the 200 rose well-know- company. Although Mrs. Jennings rose garden has recently dwindled to 100 bushes, she still gives bouquets to friends, nursing homes and uses them for decoration in churches. Beyond rose gardening and re- porting, Mrs. Jennings interests are far and wide. She has been a member of the Red Cross, the Lady Lions, president of a garden club, chairwoman of the county flower show for 2 years and on the county Welfare Board for 12 years. She has also been a member of the Eastern Star for 65 years and a member of the PEO, a philanthropic and educational association which raises money all over the world to educate women. For many years Mrs. Jennings organized the lunch program for the Golden Years Center and was in charge of special meals for the 1 Bountiful Community Church where she is a member. Originally from Kansas City, Mo., Mrs. Jennings received a home economics degree from Kansas City University. Then she taught school for a few years before moving to Salt Lake in 1937 with her husband Walt. In 1938, the couple moved to Farmington where they built a home. Mr. Jennings, who is now deceased, bought a lumber business. The couple had one child, Mary. She now lives next door to Mrs. Jennings with her husband Dale Bone. Mrs. Jennings has two granddaughters, Kathy and Lauri-e- ; and four Wendy, Meghan, Brandon and Joshua. She also has two stepsons, A1 and Bruce Jennings. She has one living sister in Kansas City, Louise Erhardt. Now that Mrs. Jennings is officially retired from the newspaper business, she has not made definite plans. She will continue to visit nursing homes nad senior citizen centers. "I'll write a lot of letters and continue to visit people it's a pleasure to do things for people who can't help themselves much any she said. The news writing turned into a job 7'2 years ago when former Reflex editor Betty Fisher asked her if shed be interested. Admitting I do enjoy meeting the public, Virginia seemed a natural and took the job on. That included virtually running the office alone, from billing advertisers to readers for subscriptions to bookkeeping, banking and related items. Perhaps the biggest talent to Virginia, though, was her ability with the public. I only told one man off, she remembers. He was mouthing off so she put him in his place. Although told later he was a very important man in the area, she replied in typical fashion, I said I didnt give a hoot who he was. full time LAYTON A lot of people thought Virginia would never retire. base-me- more, 1. By TOM BUSSELBERG To so many, Virginia Bennett is the Davis Reflex-Journa- l. Well, like it or not, she stopped pounding the typewriter, answering the phone and greeting customers across the counter at 197 N. Main, Layton, recently, and from the looks of things, its for good. In fact, from all appearances Virretirement so ginia is enjoying much she says I dont know how I ever found time to work. Her hours are devoted now, as always, to her family first. She takes care of her husband, Zenas, whom shes still in love with after 53 years, her children, Mrs. Lynn (Shauna) Niederhausr, who lives in Kaysville and Mrs. Mike (Shamra) Jones, who lives just south of her parents, and John, who lives in Spokane, Wash. 1 Perhaps thats why Virginia couldnt readily remember the so-call- dignitaries from the general public. We had all kinds of dignitaries, politicians, doctors. But the routine visits from our customers are just as important as all the day, of late, and even more frequently had to adjust the public to new deadlines. People always seemed to have a classified that had to get in no matter what the deadline was, however, and Virginia would do her best to oblige. Virginia has always lead a busy life beyond the newspaper, although thousands knew her best for that role as theyd stop her in the store to ask about a news item or when they could get an ad in. Shes held numerous ward and stake LDS church positions, was of the Davis County and has held Party Republican state GOP positions; has been active in the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, currently serving as' a camp captain. She enjoys gardening, with flowers all over the inside and outside of her Syracuse home. For years vice-chairm- Virginia planted geraniums and petunias at the Reflex-Journoffice, believing it was important to beautify your surroundings for all to enjoy. Even though shes no longer em al After nearly 80 years of combined services as staff members for the Davis Reflex Journal and Davis County Clipper two valued employees retired last month. Virginia Bennett of Syracuse covered area news for neariy 50 years, also managing the Reflex office for 17 12 of those years. Kathryn Jennings of Farmington thoroughly covered her communitys news events for 30 years. Her recipes are considered collectors items. i Then there are the seven grandchildren, and when it comes to them, Virginia is all grandmother, pitching in whenever she can to Shed treat a person walking in to get help in finding an address the same as someone taking out a full page ad, for instance. whichever the case dictates. In the age of a 5 job, Virginia often would come early to accommodate a customer or stay late if it meant getting an ad or article in that just had to go. tend or smother with love, 9-- Virginia first came into contact with the old Kaysville Weekly-Reflethrough her late mother-in-laFlorence Bennett, who had written local news for the paper. Virginia would often deliver the copy to the paper in Kaysville, then owned by Inland Printing and located near the corner of Center and Main where Fran Brown's Salon of Beauty is now. x v She started writing news of the Syracuse area in 1937, where she and Zenas moved just the year before. A Layton native, Virginia attended the old Layton Elementary School through the eighth grade and graduated from Davis High School in the same class as former Governor Calvin Rampton. The only high school in the county then, there were somewhere under 150 graduates that year, she I Somehow, she managed to make the keys fly on an old typewriter that most others wouldve junked long ago, and seemed to figure correct calculations from an adding machine that takes about as long to come up with an answer as someone can figure in their head. It was fun to listen to the clanking, though. Virginia added stability through score of editors, advertising salespeople and newspaper general managers, although she always worked for the same man, publisher John Stahle Jr. a During that time also, the paper changed its day of publication from Thursday to Wednesday to Tues ployed at the paper, calls still come to her home every morning asking when the office will be open or whatever. In addition to spending time with her family, church and clubwork, Virginia also enjoys many crafts, spending about a day a week in ceramics at the Heritage Center. She also enjoys knitting and has been an accomplished pianist and organist for many years, now enjoying having more time for practice. The loving grandmother that Virginia is, she also enjoys tutoring her grandchildren on the piano. Shes one whos always on the go, letting serious falls keep her down only a day when they shouldve put her down for two weeks, and rising from her sick bed to console friends and neighbors whove : lost loved ones. The world especially Davis County is a better place because of Virginia Simmons Bennett. Lets just hope we can keep iip with her in her retirement"! I 3 |