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Home My WebLink About2014 12-24 No wrapping: 97-year-old's gift is in song MAPLEWOOD REVIEWI , a �, '� • �r � �, "� � r � - tar" o �1riG�.J. �J. ►7 II V 4�"ltli�llC�d fiQi1'i a Q 1 'it felt good! sent, ftom f, f, �, �, 'principal, f/r �, Romero says her stu- y. >'G/ '`.rl+iNo./%i/.`✓a` '` n'% /1 r'i;�/ y , �' r, f r. rl,rr+,+f�yJhp"�N,,.�,,, Melissa Sonnek � also enjoyed sing- .. ;. ?�y��ryy,, ��^y; � N f , � � ,�7��r1,7, 9,.. r ��/ //'; hl � /, �s f ✓�% /� �,,, f 7'v�rr, a r and the two deckled to add ,dents � • '.. •. lllg at the Maplewood thi<s'stop fust a few block ' - Main the Minnesota His -tl x country y f�r,, ., ��, � I � . � V '^„ r f tr J oma from the school to the from � a tory Center and the, Good � choirs caroling Meld tnp« G , Samaritan Nursing Home, Meanwhile 'Woodruff � � ' f Their morning perfor- Erin Hinrichs �" Review staff �� ', ;` /y °' �/ a'' � � had watmed Gresback and mance at Gresback's ' Shot. to dress a because p home thougl� " stood out. they'd""have some visitots ' ' F {� The scene; following a ' Dressed in her choir oF. at their hone that � morn.- s attire --a reel vest, white J r ing,', but that's all they fresh. sprinkling.. of s"now, �� . dress shirt, black bow tie aw, � 1/ knew to expect. � 14 young carolers frornr 14 Ed.gerton Elementary r and black dress pants - her emo- DelaneyShipman, 11, tions, Shot says the per -WOe School file into Cecilia' Gresback's living room, A, says she has gone caroling , f, tr►rmance was a complete before, but this experience filling her, Maplewood home with song and good surprise. rf o In a' latex interview, was different. I feel this was one step ,,,,,, tidings. The 97 -year-old g . ; y m rocks her `chair ,back and Linda k aumedster/Review Around 0 doyen Edgerton Elementary choir members made a surprise caroling, visit Principal Sonnek says , « up, she says. It felt the visit offered students Y good. Linda Baumeister/Review It's not every day you Rita Shor displays the Christmas card she received a valuable lesson not cov- forth and claps her hands, keeping, tempo with the with C Alia Gresback; a 6y' -year old Maplewood resldent 7't,esday, deco 16. Next, the g p singer$ Were off to the Maplewood Niall for another singing engagement. get to go sing in someone from Edgerton decor. She's seated next to her mother, i ered in the classroom. else's home." Cecilia Gresback: , i4I think it's 'impor- r 2 4 44 carolers as they sing :Holly, � � � � s , Eooking ever at Shot �Q�� tont we give our students Jolly Christmas with a 4 in that keyboard yaccompaniment. . demonstrates your love, Shot, and Gresback, Shamyiah th opportunities to grow not 4< in the 1°920s and `30s net. Of course, a menu. just academically, but also " adds, ,I when she helped turn farm wouldn't be complete with- felt land happy that'l , ; sitting y your shared memories and side, 'eon makes a m6mor all its ioyfrrl h se -dr n out a batch of Gresback's as people. one of the things et someone who's fields with a ox aw to y plow in the summer and date pinwheel cookies as I reap value as aprincipalgvery, ar l keep hardlyee her pown" �r " rot Thankful for their is love. It's not something y „ gathered around the piano well. , Leslie began caping local Priondshlp across the schools in search of a choir I i� °� -, mom, we really talk about in with family in the winter As for the Bookcase 44I just, think that the education Sonnek says. : to create their own holiday full of photo albums, fam- � ya tsft tri that Auldiait Cresback's Gresback retie tly went b nae 1st hoping shed ,i r` ' , , �� `'The fact that our students kids, by performing four entertainment. ily members are happy., to..._ .. her, got as much out of it were, able to give a gift like When she moved to the sit by Gresback's side and on m h s ice care e o p end so�aeon who'd make to lire out r her last, f`ew, � a�n"extra �p to convey her �' �'; as she dict. They were able this, of love_, to someone y Twin Cities in the late describe the photos she to relate to her on an. emo- 430s she continued to put can no longer se tom t who needed it most that's " '� g p p - ' months in the comfort of wl�ltes� the traroblar she and her txonal level, says Romero, p music ing her to tell them stories sue her arson for m explaining that she briefed late husband George built She, fourid choir director Linda Baum lstar/ dview Debbie, I owero at Edger. C�iclll�i them on Gresback's`bealth by Joining the choir at about the special occasions them the Cathedral of St. Paul, and family history docu- in tottM� � r�eabach� IVNo�lis"wdu"i6od, Although Cecilia has, ; . -. a6d her.daughter°Mitis situation beforehand. Extending her sense of merited �there. The carolers a mix of y y p rhythm to the dance floor, Wood jiff fans to make been able to live alone Shor ►f Woodbury, A!080 �f fal�h since, losing George in ` wave surprised when The drop-in `concert fourth, fifth and sixth grad.- Gresback frequented The a donation to the choir ers, presented Gresback � ink them for , Ballroom �n St. Paul. ro ram to Prom p g _. December 2005, h e tw Edgerton Elementary required'a leap of faith" for recent deteriorating health carolers arrived In her Romero, She had already and l�or with a holiday It was here that her fxtture their holiday favor. caro and sang their hearts � husband,' George, first But the students say they prompted Leslie '�''ood� Tiling roomy been rehearsing holiday „ out in "Winter Fantasy, asked her to dance with already have their reward. "Marshmallow ruffa dear friend who songs with members of never lives on the East Coast ---the Edgerton Superchoir never received such a per- World," ' him. He had a bad leg from "It's heartwarming," and two other holiday folio, but he danced with says Josh Petters 11, to dream up something sonalized request before. unique to to give Cecilia for variou's caroling stops She brought it to the (they, meet for, hour numbers. Gresback for nearly 58 after singing a final song for Gresback. I just want an this holiday season. attention of the school's every Wednesday morning A lifetime of music years. This year, Gresback's to wish her a Merry Christ - But how do you find and wrapsomething that isn't before school), but she had see carolers on page 2 g P Even though Gresback children and grandchil- mos." who's now legally blind, dren will celebrate one last couldn't see much more than their shadowed fig -Christmas Eve by her side. �rzn Binr•tchs can be ores, she could hear them Shot says they are prepar- reached at 65.1-748.7814 ing ham, pulled pork, green and ehinrichs@lillienews. singing, loud and clear. ,� And that's all she needed beans, potatoes and cher- corn. 1 allow her at twitter., to start reminiscing over ries jubilee—the flaming com/EffinrichsNews. ichsNews. childhood memories, back ice cream dessert ----for din-