We were saddened this week to hear of the passing of Wally Kelding of Davenport. His obituary can be viewed on page 6.
It's hard to live in Durant or Wilton and not know, or have interacted with Wally. His many years as a bus driver for the Durant School District, years playing Santa Claus at the Durant Community Center, or decades as a barber in and around Wilton, Durant and Walcott provided ample opportunity for all of us to cross paths with him.
In our office at the Advocate News, we didn't have to try very hard. Every week for years, Wally would come in every Wednesday morning, when the ink was still wet on our weekly newspaper.
He'd open his wallet and countless $1 dollar bills would fall all over our counter. He'd reach into the pile, grab a couple, and purchase a copy of the Advocate News and North Scott Press — hot off the press.
He'd never subscribe, he had to have it NOW, and didn't want to wait for it to come in the mail.
After picking up his papers, he'd exchange pleasantries with our staff, often resulting in a joke. His repertoire of jokes and amusing stories were cultivated long before there was the kind of political correctness we now have in this world.
As the years went on, Wally slowed down. He suffered from diabetes and would often talk about issues he had with his feet. Yet even still, he'd move a bit slower and more carefully, and like clockwork he'd stop into our office.
He hadn't been in for years, and seeing his obituary quickly reminded me of his visits. I'll forever miss our banter.
While on the subject of obituaries, Wally's is the first example of a policy change we've undergone here at the AN. One of our most proud sections of your community newspaper is what we call "Family News" — obits, anniversaries, births, senior birthdays, weddings, engagements, etc.
We offer those services for free. Forms are available at our office, and on our website at wdadvocatenews.com.
Readers will notice the term "Custom obituary" printed underneath several of our obits. We provide a paid version of obituaries, which include minimal editing. That service has increased and will continue. A change we've made, starting this week, involves the free versions of obituaries. A free obit will be printed without a photo, and details about the personal life of the deceased, job information, hobbies, memberships, sports teams, pets, etc. will also be omitted.
The good news is that, despite the change, our local funeral homes have been receptive. In recent months, we've seen a drastic increase in the amount of custom obituaries we receive. This is better for the families, our readers, not to mention the matter of public record!
