The
Journal of the POCONO PLATEAU ©2022, All Rights Reserved
VOLUME 27, NUMBER 13
Late December, 2022
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100th birthday marked by celebration, quilt presentation as a patriot, teacher, husband, father, Sunday School teacher, husband, father, Sunday School teacher, genealogist, historian and community volunteer. Representing the NEPA QOV, Davis stated the quilt is an expression of gratitude meant to thank and comfort veterans for their service, sacrifice, and valor in serving
the nation. For more information on the Quilts of Valor Foundation or how to help the local chapter, visit www. qovf.org or contact nepqov@ gmail.com. The QOV Foundation has presented over 300,000 handmade quilts to military veterans nationwide and abroad since its inception in 2003.
Latino Meet and Greet group’s origin story by Ray & Zaida Vargas
Eugene Kerrick, Jr., seated along with family member Sharon Powell, looks on as Jennie Valick-Kopacz, representing the NEPA QOV Chapter, presents him with a valor quilt. Eugene Edgar Kerrick, Jr. of Stoddartsville, recently celebrated his 100th birthday with over 100 family, friends and former students at Jack Frost Lodge. His celebration also included recognition of his military service in the U.S. Navy during a ceremony held by the Northeast Pennsylvania (NEPA) Quilts of Valor (QOV) Chapter. Jan Davis, a member of the NEPA QOV Chapter, opened the ceremony with highlights of the honoree’s military service which began in 1942 following graduation from the University of California,
Berkeley. Entering as a Lieutenant in the Naval Intelligence, he was quickly in the thick of things at Iwo Jima and Okinawa. In1944, he was selected to attend and graduate from the U.S. Navy/Japanese/ Oriental Language School in Colorado in June 1944. Translating documents and time spent with Japanese prisoners, Kerrick learned the heinous effects of war in the South Pacific and at the war crime trials in Guam and Tokyo. After the war, Gene pursued his master’s degree
when war called him again. As the Korean Conflict broke out, he once again volunteered for the Navy and was assigned duty at the Pentagon in Naval Intelligence. Lieutenant Kerrick completed his honorable military service in June, 1953. Later, Lieutenant Kerrick’s continuing education became a lifelong commitment as a history teacher at Friends Select School in Philadelphia. Today, he is still involved in its reunion activities. Recognized as one of the Greatest Generation, the honoree followed his passion
The purpose of the Latino meet and greet group is to get Latinos together and learn about the community from those Latinos already settled here, by sharing stories of what they had encountered and how they were resolved. The Latino group was inspired by Father Sean Carpenter of St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish in Pocono Pines in the fall of 2019. In the community there was a family who had recently arrived to the Poconos, desiring to live and raise their children in a beautiful quiet and peaceful setting. The family had no friends nor did they know any of their neighbors. Their English was not that good, so they kept to themselves. The only places
they knew were the stores in Mount Pocono. They knew of no churches or malls or very few places where they could be understood. They had a teenage son who was not adjusting very well to the new environment, or school. He had no friends or any direction on how to stay occupied, as most teenagers want. His English was very poor and he felt uncomfortable speaking to his new acquaintances. After a few months he became very depressed and difficult to deal with. His parents had no way to deal or help him. They had no place to turn to. In his depressed state he became aggressive and troublesome to his family and his siblings. He got to the point where he committed suicide. Father Sean found out See LATINO GROUP, page 2