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Hughesville woman, 100, still makes palm crosses

MEGAN E. BLOOM/Sun-Gazette Correspondent Soon-to-be 101-year-old Florence Rider, of Hughesville, continues making the most of her time each day and spent time leading up to Palm Sunday working on palm crosses that were distributed to four area churches and two assisted living facilities. In her spare time, Rider enjoys crocheting doilies and afghans, which she can complete in a day or two. She likes cooking, making her own candy and potting plants.

HUGHESVILLE — The week before Palm Sunday, 100-year-old Florence Rider sat at her kitchen table with dozens of palm leaves.

With a pot of chicken noodle soup on the stove made by her daughter Dorothy Smith, of Hughesville, and accompanied by her niece, Marty Jordan, of Muncy Valley, the three went to work making crosses.

They spent time together laughing, talking and sharing stories as they worked on a rainy Tuesday afternoon.

That day, they made about 100 crosses. By the end of the week Rider hoped to make between 350 to 500. She reached 500.

“Even though I can’t be at church, I want to do something good by contributing,” Rider said.

For the past 20 years Rider has been making crosses for four Hughesville churches and two assisted living facilities.

She learned to make them from Smith’s mother-in-law and the two women would make them together to celebrate Palm Sunday.

Each year since, Rider orders four bunches of around 100 palm branches from a florist. Once they arrive at her home, the roots are cut off then placed in a bucket of water on her back porch.

The branches have to stay moist or they will dry out, she said. When Rider delivers the crosses in plastic bags, she wraps them in a wet paper towel to keep them fresh.

She also provides them with straight pins so the congregants can adorn their clothing during the service.

Rider will measure the branch and cut it into 1 foot-length pieces then begin to make the cross.

“It takes concentration,” she said.

There is a process of folding the branch multiple times until it resembles a small cross.

If one of the women talked while Rider was making one, it would get messed up then they would laugh it off.

Rider crafted the crosses with care as she delicately maneuvered the palm branch to her liking. It was second nature to her.

Once she was finished, she tossed it into a pile with the others as if it was as simple as tying her shoelaces.

Rider’s family and friends divide up all of the completed crosses and then take them to their destinations.

Smith said making the crosses is good for Rider, to keep her hands and mind sharp.

“It gives her a purpose to do these,” she said.

The people who receive the crosses look forward to them each year. They appreciate the time and effort it takes to make the little pieces of art.

Smith said in the past Rider has given them to patients in the hospital to brighten their day.

“She hopes that they will make them feel better,” she said.

Many friends and family members will come by to help her with the hundreds of crosses. It is a time for fellowship and relaxation for them.

It has become a nice tradition that the family hopes to keep going, she said.

Jordan said she wants to teach her grandchildren to make the crosses.

Though Rider will turn 101 in May, she has been living on her own for 20 years, having moved to Hughesville from her hometown in Eagles Mere.

Family and friends come by to visit her to make sure she is alright. They also tell her what has been going on in the community.

“She is loved by many,” Jordan said.

Recently, Rider rode in the sidecar of a motorcycle in a parade, which is something she wanted to check off her bucket list. She does not have anything else she is itching to do at this point.

“I’ve lived a long and good life,” Rider said.

In her spare time, Rider enjoys crocheting doilies and afghans, which she can complete in a day or two. She likes cooking, making her own candy and potting plants.

One of her favorite things to do is dip just about anything in chocolate. She said she is thinking about using different colors of white chocolate to see what they would be like.

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