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The Jermyn Events Committee will held its annual Jermyn Community Dinner Dance on Saturday, Jan. 21, at St. John’s Hall, Hill St., Mayfield. The following Jermyn citizens were honored at the event: Don Miller, Lincoln Ave., Jermyn Volunteer of the Year; the Battenberg Family (Charles H., Charles A., and Rita), Washington Ave., Lifetime Achievement Award; Lillian Shust, Bacon St., Community Service Award of the Year; and Mike Collins, Jefferson Ave., and Walter Shermanski, Lincoln Ave., Borough Council Service Award.
Lillian Shust
Community Service Award of the Year
Lillian Urda Shust has lived in Jermyn most of her life, always involved in her community and church. Her interests range from music and acting to knitting and quilting.
Lillian started singing at age 12 at St. Michael’s Orthodox Church in East Jermyn. In 1983, she became a member iof the St. John Russian Orthodox Church in Mayfield. The St. John’s Players started to produce musicals in the church hall, and Lillian was a part of the casts. She participated in such productions as “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Mame,” “Camelot,” “Wizard of Oz,” and “A Christmas Carol.” As a member of St. John’s Players, she received an award for singing in a range of eight full octaves for two hours.
The Russian Orthodox Church has been an important part of Lillian’s life in many capacities. She is currently financial secretary in the St. John Russian Orthodox Church council. She and her husband Steve have been involved in the church’s annual Christmas Bazaar. When St. John’s celebrated its 100th anniversary, Lillian handled the finances, in addition to computerizing all the records. She also made quilt based on her own design inspired by a stained glass window in church.
Lillian is a charter member of the Jermyn Christmas Community Chorus, which was begun in 1992. She has also been part of the Jermyn Variety Show as a soloist and dancer. During the town of Jermyn’s 100th centennial celebration in 1970, Lillian and Steve took charge of the young people in town, making them part of the event by having by participating in the parades. Following the celebration, Lillian and Steve hosted a party for the young people in their garden.
One of Lillian’s crowning achievements was designing and making a quilt featuring not only the liturgical past of Jermyn, but also the very unique history of the town. The colors of the quilt were blue and white, Jermyn’s colors. The main focal point in the center of the quilt, representing the six churches of Jermyn, is a circle which signifies eternity. Extending beyond it are three points crisscrossing that represent the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Also displayed in the center of the quilt and around the border are pineapples depicting the warm hospitality of Jermyn. A flower in the center, and also several flowers on the border, symbolize Jermyn’s multi-colored landscape. The swirls on the quilt show gathering and celebrating; the stars represent our patriotism. The bird in the tree symbolizes music of the churches, Christmas Community Concert and the Jermyn Variety Show. The tree represents the Jermyn Shade Tree Commission that has planted about 400 trees throughout the town. A pair of hands embracing a triple cross represent the helping hands that took care of the town’s ancestral injured miners, honoring Jermyn as the Birthplace of First Aid. The wavy lines, leading from each corner, depict the waterways of Jermyn — Lackawanna River and Rushbrook Creek. And finally, the straight lines, radiating from the center exhibit the sun’s rays.
Lillian and Steve enjoy traveling, and Lillian, upon her retirement, set a goal to visit all 50 states. She and Steve are ambitiously pursuing this objective. They have been married 50 plus years, and they have four children — Gregory, Daria, Nicholas, and Kathryn.
The Jermyn Events Committee will held its annual Jermyn Community Dinner Dance on Saturday, Jan. 21, at St. John’s Hall, Hill St., Mayfield. The following Jermyn citizens were honored at the event: Don Miller, Lincoln Ave., Jermyn Volunteer of the Year; the Battenberg Family (Charles H., Charles A., and Rita), Washington Ave., Lifetime Achievement Award; Lillian Shust, Bacon St., Community Service Award of the Year; and Mike Collins, Jefferson Ave., and Walter Shermanski, Lincoln Ave., Borough Council Service Award.
Lillian Shust
Community Service Award of the Year
Lillian Urda Shust has lived in Jermyn most of her life, always involved in her community and church. Her interests range from music and acting to knitting and quilting.
Lillian started singing at age 12 at St. Michael’s Orthodox Church in East Jermyn. In 1983, she became a member iof the St. John Russian Orthodox Church in Mayfield. The St. John’s Players started to produce musicals in the church hall, and Lillian was a part of the casts. She participated in such productions as “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Mame,” “Camelot,” “Wizard of Oz,” and “A Christmas Carol.” As a member of St. John’s Players, she received an award for singing in a range of eight full octaves for two hours.
The Russian Orthodox Church has been an important part of Lillian’s life in many capacities. She is currently financial secretary in the St. John Russian Orthodox Church council. She and her husband Steve have been involved in the church’s annual Christmas Bazaar. When St. John’s celebrated its 100th anniversary, Lillian handled the finances, in addition to computerizing all the records. She also made quilt based on her own design inspired by a stained glass window in church.
Lillian is a charter member of the Jermyn Christmas Community Chorus, which was begun in 1992. She has also been part of the Jermyn Variety Show as a soloist and dancer. During the town of Jermyn’s 100th centennial celebration in 1970, Lillian and Steve took charge of the young people in town, making them part of the event by having by participating in the parades. Following the celebration, Lillian and Steve hosted a party for the young people in their garden.
One of Lillian’s crowning achievements was designing and making a quilt featuring not only the liturgical past of Jermyn, but also the very unique history of the town. The colors of the quilt were blue and white, Jermyn’s colors. The main focal point in the center of the quilt, representing the six churches of Jermyn, is a circle which signifies eternity. Extending beyond it are three points crisscrossing that represent the Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Also displayed in the center of the quilt and around the border are pineapples depicting the warm hospitality of Jermyn. A flower in the center, and also several flowers on the border, symbolize Jermyn’s multi-colored landscape. The swirls on the quilt show gathering and celebrating; the stars represent our patriotism. The bird in the tree symbolizes music of the churches, Christmas Community Concert and the Jermyn Variety Show. The tree represents the Jermyn Shade Tree Commission that has planted about 400 trees throughout the town. A pair of hands embracing a triple cross represent the helping hands that took care of the town’s ancestral injured miners, honoring Jermyn as the Birthplace of First Aid. The wavy lines, leading from each corner, depict the waterways of Jermyn — Lackawanna River and Rushbrook Creek. And finally, the straight lines, radiating from the center exhibit the sun’s rays.
Lillian and Steve enjoy traveling, and Lillian, upon her retirement, set a goal to visit all 50 states. She and Steve are ambitiously pursuing this objective. They have been married 50 plus years, and they have four children — Gregory, Daria, Nicholas, and Kathryn.
