A sweet way to honor Lizotte

By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — “She was always just so grateful for anything that you did for her and we remember the kind of spirit that she brought to the Aspinock Historical Society” and those around her said one of the speakers honoring the late Joy Lizotte.
Terri and Bill Pearsall of the society were close to Lizotte and shared, as did others, memories of Lizotte at the society’s Strawberry Shortcake event the society last week under its new pavilion at the Gertrude Chandler Warner Boxcar Children Museum.
Strawberry shortcakes were absolutely fitting — it was one of Joy Lizotte’s favorite events to help with through the years.
The event was a memorial to Lizotte, and a fund-raiser for the society, and the dedication of the craft corner inside the boxcar.
Terri Pearsall, curator of the society’s museum, said when they would go down to the senior luncheon and everybody would say “You guys are always smiling. You’re so happy. She’s the clown.” She added “if you rode with Joy, well she had a lead foot.”
Town Historian Bill Pearsall noted Lizotte’s spirit.
Pat Hedenberg, director of the boxcar museum, said Lizotte loved the strawberry shortcake events. “Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Aspinock would hold a Strawberry Social on the grounds of the Aspinock House (torn down when the Complex was built.) Members including Joy would gather at the house to bake biscuits, cut berries and reminisce as they planned the yearly event.  Joy was an integral part, always smiling and adding a joke or two. She said the event reminded her of harvest time when friends gathered together once the work was done to enjoy each other’s company.  We felt what better way to remember Joy but to hold an event that she held dear so we decided to hold a Strawberry Social in her honor.”
Hedenberg said since Lizotte had worked in the local bank she was a natural to become treasurer of the society back in the ‘80s. She also helped with gift shop sales in the boxcar. 
The plaque hung in the boxcar after the strawberry shortcake event was a tribute to Lizotte and her love of crafts. In fact, she had a crafts business in her home for years. Hedenberg said: “When we visualized the museum, we wanted to offer visitors the chance to make Gertrude’s Spool Pets and activities that Gertrude would have liked — for example a Boxcar crossword puzzle or a Boxcar word search or design your own home in a Boxcar.” When Lizotte had the craft store in her home, she offered classes for children much like Gertrude Warner did. “In honor of Joy we named this section of the Boxcar ‘Joy’s Craft Corner’ recognizing her 21 years of Boxcar volunteer work.”

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captions:

Above: Serving strawberry shortcake. Photo by Mike Bogdanski. Left: Terri and Bill Pearsall. Right Pat Hedenberg at Lizotte's craft corner in the boxcar. Linda Lemmon photos.

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