24 Thursday, July 11, 2024 BATTLE CREEK SHOPPER NEWS http://www.thebattlecreekshopper.com
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The Village of Athens will hold
its annual summer celebration of the
homecoming of its WWI veterans.
The event will also pay hom-
age to Annette Bornor, the 2024
Athens Honored Citizen, said Kacie
Brunner, manager of the Athens Area
Community Foundation.
She’ll be honored during the Athens
Homecoming and will ride in the
Grand Parade on Saturday, July 27,
at noon, and will be on stage later in
the day.
The festivities are open to the pub-
lic.
The Honored Citizen has been
nominated by someone in the com-
munity and chosen by the Athens
Community Association.
Bornor is known for her deep roots,
incredible work ethic and love for
Athens, said Brunner.
She was born in Battle Creek in
1935 to Ovid (who graduated from
Athens Area Schools 100 years ago,
in 1924) and Frances Martin.
She lived in the Lakeview area
until age 5 when the family moved
to a farm where she attended a one-
room country school (Coats School)
through 8th grade.
Her family moved to Athens in
1948 when her father joined the John
Deere equipment business with his
Uncle Fred Brunner.
She graduated from Athens High
School in 1953.
While there, she found that she
“wasn’t much of an athlete” during
her two years on the girls’ basketball
team.
She also was a member of the Glee
Club, and it was during that time that
“Annette learned to love the Village
of Athens. Whenever Annette thinks
of ‘home,’ she thinks of Athens,”
said Brunner.
Bornor married young and had
three daughters. They lived on a
farm and milked cows for their pri-
mary living.
Her second marriage to Ted
VanMiddlesworth also involved
farming.Athens to honor citizens at annual homecoming
Annette Bornor is the 2024
Athens Honored Citizen.Jeff and Sherry Hanson are being
honored with the Bob Ling Community
Service Award.
They raised Angus cattle and were
active in the local 4-H horse club.
She said she spent many summers
at the Calhoun County Fair, coming
home “smelling just like the horse
barn.”
After Ted’s death, she sold the
farm to his nephew and built a house
nearby, marrying Bill Bornor.
Bill and Annette did a lot of travel-
ing – by bus, ship, plane and fifth
wheel – but after more than 25
years, she told Bill that “it’s time to
go home,” so they moved back to
Athens.
She became active in the Athens
Area Historical Society, where her
“exquisite, handmade quilts have
been a prized annual fundraiser,”
noted Brunner.
Bornor also has worked hard at
helping develop the Greenfield
House Community Center, and in
other areas within the organization
preserving Athens’ history.
“This small town holds many won-
derful memories for me and I am
proud to call it home,” said Bornor.
Also being feted this summer are
Jeff and Sherry Hanson, who have
been feeding the Athens community
for more than 20 years.
The couple is being recognized
with the Bob Ling Community
Service Award.
Jeff is a 1981 graduate of Colon
Community Schools; Sherry is a
1979 Athens graduate.
They have been married for 35
years and have owned the CopperKettle restaurant since July 1998.
In the past 26 years they have
supported the Athens community
through sponsorships of youth athlet-
ics, 4H clubs, the Fudd Dusters shot-See ATHENS on 25