Left to right: Judy Riffel-Karr, Sheryl Cook, Judy Ryback (photo by Shirley Martin)
One early Easter morning, 17 years ago, I opened the front door of my home to retrieve the daily newspaper. No Easter morning has been the same since that day. What greeted my eyes was a colorful basket overflowing with candy, filled plastic eggs, and sparkling green grass. A quick stroll around my “Back Forty” neighborhood revealed similar baskets at every home—all 40 of them. That Easter Sunday became one of pleasant memories, happy chatter, and excitement, which has continued, unbroken, for 17 years. No neighbor ever discovered this mysterious Easter Bunny until a tragedy revealed the name.
Judy and Jerry Riffel moved into the Back Forty in the Spring of 2005. They quickly became active in neighborhood events and greatly enjoyed the camaraderie and friendship of their neighbors. Jerry wanted to thank his neighbors in a special way for their friendship and kindness. Beginning with Easter of 2006, Jerry and Judy filled their golf cart with overflowing Easter baskets and drove from home to home in pre-dawn darkness, leaving baskets at every home. Secrecy was maintained, and Judy and Jerry both enjoyed the delights of their neighbors as they discovered their baskets.
In September of 2011 Jerry passed away, and during the eulogy at his funeral, mention was made of his sense of friendship and his special Easter deliveries. Judy decided to honor his sense of neighborliness and has continued this tradition to this day. No longer are deliveries made in the wee morning hours. Instead, with the help of neighbors Judy Ryback and Sheryl Cook, deliveries are made door to door with smiles and grateful chatter with fellow neighbors. It has been 17 years now, and everyone still loves to get their Easter baskets. It just proves that one is never too old to love receiving a visit from the Easter Bunny.