Wanda English Burnett, Editor

“This story really has a bite!” laughs David Chandler of Cross Plains. Chandler and others in the town of Cross Plains banded together to help an elderly lady in need. Ella Smutherman, or Miss Ella to her friends, was in need of a set of dentures. According to Miss Ella, her first pair of dentures wore out in her forties, and being on a limited income, she was unable to replace them. “I just learned to do without,” she shared with The Versailles Republican.

Miss Ella, who turned 89 in January, has been down in her health, so Ray and Georgia Everett, owners of the Best Buy Grocery in Cross Plains, have been helping her with her errands, odd jobs around the house, and grocery shopping. She would advise them to purchase soft foods that she could eat. The Everetts shared her story with their friends that gather at the store, also known as the “local loafing place,” and that’s when things got put in motion to change Miss Ella’s situation.

“Her story tugged at my heart,” said Chandler. “I kept thinking, ‘what if this was my mother?” He was reminded of the movie, Pay It Forward, where people were urged to repay a kindness by helping another in need. Chandler, who owns the antique store at the old mill south of town, provided a jar with a sign explaining Miss Ella’s need and placed it at Best Buy Grocery. All of the donations came from people who visited the store.

Everett called local dentists, and found a set of dentures would cost from $1800 to $5000. A call to Affordable Dentures in Florence, KY, provided information on many payment options beginning at $400. Also, Miss Ella would be able to receive her dentures the same day. Through donations, the group was able to raise $400 for the initial payment and Miss Ella was on her way to owning a new set of teeth.

“I was totally befuddled when they told me I was going to get dentures,” said Miss Ella. Her granddaughter drove her to Affordable Dentures, where she was fitted with a set of dentures by the afternoon. “I had cheese sticks on the way home,” she noted.

“It’s getting better all the time,” said Miss Ella. “I don’t feel so self-conscious any more. The good Lord took care of me,” she continues,” and He still does.”

Miss Ella is the oldest of seven children and grew up in Cincinnati during the depression. Her grandparents lived in Aurora where she would visit them in the summer. She has lived in Cross Plains for the past 15 years.

“I am grateful to everyone who helped out,” Miss Ella noted. Chandler summed it up, “We are to help each other. That’s what we’re on this earth for.”

BETH RUMSEY PHOTO Pictured from left are David Chandler, Georgia Everett, Ella Smutherman, and Ray Everett. Smutherman, or Miss Ella, was all smiles and for good reason. She is pictured with neighbors who went the extra mile to help her get her smile back by helping her get dentures, something she had gone without for over forty years.