The Sunbury News, December 3, 2015 . . . .
Condit Presbyterian Recognizes George Justiceby John Whitney
LL-Justice
In September, members of the Condit Presbyterian Church congregation recognized the 50 years of membership service of George D. Justice during the worship service. Justice was born in Columbus in 1951, and was received into the fellowship’s membership in April 1965. Justice, a self-employed businessman and retired teacher and coach at Westerville Schools, has worked annually with vacation Bible school and has served several terms as a Condit Presbyterian trustee.
                                  Lenny C. Lepola | News

In September, members of the Condit Presbyterian Church congregation recognized the 50 years of membership service of George D. Justice during the worship service.

Justice, who grew up in the Condit Presbyterian Church, said both his mother’s and his father’s families worshiped at Condit for generations.

Justice was born in Columbus in 1951, and was received into the fellowship’s membership in April 1965. He and his significant other of 21 years, Kathy Kees, have been attending and taking part in Condit worship and activities most of their adult lives.

During the recognition, Justice shared memories with the congregation — Sunday school and Bible classes with Lolly Searles and Marian Whitney, and youth fellowship, under the supervision of Alvin and Vergie Horn.

Classmates he remembered included Melinda Brenner, Ruth Fisher, Bob and Connie Comstock, Carolyn Cockrell and Bruce Redinbaugh. And some of the older teens who are now mature adults at Condit include Bonnie (Reppart) Caudill, Sheila (Fuller) Micholes, Teresa (Cockrell) Gorsuch, Polly (Whitney) Horn and John Whitney, Judy (Ross) Watts and Norma Jean Feasel and, of course, his baby sister, Donna (Justice) Mucci.

“We had lots of families filling the pews back then,” Justice said.

Justice also recalled the first ox roasts, held originally at Condit.

“I can remember this huge tent which filled the entire side yard of the church,” Justice said. “It was our jobs as kids to run the dirty trays back to the kitchen for clean-up.”

Justice named several different ministers from his early years at Condit: the Revs. John Backora, Jim Dowd, Doug Orbaker and Allen Thalhuber.

“There were many men and women who were our leaders,” Justice said. “They were the backbone of the church.”

Justice has served several terms as a Condit Presbyterian trustee. Some of the major projects under his supervision include the parking lot and lighting expansions, the church basement renovation, the present church sign, painting of the sanctuary and manse, and all the day-to-day items that come up with the old church property.

Justice, a self-employed businessman and retired teacher and coach at Westerville Schools, has worked annually with vacation Bible school and helps with youth group activities.

“All the youth of my generation received a solid Christian foundation,” Justice said. “That’s something we would like to pass on to today’s youth.”
 
John Whitney is a former editor and publisher of the Sunbury News.