In this time of Thanksgiving, Lori Loveless, principal of St. Isidore School in Farmersville, says she is grateful for people like Patrick and Marge Clarke, who make an annual generous donation to the school. Earlier this month, the retired couple gave over $1,100 to St. Isidore.

Every autumn for the past several years the Clarkes have donated proceeds from the sale of vegetables from their garden to the little school that was built in 1921 and is now home to 66 students in the pre-school and grades K-8.

"We plant a regular garden here in our yard - just potatoes, green beans and tomatoes and normal things like that," Marge explains. "This is the fifth year we've done this.

"It is just a family garden and Pat really does most of the work. We keep some of the food and put the rest out on a big table out front for people to take," she says. "We have a sign that says ‘Donation to St. Isidore.' They take what they want and donate what they want. And people always leave some money."

She says thanks to the folks who give their freewill offerings, she and Pat have been able to donate a little more to the school each year.

"The Clarkes are such nice people," says Loveless, noting that Pat Clarke, like so many long-time parishioners, always says he is grateful for what the Dominican sisters did for him as a child. "The money is donated to the school to use for whatever purpose it's needed."

"This is really a labor of love for them," adds Father Gerald Bunse, parochial administrator of St. Mary Parish in Farmersville, St. Maurice in Morrisonville, and St. Raymond in Raymond. "We really appreciate what they have done for St. Isidore."

Not only did Pat Clarke attend St. Isidore School when he was a boy, but all four of the couple's sons were students there as well as two of their grandchildren.

"We're just like fixtures here in the parish," Marge says with a laugh. "Really this is no big deal for us, but we think it is good that the people make the donations. Of course, we're finished with the garden this year, but next summer we'll start all over again."