The Fayette County Chamber of Commerce has announced the theme and the co-grand marshals for this year’s annual community Christmas Parade.

“Winter Wonderland” will be the theme for the Nov. 25 parade, and Evelyn Pentzer, the retired Fayette County Clerk of Courts, and Jack DeWeese, a retiring county commissioner, will do the honors of being co-grand marshals of the parade in downtown Washington C.H., according to Chamber of Commerce President Julie Bolender.

“Jack and Evelyn are wonderful examples of faithful community servants,” said Bolender. “It is our honor to recognize their service and accomplishments. We are looking forward to a day of great community celebration.”

DeWeese, 77, was born in Milledgeville and has lived in Fayette County his entire life. A 1959 graduate of Jeffersonville High School, he was named to its Hall of Fame in 2003. He’s a retired Ohio Department of Transportation employee, and he held the position of Union Township Trustee for 19 years. DeWeese has served as county commissioner for 18 years.

He and his wife of 56 years, Carolyn, have two children and two granddaughters. They are members of the Sugar Creek Baptist Church, and they own a small farm.

DeWeese is a longtime Republican and a 50-plus year member of the Masonic Lodge, the Order of the Scottish rite and Shrine. He is a member of the Good Hope Lions, where he served as a director, a member of the Fayette County Farm Bureau, the Concord Council of the Fayette County Farm Bureau, Fayette County Fish and Game, and a lifetime member of the Fayette County Historical Society.

During his terms as a trustee and county commissioner he has served on the Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission, most recently as chairman of the executive committee; the Fayette County Travel and Tourism Board; the Fayette County Health Department Advisory Board; board vice chairman of the South Central Ohio Juvenile Detention Center near Chillicothe; the Area Solid Waste Committee of which he serves as chairman; member of CAC and CIC boards; and 15 years as a member of District 15 Ohio Public Works Commission.

For 18 years, DeWeese served as caucus chairman for Fayette County on the executive committee for the Ohio Valley Regional Development Committee. In September 2007 he was honored as the outstanding member of the Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission Executive Committee, and was recently honored by OVRDC with their Excellence in Public Service award for his role in leadership with the addition of Fayette County OVRDC, and his exemplary commitment and advocacy for community and economic development efforts in Fayette County and the OVRDC region.

His award was acknowledged by the Ohio Senate with the presentation of a commendation from the state senators. In 2009, DeWeese was named the Fayette County Red Cross Hometown Hero in the workplace.

DeWeese said he’s considered it a privilege to serve the residents, his neighbors and friends of his township and county for so many years, and thanked the Chamber of Commerce for asking him to co-grand marshal the parade.

Pentzer and her husband, Mike, just celebrated their golden wedding anniversary. They are the proud parents of three daughters, six granddaughters, and one great-granddaughter, arriving February of 2019. They are members of the St. Colman Catholic Church.

She worked at the Clerk of Courts office for more than 33 years. Of those, 10 years she was the Clerk of Courts until her retirement in December 2017. During her tenure she led the Title Department, License Bureau and legal office. She had many roles being the Clerk of Courts, being a wife, mother, “nanny” and friend.

Pentzer said she was appreciative of her staff (“her girls”), and without them she doesn’t think she could have been as successful. The staff provided excellent customer service to thousands of customers each year.

Pentzer said she felt very honored to start the United Way fundraiser known as “Tailgate party on the Court House Lawn.” She ran the United Way fundraiser for nine years. Being on the United Way board, she was honored with the 2015 Dr. Richard Aft honoree for her work and dedication to the United Way.

Courthouse tours were a favorite of Pentzer’s. She said she enjoyed providing tours of the courthouse with school kids, young adults and adults. She had the pleasure of giving a tour to Barbara Palen, 92, of Kent, Ohio, who was the great-niece of Archibald Willard. Three of Archibald Willards’ murals hang in the Fayette County Courthouse. He was the famous painter of the “Spirit of ‘76.”

Pentzer has been a part of the Republican party for 33-plus years. Eight of those years she served as secretary, and she remains active in the party and is still volunteering her services.

She said, “It is a great honor to be chosen as co-grand marshal of the 2018 Christmas Parade. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. God bless and happy holidays!”

The Christmas Parade will begin at 3 p.m. Prior to the parade, there will be crafts, cookies and carriage rides from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and Santa will visit with children from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Parade entry forms will be accepted through Nov. 12 and can be found on the chamber website — www.fayettecountyohio.com — or picked up at the chamber office, 206 E. Court St. in Washington C.H.