For many years, Old Settlers Picnic goers always looked forward to eating Don Talbot’s fish sandwiches.

“He would be the chief cooker and he did that for 60 years,” said Penny Struebig, Talbot’s daughter. “He was out here during the whole Old Settlers, deep frying fish in the kitchen for them to sell at the fish stand.”

Making fish sandwiches was one of Talbot’s many talents. He also rode motorcycles and was an active member of the New Florence community.

“Just about anything that happened in New Florence from a long time ago, he was part of donating to get anything that happened, down to the street signs to the park to whatever,” said Ernie Talbot, Don’s son. “He was part of the community.”

Talbot was honored during a tree planting ceremony on May 10 at the Old Settlers Picnic Grounds, just yards where he would make his famous fish sandwiches. More than 30 people attended the ceremony, including 14 family members and five members from the New Florence Lions Club. Talbot was a charter of the Lions Club, which started in the 1950s.

“It’s great to see his fellow Lions Club members here and a lot of his friends,” Struebig said. “It was very nice to see everybody out here today.”

The tree planting ceremony has been a tradition at the Old Settlers Picnic Grounds since it first started in 2000. The event honors the people who served in the New Florence area as well as the Old Settlers Association.

Talbot’s father, Ernest, was honored in the first tree planting ceremony 25 years ago. Don Talbot was the 23rd person to be honored.

“He worked really hard,” said Dawn Carter, one of the Old Settlers board members. “Anytime we ask him for help, he would help us out and do whatever we need to do. He did a lot of stuff out here, actually.”

The last tree planting ceremony that was held was in 2023, when Charlie Meador was honored.

Talbot lived in the New Florence area his entire life before he passed away 22 years ago. He worked in the Talbot and Sons construction company.

Struebig said when her father was 16, he built a house on Mill Street that he and the family lived in. Talbot’s wife, Linda, currently lives in that same house.

“He did a lot for the community,” Talbot said. “He helped at the city park a lot. He helped with the (New Florence) community building. He was a very active member of the Lions Club. He actually achieved the highest award that the Lions Club gives to members. When I was growing up, he made sure that New Florence had a Christmas tree every year for years and years.”

Carter has a special memory about Talbot.

“I just remember Don sitting up there frying fish and smiling the whole time like he loved what he was doing,” Carter said.