Susie McEntire Returns To Warsaw For Toys For Tots
Susie McEntire Returns To Warsaw For Toys For Tots
Posted
David Slone-dslone@timesuniononline.com
Susie McEntire Returns To Warsaw For Toys For TotsLAS VEGAS – It’s a busy week for country and gospel singer Susie McEntire and her husband, Mark Eaton.
They’ve been “pretty busy” in Las Vegas the past week for the National Finals Rodeo where they’ve performed at several Christian events, Susie said in a telephone interview from their hotel room Tuesday.
They celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary today, continuing to enjoy performing together and sharing their Christian faith with their audiences.
And then they arrive in Warsaw Friday for the free “Country Christmas” concert Saturday benefiting the local Marine Corps Reserve Toys For Tots. Those who attend are asked to bring a new, unwrapped gift for Toys For Tots. Doors open at 6 p.m. for the 7 p.m. concert at Lakeview Middle School. There will be special appearances by Warsaw Christian School Choir and Class Act Dance Troupe.
“We’re so pumped to be able to come back to Warsaw. We’ve been well embraced by Warsaw. We have friends there who are like relatives so it’s like a family reunion,” Susie said. “We thank Warsaw and the committee that Mike Loher put together to make this happen, for their hard work, the dance troupe and the school choir. The stage is always so beautifully decorated. It’s always an amazing event.”
Mark said they will visit the inmates participating in the Jail Chemical Addiction Program at the Kosciusko County Jail. Susie said they will share her struggle, but most of the talk with the inmates will be left to Mark. She said they hope the inmates see the love of Jesus in them and that anything good is hard work but worth it.
Susie said when they come to Warsaw, they don’t just hole up in their hotel room. She enjoys getting to go around to the different shops and have a nice outing with the girls. Mark said he likes the downtown area and there’s a restaurant on the lake that always treats them well. He also loves going to Loher’s house and hearing Loher’s story about his wood stove.
One year, Susie recalled, they went to the G & G Hauling & Excavating Christmas party and had lunch with the employees for a Christmas dinner. She said that was “really cool.” Mark joked he asked them what a napping bovine was – it’s a bulldozer.
“We’re just excited about coming. It’s always bright and shiny. It’s family entertainment, Christmas music and a few jokes,” Susie said.
Susie was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame last December. She said it was amazing because it was one thing her sister, country music legend Reba McEntire, hasn’t been in yet because you have to attend the ceremony in order to be inducted.
Reba, Susie and their brother Pake started performing together as a country western band when Susie was in junior high and her siblings were in high school. They didn’t realize they were a professional band until they were disqualified for a contest because they had been paid to perform at gigs, Susie said. They didn’t care they were disqualified because they were more excited they were “professionals.”
Susie said she started singing with Reba in 1980-82, and then on her own in 1984. Susie started performing with Mark after they were married in 2009.
“He’s a good partner,” she said of Mark. “We enjoy performing together. I seem to relax when he comes on stage. He’s my friend, my partner and he is there for me.”
For Saturday’s show, Susie said she’ll decide on the songs the day of. However, she only has so many Christmas songs she can sing, but will likely do a few she’s not sang live before. She’ll also sing a few tracks off Reba’s new album, there’ll be a few country numbers and Mark will do some acoustic songs.
Sunday at 9 a.m., Susie and Mark will be at Leesburg United Methodist Church for a sermon and song. She invited everyone to come to the service.
Sponsors for “A Country Christmas” include Allegra Print & Imaging, Bailey Moore Foundation, Bishop Farms, Everest Excavating, Grossnickle Eye Center, Leesburg United Methodist Church, Lewis Salvage, Oldies 101.1, Oswego Mini Mart, Rabb Kinetico Water Systems, Robinson Construction, The Car Company, Times-Union, Willie 103.5, Ink Free News and Windstar Park.
