Update from the Kapkes

Hi

We were to Wausau this afternoon to see the surgeon.  Karl is set is have his surgery Tues. December 4th.

We have to be at the Weston Center Monday a 8am for pre-op tests and get a tour of the facility and rehab center.  That will take most of the morning.  Because we have to be there so early we are leaving Pelican Lake in the afternoon and staying in the Fairchild motel right near the hospital.  Tues morning he has to be there a 5am.  Surgery is scheduled for 7:30 and should take 2 1/2 to 4 hours.  They told us he would be up and walking in the afternoon.  Has to be there  to 4 days.  What they are going to do is "repair of ascending aortic aneurysm".

Thanks for all your prayers and best wishes.

Carol and Karl

New Neighbors

Bob and Kim bought the Woodhall place and have been remodeling extensively. They are just what we need more of in the park, young energetic people. Bob has a smoker behind his shed and we noticed on our walk this morning that smoke was coming from Bob's smoker. I teasingly asked when dinner would be ready.
So later Bob came bearing a gift of smoked chicken. It was DE-LICIOUS! Wow, what a treat. Here is a picture of it and it tasted every bit as good as it looks.

Art Wildeman's Obituary

ARTHUR WILDEMAN, age 82, of Bigelow, died Monday, November 26, 2012 at Osceola Community Hospital in Sibley, IA. He was born June 11, 1930 in Ransom Township, Nobles County, MN; to parents Cornelius and Gertrude (Postma) Wildeman. Arthur attended rural school in Bigelow Township and then graduated from Worthington High School in 1949. After his schooling, he remained at home and farmed with his dad.

Arthur was united in marriage to Mary Ann Posorske on September 2, 1951 at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Worthington. He then served his nation during the Korean Conflict in the United States Army and served with the Army Corps of Engineers in Korea. After his honorable discharge on February 4, 1954 he returned to farming in Ransom Township.

He was a member of Solid Rock Assembly Church in Worthington and enjoyed worshiping and attending bible study. Arthur also belonged to the Bigelow Legion and the Worthington VFW. He also served on the Bigelow School Board and the Bigelow Elevator Board.

He enjoyed tractor pulling, fishing, hunting, bowling, traveling with his wife, Mary Ann, to Texas and spending time with his family. He also enjoyed gardening and loved to farm.

Arthur is survived by his wife, Mary Ann Wildeman, Bigelow; children, Jim (Rhonda) Wildeman, Olive Branch, MS; Jerry (Janet) Wildeman, Sibley, IA; Debbie Kunkel, Little Canada; Lori (Doug) Nau, Worthington; Greg (Patti) Wildeman, Lake Park, IA; Paula (Denny) Engesser, Worthington and Scott Wildeman, Bigelow; 18 grandchildren, Marc, Brandon, Cody, Chris, Craig, Bradley, Tracy, Tim, Jenny, Kimberly, Kirsten, John, Eric, Jessica, Jimmy, Jason, Michael and Britney; 12 great grandchildren; sisters, Lois (Pete) Henstra, Jasper; Wyllean (Frank) DeJong, Hospers, IA and Oveta (Robert) DeBoer, Denver, CO.

He was preceded in death by his parents Cornelius and Gertrude Wildeman.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Dingmann Funeral Home in Worthington. Visitation will also be from 9 to 10 a.m. Friday at Solid Rock Assembly Church in Worthington.

The Celebration of Life will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Solid Rock Assembly Church in Worthington with Pastor Scott Peterson and Pastor John Nau officiating. Burial with full military honors will be at Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Worthington.

To view an online obituary, sign a virtual register book, or order flowers, please visit www.dingmannandsons.com

Art Wildeman passed this morning

Art Wildeman passed this morning. When obituary information is available it will be posted

Miscellaneous

Ant colony at a neighborhood residence.  They are not going to be happy...

Pool table getting worked on

Hibiscus at the Bruun residence. The variegated leaves are very interesting on this plant

Bloom is at the Chet and Irma Johnson residence

Gail and Elmer's place and pickup. Notice that the vehicle and the home match in color? Not intentional.

Hibiscus at the Misfeldt residence.

Sunday Service at Magnolia

Another cool day for deep south Texas but it was sure nice to be able to attend Church services at Magnolia....Pastor Stacey gave a great message this morning with a continuation of the study of the Book of Daniel....The theme of the study today was "Give up your idols and return to God".....All of us either knowingly or unknowingly have some things in our lives that some how kind of take over our time and thoughts and keep us from having our eyes on God....Each of us should examine ourselves and realize what might be keeping us from having our eyes on God and listen for just what he has for our lives....We all can and should make adjustments in our lives and thinking to make time for God....I know that that is kind of heavy but study and read the Word of God to see what it means for you....

I know that there is several that is sick in the family and need prayer, so any time some one comes to mind stop and pray for them as they may a prayer to help them through some rough time in their life....GOD BLESS ALL....See you in church next week...

The latest from the Kapkes

Hi

We were in Weston for the last 2 nights.  Had to be at the hospital at 7am and they did not release Karl until 6pm.

He had his carotid artery's checked, pulonary test and heart catheterization done.  There are no blockages in his arterys that are by the heart.  So now the next step is to wait until the Dr. reviews the tests

They are suppose to call by the end of next week.  So just have to wait and see where we go next.

Carol

From me: Carol said previously that this heart procedure that Karl is needing is something they knew was in their furture...and the future is now. We all hope they can be with us soon and be the picture of health.

Fred Finch Obituary

Fred W. Finch

A former Magnolia Park resident

Flandreau – Fred W. Finch, age 91, died Friday, November 23, 2012 at Riverview Health Services, Flandreau. Fred was born on June 16, 1921 in Dell Rapids, SD to Fred L. and Lulu (Bixler) Finch. He grew up in Dell Rapids and then moved with his family to Madison, SD where he graduated from Madison High School in 1940. Fred enlisted in the Army in 1941 and served in South America during WWII. Following his discharge, he married Reva M. Anderson on February 28, 1947 in Castlewood, SD. Fred then worked in Seattle, WA for a year and then they moved back to Moody County where he farmed. In 1956 Fred began his career with Morrell's in Sioux Falls as a mule driver until his retirement in 1982. Fred and Reva traveled and spent 21 winters in Texas. He enjoyed camping, fishing, playing pool and cards and riding his scooter. Fred was a member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Flandreau, a life-time member of the Brookings Elks, the Moose Lodge of Sioux Falls, Kelley-Porter American Legion Post #70, Flandreau and the Moody County VFW Post #3351. Fred is survived by a brother-in-law, Kenneth Anderson of Dell Rapids, 5 nieces and nephews, Dale (Lana) Anderson, Pierre, Dean Anderson, New York, NY, Sharlene (Troy) Swier, Sioux Falls, Kathy (Bob) Bachofner, Vancouver, WA, Karen (Gary) Hurteau , Seattle, WA, 10 great-nieces and nephews, Shandra, Cody, Corbin, Kaylee, Kellie, Davis, Jared, Thomas, Kenton, Alyssa, and 1 great-great-nephew. Fred was preceded in death by his wife, Reva, parents, 5 sisters and an infant brother.

Funeral services will be Tuesday, November 27, 2012 at 10:30 am at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Flandreau, with burial in Dell Rapids Cemetery. Visitation from 4-7pm Monday at Skroch Funeral Chapel with a 7:00 pm prayer service. www.skrochfc.com.

Thanksgiving preparation

Jan Broms Stinchfield decorated the entry.

Well here is a glimpse of the preparation for Thanksgiving Dinner but this photographer forgot her camera for any additional shots. It seems to take me a while to get into the groove and remember my camera.

Dorral and her many helpers did a fine job of preparing Thanksgiving dinner. The turkey was delicious-fresh and moist!

Happy Thanksgiving Ya'all

Here we are in sunny South Texas in Magnolia Park enjoying this wonderful Thanksgiving day.
I heard from Karl and Carol Kapke yesterday. They are usually here by now but health issues are keeping them in Wisconsin for a while. Karl is undergoing tests and will most likely be having surgery soon and once he is healed enough to travel they will be enjoying Magnolia Park once again.  They are being kept in our thoughts and prayers.

I looked out at my neighbors paper delivery and WOW that is one hefty paper delivery. It may take a truck to get it into the house and all day to read it. That is if you really want to read all those Black Friday ads.

Allen Hall is all opened up and the business of getting our meal prepared by Dorral and her crew is in progress. I will get a few pictures of the process a bit later.

So check in later today...

Tuesday Coffee Crowd increases

George, Roger and Phyllis are ready for the donut business.

Geek Alert

I use Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome for my browsers. I gave up Internet Explorer years ago. I like both Firefox and Chrome and cannot say I have a favorite between the two. But today I had a window suddenly appear (red flag) on my computer telling me I needed to update Google Chrome. There were three choices to download but I suddenly said to myself, "What the heck is happening here?" I decided if I did need to update I could do it later so I clicked out of all the windows and the browser. Later I brought Google Chrome back up and did a search in Google asking "How do I find out how to update Google Chrome?" My search results told me I did not need to update Google Chrome because it auto updates. You will always have the latest version with Google Chrome. Bottom line? I dodged a bullet and I really cannot say I dodged it purposely. I stumbled into the right decision.
So why am I sharing this? In case it happens to you, hopefully  the right choice will come to you consciously.
My computer could have been hopelessly handed to some underhanded individual quicker than a wink. Be careful out there.

Thanksgiving Week

The arrivals are increasing this week getting a few more familiar faces in the park. With our warm temperatures it can sometimes be difficult to comprehend that this is Thanksgiving week. In actuality Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Why Thanksgiving? No gifts given or expected and it is all about being thankful- a time to think of all the abundance we have and enjoy in all aspects of our lives. We have all been truly blessed. I am grateful for every day I am given but this one day is put aside for all of us to make note of it. Think about it and let it really sink in.
We will not speak of black Friday and what I think of it.

Sunday Service

Well for those of you that are still up NORTH and haven't gotten down to your southern winter home, it has cooled down for the last few days and you can tell that fall is finally here.....At any rate we had a great teaching at the service this morning in Allen Hall....Pastor Stacey brought another lesson from the Book of Daniel, Chapter 3....The theme of the lesson was " What God do You serve?"......This lesson told of how Shadrach, Meshach, and A-bed-ne-go would not bow down and worship the golden image that King Neb-u-chad-nezzar had made....He gave them one more chance to obey him before he had them thrown in the furnace of fire, but they said they would never worship the image....They only would serve their God as he would deliver them from the fiery furnace....This is a great lesson for us to study and a great example for all of us in the power of faith in God....Please read the chapter and study for yourself the power of faith....

In a few days we will be celebrating a day of thanksgiving with family and friends, just don't forget to really give thanks to God for all the Blessings that we have enjoyed for the past year....Remember to pray for those that are sick and for those that are on the road.....Prayer is a powerful force in our lives....God Bless All.....See you in church next week.....

Walkers-Jerry and Edna's Roses

Edna asked me how their roses were doing as they had pruned them back severely last season. They seem to be doing fine but the effects of the drought are very apparent. Email me if you would like to know how your place is doing. I will gladly take a picture and post it for you.

Shirley and Orlen Anderson

Shirley and Orlen wanted to express their thanks for all the visitors, cards and letters in connection with Orlen's birthday celebration in October.

Hurry on down

More shufflers are needed

Thanksgiving Meal Sign up

The sign up sheet for Thanksgiving meal in Allen Hall has been on the board for a week or so. But what if you are not arriving until the last minute? No Problem!! Just let me or your very best friend in the park know and we will add your name to the list. We do not want you to miss out on the big day with all of your Magnolia friends and turkey! Gotta love that turkey!

Sunday at Magnolia

Another beautiful day in deep south Texas.....A great day to get to Magnolia Park and attend Church ....Pastor Stacey and Tina came with smiles for all that attended services in Allen Hall.....Again the crowd was still small but a few more were in attendance....Pretty soon more of the Magnolia family will be here and attendance numbers will grow....Pastor Stacey gave a great lesson and study today as usual....The study came from the Book of Daniel, chapter 2....The theme of the lesson was "I must tell Jesus".....This tells of how Daniel was called upon to do an impossible task according to others, but he prayed to God and praised God for all things....God answered his prayer in a mighty way....Through the results of prayer by Daniel many lives were changed....It just goes to show something that we all need to realize.....God Is Always in Control and we just need to pray about our needs to have much in our lives taken care of for us.....Remember to pray for those that you know that are sick and any that come to mind....Remember we all need prayer at different times in our lives.....God Bless All....See you in church next week.....

Worth Pondering

GENE AUTRY'S COWBOY CODE
The Cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man or take unfair advantage.
He must never go back on his word or a trust confided in him.
He must always tell the truth.
He must be gentle with children, the elderly and animals.
He must not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant ideas.
He must help people in distress.
He must be a good worker.
He must keep himself clean in thought, speech, action and personal habits.
He must respect women, parents and his nation's laws.
The Cowboy is a patriot.

Trickle

Folks are trickling into the park now and soon it will be full and bustling with both people and activities.

The pool heater isn't working. It seems a part was ordered but when it arrived it was not the correct part. That has the "Pool Rats"...I say that with kindness...a bit worked up. They get all out of sorts when the pool is not up and running.
The changes in the park are just too numerous to mention. The numbers that have changed residence...bought, sold, arrived and left etc. cannot possibly be kept up with. I am thinking this will be a banner year for changes. Folks who left a few years ago would hardly know anyone here now.
Change happens whether we notice it or like it or not. It just is.
The park looks great. Everything is neat as a pin. It sits like a shiny jewel in sunny South Texas waiting to be your favorite winter location.
So we are here waiting for you to hurry on down!

Cleaned and polished

So all of us are working on our chores and getting things done up and shiny. All in preparation for the arrival of our friends who are not yet here. So you know what that means? It means that when you get here we will have our stuff all done and you will be scrambling to do all you need to do to get ready for the season. This is a very sound argument for getting here early!
Just thought you ought to know...
Dorral is getting Thanksgiving dinner ready.

Larry is starting shuffleboard in the morning.

Eugene is starting cribbage tomorrow afternoon.
See you soon!!

First Business Meeting of the season

I was asked this morning when our $2 dues are indeed due and how long are they good. It is a seasonal membership. So your $2 dues are good for the entire 2012/2013 season. It was a light crowd this morning but a few things were discussed, voted on and passed. One was the purchase of a new freezer for the kitchen. The current one is in constant need of defrosting. It was approved to purchase one and I do believe it has already been done. The old one we wish to discard has already been purchased by an association member.
The second item discussed, voted on and passed is in regard to the monthly garage sales. Those who want to have their sales in front of their home in the park ,of course, are able to do so but if they wish to have an association table they will need to pay the same $2 table fee that members pay in Allen hall. They have also opened it up to outside vendors in Allen Hall but they will pay a $5 table fee with in-park people being first in line for a table. We will rely on word of mouth for outside vendors to know about the change.
The meeting went very smoothly with perhaps too much time spent in discussion but that seems to be a chronic condition.
I meant to remind members to S.C.A.N. any proposed motions.
S.- Support -Is there support for your proposal?
C.-Cost- What is the approximate cost of your proposal?
A.-Action- What action will be necessary to implement your proposal?
N.- Is it a need or a want? Not that it would change the vote but it could clarify the discussion and perhaps shorten the process if you made it clear between want and need.
This process is designed to clear up fuzzy issues so that all understand what is being voted on.

Park trivia: How did Allen Hall get its name? Hurricane Allen wiped out the meeting hall so when it was rebuilt it was named Allen Hall.
Hurry on down. We miss you'all!!

Sunday at Magnolia

It was great today to be able to have Church at Magnolia in Allen Hall again....It always seems  that is the official start of the new season....Also the weather was outstanding, just beautiful....Again the group was small but a few more are coming in as the days go by...

The lesson today that Pastor Stacey brought to us was taken from the Book of John, chapter 4 with the theme of " Worship God in Spirit and in Truth "....This is a study of the women who came to the well to get water and met Jesus there....She questioned Jesus and he told her of her life and ask her to believe in him....This is a great study that we all should read for ourselves several times to let it soak in our hearts and souls...God is a spirit and we must worship him in spirit and in truth to become true Christians and followers of Christ.....Also today was the first Sunday of the month and communion was given at the end of the service....

Remember to continue to pray for each other and for those on the road ....There are several sick and need prayer in the family...Prayer goes a lot farther than we can even realize....See you in church next week.....GOD BLESS ALL...

This fine morning...

Where the pool players gather

Laundry room is ready

The tables are ready for players

Olive blossom on Cherry Street

These are olives. I do not know that anyone has ever harvested the olives nor would I have any inkling of what to do with them.

Reminder- Tomorrow is the first business meeting of the season. It commences at 9:30AM in Allen Hall. Board members meet in the library at 8:30 AM.

Bill & Jo Brooker's view in Arkansas

Bill and Jo former residents of Magnolia Park look at this view of the Little Red River in Arkansas.

Park Pics

Kiskadee in Palm

Fred and Bonnie walk on a quiet street

Out of control sweet potato vine

Palm tree in need of a trim

Leggy Geranium

Closer view of the Kiskadee

Witches Brew

Last night a witch or two stirred up a brew for all to enjoy.

  Here are some photos of those who attended.