New Year

 

Zoom Link to Bonnie Froseth's Memorial Service this afternoon at 5:30

 Here is a Zoom link to Bonnie's Memorial Service this afternoon. Just click on it and it should take you right there. It will be available when the service starts.

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89657925898?pwd=Vkswak13cVZwMEdQTUQrT0dHbzQzdz09

 

Bonnie Froseth

 Bonnie Froseth, 90, received her angel wings on December 26, 2021 surrounded by her family. 

Bonnie was born October 24, 1931 in Pipestone, MN to Ann Knutson.  She grew up in Pipestone, the oldest of five children, and graduate from Pipestone High School.

Bonnie married Arden L. Froseth on June 12, 1951 in Pipestone, MN.  They farmed near Garretson for thirteen years.  The couple moved to Brandon, SD in 1964.  Bonnie resided in Brandon until 2016.  While in Brandon, she drove #4 school bus for twenty-three years.

Bonnie was a loving mother.  She was a doting matriarch of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Bonnie loved to play games with her close friends and family.  She was a card shark, always winning and always lucky! Bonnie and Ardy were avid dancers and danced every week.

Bonnie and Ardy enjoyed twenty-six winters in McAllen, TX. There they made many lifelong friends.  They were married fifty-three years before Ardy passed away in 2004. She is preceded in death by her mother, Ann; husband, Ardy; sisters, Barbara, Jackie, and Vicky; and brother, Dean.

The words often used to describe Bonnie are genuine, loving, and caring.  She was the Best Grandma Ever! She was loved by many.

Bonnie is survived by her four children: Terry Froseth, Brandon, SD; LuAnn (Mike) Willman, Ames, IA; Judy (Robert) Woodbridge, Sioux Falls, SD; and Jason (Misty) Froseth, Hot Springs, SD.  She is also survived by five grandchildren: JoEllen, Josh, Ashley, Timothy, and Sierra; and eight great-grandchildren: Kayne, Tyler, James, Trevor, Berkley, Evan, Noah, Zoey, and one on the way.  She will be greatly missed by her friends at Royal Oak and her special friend, Fred.

A visitation memorial service will take place at Heritage Funeral Home on Thursday, December 30, 2021, from 4:00- 6:30 p.m. with a prayer service to begin at 5:30 p.m. 

If you would like to sent Terry a card his address here in Weslaco is: 

Terry Froseth

629 Trinidad

Weslaco TX 78596

 

 

Bits of our former life

 I was cleaning out some old papers I had acquired from the time we were in Magnolia Park. One of which I had been looking for; remember S.C.A.N.? It was proposed that whenever a new idea came up that it needed to be SCANned before making the presentation to the membership. It was great because it saved so much time at the monthly meetings. 

Here is the checklist. First off, approach your idea with your friends to find out the 4 questions below. The more people backing your idea the more likely it will be met with approval.

1. Need or Want?

2. Cost?

3. Affect?

4. Support?

And then propose the SCAN to the general membership by sharing your findings

S-Support

C-Cost

A-Affect

N-Need

It still works! If all these areas are thought out and addressed it is likely to make it through with a positive vote in almost any situation. 

Now, this may seem like a strange thing to post however, I did think that our scattered Magnolia folk could possibly use this method in the new situations they find themselves in.

Throughout my life when I have met with resistance to an idea I always find a way around it. I was explaining this to my son and he said it sounded like our family motto should be 'No Simply Means a Detour". I agree! In fact, if I have a gravestone it should be on it.

And on a lighter note, I found a poem I used one time at Magnolia.

Trashy

Trash must be carried out,

After each hall event,

So odors and rodents,

Don't pay us rent.

Trash cans abound in Allen Hall,

3 of them big, one of them small.

Fill up the small one first if you will,

Then each of the big ones in turn gets the swill.

When everyone leaves and you're 

Last in the hall,

Take the refuse with you,

Cuz that's a good call.

We Thank you, We Thank you,

For this service rendered,

Couldn't think of a good line

To have this thing ended!

Christmas Greetings

 Donna Stevens sends Christmas Greetings to the Magnolia Family and I have heard from Deral Rogers who is spending Christmas in Nebraska with family. It is always good to hear from former Magnolia residents.

We will be eating Christmas dinner in the main hall here in Trails End along with most everyone else in the park. The Magnolia Group is once again sitting together at two different tables which can seat 12 each. There will be a couple others at each table who are not from Magnolia and that is good because it gives us more of a chance to meet and chat with people we may not know well yet.

The stores are crowded and the shelves are getting empty or so it seems. We are only a block away from a Neighborhood Walmart which is incredibly handy as we can walk up there.

If you haven't read Barb's blog they have purchased a Park Model over at Trophy Gardens and are looking forward to something different for the next season. It seems our minds have been traveling in the same direction as Barb & Butch and Jim & I are just about the same age and it is getting to be a chore to drag our 5th wheel down and back. We don't use it in the summer so it just sits there waiting to come back down here. We have been looking at mobiles here in Trails End and finally found one we both like so we too have purchased something here in the park and will be selling the RV and pickup after we get back home. Like Barb and Butch we will not take possession until after the current owner returns home and home to her is Nova Scotia Canada. Our site rent was paid up front when we arrived and it would seem mean to tell her we wanted possession now. We will stay right here for the rest of this season and already are looking forward to next year.

As far as I know, I think most of the Magnolia crowd over here are doing okay although we certainly are all getting older.  We have a few who will arrive after the holidays and we wish them safe travels.

From our house to yours we wish you a very Merry Christmas. Stay safe and enjoy this very special time of the year!

Good News

 I heard from Elaine Misfelt today and she told me that LeRoy's valve replacement went very well and he was home from the hospital the next day. He can't drive or lift more than 10 pounds for four weeks. Modern medicine is certainly wonderful and we wish LeRoy a speedy and uneventful recovery.

We were over at Home Depot here in Weslaco this morning and we ran into Ray and Lil Droogsma as well as Dick and Leslie Cleaveland. They haven't been down here very long, in fact Ray and Lil flew and they said their car was arriving shortly. Apparently someone is driving it down. Both Ray and Lil have had covid even though they are fully vaccinated and they were quite sick. I wonder what the outcome would have been if they had not been vaccinated. It is certainly something to think about.

It has been terribly hot and humid down here for a while now but a cold front will arrive tomorrow which will make things much more comfortable, at least for a while. Back home "up north" there is a huge snow storm but I looked ahead and it said Wednesday it will be 61 degrees. That seems a bit hard to believe especially if there is a lot of snow on the ground which makes it harder to warm up. Time will tell.

Hope all is well with everyone and if you have news to share, please let me know

More news from Misfelts

 I had a note from Elaine Misfelt today telling me that LeRoy is going to get a new Aorta Valve on Tuesday, December 7. This is a fairly new procedure in that they go through the groin and set the new valve inside the old one. He should be home the next day and the procedure is called TAVR.

Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers for a full and speedy recovery for LeRoy. Modern medicine has come such a long way just from a few years ago when the whole process would have been done much differently.

Joe and Linda Bleess 50th

 Joe and Linda Bleess will be celebrating their actual 50th Anniversary this Saturday, December 4. I had hoped that somehow we could get together to help them celebrate but that isn't going to happen. They celebrated with family and friends back home last summer but I was thinking it would be so nice to send them a card with best wishes. In this day and age, 50 years is a milestone to be celebrated! Their address down here is as follows:

Joe and Linda Bleess
2712 S International Blvd, #143
3035 S Casa Grande
Weslaco TX 78596

Happy Anniversary Joe and Linda and best wishes for many more!!

Oly Oleson

 I have received word that Oly Oleson passed away Tuesday night. I have no other details but if I can find out any more I will post it. Oly and his wife Joanne lived in Magnolia Park, first in a travel trailer and then later they bought a home on Pecos which they later pulled out and moved to Leisure World over in Weslaco, or at least that is what I am remembering.

This and That

 It's that time of the year when we are going to head south. We are leaving Wednesday and once again we will be returning to Trails End where there are also a lot of other former Magnolia residents. It is nice to know that we will be seeing familiar faces soon as well as lots of new faces. This year the Canadians will be returning and we are looking forward to meeting them. It is a very busy park with lots of things going on. It is now an Encore Park so lots of changes have been made and of course we don't know how it was before so those changes don't bother us. It is an adult park, thank goodness with nice sized lots so things aren't too crowded. I am posting a photo of how it looked out our living room yesterday morning. Some of it has melted but it is a definite sign that it is time to head down the road. Hope to see many of you soon!

Martha (Marti) Tank Obituary

 

I got to thinking about Marti Tank this morning and looked her up and this is what I found. 

Martha “Marti” Tank, 76, of Blencoe, Iowa passed away Tuesday, October 19, 2021 at Legato Living in Omaha, Nebraska.

A memorial service will be 11:00 A.M. Saturday, October 30, 2021 at the Rush Family Chapel, Onawa, Iowa with Pastor Linda Boggs officiating. Burial will be held at a later date. A luncheon and fellowship will follow the memorial service at the Blencoe Community Center, Blencoe, Iowa. A visitation will be one hour prior to the service on Saturday, October 30, 2021. Arrangements are under the direction of Rush Family Care Service, Onawa, Iowa.

Martha Ann was born Friday, November 13, 1944 during a snowstorm in Sioux City, Iowa. She was the youngest child of Max Eugene and Helen Mae (Dennis) Krogh of Sergeant Bluff, Iowa. She grew up on the farm and was the happiest helping in the milk house with the cows. Her aunt always said she was the cutest and friendliest girl in her class and so much fun. We all know that was true. She was a social butterfly and helped people when she could and appreciated when people helped her too.

She attended school in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa and graduated in 1962. From 1962-1964 she went to school at St. Joseph School of Radiology. She went on to Briar Cliff University and graduated with her bachelors of science degree in 1966. Marti was a Registered Radiology Technologist in Sioux, City, Iowa.

Marti worked at Burgess Memorial Hospital in Onawa, Iowa for thirty years in radiology and then worked for Indian Health and ended her career as a radiology traveling tech. before there was such a thing. She organized and was a MC for the national conference for radiology.

Marti married right out of high school to Kurt Koesters and had Krista and infant Jon who passed at birth. They later divorced. They moved to Onawa in 1970 and she met Don Tank playing in the band.

Marti married Donald Lewis Tank March 20, 1971 in Blencoe, Iowa and made their home together. She later bought the house in town and Don moved into town also. She loved to travel taking Krista to Europe and all over the U.S., Hawaii, and China. She loved good trips, floating down the river from Ryan’s landing, and singing in church in Blencoe on Sundays. Marti bought a place to spend the winter months in Donna, Texas and Don went too and had many years of friendships and parties. She enjoyed crafts, fishing, boating, reading, visiting with the elderly, and traveling all over the world. She loved her grandchildren, and great- grandchildren and tried to make their lives better when she could with whatever they needed. Marti loved to entertain and would announce her arrival with a friendly “yoo-hoo”. Krista’s kids called her the “yoo-hoo” lady. Marti was always interested learning about people and their culture. She learned sign language from her friends in Texas so she could communicate with their friend’s daughter.

Marti was a member of the United Church of Christ in Blencoe, Iowa. She was on the trustee committee at church. Marti was a city council member for Blencoe from 1997-2007. She was a 4-H leader for many years, and volunteered and supported the Blencoe Bobcat Speedway.

Marti spent the last years at Legato Living in Omaha and received excellent care and enjoyment in her surroundings.

Survivors include her husband of fifty years, Donald Tank of Blencoe, Iowa; her children, Krista (Monty) Schult of Waterloo, Nebraska, Brad Tank of Blencoe, Iowa, Dennis Tank of Sioux City, Iowa and Valerie Petersen of Whiting, Iowa; grandchildren, Sara (Trevor) Storovich, Melissa Schult and Phil Parr, Alison (Jake) Andersen, Kyle (Krista) Tank, Matt (Jessi) Tank, Wade (Jessica) Tank, Tina Petersen, and Shea Hartmann; special great-granddaughters, Joslyn Storovich and Piper Storovich; many other great-grandchildren; sister, Jean (Cliff) Garrett of St. George, Utah; sister-in-law, Sharon Krogh of Sergeant Bluff, Iowa; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Max and Helen (Dennis) Krogh; infant son, Jon; and brother, Dennis Krogh.

Condolences may be left online for the family at www.rushfamilycareservice.com

Good news

 I just had a text from Elaine Misfelt and she told me that LeRoy is home. He is worn out and sore but the stents went very well. He is going to rest up and recuperate from this procedure before anything else is done and she will keep us posted. That is good news but do keep them in your thoughts and prayers. It does seem that we, all of us, no matter where we are, are still part of the Magnolia family. It is good to keep in touch.

Remember, if you have something to share on the blog just let us know and if you are heading south for the winter safe travels!

News from the Misfeldts

 I had a phone call from Elaine Misfeldt this morning telling me that LeRoy is in the hospital and will be having some stents put in on Monday. LeRoy is in his upper 80s, about the same age that so many of our former Magnolia friends are. There were quite a few men in the park at one time who were all right around the same age. Elaine asked that you keep LeRoy in your thoughts and prayers. She told me that she will let me know how it goes, but probably not until Tuesday. Stents are fairly common these days, it seems that we know quite a few people who have had them for years with no problems. I know we all wish LeRoy the very best and hope he has a speedy recovery.

Nelson Zoet Obituary

I have so many good memories of working with Nelson when he sang in Magnolia Park. It was always a pleasure to play for him. It was so much fun to listen to him do the "Auctioneer Song" and we all enjoyed it. He always just sang the song with no accompaniment and he didn't need any. I know he will be greatly missed by his family and many friends. 

Nelson Jay Zoet, age 87, of Wyoming went to be with his Lord on Friday, October 15, 2021. He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Dena Zoet; siblings, Harold Zoet, Donald Zoet, Angeline Anderson, Russell Zoet, Lois Freeland, and nieces and nephews. 

He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 68 years, Mabel; children, Lawrence (Attorney) and Jane Zoet, Shelly Zoet, Darlene Putans and David Vail; grandchildren, Amy and Jason Klein, Ryan Putans and Ashley Tittle, Rebecca Putans and Adam Schmidt; sister, Shirley and Dave Schutter; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Benjamin Kruithoff, Eleanor and Mike Swiech, Kenneth Kruithoff, David and Sherry Kruithoff, Rose Kruithoff; extended family and friends.

 Nelson proudly served in the US Army National Guard and he was an auctioneer for many years. Memorial services will be held Friday, October 22, 2021, 12 noon at Carlisle United Methodist Church, 1084 76th St. SW, Byron Center, with Pastor Gary Zinger officiating. Relatives and friends may meet the family Friday from 11 am - 12 pm at the church prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, those who wish may make memorial contributions to Faith Hospice. Condolences may be sent online at www.mkdfuneralhome.com.

Sad News

 I just received a message from Mabel Zoet  telling me that Nelson passed yesterday. He had been in the hospital for a while with Covid even though they were vaccinated. It does happen. I will post more information and hopefully an obituary as soon as I have it.

News from Mabel Zoet

 I had a message from Mabel tonight telling me that even though both she and Nelson had their shot they still got the virus. She is doing okay and is at home but Nelson is not doing so well and is in the hospital. She asks for prayers and as they say over at Trophy Gardens where we spent one winter, get the prayer wheel spinning.

It brings home the fact that we just can't be too careful, even though we are fully vaccinated and have gotten the booster for Pfizer a week ago yesterday it is still possible to get Covid and get very ill with it. We have become complacent over the months and really should be more careful. As I understand it from folks who have already arrived down in Texas almost everyone is wearing masks which is certainly different from how it is around here. 

Please, be careful, stay safe and if you are on the road, safe travels.

Linda Rogers Obituary Updated

 

Linda's son sent me her obituary which I am sharing with you.  I have included a few photos showing her singing with Deral which is how I will always remember her.

CLICK HERE TO LIVE STREAM THE SERVICE FOR LINDA

Linda M. Rogers, age 65 of Sioux City, IA passed away in her sleep at home on Monday, October 4, 2021.  She passed after a long journey through a cancer related illness. Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 AM Saturday, October 9, 2021 at St Therese Catholic Church in Sioux Falls.  

Linda M. Rogers, age 65 of Sioux City, IA passed away in her sleep at home on Monday, October 4, 2021.  She passed after a long journey through a cancer related illness. Memorial Services are pending, please check back.

Linda Marie Rogers, born April 15th 1956 in Sioux Falls, SD to Ronald and Elaine (Varns) Wingert, she graduated from Pipestone Tech in Pipestone, MN, Linda became a talented tailor, building Linda’s Tailoring Service into a pinnacle of the industry in Sioux City, IA. Along with her staff, she made a wonderful impact on people around the city, from teens needing things from homecoming to prom making and altering dozens of dresses every year to making costumes for theaters in schools across Sioux Land and the Sioux City Community theater.

She and her husband loved to play music, going to their frequent “jam sessions” in Sioux City, Lemars, and even Texas, playing guitar and singing with their friends. Linda and Deral were excellent together and would steal the spotlight wherever they sang.

Linda was a fantastic mother and loving wife, always finding a way to bring a smile to her loved ones' faces. She will always be loved, and she will never be forgotten.

Linda is survived by her husband, Deral Rogers; children, James (Jenn) Graves, Carrie (Drew) Valenta, and Robert (Keo) Graves; her four grandchildren; Matthew, Emily, William, and Thomas; her parents; Ron and Elaine Wingert; two brothers; eight sisters; and a host of many other relatives and friends.

Linda was preceded in death by one brother, John Wingert.

Linda Rogers has passed.

 Deral Rogers notified me through others that Linda passed away this morning. Deral's email address is

Deral Rogers

deral5649@gmail.com

Deral and Linda were well known and well connected in Magnolia Park. 

Please share a memory of Linda with Deral. When I heard the news my mind flashed a picture

 of the two of them singing on stage in Allen Hall. 

Barb B.

News

 I had a message from Marty Harper this morning telling me that she had heard from Reggie Holland who told her that her son had died Thursday night. Our condolences to Reggie and her family. 

Marty also told me that Larry Ergen had a hip replaced and I know we all wish him well. Take it easy Larry and don't overdo!

Don and Marty are on a Fantasy tour  - Bemidji Minnesota, New Orleans and I don't know where else. Thirty-four days and then on over to Texas. She didn't know when they would get to Weslaco.

Booster shots are available for the Pfizer Vaccine which is what we got and it has been more than six months since we had the second one so when we find a place that is giving them we will get ours and then later in October the flu shot. We are looking forward to traveling south and want to stay safe and healthy if we possibly can.

We are enjoying some beautiful fall-like weather although we had the furnace on for the first time yesterday morning and then again this morning. Today it warmed up nicely and almost the whole week is supposed to be nice. Fall is such a nice time of the year as there are fewer bugs flying around and it's not humid. Enjoy!!

From 2016

 

From 2010

 

Reminiscent

 From Barb:

I was looking back at pictures for a class reunion slideshow I am putting together and ran across some photos to share with my Magnolia friends. The more I think of it I should plan to put together a slide show for this blog. I have loads of pictures from many years. But here are a couple to wet your whistles.

Fires and Rugs

 I received a note from Mabel Zoot yesterday and she told me she had made one of these rugs and it had taken her about two weeks working on it around four hours/day. It's so pretty!! I looked up how they are made and it looks pretty tedious to me. This one is made from fabric triangles as opposed to what some of these rugs are made out of.

I also heard from Peggy and she sent me a photo of the sky now where they live. It is very much better than a week or so ago that's for sure. Everyone out there is grateful to the firefighters for all they have done. Those of us who have never experienced fire, or floods either really have no idea how awful it must really be when it's your property and lives that are in danger.

Scams and This and That

 Just a heads up. If you should get a phone call asking if you still have the old red, white and blue Medicare card and someone wants to send you the new gold card, please don't fall for it. They want you to read your number to them and then they will send you the "new" gold card. DON'T DO THAT!!

The scammers keep trying all these various tricks trying to get you to bite. I've gotten numerous phone calls and emails about my so-called Amazon order or PayPal or some other scheme and they just want to scam me out of something. They like to especially pounce on senior citizens and we have to stay vigilant.

I joined a group on Facebook and it appears that where Peggy and Donn Gordon live the fire situation is better than it was last week. The people living out in that area are posting about the firefighters and what a great job they are doing and the residents are so thankful for their service.

Our weather has turned fall-like here in Central Wisconsin and it feels great although this weekend it is supposed to be quite warm and humid again but only for a day or two. We have pretty much finally got our bathroom project almost done after numerous problems. Now I can get back to my quilting and knitting. We will have to mow probably a couple of times more but as the weather turns cooler the grass doesn't grow nearly as fast as earlier in the season.

I see a few people are headed south already and more will be soon. Safe travels to everyone who does head to Texas or, as a matter of fact, wherever you may be going.

Saturday is the 20th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks, a day which I'm sure none of us will ever forget. It was a time when political differences were put aside and the nation came together to mourn the lives of those lost that day and the events that took place. Let us remember those things and pray nothing like that ever happens again.

Stay Safe.

Fires out West

 I had a short note from Peggy Gordon today and I told her I would share it tonight on the blog. She sent me a link which I couldn't make work but there is plenty of information out there. Peggy and Donn live in Carson City Nevada and she told me that the smoke, along with the ash, from the  Lake Tahoe and Caldor fires is absolutely terrible. I looked it up and it looks very scary to me. The evacuation centers in Carson City are full and I would imagine the situation is only going to get worse. We complain up here in Wisconsin or anywhere actually in the mid-west when it is a bit too dry or a bit too wet but in all reality our weather is nothing compared to the raging fires out west and the hurricane down south. Keep Peggy and Donn in your thoughts and prayers as well as all those hundreds of thousands of other people who are dealing with the results of fire, wind, flooding as well as no power. 

Stay SAFE!!

This and That

 It's been ages since I've put anything on the blog but frankly, there just isn't much to put on. I have not heard much from former Magnolia residents and I hate to keep writing about just our projects, which by the way we are STILL struggling with. This bathroom remodel has turned into a never ending series of problems but the end is finally in sight, - maybe! The last thing was stain that wouldn't dry - ever! Quite annoying to say the least.

This year we fed only 74 jars of jelly unlike last year when we managed to use up 104 jars. We had more Baltimore Orioles last year and the last of them have left although we did see one stop in briefly this morning. We brought the jelly feeders in until next year as the honey bees had decided they like grape jelly too. The yellow jackets like the hummingbird feeders but I hate to bring them in as there are still a few hummers flitting around. As far as the birds go the last few days have been very quiet. The Rose-breasted Grosbeaks have been gone for maybe three weeks already and the Red-headed Woodpeckers have headed south too. Right now we don't even have sparrows which is perfectly fine with us. All we've seen the last few days are Blue Jays, a few Woodpeckers and several doves. Last week a Cooper's Hawk visited and managed to snatch a Mourning Dove and two hawks flew over this morning so they perhaps have frightened away the littler birds. As I understand it, doves are the Cooper's Hawk favorite food.

We live in Clark County Wisconsin and it has the lowest vaccination rate of any county in Wisconsin, not sure just why but perhaps the fact that we also have a large Amish population contributes to that. Neillsville right now has many people who are ill with covid and some are on ventilators in hospitals in the larger cities around us. Masks are once again becoming required in some businesses and I'm guessing will soon be necessary everywhere. We always have ours in the car or in my purse wherever we go.

I know for some people their thoughts are already turning south. We are looking forward to returning to Trails End in Weslaco but we usually don't leave until mid-November. Trails End is now an Encore park so there have been many changes made with the new ownership and some of the long-time park residents are having a hard time dealing with them but to us, it is run very much as is Trophy Gardens where we did spend a year and probably like most corporation owned parks. Change is always difficult but our feeling is that it will be for the better. Encore and Wilder (Trophy Gardens) both have good reputations from everything I've ready and we are looking forward to returning. Butch and Barb Brooker will be returning to Trophy (I'm relatively certain about that) which they enjoy. Trails End has lots of former Magnolia residents including Chet & Irma so it's a good fit for us.

I'm still toying with the idea of making a Magnolia directory, no photos, just current contact information. It would not go on the blog but I would email you a PDF copy if you would want one. It would be a fair amount of work so as I said, I'm still thinking about it. When I had mentioned it earlier in the summer I did have several people tell me they would like to be included. If I decided to do it I will post here on the blog the information that I would need and you could email me with it if you would want to be included. I had thought I would have time this summer but it really hasn't worked out that way.

If you have info you would like put on the blog, please let me know. It's always fun to see pictures of any of the Magnolia "family" so if you have something you could share, send it to me.

Stay safe!

Warmed My Heart

 It warmed my heart to see all these happy and healthy Magnolia Angels!

Dave & Mary Bruun onVacation

 Mary Bruun sent me a couple of photos to share. She and Dave were attending a Bruun reunion and while out and about were able to visit some Magnolia friends. I'm so glad she shared these as it's nice to see faces from all our good Magnolia years. If anyone else has something to share, please send me the info and I would be happy to put it on.

Dave and Mary with Kay Stilson

Back:  Mary and Donna Bruun

Front:  Dave, Jon Larson and  Wayne Bruun

All of these people lived in Magnolia at one time or another, Dave & Mary were over on Rose, Kay & Bill Stilson (deceased) lived on the corner of Peach and Center, Dave's brother Wayne and Donna were in a motor home across from Dave & Mary on the northwest corner of Rose and Center. Jon and Edy (deceased) Larson lived in a couple of different spots but ended up on Pecos over near Cherry Street.

It's nice to see these familiar faces!

True for me!

 

One More Bleess Photo

 I received this picture from Linda this morning and thought I would share it. If you haven't read the original post which is a couple below this one, scroll down to find it and see other photos from their celebration.

62 Years for Barb & Butch

 Today was also Barb and Butch Brooker's 62nd Anniversary. She made note of it on her blog and I went to her Facebook Page and stole a photo. Ever since I first saw this picture I've liked it as it shows both of them enjoying life and each other. Happy Anniversary to both of you from all of us!!

50th Anniversary for Joe and Linda Bleess

 Thanks to Elaine Misfeldt for sending me the information and some pictures from the celebration for Joe and Linda on their 50th wedding anniversary. She sent a couple of photos, one is of Winter Texans who attended and the other is part of Joe's family which consists of 20 brothers and sisters with 15 in attendance. Joe and Linda now reside in Siesta Village in Weslaco during the winter months which is not very far from where we spend the winter in Trails End. I always think they look like a couple of kids and was surprised it was their 50th. I just received more info from Linda and one more picture. There actual anniversary is December 4 and their kids planned this celebration when everyone could come which I think is a great idea.

Congratulations on 50 years Joe & Linda

Barb's Blog

 I read Barb's blog yesterday and noticed that she mentioned that if you get her blog by email that is not going to be available any longer. Now I haven't read it yet today but maybe she has added some other information to that but if not I want to tell you how I look at her blog.

As some or maybe most of you know, you can set your Windows browser  to open to whatever home page you would like. I use both Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge and I actually find very little difference between the two of them. There are other Windows browsers but those are the two most popular. I have both of those browsers set to open up to the Magnolia blog and have had them set that way for many years. However your opening page could very easily be set to Barb's blog if you wish. In both browsers all you have to do is go into settings and pick what your home page should be. Then, so that I can find the web pages I'm most interested in, at the top of my screen I have several favorites,  where I can see them and the very first one is Keep Movin' On and all I have to do is click on it for it to open up. I have some birding sites and one or two more. I have room for ten favorites that are there in plain sight and very easy to click on and open up. I have a regular routine and look at Barb's Blog every day along with one or two others. Sometimes there's nothing new and sometimes there is. It hardly takes any time at all for a quick look and if she hasn't added anything that day, I move on to the next one.

I hope you all are having a good summer wherever you are and I hope all those that want to, can make it back to the Valley in the upcoming fall and winter season. I'm thinking that we perhaps will be going back to wearing masks even if we are fully vaccinated. I have a big supply that I whipped up last spring and we always have some in the vehicle no matter where we go just in case it once again becomes a requirement.

Stay well, stay safe and if you have news that you would like to share let us know.

This and That

 It's been quite a while since I posted anything, but frankly, there just isn't much to post these days. We are keeping busy at our house working on our various projects which this year include remodeling Jim's bathroom (for about the third time). We built our home back in 1973 and on the main level had one very large bathroom. After the kids left we divided it into two quite small bathrooms, one off the master bedroom (mine) and one in the hall (Jim's). There was also a chimney taking up a chunk in the corner of Jim's and this year when we had the house roofed, the chimney was taken out so that freed up a considerable amount of space. One thing led to another, we discovered we didn't have enough ceramic tile left for the floor from the previous remodel so broke out the old and laid new after patching the hole in the floor and ceiling where the chimney had been. We decided to move the toilet and the vanity around as long as there was more room. Jim builds our vanities but we purchased a quartz countertop with undercounter sink from Menards and discovered that one of the 2 x 4s behind the wall it was going on was terribly bowed You cannot put a straight quartz countertop against a crooked wall! We are still dealing with it and we are both sick of the whole process to tell the truth.

We take care of several urns at the cemetery and this year it wasn't the deer but the Japanese Beetles which have pretty much taken care of the flowers. Deer don't like marigolds but the beetles do! Annoying, to say the least.

We have gotten rain so the grass has greened back up and looks much better than it did. The surrounding farms have some beautiful crops this year. Earlier it was extremely dry but the corn grew, and now we can see ears forming. I really don't understand how that happened as it was so very dry but it did. Jim has just three colonies of bees these days but he says they have lots of honey so he is happy. Just the right amount of bees to take care of for him and he can walk out and see what they are doing. It won't be long and he will be extracting which is a much slower process than it was back in the day when he had big commercial type equipment. Now he just has a little extractor which he has to spin the handle by hand and only holds two frames. It does get done, just takes a while. Our Amish neighbors are starting to have quite a few crops in their roadside stand but no tomatoes or sweet corn yet but I'm sure it won't be long.

I haven't heard anything good or bad from any Magnolia people so that old saying no news is good news must hold true. We are looking forward to returning to Trails End this upcoming season as are Chet & Irma. We like the park a lot and it is a good fit for us, and of course, there are lots of Magnolia people there. It has become an Encore Park but as far as we are concerned, that most likely will be okay. Lots of things are getting fixed which had been neglected for a while.

I will close with a picture of one of our Baltimore Orioles. We have quite a few but nothing like last year. 

Memories 2015 Scotch Doubles

 The year was 2015 and these are the Scotch Doubles Thursday night winners. It was a lot of fun and kept all of us busy for several weeks. Good times - Good Memories.

Have fun with this one

 Taken on 2/25/2011 Steak fry

This and That

 I hate to say it but I really don't have much to report on. Maybe that old saying no news is good news would be fitting. I think most former Magnolia residents are either safely back home or will be shortly. I do know there has been some wild weather in Texas but as far as I know the Rio Grande Valley was not impacted. From what I understand there is still cleanup going on from the "Big Freeze" which occurred back in February. I think many of the big Norfolk Island Pines will end up having to be cut down as the freeze pretty much did many of them in. I had a Norfolk Island Pine as a houseplant many years ago but it reached the ceiling and I ran out of room. I don't remember what I did with it but I'm thinking I found some place that had lots more room height than we did.

We have mowed our lawn once although if the truth be told it needed mowing long before it actually got done. I hate to mow with a winter jacket and gloves on and last Saturday we had temps in the mid 80s and it was perfect lawn mowing weather.

The Baltimore Orioles and the Rose-breasted Grosbeaks came back yesterday and have found the grape jelly already. No hummers yet but I'm sure they will be here shortly. It is interesting that for many years the orioles, grosbeaks and hummingbirds all arrived on either May 7 or 8. Last year it was the 5th of May I think and this year two of the three arrived on May 2. It does get earlier and earlier every year which I would guess may be related to our changing climate. This week our central Wisconsin weather has returned to the cool temperatures that we have had all spring with a high today of around 60. I prefer what we had Saturday and also Sunday when it was about 75 - very pleasant!

I have been busy knitting and planning various quilting projects which keeps me occupied. Jim's three colonies of bees arrived today so he will have something to keep him busy this summer. Quite different from the years when he worked full time and had 200 colonies of bees to also take care of. 

Here are a couple of bird pictures I took yesterday, sitting on the couch and shooting through the window.

Richard Jay Obituary

I received notice that Richard Jay has passed away. He and Velma lived in Magnolia Park for many years and most of us will remember their button and lace business in the Flea Market just down the road from the park.

Richard "Dick" Lee Jay, 83, of Stewartsville, Ind., born to Orville "Hunter" and Maisel (Buchanen) Jay on June 9, 1937, in Ottumwa, Iowa, passed away Saturday, April 17, 2021, at Deaconess Gateway Hospital in Newburgh, Indiana.

He graduated Ottumwa High School and earned an associate degree in mining technology from Wabash Valley College. He worked at AMAX coal company at Keensburg, IL and was a member of the UMWA and was an EMT at the coal mine. After retirement Dick enjoyed working his company, J's buttonhole, selling buttons and lace along with attending his grandchildren's sporting events, especially girls softball (where he supported his granddaughters locally and throughout their travel careers). He also was an avid St. Louis Cardinal baseball fan.

Surviving are his wife of 48 years: Velma (Hawkins); daughter Kendra (Carl) Elpers of St. Wendel, Indiana; two sons: Rick (Carmen) Jay of Haubstadt, Tim (Pam) Jay of Evansville; step-daughter: Dawna (Scott) Sandala; step-son: Jody (Christine) Cumbee of Cynthiana; 13 grandchildren; Hannah Everly, Nicholas Jay, Jourdan Bourne, Alexandria Elpers, Madison Elpers, Tim Turpin, Troy Turpin, Claire Sandala, Olivia Kent, Jackson Sandala, Megan Reidford, Andrew Cumbee, Laura Cumbee; and 7 great-grandchildren along with one sister Judy Inkenhaus of Evansville.

Preceding him in death were his parents and a brother David Jay.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, April 23, 2021 at the Werry Funeral Home in Poseyville, Indiana with burial in Stewartsville cemetery. Officiating will be Father Eugene Schmitt.

Visitation will be 2-7 p.m., Thursday, April 22, 2021 and 9 a.m. until service time Friday, April 23, 2021 at the Werry Funeral Home in Poseyville, Indiana.

Due to the national health crisis, masks are recommended and social distancing should be observed.

Cards can be sent to Velma at 4193 W. Main Street, Poseyville Indiana 47633. 

This and that

This very unusual "winter season" is drawing to a close and many of us have left the Rio Grande Valley to return to our homes "up north." There are more leaving soon and as far as I know thus far, everyone has made it safely.

Many of us have received our covid vaccine shots either in the valley or after arriving back home for which we are thankful. Back here in Wisconsin, just like in Texas there is no statewide mask mandate but individual businesses can mandate masks if they wish. We have discovered that most folks are wearing face coverings of some sort but here and there some are not. We wear ours and plan to do so for some time.

We enjoyed record setting temperatures earlier this week but now things are headed back down to normal which means highs in the 50s instead of 80s. It was nice while it lasted.

There are very few of the original Magnolia residents still left in the park, less than a handful. Everyone else has sold or pulled their unit out to go to another park. 

In our back yard we once again have a resident Red Fox family and just like last year, there are at least seven kits. They are so cute I thought I would share a couple of  photos of them.

Magnolia Happy Hour on Gail's patio at Trails End

 Most of the former Magnolia people who now live at Trails End get together every once in a while on a Sunday morning and usually at Gail's because she has a large enough area under a roof to accommodate everyone.

Here are some pictures that Susan Van Houweling sent me from the gathering yesterday.

Don and Marty Harper, Margaret and Don Schmaltz, Gail Lubinsky

Darlene Jansen, Mike Jordan, Chet & Irma Johnson, Don & Marty, Margaret & Don, Gail, Andy Harper,

 Pat Jordan, partly hidden Ron and Chris Pearce, Janet & Jim Rader, Randy & Cindy Tarrence

The ones on this end show up better in this picture. Obviously Susan was taking the photos because she is missing in all of them.

Everyone always has a good time and there is always a lot of good food to share. As you can see, some are missing as they had already left for home or for one reason or another couldn't make it. Randy and Cindy just flew down to help Susan get her motorhome and car home and Jim and Janet Rader who are at Rio Valley Estates just arrived in the valley. Janet has had some health issues and we wish her the best.