CAPITOLETTER

The vicious mosquitoes attacked in full force, this week at Capitol and on Tie Creek.

Dick and Erma Albert went to Rapid City on Wednesday, and stayed over for an appointment on Thursday morning. On Friday, they went to the Old Timer’s Picnic at Camp Crook and enjoyed the lamb and roast beef. They watched a little basketball at the Trevor Odell memorial three-on-three tournament, but after getting some ice cream from the Ladner ladies, they soon moved to the coolness inside the Community Hall. They went to the Saturday barbecue with John Helms. On Sunday, they went to the Catholic Church, and then to Saloon Number Three for lunch.

Ronda Cordell spent last weekend at the Days of ‘85, and this weekend at the Harding County Fair in Camp Crook. On Monday, she went to the Gene Odell funeral. She helped Clint move cows to the north Belltower unit. On Friday in Camp Crook, she entered exhibits, and then went to the Old Timer’s Picnic. Chad, Debby and Roudy Zolnoski came for the fair. Roudy played in the 3 on 3 basketball competitions, and they went to the free barbecue at the Community Hall. Roudy did not know the three other players he played with, but they did exceptionally well for never have played together. They had played four rounds before getting beat out, and those were ‘edge of the seat’ kind of games.

There were many fair activities for the youth, including a bouncy house, a sand pile, bumper cars, a watermelon eating contest, livestock showing, 4-H exhibits & judging, a quiz bowl, street games, the museum and more. A BB gun shoot was canceled due to the wind. Of course, there was a Matched Bronc Ride on Friday, a Saturday night dance and the rodeo on Sunday. Ronda doubts that there is any other place that parents and youth could enjoy a fair more. Ronda took lots of pictures. She had to chuckle when she saw kids on bicycles and ponies playing together, and little ones in groups outside the arena swinging lariats, probably pretending to be rodeo stars. It reminded Ronda of Jason Aldean’s song, ‘Only in a Small Town.’

Clint, Denise, Darby and Abby Zolnoski pulled their camper into Camp Crook and spent the weekend taking in Fair.

On Friday morning, Diane Wear stopped at Ronda Cordell’s on her way to help at the Corner Bar and Cafe, during the Fair. She spent both Friday and Saturday nights at the ranch.

Last Friday, Lynn and Bruce Gustafson had supper with Pete Anderson and Dixie Garr at Pete’s new home in Camp Crook. Pete has become a city man now. Lynn spent a couple of days baking and getting ready for the Diligent Doers Extension Club Cake Walk, at the fair in Camp Crook. They went to the Old Timers’ Picnic, on Friday, and stayed for the Cake Walk afterward. On Sunday, they went into town for the fair parade.

Doug Davis enlisted Morgan Buck to help in getting things ready for the fair. Doug is on the fair board, and spends most days in Camp Crook, getting things ready, and then finishing up things at the end. They even got Mackenzie to help some, too.

Last Sunday, Ernie, Rachel and Tommy Melum took Junior and Shirley Melum to the fair parade in Ekalaka. Junior got to ride in the parade with three others from his class of 1950. It was a good, cool day for the parade. Tommy also got to be in the parade, because he helped lead a cousin’s goats. After the parade, they went to the funeral home for the family visitation for Gene Odell’s funeral. Their daughter, Bertha and Pete Molenda, stopped in on Friday, as they were headed home to Gardener, Kansas. Rachel had helped Shirley with dinner for the group. They spent the afternoon together. On Saturday, Ernie’s family went to Sturgis for the Threshing Bee. Tommy has started school. On Sunday, they went to Baker to church, and then went to the Baker fair.

Alvin and Marlee Cordell went to the Gene Odell funeral in Buffalo on Monday. On Wednesday, Cody Selting, Ryan Cordell, and Charlie, came to help Alvin pour a load of cement for his well house. Two archery hunters came on Thursday, but gave up the hunt, when they couldn’t out-fight the mosquitoes. Jay Cordell and Wade, Ashley, Rhys, Gain and Cade Pearson came out to spend the weekend with them at the fair.

Dorothy, Bryce and Dawn Padden made a trip to Ekalaka on Tuesday. The Fallon County Vet Clinic came to preg-test heifers on Wednesday. Dorothy’s granddaughters, Kristy and Erica helped her bake cakes for the fair cake walk. Then on Thursday evening Bryce, Dawn and Dorothy went to Buffalo for the first high school football game. Dorothy spent the rest of the weekend at the Harding County Fair in Camp Crook. Early on Sunday, they got a nice rain shower.

Karen and Micki Odell, and Mollie Smith went to the Methodist Church in Camp Crook, last Sunday. Sam Cordell was in charge of the service. Tyler Wolfe read the scripture, and his wife presented a great children’s sermon for the kids. Karen and Mary Tarter played for the hymns. Karen, Mollie and Micki enjoyed singing in harmony together again, on the well-known hymns. Karen thought back to the time that Mollie was three-years old and sang “Mommas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys’ at the Sky Ranch talent show.

Years later, a grown man, who had once been a Sky Ranch boy, came to Karen with the memory of Mollie, as such a little girl, singing that song. He had been living at Sky Ranch back then and remembered the performance.

The Odell family, from all over the country, attended the funeral of Gene Odell on Monday. Siblings, Kathy and Frank Loehding, and Mike and Elizabeth Odell, had come from opposite directions. Karen’s family had been visiting for a Fourth of July 50th anniversary party, which turned into Charlie’s funeral. They came back again for Gene’s funeral.

On Saturday, Karen’s cousin, Ralph Anderson, came for his first visit ever to Karen’s. He is a year older than Karen, and as children they were close friends. Karen had visited him in Ohio, many times, and was so glad to see him again. The men and boys did some outside work, together, for Karen, while they were here. The women did lots of inside work and gardening. Hywel, the collie, loved having them here, and he and Grandma slept for a day after they had all gone home again.

Karen made a trip to Buffalo on Wednesday, but it was over one-hundred degrees on Friday, so she didn’t venture out for the Old Timer’s Picnic in Camp Crook. This Sunday, Karen and Hywel went to church on YouTube at the First Presbyterian Church of Marietta, Georgia. It turned out to be something really special for her. Karen has some beautiful Siamese-colored kittens for those who need some.

The Odell family wants everyone to know how grateful they are for the supportive and kind encouragement you have given us as we faced another funeral. Your thoughtfulness extended even to the little-noticed things; the small kindnesses that meant so much.