CAPITOLETTER

November 13, 2023

Tie Creek and Capitol are back to moderate fall weather. There were a few sprinkles of rain, and a windy day or two.

Dick and Erma Albert had a good week. Erma was glad to go to the chiropractor, on Wednesday. She planned to have pies for Friday’s Senior Citizens’ Dinner, but needed some supplies, so on Thursday, she and Dick went shopping in Spearfish. She got the pies ready for Friday, in honor of Dick’s birthday. There were a few other Senior Citizens celebrating birthdays this week, so some other pies appeared, and there was plenty for all. Erma saved a piece of lemon pie, and sent it home to Delores Sperle. On Sunday, Dick and Erma went to the Catholic Church, and then had lunch at Saloon Number Three with Father Brian and John and Carol Helms.

Alvin Cordell spent some time working on the new shed at the Horton place, this week. His hunters had all left for home. Ryan Cordell and Charlie Casteel went to Ronda Cordell’s to help with shipping. On Friday, Marlee went to Belle Fourche to see Cade and Rhys Pearson in the Veteran’s Day Program at their school. Marlee stayed over night, and on Saturday, got to see the girls basketball games. Kynlee Cordell played in Belle Fourche on Saturday, and it was a good day, because her team won all of their games. Kymber Cordell was playing in Faith, and her team won, too.

Doug Davis and Morgan Buck spent the week moving cattle home. They brought the cows down from the Short Pines, and in from other directions. On Thursday, Doug went to help Clint Zolnoski and Ronda Cordell with shipping. Doug and Julia, both, had dentist appointments on Wednesday, and they also had an insurance appointment that day. Julia did a lot of cooking in preparation for Sunday’s Ethnic Supper.

Shirley and Junior Melum had a quiet week. The weather had been windy a couple of days, but away from the cold wind, the sun was warm. The trees along the river have lost their leaves. Ernie, Rachel and Tommy worked cattle, and sold calves this week. They had hoped to sell calves last week, but the weather did not cooperate, so they waited until this week for that. Ernie and Tommy helped Karen Odell move their new glider benches to the cemetery on Saturday afternoon.

On Monday, Bryce, Dawn and Dorothy Padden went to Buffalo to watch the junior high girls’ basketball games against Belle Fourche. On Wednesday, Dawn and Dorothy went into Camp Crook for the Diligent Doers Extension Club meeting. Janet Odell was hostess, and they had their meeting at Wolfy’s. On Friday, Dawn and Dorothy made a quick trip to Ekalaka. Then, Bryce, Dawn and Dorothy went to Buffalo for another junior high girls’ basketball game, and this time it was against Bowman. Ashley cooked a wonderful lamb supper for the family, some east-river hunters, the O’Toole’s, their New York hunters (and a few more), on Saturday. On Sunday, Dorothy went in to Camp Crook for the Little Missouri Church Ethnic Supper.

Nellie Howell invited Ronda Cordell to join her and her daughter at the Wagon Wheel for lunch on Tuesday. Ronda stopped at the Bergstrom place on her way home. Linda had had to give Annie a good bath due to a skunk encounter that morning. The highlight of her week was shipping. Dague Trucking hauled her steer calves to the Belle Fourche Livestock Exchange, on Thursday. There was quite a crew of helpers. at both home, and up above.

Denise Zolnoski lined out breakfast and lunch, on Thursday, and also on Friday, when Mindy Yates and her assistant, Ayla, came to ultrasound the cows. Curt Zolnoski, and Erik and Blaz Berglund came from Rapid City, on Wednesday evening. They stayed with Clint and Denise. Gene and Kim Secrest were there to help, too. Chad Zolnoski drove up on Thursday, from Gillette. He headed home that afternoon, and Ronda, Curt, and Clint went to watch the sale. Others helping on Thursday included Ryan and Tawni Cordell, Doug Davis, Charlie Casteel, and Diane Wear. Diane had come Wednesday and stayed through to Friday. Denise Zolnoski attended Darby’s Veteran’s Day festivities at school, while the others were at the sale.

Gene and Clint hauled some cull cows to St. Onge, Saturday morning. On Sunday morning, Clint and Ronda sorted some cows. Ronda drove to the Bullock Hall in the afternoon, for the Christmas Craft Fair. Ronda stopped to have coffee with Cheryl Burghduff and Reuban Balderas as she was heading home. She stopped in town for the Little Missouri Church’s Ethnic Supper at the Camp Crook Community Center on her way home, too. It took her a while to get home, because she stopped and attempted to take pictures of the Northern Lights.

On Friday, Karen Odell went to the bank in Ekalaka, but discovered that the bank was closed. She discovered other Tie Creek people there, who also had made the trip to the bank to no avail. She was able to deposit, got some groceries and a turkey, and had lunch at the Wagon Wheel. It was a nice day for a drive. Karen drove up to the Bullock hall with some artwork, on Saturday, Kay and Jack Ovitz met her to show her the display table. Kay had brought some of her crocheted hats, mittens, and other gift articles.

On Saturday afternoon, Ernie and Tommy Melum came to Karen’s, with a horse trailer, to get the new glider benches for the Capitol Cemetery. Karen followed them back, and they all got to sit and relax, enjoying the new benches, before going back home. On Sunday, Karen went to church and played for the hymns at the Methodist Church. Yvonne Yoder conducted the service, Lynnette Wolfe gave the children’s sermon, and Sam Cordell gave the sermon. Then, Karen went again to the Bullock Hall, where her art was displayed for the Christmas craft show. Some of the artwork had been created as cover illustrations for her books, so she brought the books along. She sold a few books, and enjoyed visiting with lots of people.

“Lord, give me the determination and tenacity of a weed.”