CAPITOLETTER

February 26, 2024

Ronda Cordell’s trip to the Little Missouri Soup Supper, last Sunday, turned out to be quite interesting. A half mile west of Chancey and Megan’s, she ruined a tire. It was dark by the time the doughnut was mounted, but she managed to get there in time to enjoy the delicious soup. She ended up catching a ride home with the Zolnoski’s, as the doughnut was hissing air when she arrived at the Camp Crook Area Community Center. On Monday morning, the barn building crew was back at their job. The barn has really taken shape this week, and will no doubt, be finished by February’s end. Gary Johnson delivered more supplies to Ronda’s, on Monday afternoon. Curt Zolnoski came to Clint and Denise’s, on Tuesday evening, to stay to help with brisket tagging the yearling heifers, on Wednesday. He also measured for the building of some barn doors.

Gene Secrest helped, this week, with the tagging and ranch projects. Denise and Abby helped with tagging and dinner. Ronda thought that the day they tagged was the best day of the week, weather-wise. The wind gave a bit of bite to several days at the end of the week, so Ronda stayed in to do some baking during those days.

Erik Berglund came from Rapid City, after work on Friday. The red storage unit was given a ride home from the Berstrom place, on Saturday. Ronda drove up to watch it be loaded, but it was already on the trailer and ready to head east. Tony Hannah said that it only took fifteen minutes to get it loaded, and Linda Hannah told her that moving it opened up a beautiful view from the kitchen window. Diane Wear came over to visit and see the new barn, on Saturday. On Sunday, she drove Ronda in to Camp Crook for her car, before she headed back to Ekalaka. Ronda ate dinner at Over the Edge.

Erma Albert visited Crystal at the Clinic, on Tuesday. It seems that her allergies were acting up again. By Friday, they went to the Senior Citizen chicken dinner, where fish was also served for the season of Lent. They ate fish, but brought home some chicken so they could eat it the next day. On Sunday, they went to church at the Catholic Church, and stayed for the pot luck dinner and Bible study in the afternoon.

Alvin and Marlee Cordell had gone to the Little Missouri Soup Supper last week, too. On Tuesday, they went in to Camp Crook to vote in the school election. They sorted heifers on Wednesday, and now already have three calves. They went to see the girls’ high school basketball game at Buffalo, on Thursday. The girls played Timber Lake. On Sunday, Alvin and Marlee met with Gerald and Becky Burghduff and Terry and Laurie Goehring, to have supper at Over The Edge in Camp Crook.

Doug and Julia Davis made a trip to Bowman, on Tuesday, for an appointment at the eye doctor’s, and they voted in the school election in Camp Crook. On Wednesday, they went to the Fair Board Supper at Blossoms and Brew in Buffalo. On Saturday, Julia and Kay Latham planned a baby shower for Mackenzie Buck and Aislinn at the Camp Crook Community Center, while Doug stayed home and worked on the pick-up.

Junior and Shirley Melum had a quiet week. Shirley was glad to finish edging her quilt. It had become quite difficult, because she was douing hand sewing to attach black to black, and it was quite difficult to see. Ernie, Rachel and Tommy Melum went to church in Baker on Sunday. Then they had lunch with Rachel’s sister, Sarah and David Waterland and her mother, Carol Kalbach.

Dorothy Padden had another busy week. She rode along with Bryce and Dawn Padden to the girls’ basketball game in Buffalo, on Tuesday evening. That game was against Bison. On Thursday, they were back again for the Region 8B girls’ basketball tournament game against Timber Lake.

On Saturday, Brandon and Ashley’s family headed east to the state high school wrestling competition. Their daughter, Kanyn, had advanced to the state competition in girls’ wrestling, and both Brandon and Ashley were coaches. Bryce and Dawn were needed at home to do the chores, but they, too, got away on Saturday, to go to Baker for the AAU wrestling competition. Bryce was coach of the young group from Ekalaka that competed, and they were glad to have their coach there with them.

On Monday, Bill Anders stopped by at Karen Odell’s to do some telephone work. Then, Karen spent time this week, gathering tax information and records from last year. She made a trip to Wolffy’s, on Wednesday, and took letters to the post office. Karen’s cousin, Ralph Anderson called from Florida to visit on Friday, and learned that our snow had melted. The strong, cold wind on Friday was directly from the west, dropping the wind-chill way below the real temperature.

Karen Odell visited with her brothers, Ron and Jim Evans in Ohio. She also visited with high school classmate, Bill Foulkes, and college friend, Jeanne Dineen. Mollie Smith and Micki Odell called, too. Karen visited at Chancey Odell and Megan’s a few days this week. Chancey and Megan went to White Sulfur Springs for his grandfather, Wally Owens’s, funeral on Friday. Wally had been born near Ekalaka and had lived in this area for much of his life, and had many friends here.

On Saturday, Karen got to watch neighbor, Kanyn Padden, wrestle in the South Dakota State High School wrestling tournament. Cody and Kellan Odell were at the state tournament, and texted to remind Karen that she might get to see it on-line on YouTube. John Latham and Brock Besler were there as referees, and Cody had talked to other Harding County people. Karen had to search through some videos of various mats, but found a couple of Kanyn’s matches, and both were very exciting. Karen learned that Kanyn had won the first match, but lost the second and had to ‘wrestle-back’ to stay in the competition.

Her matches were very close and exciting, and she won sixth in the state as first Harding County girl wrestler to place at state, and also as third generation in the Padden family to place at state for Harding County wrestling.

This week, we were saddened to hear of the death of Charlotte Ottmo and also of Wally Owens. We will miss them both very much, and hope you will keep the George Oleson and Chancey Odell families in your prayers.

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