CAPITOLETTER

November 11, 2024

Ronda Cordell made a trip to the bank in Buffalo, on Monday. She was afraid the mail would be at ‘Pony Express’ speed through some far-off post office. Some of her mail has a new address, and the bank has changed her address to Capitol Rock Township with a South Dakota zip code. No one has been able to explain this change, or why this change has occurred. Ronda called the newspaper and Seaton Publishing, who tried to change the address back, but the computer would not allow the change. The letter had originated from the post office in Sioux Falls, and when Ronda called them, they said Capital Rock Township was the designated closest town to her residence. Ronda laughed, and asked if they were aware that Capital Rock was a huge rock formation about three miles away in the middle of a national forest. The man was of the understanding that people in the south of Carter County had been designated a Medicine Rock Township for city closest to them. Some of Ronda’s mail has taken three weeks to arrive, since that change.

Ronda went to Ekalaka to vote on Tuesday. The country’s voter turn-out was huge. Having lunch and visiting at the Wagon Wheels is always enjoyable, when she goes that way. Ronda joined hunters at the trailer for lasagna, on Wednesday. Their hunt was successful, and they headed home on Saturday morning. Ronda went to see if she could get to the elk. She had watched them the evening before, as they came in. She found no elk, but stopped by Hannah's for coffee. Later, Toney and Linda came down for some horse feed. They stayed for a sandwich, and some visiting. Justin, Krista and Kyra Kerr trailed their last pairs of cattle from the hills to put in Ronda’s lot. Les Kreitel came back with them again on Sunday morning, to load and inspect the pairs to go to Bowman Livestock. On Sunday evening, Ronda went to Camp Crook for the Little Missouri Ethnic Supper. There was an extremely huge crowd, and as always, good food.

On Thursday, a hunter came from Iowa to Alvin and Marlee Cordell’s to do some archery hunting. Alvin went out with the hunter, while Ryan, Tawni and a crew of help worked cows on Friday. They shipped steers and weaned calves. Wade and Ashley Pearson, and their family, helped. Some of the other helpers were: Ivan and Mary Teigen, and Bobby Cordell. On Saturday, Wade, Ryan, and Kent and Amanda Williams weaned calves at the Loken place. Sunday morning brought some frost. Marlee went in to the Ethnic Supper in the evening at Camp Crook. Then Alvin and his hunter joined her at the Ethnic Supper, where there was a huge crowd of people.

Dick and Erma Albert were glad to have their daughter and son-in-law from Omeha visit, this week. They spent time sorting and arranging things for Erma. On Wednesday, Dick and Erma brought home supper from Saloon Number Three for the group. Their company left on Thursday morning. On Friday, Dick and Erma went to the Senior Citizen dinner, and Erma stayed afterward to play cards. They went to church on Sunday, and then had lunch at Saloon Number Three with the Helms and Erk families.

Lynn Gustafson made a trip to town for groceries on Monday. Then on Thursday, Linda Matthews joined her for a trip to Bowman to the hair stylist. Lynn spent lots of time, this week, cooking and getting ready for the Little Missouri Ethnic Supper. Sunday was the big day for the supper, and the crowd was so huge that there was only a couple of cup cakes and a few hot dogs left at the end of the day.

Doug and Julia Davis went in to Camp Crook to vote, on Tuesday. Doug helped Latham’s preg-test on Wednesday. Then Julia took Darla Hammel to Spearfish to visit the doctor, and have tests done. Julia’s car was finally fixed and she can take back the loaner car she has been using. On Friday, Doug took cows to the sale at St Onge for Billy Roadifer. Julia made a trip to Ekalaka to get a hair cut, on Saturday afternoon, and they both went to the Ethnic Supper in Camp Crook on Sunday.

On Tuesday, Bryce, Dawn and Dorothy Padden went to Macintosh for the high school volleyball matches. Then Dawn went with Michelle Padden to the games at Faith on Thursday. These were very close and exciting and Harding County finally won in the fifth game to go on to play next Tuesday. Bryce and Dorothy spent the day at the cattle sale in Belle Fourche, that day. Al was still visiting from Wisconsin, and Lester and Marty Oster came from Arizona. Then on Sunday, three hunters from New York came out. Two had driven out, and they had picked the other one up at the Rapid City airport. On Sunday evening, Dorothy went in to the Ethnic Supper in Camp Crook.

Karen Odell had a wonderful week. On Tuesday, she picked up Junior and Shirley Melum, and they made a trip to Alzada, so that Junior and Shirley could vote. Then the Melums took Karen out for lunch at the truck stop in Alzada. The hamburgers were huge, and the onions rings were delicious. The meal was enough to last them way into the night, and they also got to visit with Bobby and Gay Arpan and Doran Higgins, too. Karen had already voted, so she didn’t have to drive to Ekalaka, that day. On Thursday, Mollie Smith came to Karen’s from a business meeting in North Dakota. Micki and Murphy Hinds came to Karen’s from Billings, where their flight had landed from Tacoma, Washington. Then Charlene Rosencranz brought Kyia Smith to join the group. Kyia had been staying with her other Grandma for a couple of days. Things suddenly became lively, and Hywel was enjoying the whole gathering.

On Friday, Mollie, Micki, Kyia and Murphy baked a layer cake to celebrate Karen’s eightieth birthday. Kyia and Murphy decorated the cake, and Hywel joined in the singing of ‘Happy Birthday’. It was a beautiful day, and they all spent some of the day outside. Mollie and Micki did all of the cooking, and Karen felt like a queen waiting to be served. The girls also repaired antique lamps, and helped move a cupboard and a desk for Karen. Cousins Murphy and Kyia always have a great time together.

On Saturday, Micki took Karen to Wolffy’s, where she got her pick-up after an oil change, while Mollie was working at home. On Sunday morning, they all had to leave to catch their flights home. Micki and Murphy went toward Billings. Mollie and Kyia went to Rapid City, and things quieted down a lot after that.

Should we criticize someone who wishes for something they don’t have? If you have it already, there would be no need to wish for it.