About Town

By Ida and Doris Lessenden

September 10, 2004

I was pleased to see Missy (Melissa Barlow) Jones at the Eads Volleyball game Friday evening. She and her husband, Trent, and family, now live on the Barlow ranch north of Chivington, They were at the game to watch her daughter, Erika, who is a freshman play in the matches. The Jones’ other daughter, Brooklynn, goes to Pre-School and attends Little Sprouts Day Care Center on days when her mother works there.

Pastor Dale and Juantia Noska, led the chapel services at Weisbrod Sunday. Juanita who is a registered nurse started working at Weisbrod Hospital last week. The residents used new hymn books donated in memory of Pearl Hainer.

Clayton and Gloria Peck were the Honored Senior Citizens at the volleyball games Friday evening. Clayton graduated from Eads and Gloria from Kit Carson. They have been avid Eagle fans through the years for their sons, Kip and Kim, their grandson, Justin, and now their granddaughters, Brittany, Braylyn, and Leisha. Our Lady Eagles won all the volleyball matches over Stratton on Friday.

Annie Cole was the Honored Senior Citizen during the Eads Football game Friday. Annie has lived in surrounding communities but is happy to live in Eads now where she can follow the activities of her grandchildren, Vance, a junior football player, and Kyla, a senior cheerleader and little Austin who is in pre-school.

Alice Glover of Eads and her sister, Mary Hood of Pueblo flew to Minnesota last week to surprise one of their old friends at the celebration of his 80^th birthday party with his nine children’s families and friends. Alice said, "It was a wonderful surprise and we enjoyed seeing the country. We spent one day at the Mall of America, which is the largest mall in North America. It has an amusement park right inside the middle of the mall." This gentleman was a friend of Wayne and Alice when they lived in Arizona.

Carroll and Mona Walker were glad to have their son, Dr. Dan Walker, wife, Veronica and daughters, Abby and Cameo, home over Labor Day Weekend. They drove up from Bossier City, Louisiana, where Danny is a Chiropractic Physician at Barksdale Air Force Base. Saturday evening, the Walkers hosted a large family dinner party in their home for friends and relatives. On Sunday all the Walkers spent the day in Colorado Springs site seeing.

Our best wishes to Elwin and Jo Forrester of Eads on their 50^th Wedding Anniversary. They have been such a blessing to our community since they retired in Eads. They went to Idaho to celebrate where two of their sons and families live. Another son and family went from California to Idaho to join the celebrations and family reunion.

Cal and Cindy Turner, a brother and sister, gospel singing team sang and spoke their "Heroes" Program at the Haswell and Eads United Methodist Churches Sunday morning. Both parishes of worshipers enjoyed having them at their services.

Megan Fickenscher was selected to be the 2005 Kiowa County Rodeo Queen Sunday night. Junior Princess is Addie Seifried and Micah Crawford will be the Tiny Tot Princess for 2005. A huge "thank you" and congratulations goes to senior, Hollie Watson, who served as the Queen this year and to Addie Seifried who has been the Junior Princess and to Tania Hansen who was the Tiny Tot Princess. These young ladies have ridden their horses in several area parades. Their families and friends are proud of them and thank them for their practice, work, expense in cowgirl attire, horses, trailers and other goods. You will see them at the county fair.

We welcome baby Kyler Anthony Frazee to our community. He joins his parents, Kyle and Melinda Frazee and big brother, Jalen, at their home on Rittgers Street in Eads. Grandparents Brent and Pam Frazee and Alvin and Barbara Lopez welcome him as well as great grandparents, Bud and Muriel Wiser, Sharon Cooke, and Betty Frazee.

Shelly Van Landingham, the Colorado State Forester, is often about town pruning trees doing other forestry type jobs. She gives advice to individuals also. We thank, Shelly for her work here.

Nicolle (Nikki Hopkins) Lennox of Eads graduated last month from the Lamar Community College Licensed Practical Nursing program. She has already started classes to be a registered nurse.

Marisa Dixon’s photo story in the Press about the Weisbrod Staff’s Backwards Softball team sounded like great fun. Good work EHS Class of 2005 in hosting this tournament.

The Regional Art Show has been judged by Pasty Wollert Oxley and the art pieces are on display at the Artist of the Plains Gallery in Eads on Highway 287 and Wansted. The show with the winning ribbons and prizes will be opened to the public from September 8 to 18^th at l0:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Some art pieces are for sale also.

Lisa Hester of the Hi Plains Salon had a drawing for a "make-over" as a special for the county fair. Congratulations to Tara Mitchell of Eads who was the winner and will have her make-over Tuesday. Lisa brought delight to Della Mae Brice Monday by going and giving her a perm.

We especially thank, Tanya Lane of the Weisbrod Activity Department, who helped organize and host Ida Lessenden’s 92^nd birthday party Sunday afternoon. Wanda Lessenden, Shannon Dixon, and Dreama Buck served chocolate and white raspberry cakes with ice cream. A lovely lemon cake was baked and decorated in white designs by our niece, Glenda Stoker. It was ornately decorated with fresh red roses and daisies. We appreciate the folks who came and those who have been sending cards for our Mother’s birthday day on the 11^th.

We are sure that Ruthanna Jacobs is grateful to all the people who have been volunteers for the Kiowa County Museum in Eads this summer.

County employees and volunteers have been working lots of hours preparing for the Kiowa County Fair this week. There are many popular events like the morning breakfasts and the beef and pork barbeque lunches that are a real hit with hundreds of people too. The exhibits, the Parade on Saturday, 4-H-FFA livestock sales, the music concert, and other activities are planned for the four days of the fair. Have a great week!

County 4-H members made their way to the Colorado State Fair Saturday to perform in the State contests. Shalyn Laird and Jessica James sang solos. Remington Brandt and Jessica James played piano solos and Cardon and Remington Brandt played an instrumental duet. Jessica and Alicia James both were in the Mistress of Ceremonies contest. We don’t know yet the results of those competitions but as one mother said, "The important point is that they are on stage and have the experience of performing."

Kit Carson Day was successful and a happy day. The Melodrama gained much acclaim as well as the parade, barbeque, rodeo, children’s games, and displays. Jennifer and Jayce Negley and Robin Musgrave went with me to help decorate and ride on the Trinity Lutheran Church’s float.

After several years of wishing for rain and praying for rain, it did come. We are glad to tell the readers who don’t live in Southeastern Colorado, that our prairie lands are so beautiful now. The cattle are contented as they graze among the various tall grasses. It reminds me of Psalm 50:10 which my Daddy liked, "….the cattle of a thousand hills are mine".

We are so relieved and glad to see Wayne Singer out and driving about town. Medical science has made some great discoveries.