United Presbyterian Home News

Mildred Houseal?s daughter Sandy Suter accompanied her mother to the band concert in Central Park on Thursday evening. Mildred and Sandy were joined there by Mildred?s granddaughter Erin Thorius. Erin played saxophone with the band for one summer and the three generations of women enjoyed listening to the music on a beautiful summer evening.

The Rev. Kitch attended Camp Reese last week as she has done for many years as chaplin and Camp Reese board member. Kitch reports that campers were able to work around a couple of raining periods and still enjoy each activity. UPH employees Donald Bricker, Harold Cline, Bev Holmes, Floyd Miller and Jeff Sanders vacationed at Camp Reese and enjoyed seeing their friends and former co-workers Tracy Altenhofen, Bill Gilpin and Don Gorham. Donald Bricker reports that one of the highlights for him included catching seven good-sized fish in one day on the catch and release program. He also fell into the lake with all of his clothes on as a result of getting his foot caught on an object. Everyone enjoyed a canoe ride and the dance on the last night before returning home.

David Draheim crossed an item off of his bucket list when he and Linda Boston traveled to the western states of North Dakota, Idaho, and Montana which completed his tour of all 50 states. They traveled 4,400 miles in nine days, also visiting Washington and Oregon states with a drive along the Columbia River Gorge with its beautiful waterfalls and scenery. They had lunch with friends and former neighbors of Dave?s while in Spokane, Washington.

Carl and Martha Chalupa also returned recently from a trip to the western states of South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana and ended up in Utah to visit family. On their trip they visited Yellowstone National Park, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse and traveled the Badlands. The highlight of the trip was spending time with their four daughters and grandchildren while in Utah.

Esther Bordwell spent the past week with her son John and his family in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Esther traveled to Minneapolis with John following his stay in Washington to attend his 50th high school class reunion. Esther enjoyed a lovely time with family and was able to attend the musical production of ?South Pacific? and dinner at a Minneapolis Theater. Esther was accompanied home by her son Bill who had traveled to the Minneapolis area to attend a wedding. The travel was all in good timing.

Duretta Niemeyer enjoyed a week-long visit from daughter, Susan Niemeyer of Torrance, California. While here Susan instructed her mother on uses of the Internet and the tablet that she had given her. Duretta was amazed at the information she can access and is excited to do more exploring. Susan left on Thursday morning to spend a day visiting high school friends in the Des Moines/Ankeny area where she grew up and also a day at the beloved Iowa State Fair before returning to home.

Bette Frantz enjoyed an overnight visit from her great-granddaughter Willow Cole this week. Willow was collecting fabric scraps to go along with the sewing machine Bette is handing down to her. Bette and Willow share a love for sewing.

Classics Et Cetera for Aug. 18 included the overture to ?The Ruins of Athens? by Ludwig van Beethoven; ?Wedding Day at Troldhaugen? by Edvard Grieg; ?Berceuse? by Armas Järnefelt; ?I Had a Dream, Dear? performed by Jack Daniel?s Original Silver Cornet Band; ?Dies irae? from ?Requiem? by Hector Berlioz; 2nd Movement of ?Petite Symphony? by Charles Gounod; ?The Thunderer? by John Philip Sousa.

The incidental music to the play ?The Ruins of Athens? was written by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1812. It was all for the celebration of the opening of Europe?s largest theater, the Hungarian Theater in Pest, Hungary. The play?s title refers to when the goddess Minerva is freed from her 2,000-year sleep conferred on her by Zeus. Mercury takes her to Athens, and she is horrified to find it in ruins. Mercury then shows her Pest (not Budapest yet) where the Muses fled after Athens? fall. Pest is hailed as a latter-day Athens, and all is well. The theater burned down in 1847.