Obituaries

?What's the forecast for Wednesday?? we all had the same question. We were all hoping for a beautiful sunny day, perfect for our annual ?school picnic?.It's a day we all look forward to. In the forenoon, the school children, in our little country school, ranging from grades 1-8 present the program they had practiced the weeks before.After a tasty meal, anyone is welcome to join in some good games of softball.So...

It always seemed to be a crisp summer morning when my sister Anna and I would crawl to the back of my parent's minivan ? my dad in the driver seat, my mom in the passenger ? suitcases stacked in the back with jackets, pillows, odds and ends stuffed in between.My dad would pull the van out of the driveway; we would watch the garage door close and then we were off. Every time I could feel the responsibilities of ...

If you have a dedicated vegetable garden space or raised beds, chances are good that you have already sowed lettuce and radish seeds. Fortunately, those with little or no gardening space or experience can also get in on the fun and satisfaction of growing some salad components.Choose large, but shallow bowls, equipped with holes for drainage, or the sort of large pots typically planted with ornamentals. Purchase ...

There's a carved, wooden statue of St. Francis and the birds in a yard that I pass frequently. It's nearly life-size, and I always take note of it. I love the idea of St. Francis preaching to the birds.As the story goes, he addressed them as his ?little sisters, the birds? and reminded them of all the gifts that God had blessed them with. They could revel in the freedom of flight and they did not need to spin or ...

The following story was written by one of my readers, Janet Swaby, from Unionville. Janet, after reading the story I wrote about our bucket calf, Blossom, couldn't resist telling me about her bucket calf, Lucky. And I couldn't resist sharing Lucky's story with you.Don't assume that the butcher shop is the only ending for a bucket calf. Our favorite bucket calf was Lucky. She was a ?first twin.? Many times, when ...

??the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.? -Matthew 12:40First, credit to John Stonestreet at Breakpoint.org for spawning this devotional during Holy Week.You may have thought of the question, ?If Jesus died and was in the tomb by Friday night, spent Saturday there, and rose Sunday morning before the women arrived, how can we say He was in the tomb for three days and three ...

By Rev. Mark R. Youngquist, Swedesburg Evangelical Lutheran Church How many times have you hoped and prayed for something to happen in your life and it did not? How many times have you hoped and prayed for someone you love, and it did not turn out as you hoped? When this happens, a person may ask whether God has abandoned us, or whether God is there at all.This is precisely what was happening to the Christians ...

Meanwhile, back on the farm, our 11 hens were so curious about the new calf, Blossom, they laid 12 eggs the day of her arrival.That's the first time we have gotten more eggs than we have hens. One of them outdid herself! But there's even more excitement in the hen house. Four new layers have been added to our flock.One of my readers from Keokuk passed my chicken stories along to her son who had 30 hens and six ...

The first time I gave organ donation any kind of serious thought was when doctors were asking me, in the kindest way possible, if I would like to donate my organs if my open heart surgery went less than favorably.When I turned 16, I passed my driving test (barely) on the first try. It was a no brainer when my friend's mom, who ran the license bureau in Kahoka, asked if I wanted to be an organ donor. I had seen ...

Roberta and I were 70 years a part in age when we first hung out together. I'd never imagined I'd spend a warm June night with a 92-year-old lady from my church, but I decided to take the opportunity available to me anyway.When I was in first grade, she was a volunteer and helped me learn to read, served me lunch and always wore a pantsuit in a different color every time I saw her. I saw her at church every ...