SUMMER NEWS LETTER #10
 
SENT 07-20-07
 
From Barb Goff A26:  Just got back from a wonderful 10 day trip to Denton, Tx where I spent time visiting with my daughter, Jeanmarie.   We had a great vacation – went to the horse races and broke even. (Can't complain about that.) Saw Harry Potter and the "Pirates" and just lounged around the pool, soaking up the forbidden sun. But glad to be back in the valley.
 
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The Bowen's ( W104 ) Hi all, this is Nancy Just wanted to tell all THANK YOU on Monday July 2 that was my birthday and boy did I have a good one. It started in the morning. Our neighbor across the way, Donna brought over coffee and rolls and casserole. Then my other neighbors,   Russ & Pat made the prettiest card. Then at card bingo all the good people signed a card and sang me THE song .....oh ya and cake ...............WOW so far I like getting older
THANKS TO ALL .............Nancy
 
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From Bob and Doris Tevault (W103) Hello everyone. We made it home today and were so very glad. We had a good time in Florida with our daughter and her family. Our grandson graduated in May.  Then we went to Indiana to our granddaughter's graduation in j\June. We had a good time there too. Got to see our other daughter and her family. We had a lot of fun with the grandboys. We stayed an extra week hoping that our granddaughter would have her baby, but not to be. We had a bad drive home as we got into rain in Texarcana all the way to Alice. We are so glad to be home. Hope everyone is enjoying their families this summer. Hope to see u all in the fall.   Bob & Doris  
 
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From Pat and TK Clemens (C42): Hi BG People:  Pat and I just got back home from a 3 week trip to South Dakota to visit with Pat's brothers and sisters.  He drove the Harley and I followed in the jeep pulling the camper.  I had the dog and cat with me and actually Chiquita (dog) made a good co-pilot.  Pat got to visit with 3 of his sisters and 2 brothers.  Went from camping in Mitchell, on to Rapid City and camped up in the Black Hills.  Rode the Harley all thru the hills.  Got to see lots of buffalo, deer, elk.  Took a ride everyday we were there.  Ended up putting 500 miles on the bike just in the Black Hills alone. The only problem we had, were the bugs.  I bet SD has more gnats and flies than the whole United States.  Still have other trips to make to visit my relatives in St Louis MO and Springfield OH. We are  planning on taking a week and going to Kentucky, such a beautiful state.  Thanks Barb for all your hard work. Looking forward to getting back to BG in late September.  Have a good summer. TK and Pat  
 
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Hi all, this is Doris Hott (D16) Central Lake Mi.,.  I went to see Floyd Liscomb yesterday.  He is now 104 years old and has Pancreatic Cancer.  He is at Meadowbrook  Medical Care Facility , on 4543 S. M 88 Hwy., Bellaire, Mi. 49615. He has lost a lot of weight and is unable to eat much.  He is alert and up in a wheelchair.  He showed me all his kids and his cards.  It is a lovely place but not home.   Better news.  My Grandson, Adam Hott was home for 2 weeks from Iraq on leave.   He is a VFW member and marched in this group carrying their flag.  He looked wonderful.  We had a great parade and spectacular fireworks after dark.  The day started with a pancake breakfast put on  by the Masons.   Then we went to the Book sale put on by the local library.  Then the parade and  the venders had their displays in the park.  The local church had Strawberry Shortcake with Ice cream and topping. For Supper the Lion's had Chicken Barbeque and all the trimmings.  It was a busy day with fun for all..   My family, all but 5, were here.   And the weather cooperated nicely. A couple of weeks ago we 5 sisters got together for our annual reunion.  We enjoy that every year.   We met at my sisters farm in Crosswell, Mi..   They raise Quarter Horses.  The foals are fun to watch. Sorry to hear about Andy passing. I look forward to your newsletters.  Keep them coming.  Doris  
 
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From Dale & Jan Riggins, #513, Il.  We have just returned from a trip to Mable & Jim Herbert's house (#E 01) at Winnebago, Il., where the B/G people gathered for 4 days to enjoy visiting and eating Herbert's cooking.  We arrived on Sun. Jul 8th and left July 10th to travel to Gurnee, Il., where our granddaughter performs at 6 Flags.  She sings and dances in the shows and we really enjoyed seeing her perform.  That Tues. July 10 was our 54th wedding anniversary and we enjoyed half of the day with B/G people and the other half with our son and family at Gurnee.  There were around 41 B/G people at Herberts and nobody came away hungry.  What a feast.  We enjoyed a campfire around the lake and some played games in the party house.  Some of you may remember Blossom Winslow, (#104) who has moved to Dekalb, Il., and we stopped to see her on our way home today.  She has a very nice apartment and we had a good visit, her husband Les passed away last fall and was Dale's first cousin.  Dale made a visit to our local hospital on arrival home with a bladder infection and they put him on an antibiotic for 7 days.  He is wiped out and needs to rest.  Thank you Barb for doing the newsletter.  Dale and Jan

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Hi, Barb, this is Jacque Shell, Don and I live at C-22 .  I'm sure you know who we are.  Well, we're home here in Michigan and keeping very busy as usual. Our time here is going so quickly!  Next thing we know it will be time to pack up and return to the valley.  I have been spending most of my time learning new clogging routines to torture the Texas Country Cloggers with when I get down there.  I know you send out a newsletter each month and will be able to reach a lot of the people that I cannot contact.  I am going in for some back surgery Aug. 1st.  I know that my dancers would want to know that.  I will need 6-12 weeks for recovery but after that should be my old mean self again.  I will have titanium posts put into the 3rd and 4th disks in my lower spine.  It seems that the pain I have been having in my hips and knees has generated from these injured disks.  This was a childhood injury.  I wish all of you will keep me in your prayers.  If you have time write me at 12450 Wamplers Lake Road, Brooklyn, Mi. 49230 or e-mail me at flyingfeet1@verizon.net.  Thanks Barb,  look forward to seeing you soon.   Jacque
 
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From Mable and Jim Herbert E 1; We had our Illinois (Texas) gathering at our house and there were 41 people there. Dale &Jan Riggens, E-1,Jim $ Lois Tersptra ,322,Gary Grant 325,Dave & Freida Cisna D-29 ,Harold & Lil  Doddeck C11, Richard & Sharon Hall 501, Dean & Betty DeVore W30, Frank & Marge Krall 553, Bob & Dee Kanak B38, Ed Prizier & Lois Jackson W36, Dick & Marlene Koglin B25, Pat & T.K. Clemens C42, Warren and Ida Fox E39, Art & Mildred Bridgeland B33, Ralph & Laverne Dykstra B32, Betty Skillings A28, Ron & Bonnie Shultz D9, Larry & Shirley Knight 501, Bill& Joyce Brown B33, Jim & Betty Schermse Martin Valley , Gene Puckett(my son) were the ones that were there. Lots of food and fun. Jim & I enjoyed having it at our place this year. Mable Herbert E-1
 
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From Betty DeVore W30, IL: We hope all is well with all the residents there in the park....We are having a good summer with rain and hot weather...The crops look great here and we are happy for the farmers in the area...We just got back Thursday evening from being up north...41 of us motored in Monday to Jim and Mable Herbert's farm..Some from Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and central Illinois...Of course Mable and Jim were prepared for us with lots of food and games and even a beautiful campfire by the   lake in the evenings. Golfing was good and weather was great for the
golfers. We women went mall shopping of course and one day several of us visited the Japanese gardens in Rockford...Of course each night we had poker, bid euchre, hand and foot, and orbit too..We all tried our turn at bean bag toss and hillbilly golf...Never a moment we didn't enjoy chatting and laughing together. Jim and Mable fixed us breakfast, lunch and dinners fit for kings and queens and we devoured it royally...Several local residents who spend winters in the valley were very hospitable too along with Mable and Jim..One of the highlights was going next door to Jims childhood home where the dairy farm is...Dennis, Jim's nephew, who now handles Jim's farming operations let us watch the milking procedure...Man those cows give MILK !!!!..Dennis said he starts at 5 and works till 7, morning and night both. Three cows are in the stalls at once, and when one is done she leaves and another takes her place...It was really interesting...When we were on the farm and had a cow or two, you stuck the bucket under there and milked by hand...lol...There is lots to tell about the operation but you'll have to ask one of us who were there about more details....We can't thank Jim and Mable enough for having us and sharing their home with us...They are very special people !!!!.AND A GREAT TIME WAS HAD BY ALL....FOR SURE
 
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From Mary and Duane Poole ; We are doing pretty good for a couple Sr. Citizens.  Not doing much. We will probably go to Texas the end of Oct.  if both are able .Hope you are all well.  We are having a family reunion tomorrow.  Hope the weather is not too hot.  We still have not had much rain. Friends from Bentsen Grove and Ill. are going to be visiting here Tuesday and staying over.  We are excited.  Jean Clark and Duane Stephens.  (In the apts)  Last week we met other friends from Bentsen Grove and Ind. In Cambridge, OH and went out to eat and spent the eve with them.  Pat and Alice Mae Patton E 40.  And there daughter Jane.  Such fun, catching up on old news.  Seems as though there have been plenty of changes going on in the valley. We hope Bonnie is still doing fine.
More later. Mary and Duane

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Shirley Kemp W-191 (NE).  Faye & Carl Ryan (W-231- OK) and I spent a few days in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  We drove down to Holland and had a very pleasant visit with Hope and her son Gregg.  Hope looked great and Gregg is up and walking about with a walker.  He has had the hardware removed from his leg.  Our time with Hope went by much to quickly.  However, we couldn't stay longer because Faye and Carl were anxious to get back to Oklahoma.  Their daughter Carolyn's home was flooded and completely destroyed.  The oil that spilled out of the Coffeyville, KS refinery came right down the river and left a horrible mess.  Carl and Faye will be quite busy the next few months helping them build a new home.  
 
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From Peggy Philbrook 707: We have had almost constant rain the past three weeks, with a lot of rain before that.  Wednesday, 7/18, it was 72 degrees at 2 PM - breaking records as you can imagine.
 There is a great deal of flooding all over the Valley and the news report today says that the ground is saturated so further rain will just sit on top.  We are forecast for rain for the next three days.  We have had a few thunderstorms and some of the rain is the heaviest I have ever seen or heard!
On Monday a "tornado (EF-1 out of EF-5) touched down from the intersection of 23rd Street and Expressway 83, extending one mile northeast to the intersection of 16th Street and Business 83.  It is estimated to have cut a 50-foot wide path with wind speeds ranging from 86 to 110 mph.  Trees were downed; street signs bent to the ground; walls collapsed and at a construction wholesaler on Bicentennial Boulevard an entire packing shed collapsed." (This from the Monitor) We went by 1 1/2 hours later that morning, not knowing what had happened.  All traffic west-bound on the highway was stopped and traffic on the north frontage road was also at a standstill.  We go back and forth to the McAllen Hospital quite a bit and several days have seen cars swept off the frontage road into ditches.  The highway, fortunately, is high enough that it remains safe but you have to get on and off and that's the tricky part. Our park, however, sits high enough and the storms have mainly gone east and/or north of us so that although we've had some horrific storms, they have received even more.  There has been no damage to the park and we have not had standing water.  In fact, grasses are beautifully green.  We understand, however, that once the rains stop not to go outside because we will be carried off by the mosquitoes.
 
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From Doris and Ed Wofford   E-60: We are now in Enid, Okla.  Will be here for awhile, visiting some of Doris'  kinfolk.  This is the only place we plan to go this summer. We attended the "Cowboy Church"  last night that I mentioned in the newsletter last  year. It has not changed.  If anyone is in this area, and want to get a real blessing, I highly recommend taking a little time, and attend. It is in a sale barn about 7 miles west of Enid, Okla. It us every Thursday, @ 7pm.  I guarantee you  that you will come away feeling better than when you arrived. Mike and Christi,  our son and daughter-in-law, are going to the same place this coming Tuesday, for a cattle auction.  Not to buy cattle, but Christi has never been to a cattle auction, and wants to see one. Looking forward seeing all of you this winter.
  Ed and Doris
 
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www.buechly.com/hjones .
You may also view some pictures taken around the park from that same web page.