“Life will be brighter because there is hope.” Job 11: 17-18 EVS

Any phrase or scripture with the word HOPE or JOY appeals to me. I often remind myself or others, “There is always hope!” “Tomorrow will be better.”

First, I want to apologize for last week when I didn’t type Paul Stavely’s name in the list of John Stavely’s children. I should have used Marty Miller’s alphabetical list in the Eads Alumni Book. The second mistake was that I stated that Bylie Jo Beeson and Glen Cranford were the children of Mitch Cranford. They are his niece and nephew. I am sorry for my mistake.

Last week, a number of friends of Johnnie Jacobs came from Wild Horse, Kit Carson, and Eads to gathered have a “good bye - good wishes” card party to honor him. This was hosted by Pastors Lane and Debbie Gooden with delicious finger foods. At the beginning we stood in a big circle and introduced ourselves and told of our association with Johnnie. John graduated from Kit Carson High School and married Joanne Thrasher. He was a career Marine, and after he retired, he was a security officer and vocational teacher. Three of his four children live in Las Vegas and planned to come to Eads to move him to Nevada to be near them. 

The Eads, Kit Carson, and Cheyenne Wells VFW women and men met last week in Kit Carson. Their next meeting will be Tuesday, February 12, at 6:30 p.m. The ladies are to write a poem about their veteran. Mine are going to be about my brother, Dwight Lessenden, and my uncle, Henry Pollreis. 

The photos of all the elected candidates for county offices were really outstanding in the Kiowa County Press as the people and police officers took their oath of office from the judges. We citizens thank them for serving for us. Best wishes for good years ahead.

The Weisbrod Hospital Auxiliary met last week. It was so nice that Linda Trosper brought cupcakes to celebrate Madonna Wissel Pollreis’s birthday January 8. Linda is such a generous loving lady! We plan to have election of officers at the next meeting February 12. As always, we invite men and women to join us who would like to work on projects to help life at the Extended Care Unit and around the hospital be more pleasant. We have lunch at JJ’s Restaurant at 11:00 a.m. The dues are $5, or $10 for inactive members.

The home basketball games a week ago were good and entertaining. Our cheerleaders, Mollie Kelley, Aubree Rybacki, Reagan Johnson, Cynthia Watson, Alyssa Hart are leading spirituous chants and good stunts. Their coach is Shae (Cordova) Johnson. The Eagle mascot (Brad Musgrave) is outstanding who does the Eagle cheers for four games! He says, “It’s hot in here, Miss Less.” Cheerleading is a sport for which college students can get scholarships. I rush to add that cheering and standing up was much improved at the last games on the part of most adults and students. 

It is so good to have Betty Frazee back in town. Her conversations really liven up the “coffee hours” at the elder homes each week that we attend.

Principal Bryan Bohlander’s parents, Randy and Rhonda, moved to Eads last spring to be near their grandchild and Bryan and Stephanie. Their daughter’s family lives in New Zealand so they enjoy going there each year. Mr. Bohlander was a principal and superintendent before retiring. His father and Lane Gooden’s father were former ranchers in the Pritchett area.

Friends of Dennis Pearson gathered at the Cobblestone Inn Sunday afternoon to help him celebrate his 70^th birthday. Happy birthday to our Council man, President of the Eads Chamber of Commerce, Hospital Board member, Director of the Social Services, and volunteer and manager of the Salvation Army Store and a really nice gentleman.

A two-hour grief workshop was scheduled for Sunday afternoon at 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. I will try to get back for that meeting. Years ago, Rev. Sammons of the Methodist Church had a grief meeting for a number of weeks. My parent’s and I felt that it certainly helped us to understand grief that came upon our family as it does to all of us. Maybe this type of meeting can be re-scheduled again so there is time to encourage more people to attend. There are different types and stages of grief. Grief can linger a long time. 

People in our surrounding communities are grateful that we have a hospital and an Extended Care Unit (nursing home) and an Assisted Living Center in our town and our county. There are times when volunteer help would be welcome. When we were at the Prairie Pines coffee hour Friday, we saw that all the apartments are full! We met the new couple who moved in from Lamar. They are thrilled to be able to live there.

Jim and Penny (Weirich) Smith are home for a while with their big truck which is parked for a rest for a while. Penny’s sister, Alice Weirich, has been visiting in Eads from her home in Las Animas.