“Fear not for i am with you; be not anxious. For I am your god’ I will strengthen you.” Isaiah 41:10

This week in Eads, we are celebrating the life of an important man who has lived among us and for us for county over 105 years - Orville Mousel! He was born in Cheyenne County near Firstview. Orville was on a Navy ship in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in December 1941 when the ship he was on was bombed and started sinking. Since the Navy was recovering as many bodies and men as they could, over time his family received a telegram stating his death since they couldn’t find him. After a period of time, his family had a funeral Mass service in his honor. One day unannounced, as there were no country telephones in those days, he just walked into his country home. Eventually, he returned to his work in the Navy, which he really did like to do. He married the girl who had grown up near his family home, Rita. I do remember being told several times that she was just six days old when his family went to visit Rita’s, family, and Orville was pleased that he could hold her. They raised two sons, Craig, who passed away in 2014, and Roger, who is married Marsha, the daughter of the late Joe and Faye Schmitt. Marsha has continued her love for the people of the town of Eads whom her father liked. One of the ways she shares this caring love is by purchasing turkeys in November, and then for the whole year, paper plates, cups, and tableware for the Eads Senior Citizens Center. Orville and Rita liked to travel, and worked the latter part of theory lives in Cheyenne Wells and Eads. He and Rita had a lovely home built south of Eads on a hill looking towards Eads. Today, Orville can walk the halls here quickly with a walker. He is a handsome man whose white hair is well groomed, and he likes to talk about his military service if he understands your question. What an honor it has been to have known him for so many years.

My heart hurts so much when I hear of one of my student friends who has died. Last week, another student friend who graduated in 1980, Terry (Herrel) Voss, died last week. It has been so painful to watch her grow increasingly weaker. I was so glad when I saw her three children here in the days before she died. Terry is probably one of the strongest Eads Eagle fans who ever lived! People still talk about her and her three children sitting in her favorite gym seats. Her children did not run around, and the fact is that if the gym doors were open, Terry would be there. Terry’s remains will be buried in the Haswell Cemetery, with a family lunch served in the Eads Senior Citizens Center Thursday.

Here is a community need we can support in small or big ways. The former Sheri Weber, who is the director at Prairie Pines Assisted Living Community, has written about the needs that some of you might be willing to help with. One may donate money for them to buy items that residents may need, or just give things that are for residents to use such as tooth brushes, tooth paste, deodorants, powders, tissues, socks, calendars, night wear, snack foods, note books, art tools, books, envelopes, stamps, and other items that could save them or the resident’s money.

Many sports fans attended basketball games Thursday night. It was special for Eads fans to watch games with Holly. There was the largest balloon arch over the player’s gym doorway. The girls and some boys blew up hundreds of purple and metallic gold balloons. It happens at Eads home games when the balls are bouncing, and people are talking, that when the commanding voice of Betsy (Legg) Barnet tells people to stand! Last week when Betsy led the Pledge of Allegiance, she and the audience honored Toryn Neugebauer of Holly, who is the new 235 pound girls wrestling champion in the State of Colorado.

Our own Anna Wollert was horned, since she has exceeded earning 1000 basketball points. It was parent night in Eads. Beginning with parents of freshmen, all winter sports players escorted their parents to the center of the gym, where the player presented their parents with stemmed flowers. The girls easily won their games, and it was so nice that the crowd could see the whole team play.

During our “walk and roll” time last week, 16 of us had the good time to see Trista Tuttle’s Country Elegance Shop for warm or cool coffees. Since she is open from 6:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., she has a breakfast lunch menu. The front part of her store is her flower and gift shop, and area for art lessons.

Congratulations to Devrah Muth of Cheyenne Wells, who is the 10-11 Hoop Shoot Champion in the Colorado state meet, and will compete next in the national meet. Her younger sister, Sadie, was second in her division. They are the granddaughters of Lane and Deborah Gooden of Eads.