Stories from Friday, January 25, 2002

Mary Dale of Ogallala and Roberta Shuler of McCook and Donald Shuler of Beville, Kan. would like to announce the engagement and upcoming wedding of their children, Jennifer K. Ness and Brady R. Shuler of McCook. Jennifer is the daughter of the the late Scott Ness. ...

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Monica Newlon and David Lin were united in marriage on Sept. 15 at the First Presbyterian Church of Evanston, Ill. Pastor John Willison was the officiant, with an additional blessing from Rev. William Beasley. Parents of the couple are Gary and Ruby Newlon of Lincoln and Dr. Max and Jane Lin of St. Louis, Mo...

Staci K. Vrbas and Jason Meyers, both of McCook, were united in marriage Sept. 29, 2001, at Memorial United Methodist Church in McCook with the Rev. Dr. Jeff Thurman officiating. Parents of the couple are Larry and Susan Vrbas and Kent and Debra Meyers, all of McCook...

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. -- Lori A. Scoggins and Joseph B. Wolfe were united in marriage Sept. 29, 2001, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Hot Springs, Ark. Parents of the couple are Steve and Pam Scoggins of Alexander, Ark., and Greg and Diane Wolfe of Indianola...

Jill Wendell of Omaha and Justin Lavene of Lincoln announced their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Monte and Cinde Wendell of Arapahoe and Doyle and Kay Lavene of Bertrand. The bride-to-be is a 1995 graduate of Bertrand High School. ...

OMAHA -- Jennifer Ahlers and Eric Petz were united in marriage Sept. 29, 2001, at Morningstar Lutheran with Pastor Larry Arganbright officiating. Parents of the couple are Don and Pam Ahlers of McCook, and Dieter and Vickie Petz of Omaha. Grandparents of the couple are Eilert and Shirley Ahlers of Mokelumne Hill, Calif., Betty Thomsen of Thornton, Colo., and Edmund and Lydia Petz of Gretna...

CURTIS -- Tina R. Fichtner and Chad L. Stewart were united in marriage Dec. 29, 2001, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Curtis with Pastor Paul Warneke officiating the ceremony. Parents of the couple are Dean and Charlene Fichtner of Maywood and Roger and Ronda Stewart of Dunning...

OMAHA -- Nila L. Satterfield and Shawn A. Pew were united in marriage Nov. 17, 2001, at First Central Congregational UCC in Omaha with the Rev. M. Winston Baldwin Jr. officiating. Parents of the couple are Carl and Jacqueline Satterfield of Nebraska City and Eric and Lynette Pew of Lebanon...

GATLINBURG, Tenn. -- Jessica Dailey, formerly of Stratton, and William Chapman, of Camden, Ala., were united in marriage Dec. 27 in Gatlinburg, Tenn. Parents of the couple are Diane Dailey of Grand Island, the late Kurt Dailey and Marjorie and Bill Sheffield of Pine Hill, Ala...

Bambi Moorehead and Mike Eitel of Fort Collins, Colo., announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the couple are Terry and Vonda Morehead of rural Hayes County and Richard and Joyce Eitel of Monument, Colo. The bride-to-be is a 1995 graduate of Wallace High School in Wallace. ...

Ron D. Morse ARAPAHOE -- Ron D. Morse, 62, Thursday (Jan. 24, 2002) at C.A. Mues Good Samaritan Center in Arapahoe. He was born Jan. 15, 1940, in Arapahoe to Daniel and Mary (Inman) Morse. He grew up in Arapahoe and Cambridge. He moved to El Segundo, Calif., where he graduated from El Segundo in 1959...

Jacob Ira Wasson OBERLIN -- Jacob I. Wasson, 18, died Friday (Jan. 25, 2002) in Oberlin. He was born July 5, 1983, in Oberlin to James and Laurie (Lotker) Wasson. He went Oberlin Elementary School and Decatur Community High School. He was a member of Maverick 4-H Club and Future Farmers of America...

Patricia D. Stapp OBERLIN -- Patricia D. Stapp, 70, died Thursday (Jan. 24, 2002) at Decatur County Hospital in Oberlin. She was born Jan. 22, 1931, in rural Norton, Kan., to Fay and Veva (Cuthbertson) Hatcher. She graduated from Norcatur High School in 1949...

Lawrence Joseph 'Mike' Weskamp Lawrence Joseph "Mike" Weskamp, 82, died Thursday (Jan. 24, 2002) at Hillcrest Nursing Home in McCook. He was born March 25, 1919, to Fred Paul and Katherine Marie (Vontz) Weskamp at Danbury where he grew up and graduated from rural school...

Rosa M. Loschen YORK -- Rosa M. Loschen, 86, died Thursday (Jan. 24, 2002) at Hearthstone Care Center in York. She was born on Nov. 23, 1915, in Bladen to August and Lucy (Hensel) Hubert. She went to school in Bladen and began working for families with new babies...

Marie M. Littlefield CURTIS -- Marie M. Littlefield, 102, died Friday (Jan. 25, 2002) at Sunset Haven Nursing Home. She was born Mar. 30, 1899, in Lincoln County to Jens and Nellie (Swink) Jensen. She graduated from Nebraska School of Agriculture in 1918. She taught school for a year south of Curtis...

Hundreds, if not thousands and millions, of people move to new houses every day. As a recently-enrolled member of that elite corp., I have two words about the experience: never again. Before the packing began, I thought a person should move every few years just to keep the amount of stuff down, to keep things from accumulating. I now have shifted to the other camp of settling in and not budging. Let the piles form where they may...

Most of us are on a desperate quest to find happiness, contentment and love. We are constantly pursuing those things we believe will fulfill us and make us complete. Some of us are magnanimous in our search, looking the world over for the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Grail, the Fountain of Youth, or Nirvana. Others seek fortune, fame, and possessions, hoping any or all of those will satisfy our needs...

The granddaddy of the local barns had to be the stone barn that Webster Morlan built southwest of McCook. Morlan and his wife, Mary moved to McCook from Arapahoe in 1886 to become legal counsel for the Burlington and Missouri railroad. He fancied himself a rancher and grower of fruit trees so established the Morlan Ranch just south and a little west of McCook and built this stone barn and accompanying stone buildings...

Follow the money trail Money, so they say is the root of all evil today But if you ask for a rise it's no surprise that they're giving none away -- Pink Floyd A majority of sports fans probably don't think much about the stock market. Those little numbers streaming at the bottom of the stock ticker are just that -- little numbers...

Dear Editor, I have read with interest the articles on the arena being planned to go in on the fairgrounds. Living across the street from the race track, I will say I don't care how many horses would be at the arena, they could never make as much noise or kick up as much dust as the cars at the race track!...

If you haven't driven through McCook lately, you will be in for a surprise as you head south over the U.S. Highway 83 overpass. To your left, where there used to be nothing but packed-dirt baseball practice fields and wire backstops, sits a gleaming, modern, computerized factory. The new Valmont plant turns out state-of-the-art irrigation systems, designed to meet the need for reliable, efficient irrigation of crops in America and around the world...

A regular feature that has been missing for a few weeks has reappeared in this edition of the Weekend Gazette. The Pat on the Back is a way to recognize, in a small way, those who have gone out of their way to help others. (By the way, many of the letters include a $5 check to be sent to the charity of the nominator's choice. That isn't necessary -- the Gazette provides the $5!)...

Elmer E. Harrison IMPERIAL -- Elmer E. Harrison, 94, died Thursday (Jan. 24, 2002) at the Chase County Community Hospital in Imperial. He was born March 18, 1907, in Dundy County to William "Jack" and Millie (Gosney) Harrison. He attended school in the country and assisted his parents in the farm work...