Stories from Friday, May 24, 2013

Warm weather is welcome for a variety of reasons, but for many of us it signals the season for dining al fresco. Whether stepping out back onto a porch or patio, or planning a picnic at the beach or park, the food is the star. These recipes showcase exciting flavors and easy preparation. ...

I had almost made it out of Declan's room after tucking him into bed earlier this week when he sat up and put his arms out for a hug. I knew he didn't really need a fourth hug goodnight but I am sucker for a hug and he knew it. It is his best bedtime stall tactic by far and he has an arsenal of them...

Harriette Salter Francis July 2,1931 - May 20, 2013 OMAHA, Nebraska -- Harriette Salter Francis 81, of Omaha, wife of the late Dr. Gordon D. Francis, Col. Ret AF Rsv, died Monday (May 20, 2013). Both were formerly of McCook, Nebraska. She is survived by children, Michele Francis-Stine, Rene' Francis Hinton and Mark Salter Francis; sisters, Nancy Salter Keene and Susan Salter Walker; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren...

This information is gathered at the McCook Public Safety Center, the McCook office of the Nebraska State Patrol, the Red Willow County Courthouse, the Red Willow County Sheriff's Office and the McCook Humane Society. Police activity Activity log...

Lorri Sughroue/McCook Daily Gazette Employees of Walmart gather for a quick picture, before getting back to work preparing food for the "Feed the Flock" supper at the McCook United Methodist Church Thursday. Shown from left are Debbie Tabor, Jennifer Porter and Mandy Latta; back row, Robert Bath, Nate Hening and Darin Stang. ...

90th birthday The family of Loran Wright of Palisade, Nebraska, is requesting a card shower in honor of his 90th birthday May 31. His family includes his wife, Irene Wright of Palisade, children, Bonnie and husband, Lloyd Johnson of Ogallala, Nebraska, the late Bob Wright and two grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach him at PO Box 333, Palisade, NE 69040...

Wedebrand, Lichty Sarah Anne Wedebrand and Heath Brice Lichty, both of Fremont, Nebraska, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the bride-to-be are Sue and Curtis Dare of Estherville, Iowa and John and Shelley Wedebrand of Spirit Lake, Iowa. Grandparents are Jan Greig of Esterville, Iowa are and the late Hugh Greig...

35th anniversary The family of Elmer and Tally Case of Max, Nebraska, is requesting a card shower in honor of the couple's 35th wedding anniversary on June 3. Their family includes Heather (Billy) Walker of Grand Island, Nebraska, Christina Case of Lincoln, Nebraska, Annette (Wooddy) Miller of Fairborn, Ohio and two grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 34802 Highway 34, Max, NE 69037...

Birthday celebration Roberta Brooks of Cambridge, Nebraska, celebrated her birthday May 23. Cards of congratulations will reach her at Cambridge Manor, PO Box 488, Cambridge, NE 69022.

80th birthdays The family of Nina (Bolles) Woodruff and Nita (Bolles) Ruzicka is requesting a card shower in honor of their 80th birthdays on June 9. Both are fomerly of McCook. Cards of congratulations will reach Nina at 750 S. Pennington Drive, Apt. 206, Chandler, AZ, 85224 and to Nita at 1803 S. Ada Street, Grand Island, NE 68803...

25th anniversary The family of Arthur Jr. and Carol Lashley of McCook are hosting a reception in honor of the couple's 25th wedding anniversary June 3. The open house is Sunday, June 2, 2013, from 2-4 p.m. at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, 312 Seminole in McCook. Their family includes children, Michael and Shelly Fritz of Cambridge, Nebraska, Ann and Matt Brown of McCook and six grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach them at 807 E. First, McCook, NE 69001...

Hayes, Keenportz Darcie Hayes of Bartley, Nebraska and Josh Keenportz of McCook, Nebraska, announce their engagement and upcoming wedding. Parents of the bride-to-be are Mark and Brenda Hayes of Bartley. Grandparents are Albert and Mary Hayes of Bartley and Gene and Marilyn Anderson of McCook...

Courtesy photo Five generations of the Modrell family gathered in January 2010 for a family picture. The family includes, Chelsey Modrell, from left, the late Violet Modrell and Ayden Sughroue. Back row, Windy Modrell and Deetra Modrell.

By SUSAN DOAK SW Nebraska Genealogy Society I am going to revisit one of the hints I printed in an early article. When I am doing a "wildcard" search, I try to always remember to use my security safe bar. I use quotation marks to insure that I don't get a bunch of garbage so as an example if I was searching for a Civil War Record for John Doe it would look like this: "John Doe" + "Civil War Service Records" or "John Doe + Civil War Service Records". ...

Lee Moreland IMPERIAL, Nebraska -- Lucelia "Lee" Moreland, 87, a longtime Imperial resident, died Thursday (May 23, 2013), at the Imperial Manor Nursing Home. Survivors include husband, Gene Moreland of Imperial; daughters, Kathy Loring and husband, Butch, Jodi Thompson and husband, Lex, Pat Schoenfelder and husband, Mike, all of Imperial, Kerry German and husband, Britt of Cozad; son, Mike Moreland and wife, Jane of Imperial; brother, Ed Porter and wife, Dorothy of Sioux City Iowa; sister-in-law, Barbara McNair of Imperial; eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.. ...

65th anniversary The family of Jerry and Florence (Sughroue) Uerling of Indianola is requesting a card shower in honor of the couple's 65th wedding anniversary. They were married June 9, 1948, at St. Catherine Church in Indianola. Their children are Nick and Sandra Uerling, Jane and Paul Newberry, Lisa Chester, Joellyn and Tom Davidson, and Tracy and Rick Ruggles. Cards will reach them at PO Box 188, Indianola, NE 69034...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The big projects get the attention, but the McCook Economic Development Corp.'s role as a facilitator is often overlooked, the director said. Executive Director Rex Nelson gave the McCook City Council a five-year summary Monday of the progress and activity his staff has made, and later later sat down with the Gazette to provide more information about ways MEDC cultivates local business...

The Wilsonville, Nebraska, Saddle Club plans its 2013 rodeo Saturday and Sunday, June 1 and 2, at 1:30 p.m. each day, in the arena on Highway 89 south of Wilsonville. Admission is $6 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under. Concessions are available on the rodeo grounds. ...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The East Ward Village senior housing project began moving in tenants in February and has more than half of the new duplex units already occupied as well as several units in the main building. According to McCook Housing Agency Executive Director Rebecca Dutcher, 7 of 12 duplex units are full and 4 of 15 main building units have tenants in them...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- Judy McCune of McCook, Nebraska, a Red Cross Disaster action team member for Dundy, Hayes and Hitchcock counties, said the best thing anyone can do to help tornado victims in Oklahoma is to donate money to the Red Cross. While she doesn't want to minimize the generosity of people wishing to donate food, furniture and clothing, Judy says, "That's the worst thing to do."...

From left, Emily Tolliver, home for the summer from her first year at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Luke Roberts, Natalie Roberts, Gabe Roberts and Joy Lynn Rippen, keep their eyes on the geese, turtles and hungry carp, at one of the ponds at Barnett Park. With the seasonal warm weather, Barnett Park will have plenty of visitors over the Memorial Day weekend...

American Veterans Traveling Tribute (AVTT) had the opportunity to bring the AVTT Traveling Vietnam Wall to McCook last week. We'd like to take the opportunity thank everyone involved with making this event a reality and to the community itself for welcoming our organization and this patriotic and educational event into McCook...

The Vietnam Traveling Wall committee would like to thank everyone in our community and surrounding area that made bringing the Vietnam Traveling Wall to McCook possible. It has always been known that the residents of Southwest Nebraska and Northwest Kansas are truly generous. ...

Mary Pate of McCook took this charming photo of the local water fowl May 3, at Barnett Park. A wide variety of water-loving critters call the park home and provide hours of free entertainment for both young and old. Mary used these settings: 1/320, F/4.8, 46mm, ISO 200Readers can contribute to our daily weather page, subject to space and color availability, by emailing photos to editor2@ocsmccook.com or bringing them into the Gazette offices at West First and E Streets. ...

Ann Hart of Bartley reports that strangers do indeed, care. She was recently shopping at a local greenhouse, had carefully selected her bedding plants for the season and was checking out at the cash register. The clerk added a beautiful hanging basket to her selections and answered Ann's objection with the statement, "Someone wanted you to have this."...

Dear Friend, INTRO Why were the Jewish people scattered into every nation on the face of the earth. The sons of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were promised the Land of ISRAEL......FOREVER, and today we see that a covenant keeping God has brought them and continues to bring them back to their homeland....Israel and when Jesus returns to the Mt. ...

I've been involved in ministry or "church work" for over two decades. Don't let my youthful persona fool you; I'm now closer to drawing Social Security than I am to drawing Crayola inspired pictures on construction paper. Obviously, Social Security may not be an option for me or my generation, but that's a column for another time...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- The Wilke family drove through a tunnel of trees into the wide open spaces of Southwest Nebraska in February, discovering rolling hills, valleys and expansive views along the way. Nathan Wilke is the new pastor at McCook's Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1619 W. Third and at North Platte's St. Paul Lutheran Church, where the parsonage is located...

LYONS, Nebraska -- Rex Nelson was recently recognized as the Center for Rural Affairs' Rural Enterprise Assistance Project Friend of the Year. Dena Beck, REAP Business Specialist presented the award on Tuesday, May 14, 2013 at the South Platte United Chambers of Commerce meeting...

Most of us think way too highly of ourselves. We develop some expertise in a particular area and the more confidence we gain, the more likely we are to eventually consider ourselves infallible in whatever our endeavor is. The problem is that none of us ARE infallible; we just like to think we are...

ARAPAHOE, Nebraska -- The Nebraska Department of Roads will begin work on a fog seal project on Highway 6 from Arapahoe to Cambridge. This project will begin at the west city limit of Arapahoe and continue to the east city limit of Cambridge. Travel through the project will be maintained using flaggers and a pilot vehicle with delays expected to be minimal. Weather permitting work will begin on Thursday, May 30th and be completed by Friday, June 3...

McCOOK, Nebraska -- An update on the progress of Hillcrest being verified to offer services for veterans will be discussed by the Hillcrest Board of Trustees today, 10 a.m. at the lower level conference room at Hillcrest Nursing Home. If designated, veterans in the area who meet certain criteria would not have to travel out of area but receive services at Hillcrest...

Memorial Day is a time set aside every year to honor and remember those who gave their lives in service to our nation. We also thank all of our veterans who have defended our freedoms. While we can never adequately express our gratitude for the sacrifices of America's veterans, I am working with my colleagues to ensure our heroes have access to the care and resources they deserve...

Each year, Nebraskans mark Memorial Day in a number of different ways. Quiet ceremonies at cemeteries, Main Street parades filled with children and veterans proudly waving American flags, and backyard barbecues and neighborhood get-togethers are common traditions across the state...

As Memorial Day approaches, travel on Nebraska roads will increase. I want to remind all drivers and passengers to buckle up every time for every trip no matter how short or long. We have a responsibility to buckle our seat belt, and ensure our passengers do the same, each time we get in a vehicle...

We knew that a visit to the traveling Vietnam Wall would be a moving experience, but we were surprised at just how much it was, for those who remember the tumult of that era, for those who served there and especially for those who lost friends or loved ones...

With only seven legislative days left in the 2013 session, the Legislature is winding down and preparing to finish its work by June 5. This last week seemed to move fairly slow with a lot of prolonged debate on many of the bills discussed, except for the bill I wanted to highlight in this week's letter...

80th birthday The family of Rose Marie Kogle is requesting a card shower in honor of her 80th birthday May 30. Her family includes her husband, Clemens, children, John and Rhonda Kogl of Holdrege, Nebraska, David and Tammy Kogl of Sidney, Nebraska, Tim Kogl of Culbertson, Deann and Vern Brickman of Kearney, three grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and four step-great-grandchildren. Cards of congratulations will reach her at 71102 Road 373, Culbertson,NE 69024...

ZURICH -- Clayton Miller, a 2002 graduate of McCook High School, has begun a doctorate fellowship at the Institute of Technology in Architecture at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, in Zurich, Switzerland. ETH Zurich was ranked No. 8 in engineering and technology in the 2012-13 Times Higher Education World University rankings...