Guessing Game

Do you know who this is?

HINTS: 

1.  Lived at the Haigler Ranch
2.  Graduated from Haigler HS in 1959

ANSWER: Norman Beeson

See Comments for Guesses.

Haigler Happenings - June 27, 2011

Remember The Wade Hoover family who lived in the tall yellow house years ago?  This is Russ Hoover's cute great grandson.

 

MerryLu,  Bob Simmons, Laurie Perila and children, Laura, Madison and Spencer visited Laura Pearl Wall on Sunday afternoon.  They had attended the luncheon for the alumni of Bob's graduating class from Wray High School.

 

The community picnic sponsored by the United Methodist church was well attended on Sunday evening at the Haigler Park.  The young adults grilled hamburgers, hot dogs and cold drinks for the "multitude".

 

Former Haigler area resident, Don Smith, fell last Tuesday and had surgery at 1:00. He fractured his right hip. He can not put any weight on it for 6 weeks.  The plan was to move him to Hillcrest (in Wray) on Monday, the 27th,  and with rehab get him to where he can get out of the bed and into a wheelchair without assistance.  Then his daughter, Pat, hopes he can return to Willow Ridge in McCook where his home has been since they moved from the Haigler area.  Perhaps there are some who know him that will pay him a visit.  He had recently moved from his own home in McCook to the Willow Ridge nursing home facility. 

 

Another item borrowed from Sherri Gregory's Haigler Blogspot: Paul Freehling will be operated on July 7th at Bryan Heart Hospital in Lincoln.

The new feline residents at the Floy Fisher home discover may new things every day.  The trees in the yard are for climbing.  Spools will roll if given a nudge with the nose or paw. Throw rugs can be rearranged.   It is their job to entertain their owner as well as to cure loneliness. 

 

Please call, send or take your news items to 308-297-3605, ffisher@bwtelcom.net, 338 Washington Avenue  

Republican River Flood of 1935

For those of you who are interested in reading about the 1935 Republican River Flood, here is a site that shows where the rain fell and how it impacted the Republican River valley during that long and eventful day, May 30, 1935.

There are pictures and stories about what happened that day.

Republican River Flood of May 30, 1935

~submitted by Doug Douglass

Paul Freehling

Paul Freehling will be operated on July 7th at Bryan Heart Hospital in Lincoln.
~CF

Don Smith

Say a prayer for our friend Don Smith.  He fell Tuesday and had surgery at 1. He fractured his right hip. He can not put any weight on it for 6 weeks.  The plan is to move him to Hillcrest on Monday and with rehab get him to where he can get out of the bed and into a wheelchair with one assist.  Then we hope he can return to Willow Ridge.

 

Prayers appreciated.

Pat

 

Great Grandkids AreThe Best

Setting on grand folks pic nic bench in Vacaville.

He is a real ham on the picture front.

Must be related to Char.  LOL

Brody

~RDH

Haigler Happenings - June 20, 2011

On Saturday, June 18, a Stute reunion of 30+ people gathered in Haigler.  They were all descendants of Fred and Grace (Sampson) Stute who farmed in the Haigler community many years ago.  Their daughters, Elaine, Carol, Judy, Cathy, and the youngest sister and their families returned to their roots in Haigler.  They visited their former farm north and east of Haigler, enjoyed lunch at the Haigler Country Cafe, and walked the streets of Haigler.  That afternoon, Stan and LaNeta Carlock hosted their visit to the Country Schoolhouse Museum 67 South and they also saw the beginnings of what will be the Haigler Cornerstone Museum.  The busload of Stutes returned to Atwood, KS that evening where they were lodging.  Everyone enjoyed their visit to Haigler.

Early Saturday morning, the 18^th, Dale and Dode Faylor drove to the home of their daughters, Yvonne Clemans and Sherri Morabito in Burlington.  Dwight Faylor arrived at the Clemans later that morning.  Dale and Dwight helped Royce and Yvonne Clemans with a foundation for a new deck at the back of the Clemans home.  Due to rain and a rented machine that refused to run they were not able to get much done and Dwight returned home Saturday evening.  Sunday, Father’s Day, Dale was treated to a dinner with those attending being the Royce Clemans family and Sherri Morabito, Lance Clemans’ wife and 3 sons, and a family friend, Carolyn Hudon.  Lance Clemans was away on a job and wasn’t able to attend.  Dale and Dode returned home on Monday.

Family members who visited Laura Pearl Wall last week included Bob and MerryLu Simmons, Duane and LuAnn Wall of Cheyenne, Gracie and Sydney Wall of Clemmons, North Carolina, Heather, Logan and Noel Klein of Yuma, and Dwight Wall of Lewellen.

Laura Pearl Wall accompanied Bob, MerryLu, Quentin and Taya Simmons to Lewellen to help Dwight Wall celebrate his birthday on Tuesday of Last week.

Garry and Sharon Fisher came down from Wray with Garry’s riding mower.  Garry mowed all of his mother’s 4 lots while Sharon and Floy drove to St. Francis to do a little shopping.

The flooding that is causing big problems in some areas of Kansas and Nebraska as well as other places makes us thankful that we are ‘high and dry.’  However, according to history it can and has happened here.  Some of the older residents can remember stories of their own.  Floy Crabtree-Fisher can remember Cherry Creek west of St. Francis coming up within a few feet of the front door in the 1930’s.  The only way to get to town for groceries was to walk across the Republican River on a floating footbridge.  Thankfully we could drive to the river’s edge by taking a back way trail. 

Due to a problem with the main computer, the news this week is written on another computer, which proves to be at a disadvantage.

The items shared here are very much appreciated.  The Haigler News depends on your support.  Items can be e-mailed to ffisher@bwtelcom.net, called in at 308-297-3605, dropped by 338 Washington Avenue or use the mailbox and put the flag up.

.  

New Residents

Two new residents in Floy's house.

Jerry Starks

Jerry Starks was born on September 11, 1933 and passed away on Thursday, May 19, 2011.

Jerry was last known to be living in Haigler, Nebraska.

From The Social Security Death Index, a public source. No further information is available. 

Bluegrass Festival - Haigler, NE - August 14

SAVE THE DATE
The Bluegrass Festival in Haigler will be on August 14, 2011

More Info to come

Jake Haigler's Arizona Ranch

I Googled the word "Haigler" and then clicked on "images" tonight and searched through the pictures that came up for new things to read about our town.  I ran across an interesting website that I'd like to share with you.  It is a webpage about the Sixby Ranch - the ranch Jake Haigler bought in 1882 after leaving our area.  If you ever run across reference to "Haigler Creek" located in Haigler Canyon in the Tanto National Forest near Payson, Arizona, you have found where Jake went from here.  Haigler Creek has a nice campground, great trout fishing and beautiful scenery.

The name of the website I'm referring to, though, is called Big Dry Wash, Scenes from the Sixby Ranch, later known as Jake Haigler's Ranch.

Jake Haigler's Ranch in Arizona

DCS Receives a Grant

An article on the NTV website and in the Lincoln Journal Star tells of a grant awarded to DCS:  

Dundy County Stratton Public Schools - $19,204.50 to pay 50 percent of the cost of 39,000 pounds of crumb rubber playgrounds at Benkelman Elementary and Stratton Elementary

NTV Article


Lincoln Journal Star Article

Haigler Happenings - June 8, 2011

Don Harford is still in the hospital in Benkelman. Cards and letters can reach him at the Dundy County Hospital 1313 N Cheyenne Street Box 626 Room 104 Benkelman, NE 69021. 

Brent Wheaton came home Friday for the Memorial Day weekend. He was here to help with the McVey branding on Saturday. Adam and Stephanie Wheaton came Saturday afternoon and brought the new puppy to visit. The weekend was spent outdoors. The garden has some plants in it now. The guys went out to do a little trap shooting. The puppy was walked over several parts of Haigler. 

Haigler’s Alumni/Memorial weekend saw many people “return home.” The class of 1961 held its 50th year reunion with activities at the Haigler Community Legion Bldg., The Lodge, and Sage Hill Winery. Those able to attend the celebration were: Joan Phipps Luebbe of Seward, NE and her husband Roger; Freda Sass Hosic of Stockville, NE and her husband Darryl; Joan Kay Smith of Great Bend, KS and her husband Gail; and Joanie Wheaton Henderson of Haigler. Those class members unable to attend were: Dwight Beeson of Fredericksburg, VA; Carol Wall Flaming of Yuma, CO; Evelyn Williams Brozynski of Norfolk, NE; Cheryl Carlock Raile of Burwell, NE; Betsy Van Horn of CO; and Betty Schwartz from the west coast. 

Other Haigler Alumni Class Recognitions included the 55th thru 75th years. Special recognition was given to the eldest alumni attendees: Don Harford of Haigler for his 76th year; DeVeta Collicott Redfield of Palisade, NE and Royal Woods III of Wray, CO for their 72nd year. The Haigler Alumni Association also presented recognition awards to Laura Pearl Wall (class of 1940) and Joann Webster (class of 1949) for a lifetime of serving the Haigler community and preserving the history and heritage of Haigler. 

Over 150 people attended the Haigler Alumni pot luck luncheon at the Haigler Legion Community Bldg. on the Sunday of Memorial weekend. Everyone enjoyed all the special food treats, visiting and renewing friendships, and program hosted by the 50th year class of 1961. Remembrance of those Haigler alumni and Haiglerites who died this past year included: Dusty Wall, Lester Adams, Stanley Zuege, Grace Bannister, LeRoy Rathburn, Lucille Phifer Corder, and Velda Clark Smith. They shall be missed. 

DeVeta Collicott Redfield (Haigler Alumni Class of 1939), of Palisade, NE and her husband Dwaune spent Alumni Sunday in Haigler. They were accompanied by daughters Sharlene of Brighton, CO and Kaylene of Columbus, NE. After decorating Haigler family graves in the Haigler cemetery; they attended the Alumni pot luck luncheon at the Community Bldg., and the open houses at the Country Schoolhouse 67 South Museum and the Haigler Cornerstone Museum. Late afternoon was spent visiting with their nieces Myrna Collicott Mulligan and LaNeta Collicott Carlock. 

Dr. Tim and LaVeta Smith Blecha of Superior, NE visited family and friends over the Haigler Alumni/Memorial Weekend. 

The Collicott Sisters spent this past weekend in Estes Park, CO--recovering from the hectic schedule of alumni weekend. The Big Thompson River is expected to again this year have some flooding from the heavy snow melt in the mountains. Trail Ridge Road is still closed with 12 foot drifts of snow. 

Sophia Zuege visited with her sister, Irene Blacker, in Bennett, Colorado, from Thursday until Saturday.

Lois Zuege spent Thursday through Saturday with her sister, Irene Blacker, in Bennett, CO.

Memorial Day visitors of Lois Zuege were Diane and Larry Sack (who brought her mother, Hazel Chambers), Dorothy and Eileen Walker, Earl, Helen and Wes Unger, Doris Weaver and daughter Erma and husband Frankie. Other visitors were Idell Zuege and daughter Vernette and Bob Gorman, Vernett’s son Jason and wife and two boys. Also Rae White and Chris and Jim and Jerrie Wheaton came for a little while.

Visitors of Floy Fisher this past week have been Dwight and Leah Brewer and Dwight’s brother, Doug and friend. Dwight and Doug worked on Floy’s car air conditioning while the ladies watched and visited. Floy’s daughter, Sharna Richardson drove her to Goodland to bring home 3 nice 8 week old, part Siamese kittens. She took one of them and Floy kept two and has been entertained ever since; Floy’s son and wife, Garry arid Sharon Fisher stopped by on their way to Kansas City/ Shawnee Mission area to visit their son, Jonathan, and wife Wendy, and meet the new grandson, Reed Owen. Reed has a two year old sister, Taylar. They returned to their home near Wray on Monday. 

It is (unofficially) 94 degrees on Monday afternoon at 3:30 in Haigler. Is it going to be a hot summer? 

Hoovers

To all of you that we visited with on our tour of duty, we wish

you well and enjoyed the opportunity to see you.

To those at the home front, we are glad to be back in the saddle.

--Russ Hoover

Reading the Blog

I have been on vacation for a week and had some time to 'browse' through The Haigler Blog.  I clicked on the "Labels" and "Blog Archive" in the left column to read about the various posts on whatever subject peaked my interest.  I read about all the twins, the maps, the history, the people;  I had forgotten about some of the things that had been posted so it was like finding little treasures to read.

There are alot of links along both sides and the bottom of the latest articles that lead you into hours of reading pleasure.  Stories about Haigler people, history, places and things.

Reading about "Home", friends and family makes me happy!
-- Editor

Haigler's Ninth Grade Graduating Class of 1902

Nellie Grady, Wesley Johnston, Rebecca Johnston, Ethel Moore, 

Henry Sackett and teacher W. R. Sampson

-- Editor

Personalities of a Town

Have you ever compared the "personality" of the towns and cities where you have lived or visited?

This may seem weird to some people, but I often compare places I've been with places I know well; like the four towns of Haigler, Nebraska, Benkelman, Nebraska, St. Francis, Kansas and Wray, Colorado.  We spent considerable time in these towns when I was growing up since we lived a short distance from Haigler, which is 24 miles west of Benkelman, 24 miles north of St. Francis and 17 miles east of Wray.

Haigler is a sleepy town with an old western flavor of comfort and family life; Benkelman has the feel of a wild cowboy town that planned its streets around the cow trails leading to the railroad depot in the south side of town; St. Francis tries hard to be a big city with its social events and clean wide streets; and Wray seems aloof and cool - shaded with its tree lined streets and manicured lawns.

You may laugh, but you must also get the different "feelings" when visiting these towns.

-- Editor

Benkelman Skyline

For those of you who haven't visited the Benkelman area recently, you may not have seen the change in the skyline on the southwest side of town.  It looks like the construction of new grain elevators is nearly finished.

This picture was taken standing at the Custer historical marker looking toward the northwest.

-- Editor

Don Harford

You might want to send up a little prayer for our friend and neighbor, Don Harford, who has been in the Benkelman Hospital since Monday.

-- Editor