January 15, 2025

 We appreciate every skiff of snow received, and they do add up.  Our canyons attract the snowmobile crowd,  both up Birch Creek and Strawberry Creek. Even with brown dirt and scrub brush poking through  patches of snow Mink Creek is a beautiful place to live.

The family of Kurt and Margret Iverson were busy people as 2024 wound down with the wedding of their son Charles Hamilton Iverson to Taylor Romney, daughter of Michael and Nicole Romney of Preston the last weekend of the year. All of Charles siblings were able to be here for the occasion. Johnny and his family live in Rexburg, ID. Alexis and her family are in Colorado, Walter and his wife, Andrew and his wife are at school at BYU in Provo, UT, and Conner is here at home base. It was so much fun to be together for a few days.

The family of Tom and Donna Nicholls brought the New Year in together at a gathering at the home of Brady and Shoni Henderson in Mink Creek. Cade and Leigha Nicholls also live in Mink Creek. Kaylee and her husband are in Utah, so it was close traveling for all of them. Grandchildren were part of the assembly. It was a potluck affair to make it easy on everybody, as long as it wasn't all potato chips and dill pickles.

Some holiday get-togethers got blown apart this season, even the night before when various forms of the flu took over and made for an instant quarantine that lasted a few days. Illnesses are making the rounds and in some cases, hit every member of the family.

Lin and Sharla McKay were able to have visits from all four of their children and families, grandchildren and dogs. Mallory, Peyton, Joshua, and River. The visits were spread out over most of a month, some from Utah, some from Idaho, but all fun.

Even with scanty snowfalls winter brings some wildlife visitors down among the human inhabitants. A bear showed up some weeks ago, perhaps having made its way over from the Worm Creek area. Currently a moose has been visiting various yards, they can cover quite a territory when they get moving along.

January 8, 2025

 

Missing that issue before Christmas, then Christmas, has put news items a week behind. The Relief Society held a beautiful Christmas party with feelings of both warmth and elegance. A program planned by Cecelie Costley centering around the reason for the season, the birth of Christ, was the highlight of the evening. Debra McCloy sang a vocal solo entitled “Certain Women” accompanied by Judy Wilde and a narrative about the Ten Virgins and strengths appropriate for our day and time. A lovely meal was served to those attending by the Bishopric and Elders Quorum.

The Syringa Camp of the DUP held their Christmas party in town. Julie Westerberg gave a history of some holiday songs and the group sang the song after hearing the story. Leah Gilbert of Fairview catered a fun luncheon of soup, salad, breadsticks and chocolate caramel pretzels. LuJean Young involved the ladies in some special holiday activities. There was a fun 10 question quiz of Christmas history questions and prizes were mini Nativities. Beautiful table decorations were the nutcrackers of Mary Jean Rasmussen and a Christmas village belonging to Lorraine Christensen.

After living for years in Mink Creek Juan Argbella has moved to warmer country. He has gone to Florida to work with his brother and be closer to family.

The holidays were filled with much coming and going, particularly with Christmas coming in the middle of the week. Mike and Mary Ann Jepsen went to Coalville, UT, to be with their son, Joe and his family. Joe and Kathy Jarvis drove to St. George for family and warmth. Tiffany and Spencer Wheeler and their children spent a few days at the home of her mother, Candy Longhurst.

Steve and Terry Mainini welcomed all of their family home for the holidays. Tony Mainini is in Pocatello, providing computer and technology guidance for Idaho State University. Angelina and Iyar Koren and their two girls live in the Salt Lake City area.

There are days when looking at the surrounding hills, with little snow cover, makes a person wonder if this really is the month of January in a new year. Up in the canyon it looks like winter, feels like winter, drives like winter. Perhaps the mindset just depends on where one is located at a given moment. While it is nice not to be shoveling snow, there is always that need for future water.  We all want 2025 to be a good year.  Happy New Year!

December 31. 2024

 A day late, but considering that it was New Year's Eve, it doesn't matter.

The Community Christmas Party was held December 12. Friends and neighbors filled four long tables to enjoy the dinner. The menu was ham, cheesy potatoes, tossed salad, rolls and butter. The first course was an appetizer veggie cup that was front and center while the youth were serving the many plates of food. There was apple cider as a result of our fall party or wonderful Mink Creek water. Dessert was a scoop of peppermint ice cream and a brownie.

The program was a blend of Jesus and Santa, and nicely done from the stage of the recreation hall. Corey and Savannah Nielson, dressed in pj's and their kids, plus a couple of older “additions” started the narrative. Corey read the Christmas story from Luke and then they sang a duet “Silent Night,” with Terrie McKay at the piano. Anna Beth Olson led the group in singing Joy to the World. Exit Nielsons , and there was Santa, taking special notice of the Nativity set in the room as Kurt Iverson presented an appropriate poem. The woodshop of Clare Christensen had produced a wooden ornament  imprinted with an image of the creche as a take-away favor for each family attending the event. This event helped with moving into the season.

Alan and Nelada White were guest speakers in a December meeting in the Mink Creek Ward.. Just before their mission where they served in Delaware. The Whites served as High Councilman and wife to the ward for three years and were involved in our community activities during that time.

The family of Glen Jepsen gathered in Mink Creek for his funeral on a cold but clear day. The four Jepsen children, Kerry, Jill, Jana, and Kyle and their families plus Glen's siblings who grew up in Mink Creek, Bruce, Dan, Marilyn and JoAnn were all able to be in attendance. After a beautiful service they met in the Mink Creek Cemetery and Colonel Glen Jepsen's military career was closed by a U. S. Air Force Honor Guard.

Shalayla and Carson Christensen have moved into the home of Carson's grandparents, Lyle and Ruth Ann Christensen. While the home has been in the remodeling stages the couple have been living with Brian Christensen, Carson's dad.

Royce and Lorraine Christensen spent the Thanksgiving holidays in Arizona with their son Kevin. The change to warmer temperatures was an added bonus.

A recent youth activity, simple but enjoyable, was when everyone shared their favorite hymn and then the group sang them. Everyone brought potluck treats for samples all around.

It's the last day of the year 2024. Mink Creek has had a lot of changes over the past 12 months. People moved in, people moved out. New houses built. Some activities in our cemetery with new residents. Hopefully this blog has helped to update you readers at least a bit. It is still a great place to live. If you have been fortunate enough to get a copy of the book “Women of Mink Creek” that Cecelie Costley, with sponsorship of the Relief Society, has compiled and edited, I hope you enjoy it. It has a historical flavor, but the contributors are women who are living in Mink Creek now, with some exceptions. That was the original plan but things branched out a bit as stories were submitted. Happy New Year to each of you.

December 9, 2024

 The rural news column did not make it into the paper this week.  Another absent editor situation and then it gets turned over to someone who could not care less about the Franklin county area, and they use, in this case, news from the Pocatello area in the Preston paper. I can't apologize for something over which I have no control but I am sorry you readers won't find what you are expecting.

So glad that you took the time to see if the Mink Creek news was posted, but there isn't much sense in giving it to you two weeks in a row.

I can tell you that the neighborhood owls are having a field day (night) lately.  I think they are auditioning for a winter choir because it isn't just the normal  "who-who"  there is some serious rearranging lately.  Maybe they are discussing the absence of snow.  Some snow is sticking around, but most of the terrain is bare and brown (tan).   Or the topic might be that they are tabulating the number of Christmas trees that have been harvested and gone down the valley  so far.  That started a week or so before Thanksgiving so you know the quantities are high.

We have two electric stars for public viewing this season. One is on the front of the old Egley barn, now owned by the Danforth family, the other is atop of the silo along side of highway 36 as one drives thru Mink Creek.  They both proclaim the joy of the season.  I hope you are catching the goodness, no matter where you are, Merry Christmas, from Mink Creek.

December 3. 2024

 

The Mink Creek Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held their annual ward conference on November 24. Officers of the Preston East Stake attended. Speakers during the first session were Emma Rasmussen, President Nathan Hess and President Michael Romney. The second hour session was under the direction of the Stake Sunday School and Relief Societies. The meetings were followed by a Sabbath Linger Longer enjoyed in the recreation hall. Served was a potato bar with all the fixings one might want to choose from, plus a green salad and rolls. Desserts were varied on a first come, first serve basis. It was good to share these moments in the week before Thanksgiving holiday.

Newest family to move into the Mink Creek community is Savannah and Corey Nielson and their children Astrid and Bjorn. Savannah is the daughter of Per and Cassie Danfors and the Nielson's will be living in the updated and remodeled home of Bryce and Carlene Egley. The Nielson's come to us from Ft. Mitchell, AL.

A First birthday dinner for Emma Westenskow was celebrated at Paul and Terry McKay's home. Emma is the darling only daughter of Adam and Connie Westenskow of Logan, the niece of the McKay's and the granddaughter of Layne and Karen Erickson. All were in attendance, as well as Andy and Brittany McKay and their son Crew.

The home of Drew and Jo Ann Ford on Bear Creek Road has been purchased by Kasey and Julia Haws. The Fords and their daughter Bethany have moved to Rockland, ID, where they will be closer to other family members.

Two of our community have passed away in this last week of November. Lynn Jensen passed away on the 25^th and Glen Fremon Jepsen followed the next day, the 26^th. This brought a somberness to the Thanksgiving holiday, and an awareness of lives well lived.

Pre-Thanksgiving, November 25, 2024

  I hear lots of plans for the coming holiday, some very elaborate and extensive, others simplicity plus. No matter which the theme of feeling gratitude is the root of it all.  Blessings unmeasured.

Family and friends of Jonathan Seamons gathered to hear him speak at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints prior to his serving in the Brazil, Manaus, North Mission. He is the son of Jeff and Jennifer Seamons of Caldwell, ID, and has been living in Mink Creek this past summer. He will be speaking Portuguese during his mission and will enter the Missionary Training Center in Brazil. Four of the Seamons brothers, Samuel, Joseph, David and Jonathan, affectionately called the Seamons Strings in our community, played a musical number during the program.

Richard and Carol Wall have been up from Utah to winterize their home on the banks of Bear Creek. Doug and Kathy Wilcox are still making frequent visits. Jim and Debbie Harrison have been with us most of the summer, but the temperatures of their home in St. George are calling them southward.

The snow came down thick and heavy and laid in several inches of white. Although it warmed up some the countryside has retained the look of winter. State snowplows are out and up early making round trips. Reported this same day was the temporary closure of the canyon highway due to an accident of a semi-truck on the Bear Lake side of the canyon. It took some time for clean up to allow traffic.

The tradition of many families, that of going to the forests to pick out and harvest their very own Christmas tree is well underway. Cars, trailers, pickups keep Highway 36 a busy thoroughfare with the coming and going. Most have their trees securely loaded on their return trip, but occasionally one will go rolling into the barrow pit when a departure has been too hasty.

I don't know if it is the shifting of the weather or if there is an explanation, but we seem to be having an increase of wildlife being hit on the highway during the night time hours. It is a rare thing to drive down the valley in the mornings without seeing signs of carnage on the pavement. It doesn't wash away easily even with the rain so it is always a stark reminder.

November 19, 2024

 

The October meeting of the Syringa Camp of the DUP was hosted by Lorraine Christensen and Mary Jean Rasmussen. The ladies met at the church in Mink Creek for a nice afternoon, learning about ancestors and pioneers. November’s camp was held in Preston at the home of Virginia Flippence. Twelve members were able to attend. Virginia and Mary Ann Jepsen served the camp members a delicious old-fashioned set jelled salad with homemade rolls. Lorraine Christensen presented this month’s lesson. Virginia shared a history of one of her ancestors. The camp had a visitor this month from the Company Board, Beverly Morris.

California visitors Kasey and Julia Haws are always welcome, we think of them as half-residents. This trip was their coming up to prepare the Haws House for the coming winter, with visitors or without. Winter always takes some extra effort.

We are happy to recognize that Chet Jensen has moved back to Mink Creek. He is the adult son of Kalee Bair and the late Shawn Jensen, has grown up in these mountains . He is living in the former Merlin McKay home on Bear Creek.

During a recent Sunday meeting there was a reorganization of the Mink Creek Ward Elders Quorum Presidency. Bret Rasmussen will remain the President. The following were released: Wynn Costley as the 1^st Counselor, Jesse Wilcox, the 2^nd Counselor and Jeff E. Olson , the secretary. Accepting callings to these positions were Kerry Christensen as 1^st Counselor, Per Danfors as 2^nd Counselor and Danny Christensen, as secretary. Kerry Christensen was released as the Financial Clerk of the Mink Creek Ward and Miles Erickson was sustained to that calling. In the same meeting Barbara Olson was released as the Young Women’s secretary and Kalee Bair was sustained the new secretary.

Wildlife in Mink Creek is still very active. Deer, pheasant, turkeys. Sighting of moose in the canyons. The few snow storms we have had are already attracting the snowmobile crowd.