June 27, 2023

 

Linda Shewmaker and Sheryl May, sisters of Bruce Crane, from the area around Burley, spent a few days here with Bruce and his wife Shauna roaming the hills and remembering their childhoods years in Mink Creek. Their parents are Rex and Brucia Crane. No matter where they might live the love of home in Mink Creek is strong. They managed to pick some of the warmer days and avoid the recent storms.

The Crosland family has had multiple gatherings during the last month. Parents, Robert and Phee spent a few days in Moroni, UT, Robert’s hometown, during the Memorial Day weekend. Nearly the whole family were able to get together a week later to support Angelo and Karissa Crosland as they were sealed in the Rexburg Temple. Celina and Jesse Groesbeck came down from Boise for the naming and blessing of their newest daughter, giving her the name Willow Groesbeck. Mario and Amanda Crosland of Smithfield, UT, Arianna and Ben Hostetter of Peyton, CO, Armando Crosland of Arlington, VA, Rico Crosland of Portland OR, Jason and Malia Kunde of Rigby, ID, Giovanni and Kristina Crosland of Franklin, ID, were all able to celebrate with the family. It isn’t often they can schedule things to all be together.

The Young Women group enjoyed a fitting activity connected with horses. Several of the girls participate in various rodeo events and, in this way, those who don’t rodeo had a better chance to understand their love of the sport. They were assisted and instructed by one of the fathers, Kerry Christensen, who has three girls that rodeo.

Terrie Carr and her daughter Courtney were up for a weekend with Mary Jean Rasmussen, Terrie’s mom and Terrie’s brother Kim Rasmussen. The Carr family lives in Centerville, UT.

The wild grasses are already long, and that is a good thing when it is the pasture for cows. Not such a good thing when the high grass blocks the view of drivers as they turn from our side roads onto Highway 36, the main route through our village.

That first day of summer has come and gone, and still our outdoor temperatures are reasonable, even chilly now and again. But the first hay crop is in the process. Some has gotten rained on, so the raking, drying system had to be put in place. It is always a sigh of relief to get those bales finished up, and even in the barn or stack.

June 20, 2023

 

Friends and the family of Marion Jenny Engels Haws gathered in Mink Creek for her graveside service in the Mink Creek Cemetery. Her husband Karl and their seven children, spouses and grandchildren and great grandchildren participated in the services with song and memories shared. The Engel/Haws family have always had more than one place of residence: California and Mink Creek, Idaho, for nearly sixty years. Now the descendants are a little more scattered, California still, some in Utah and some living year-round in Idaho.

Three young women participated in the High School Rodeo event held a few weeks ago in Preston. They were Ella Jepsen, daughter of Kerry and Melinda Jepsen, and two sisters, Annie and Josie Christensen, daughters of Dan and Casey Christensen. Josie placed 3^rd in the Jr. High Division and qualified to participate in the National Jr. High Rodeo held in Georgia. Annie competed again at the Idaho State high school rodeo in Pocatello.

Spring, for real, brought Hansen siblings and their spouses home for a weekend at the Hansen House on the banks of the roaring Mink Creek. Wes Hansen is from Ogden, Roxanne Beutler lives in Dayton and Pat Bowles lives in Fairview. It was a time of many memories, laughter and fun.

The Trek to the Seller’s Ranch by members of the Preston Idaho North Stake was one of much anticipation and it didn’t disappoint. The countryside and camp offered a mix of pushingand pulling of handcarts, lots of walking. Mud, snow on the ground, rain and sunshine were part of their days, but somehow the heavy wet weather that had been forecast skirted their area. Mink Creek had two handcart families. Trevor and April Rasmussen were the parents of one cart, Claudine and LaMar McKague parenting the second one. The fourteen youth on the Trek were Emma and Kate Rasmussen, Conner Iverson, Morgan and Danny Keller, Clara Jones, Devlyn and Larien Currie, Jared Cheney, Jyllian and Greenlee Christensen, Orrin and Hazen Baird, and Emma Rydalch. Other adults accompanying the group were Bishop Paul and Terrie McKay, Dallon Baird and Jesse Wilcox.

You’ve all heard “make hay while the sun shines”, when this is applied to a hay crop it is the major wish. We have recently had some sunshine and acres of hay were mown. Just a couple of days following the cold and the rains hit. The hay is at a stage where there are two choices, cut and risk the rain, or let it grow and have the weevil infestation devour the hay leaves. “Life on the farm.”

June 13, 2023

  Signs of repair are taking place at some of the farm buildings that suffered from the weight of the snow on their roofs this winter.  Even if the whole structure is disappearing after being broken up it is a positive thing.   It is a time of helping each other, always a good thing.

Jeff and Kaylene K. Hill were up from Taylorsville, UT, with some of their family. It was the weekend of the Lewis and Clark Volunteers, a Mountain Man group who do a Rendezvous that takes place at the Vernon Keller farm. Due to the high waters of Mink Creek at the usual campground the Volunteers moved onto higher ground than in the past. Kim and Dianna Keller still live on the farm.

True signs of summer; our off-and-on residents are coming to enjoy our green surroundings. Larry and Lillian Hansen are back on Bear Creek. Jeff and Julie Workman have made a couple of visits. The children of Eldon and Danita Wilcox are taking turns coming, lately it was Ami and Tom Fenton and their crew from Utah and Brigham and Jenipher Wilcox and their children from Idaho Falls.

There has been some repair work going on for the Preston Canal, which takes water from Mink Creek. It is now known as the Consolidated Irrigation Company. Shoring up canal banks is a job for heavy equipment and needs savvy operators.

Jonia Jackson was sustained as the 2^nd Counselor in the Mink Creek Ward Relief Society. Already the group has a hike planned in the near future. It is a fitting activity when living in hiking country.

The family and friends of Marion Jenny Engel Haws gathered in the Mink Creek Cemetery on June 3^rd as she was laid to rest in the family plot. Her husband Karl and their seven children and spouses, plus grandchildren and some great-grands were able to enjoy the beautiful day and the service conducted by the Haws children. Mink Creek has been a second home for these California people for over half a century. Marion passed away on May 14, and a funeral was held in California.

Some fierce winds came whipping through our valley doing some serious damage to trees and branches. Hefty limbs were detached from trees lining Birch Creek Road. The center of the village seemed the hardest hit with reports from homeowners Stuart and Alona Ostler, Tom and Donna Nicholls, and Reed Swann and his daughter Penny.

June 7, 2023

The Relief Society held a “cruise in” for the month of May and scheduled Munching, Mingling and Ministering as the items of attraction. They broke the ice with a game of “Hotcha” and candy treats of three varieties of M& Ms: plain, peanut, and peanut butter. The real munchies turned out to be sliders, fruit and veggies, a salsa mix and chips. Each person attending received a race car, an edible one designed by Mary Jean Rasmussen. The recreation hall was decorated in psychedelic décor with lots of color. The Ministering Minstrels, also known as Kathy Goff, Jasmine Erickson, Natalie Forbush,and Cecelie Costley put on a skit with some musical assists from Margret and Kurt Iverson and Wynn Costley. Rebecca Jones, who has been the 2^nd counselor in the Relief Society presidency shared her thoughts on living in our community of Mink Creek during the last few months, including this winter experience.

Dean and Rebecca Jones and their daughter Clara moved to Idaho last summer, knowing it was a temporary arrangement. Clara has been attending Preston High School. They have now moved back to Washougal, WA.

The Mink Creek Originals are scheduled to have their annual reunion at the Mink Creek Ballpark on June 10^th, starting at 11 a.m. Jeff and Barbara Olson are in charge this year and they encourage those attending to bring outdoor lounge chairs for comfort. A brown bag lunch can be purchased ahead of time by contacting Jeff.

It has been awhile since we had a visit from Rita Warburton Cargill. Living in California, she was in Idaho recently for the wedding celebration of her nephew, Brandon Olson, son of Tracy and Cherise Olson of Franklin.

Jon Jepsen of Salt Lake area has been up to give his brother Mike Jepsen a hand with some of the spring work. Mike recently had some back surgery, but is up and going in nearly his usual style.

The chokecherry trees, both wild and domestic are full of blossoms and the scent is heady. If the weather now coming along will cooperate it could be a great season for the harvesting of chokecherries. Visions of syrups and jelly, flavored applesauce, etc., doing the mental dance.

Our waterways are still flowing high, but dropping. We are well aware that this season could have been much more threatening than it has been.  Efforts are being made to salvage some of the wreckage from those outbuildings with caved roofs.