January 30, 2024

 

Graveside services at the Mink Creek Cemetery for Elmer James Call on January 20 brought many of his family back to Mink Creek. There were military rites for Jim, with several of his grandsons officiating. A winter burial is always cold and the family had arranged to meet in the LDS recreation hall following the services to warm up with a cup of cocoa and have a chance to visit with friends and old neighbors of the community.

Since the meeting house of the Mink Creek Ward members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently had some repair work done on the ceiling the leaders felt it might be appropriate to learn about the history of the building, built in 1929. In a Sunday meeting Bruce Crane, of Logan, a recognized authority on most things pertaining to the whole village, presented a faith-based historical account. His grandfather, William Crane, had been the bishop of the ward at the time of the building’s construction. Jimmie Olson, the bishop at the time of a remodeling project about fifty years later, share with the congregation some of the challenges with the more “recent” addition that added several rooms and office space.

There were interesting tidbits mentioned in this historical account. The women of the community in 1928-9 painted the walls of the building, one brush stroke at a time, with no roller devices in those days. They also varnished all of the woodwork, benches and pews. One of the aisles was widened in the remodeling to facilitate the entry and removal of caskets for the funeral proceedings that take place in the building.

More Crane family drove over from the area around Jerome, ID, to spend some time with Bruce and his wife Shawna. His sisters, Linda Crane Shewmaker and Sheryl and Bob May made the early morning drive in spite of the disagreeable weather.

Jane Malouf, granddaughter of Jeff Olson of Mink Creek and Jim and Donna Malouf of Riverdale, has qualified for Junior Nationals in ski jumping. Jane is the daughter of Erica and Matt Malouf of Anchorage, AK. This is an exciting accomplishment for the teenager.

The Chinook arrived in January this year, which we consider normal for winter seasons. Last year this was not the case. Now everything is thawing and there is the rhythmic plop, plop, plop cadence, heard no matter where or when in the outdoors.