August 27, 2024

 

Gardens are producing, a little erratic in their timing. But it has been that kind of growing season, the beginning started off with night freezes that knocked things askew and caused replanting, with hopes of no more freezes. There was a cloudburst or two that washed up planted seeds. Now we are saying welcome to the corn, zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, green beans, etc. anything that made it through the gauntlet.

It has been Crane reunion time again in Mink Creek. Linda Shewmaker, Sheryl May, with a cousin, Lynette LaSan, gathered at the Mink Creek home of Bruce and Shauna Crane to remember childhood days together in this beautiful village.

Jeff and Barbara Olson enjoyed children visits from Andy Olson, his wife and their family from South Carolina. Jeff’s daughter Erica Olson came down from Alaska, getting in some time before the beginning of school at their homes far away.

With approaching fall Lin and Sharla McKay might be having less summer road trips and outdoor fun. They have been up in the Wallace, ID, they have made several river runs and not all on the same river, they have visited historic spots and had fun family outings.

The yellow school buses are rolling, filled with kids and drivers who are adjusting to new hours and new plans to extend into the next several months of their lives. This also includes the adults of our community who are connected with the school district in any way and the arrival of school days doesn’t make anything easier. There are still chores to be done and summer not quite over.

There are still reports of the wandering moose in Strawberry Canyon and around Copenhagen. Recently a buck deer collided with a vehicle one night on Highway 36. The creature received bruises and a broken jaw, at least, but he made it to a nearby resident's yard, away from the road, before collapsing and passing away a few days later.

If you are a fan of chokecherries it is time to be on alert. Some are getting ready for picking and the bird population works hard at getting their fill.

August 20, 2024

 

Jonathan Seamons, son of Jeff and Jennifer Seamons of Caldwell, ID, has been living in Mink Creek this summer, working a summer job to earn money anticipating a call to serve an LDS Mission. He has been called to serve in Brazil, Manaus North Mission, leaving in December. He will be speaking Portuguese. Both sets of his grandparents live in Mink Creek, Scott and Cathy Seamons and Joe and Kathy Jarvis.

Roxann and Wes Beutler of Dayton spent a few days here in the Hansen House. They felt this would be a good place for Wes’ s recuperation from recent knee surgery. Judging from their parking lot with additional vehicles, they had plenty of visitors for entertainment.

The family of Jody and Laural Janke drove down from Teton, ID, to spend a few days together having fun before the call of educational pursuits pull some of them elsewhere. Their son Keenan Janke had barely returned from serving a mission to the Barbados, Bridgetown, Mission, where he had been speaking French for the last two years. The family had a day at Lagoon, soaked up the festivities for the Famous Preston Night Rodeo, and enjoyed remembering when they lived in Mink Creek and were close to Bear Lake. Keenan will soon be headed to BYU in Provo and their daughter, Abi, will be in Salt Lake City with an extension of her nursing classes at BYU/I.

Elise and Jeff Hardy and their family, of North Ogden, came up for some days with her parents, Danita and Eldon Wilcox. Families visiting in the fall months seems to announce a change in the weather and the coming changes in family routines.

The frequent short, but intense, storms that have been popping up are causing some stress. Particularly for those who have houses under construction, or reconstruction. An open roof doesn’t shed much rain. Grain harvest struggles with dampness as well.

August 14, 2024

 

Mike and Mary Ann Jepsen spent a few days in southern Utah with family. They have been grateful for air-conditioned buildings in the triple digit heat. It has been some good recuperation time for Mike following some surgery.

Some of the visiting Haws family stayed in Idaho to take in the rodeo weekend. Kasey and Julie Haws were joined by Adam and Camene Haws and their family from Sol Vang. The Haws children have been busy in California with their 4H projects and things are winding up, ready for school to begin.

Carla and Mark Nielsen and Aidan and Victoria Nielsen enjoyed family time with Claudine and LaMar McKague. They came up from American Fork, UT, to attend the Famous Preston Night Rodeo, meeting up with their friends, the Adam Haws family.

Walter Iverson and his wife Jillian are temporary residents of Mink Creek in an unusual situation. Walter is studying dentistry and has been doing an internship the last several months in the office of Dr. Kurt Iverson, a local dentist, who happens to be Walter’s father. If it were possible we would keep these two young people, but educational pursuits will call them elsewhere.

The youth and their leaders enjoyed a night of floating the Bear River in the Oneida Narrows. Kim Rasmussen and Jared Keller drove shuttle service for the trips back upriver. Kim also cooked up yummy hamburgers with all the fixings, he has a chef reputation to keep up with the guys. Bishop McKay had chips, drinks and licorice enough for all. Cookies were dessert on the menu, thanks to the girls’ leaders.

Clifford and LaDawn Jensen’s life recently has been a bit of a whirlwind. Their granddaughter, Murial Jensen was married on July 16, the rites taking place in Boise, the reception in Pocatello a few days later. Mercedes Mackelprang, the Jensen’s daughter, and aunt to Murial, came for the occasion , all the way from Statesboro, GA. With Mercedes was her daughter Melissa who lives in Boston and a friend, Domitille, who is from France. Idaho was certainly new territory for these girls and there was much to be seen and done during the family visit.

The fall version of COVID-19 has arrived in Mink Creek. There are several residents suffering from the malady, some feeling wiped out, others managing to keep plugging along. Often in a farming operation there is not much choice. People are doing the testing with this round and there is the usual irregularity.

August 6, 2024

 

We have had lightning, we have had rain, big gulps of it, we have had loss of power several times. The dryness has perked up a bit with the gift of the rain.

Elder Charles Iverson returned from serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the Philippines, Bacolod area. He spoke to the Mink Creek Ward of his experiences and testimony. He included moments of typhoons and long hikes. Charles is the son of Kurt and Margret Iverson and all of his siblings were able to attend as well as grandparents, Johnny and Jeannine Iverson of Mink Creek and Sharon Knapp of Mapleton. Relatives on both the Iverson and Knapp sides of the family gathered for the occasion.

The Allen and Pearl Christensen Family Reunion was held at the Mink Creek Ballpark. Robin and Joseph Francom of North Carolina combined attending the reunion with the graduation of their daughter from BYU/I in Rexburg. Dorothy and Larry Shears came from Denver, CO. With shorter distances of travel were Devin and Shaundeen Christensen from Layton, UT, Verneal Lowry from Tooele, UT, and Janna and Rod Small from Preston. A stormy wind with rain caused them to move from the park to the workshop of Clare and Linda Christensen for a more pleasant, drier gathering.

Jeff and Barbara Olson have received a mission call to the California, Oakland/ San Francisco Mission. They will be leaving in January and serving at the Visitors’ Center of the Oakland Temple.

Judy Wilde and Anna Beth Olson are called to serve in the Preston East Stake to use their musical talents. Anna Beth is the Music Specialist, and Judy, the Music Adviser.

RoZann and Tom Baker from Salt Lake City enjoyed a few days in Mink Creek’s relative coolness. RoZann grew up in Mink Creek, the daughter of Keith and Ramona Crane, on what is now known as the Two-Creek Ranch.

It has been rodeo weekend in the county and it is amazing how many people come home for this three day extravaganza. Parades every night,  the carnival, the hamburgers from the Rotary and Kiwanis service clubs, all part of the event. There are class reunions often held during this time, perfect since so many return for the fun and memories.