January 26, 2021

 

Mary Jean Rasmussen and her son Kim, drove down to Centerville, UT, to enjoy the homecoming of her granddaughter, Courtney Carr. Courtney’s parents are Terrie and Hayes Carr. For the last eighteen months she has been serving in the Ohio, Columbus, Mission. With the COVID 19 restrictions the first glimpse the family had of Courtney was in the Salt Lake airport parking lot. Courtney is now making plans to attend Utah State University in Logan.

The Young Women’s group are doing monthly service. This month was providing homemade French bread and soup to take to the homes of their past activity leaders. They are having a great time cooking in the kitchen of their leader, Jody Rasmussen.

With the coming of the new year there was a need for priesthood ordinations among the young men who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Jonathan Seamons, son of Jeff and Jennifer, was ordained to the office of a priest. Conner Iverson, son of Kurt and Margret, was ordained a teacher. Two sons of Clayton and Wendy Currie were ordained, Devlyn as a teacher and Larien as a deacon. Grayson Stanworth, son of Kaci Avery, was ordained a deacon. Hazen Baird became a teacher and his brother Orrin a deacon, sons of LaRon and Liesa Baird.

There was a baby blessed on January 17^th. The little boy of Robert and Darci Maxwell was named Dominic Jade Maxwell. This is always a wonderful event that our village anticipates.

Kent and ReNae Egley were at Twin Falls, ID, supporting their race car driving son, Matt. Matt was presented with the Rookie of the Year award for this past racing season. This is the off season for racing and Matt and his crew are shaping things up to be ready for the coming season a few months away.

This past Sunday was one of the few where there was a need for the walks and parking lot at the LDS Ward to be cleared of snow before meetings began. The young men of the community stepped up and accomplished the task. In my book that is a pretty big sacrifice for teenage guys, meetings are on the early schedule in this ward.

The COVID-19 virus is still making some visits in our community. Quarantine times have shortened a bit, but it still affects our interactions.

January 19, already!!

 

January 8^th was the night of the annual Mink Creek Ski Night at Beaver Resort in Logan Canyon. This is a community tradition from many years. Residents who are now grandparents received their first skiing experience at this long lasting activity. It was well attended again. Potluck treats to share were in accordance with the COVID-19 guidelines. Those in the lodge had nearly equal fun to those taking to the slopes.

There was an absolutely professional musical number in the Mink Creek LDS Ward with the ‘farewell’ meeting for Elder David Seamons.,who begins his mission labors with At-home training in a few days. The Seamons String Quintette, accompanied by their mother, Jennifer, played a medley of two hymns, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing and If You Could Hie to Kolob --- Ben on viola, Sam on bass, Jonathan, Joseph and David on violins. It has been a long time since we have had these brothers together to play for us. They are the sons of Jeff and Jennifer Seamons. David has been called to the Argentina, Cordoba, Mission and awaits the possibility of a different location due to the COVID restrictions. Family members from both the Seamons and Jarvis sides of the family were able to attend.

The Young Men’s oldest group spent three days in West Yellowstone on a snowmobiling adventure. They stayed at the cabin of their advisor Bret Rasmussen. Other leaders were Bishop Paul McKay, Kerry Jepsen, Kurt Iverson and Lin McKay. The youth participating were Charles Iverson, Ty Jepsen, and Dallon Baird. There was lots to be learned, particularly that of avalanche dangers and the need for teamwork in many sledding situations.

Eldon and Danita Wilcox hosted a community Christmas breakfast at their new home on the morning of the holiday. It was a potluck affair and open to those who wanted to relax and share the joy of the day but perhaps had no family members living nearby.

It is hard to believe that we are already half-way through this month. We don’t even have enough snow for a snowball fight, let alone build a snowman. We do have ice , both underfoot and in the form of icicles. Being outdoors can require a bit of a balancing act and concentration on our steps.

January 12, 2021

 

Wayne and Jackie Olsen traveled a family route following the holidays as they delivered a book of family records and pictures to their children who live in Cache Valley.

Candy Longhurst and daughter Emily welcomed family home during the holidays. Spencer and Tiffany Wheeler and son Hudson came down from Parma, ID, McKinley Longhurst was home from studies at Idaho State, Justin and Cynthia and little EllieBea drove up from Logan, Jake and Holly and Alice from Smithfield . It was a house filled with fun and laughter.

Paul and Terrie McKay had everyone home for a few days. Cody and Kevyn came from Queen Creek, AZ, Morgan and Eli Curtis and Andy McKay from Logan. It was great just doing family ‘stuff’ and the highlight was getting to go for a ride with Grandpa Layne Erickson in the snowcat.

A new baby is reason for celebration in Mink Creek. This one is the son of Jesse and Annavelyn Wilcox and was born in October. He was blessed and christened this weekend in the Mink Creek LDS Ward, given the name of Desmond Blane Malate Wilcox. Jesse’s siblings gathered for the occasion. Jeff and Elise Hardy and family of North Ogden. Ami and Tom Fenton of Tooele, UT, Brigham and Jennipher Wilcox and children from Idaho Falls, and MaKenzie and Tyson Gunter and their two youngsters from Arimo, ID. Fraternal grandparents are Eldon and Danita Wilcox. Jesse and Annavelynn spent the holidays in Arizona with Annavelyn’s sister, Haydee Moore in the Phoenix area.

We haven’t had a good snowstorm in nearly a month. Only a few of those brush-by ones that deposit an inch and go sailing over out mountains to the east. They must be putting some inches of the white stuff in the canyons however because the weekends have snowmobiles being hauled up to the canyons without fail.

Arrival of 2021

 Happy New Year, so far, so good, in our little hamlet. If people were out of town for those special holidays they are back now, resuming life in the "new normal" of dealing with COVID-19. Kids are back in school, masks are in place

Jonia Carlson went to Hawaii for the Thanksgiving holiday with her son and his family After spending several weeks in the balmy weather she has returned to Mink Creek to deal with real winter and cold. Already she has been having grandmother get-togethers with the children of Brint and Brittnee Phillips.

Mike and Anna Olson and their three girls drove over from Brigham City to spend some time up Station Creek with Mike’s parents, Jimmie and Anna Beth Olson.

David and Judy Wilde welcomed son Spencer and his wife Paige for a pre holiday visit. From here Spencer and Paige were flying out to Maryland to spend Christmas with her family. Their plan is to return to Mink Creek for the remainder of the holiday break from their studies at BYU/I in Rexburg, ID.

Layne and Karen Erickson and Bob and Claudia Erickson traveled with Gary and Sharen Erickson of Chubbuck, ID, to Farmington, UT. They attended the funeral of their sister, Imogene Erickson Jackson Stine, who passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Dec. 19, after a heart attack. Having been a widow for the last fourteen years, Emmy leaves behind six children, Valerie, Shirley, Douglas, Allen, Cynthia and Andrea, with numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Mike and Mary Ann Jepsen are often on the road. They took some time to see sons Jonathan, Joe and Jared and their families in the Salt Lake City area. After a few days back in Mink Creek they headed to St. George, UT, for fun in the sun and golf.

These moonlight nights of the holidays are being enjoyed by both man and beast. The coyotes can be heard yowling and yipping, the sounds echoing and bouncing back and forth across the walls of our valley. There is nothing quite like the shine of moonlight on snow covered slopes.

A vehicle veered off of Highway 36 and took out a couple of fence poles and a telephone junction box. The box is now draped with a covering of bright orange as a protection until mended, I assume. Now there is no missing the lane that leads to the Smith/Gilbert residence tucked in at the foot of the juniper hills.

December 29, 2020

 

The Mink Creek community gathered for its annual celebration of Christmas season. This year things were a bit different, as has been all things since March 2020. Keeping in mind the limitations, the social distancing and the wearing of masks, the program was televised into three rooms at the LDS Meetinghouse. It was a showing of videos centered on the birth and life of Christ, with narration by Michael Jepsen and the prompting to follow Him, to Hear Him, to try to do as He does. Following the program the group adjourned to the rec hall for a reading of an original Christmas story written and read by Marty Mickelson, a friend from Lewiston, UT. The book was large on a screen and all ages could enjoy the story telling of a moose family who helped out at Christmas time. Social distancing could be practiced, but it was great to see one another. A treat of cheesecake all packaged prettily and a cup of hot spiced cider were ready to be taken home as the evening closed down. The Relief Society presidency was there to pass out a gift of a hand towel and poem to each sister, attached to it a metal ornament of Christ’s story.

Jimmie and Anna Beth Olson traveled to Richfield, UT, this month for a chance to watch twin granddaughters, play in a volleyball game. Their parents are Jerry and Christine Olson of St. George and Jimmie and Anna Beth took advantage of the game in Richfield as being the closest they would get to Preston in their games this year.

Neil Lemon, Juli Egley’s father, is with us for these winter months. It gives a warm feeling to the whole community to see the lights on in the Bryce Egley home where he is staying, within a stone’s throw of Juli and Jared Egley’s home.

The Christmas Star was very visible from our valley. The lack of street lights simply added to the beauty of it. The local coyotes have been pretty vocal lately, can’t help but wonder if these critters noticed this phenomenon.

Along with the coyotes we have the owl conversations during the moonlight hours. I love going out in the dark to hear their talking. Somehow it carries so clearly in cold crisp temperatures.

The turning over of the calendar in just a couple of days will reveal 2021. After the last nine months of uncertainty and restrictions it causes some questions as to what the next 12 will bring into our lives. Change is always a part of life and we can be hopeful there will be some good changes during this time. “Old acquaintances should not be forgot, and Happy New Year.”

Christmas week, 2020

 

Three storms have moved in during the past week, depositing several inches. Every piece of land in our village is on a slope so it is a bit of a challenge to claim we have so many inches. It might be 4 inches on our lower levels and twice that or more as one gets closer to the entrance of Strawberry Canyon. We are happy to have it, the fall has been super dry. The snowmobiling crowd can hardly wait to visit and play.

With the recent storms that effectively cover portions of the highway surfaces we are grateful for those road crews who painted the center and fog lines of the state/county roadways. Those yellow lines help keep us safe if everyone would heed their meaning. The lines makes staying where one belongs a little easier as we maneuver the slush and possible ice. So far only a little fog, but it will increase in the future.

The Young Women of our community have accomplished another service project. This time they made homemade soup and delivered soup baskets , plus some suitable additions, to the adults who are widows, widowers, or single and on their own.

Charles Iverson, son of Dr. Kurt and Margret Iverson, and a junior at Preston High, earned special recognition for his football talents in being named to the 4A District All conference team, the First Team offense. Congratulations, Charles, on a job well done.

This feat has seemed like an impossibility but it has finally happened. Members of the Mink Creek ward Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been able to participate in ZOOM meetings. Our hills and mountains have caused various barriers to this type of activity, but recently there has been at least three of such gatherings that were proclaimed “successful.” Almost beyond imagination, but true!

I hope you all had skies clear enough to see the "Christmas Star." From the valley of Mink Creek it was beautiful and the night was perfect for this once-in-a-lifetime event, clear and cold.  The planets were visible when the sun went down leaving a lovely streaked blue color on the horizon reaching up to the darkening sky and the 'star'. A wonderful time of this strange year for this to happen.  I consider it an extra gift for the 2020 season.  A positive memory.  Merry Christmas, everyone.

December 15, 2020

 

Ken and Lauren Nash were up from their home in Santa Ynez, CA. Hoping for a taste of winter, it is still a nice time of year to be in Idaho at the Haws family dwelling, soaking up the peaceful sound of Mink Creek as it flows in the back yard.

Ron and Mary Norris spent the recent holidays in Bluffdale, UT, with their daughter, some grandchildren and several more happy faces around that table of feasting.

Laural and Jody Janke and children spent a fall vacation of four days in Mink Creek with her parents, Bob and Claudia Erickson. Coming up from Richfield, UT, they were hoping we might have some snow, but still found plenty of entertainment. One goal achieved was that of harvesting their annual Christmas tree and getting it back to Utah with the evergreen needles still attached. Abigail Janke, their daughter, was just finishing the at-home MTC training and left the next week to begin her service in the Washington, Everett, Mission.

The family of Bishop Paul and Terrie McKay gathered at their home on Station Creek for the holiday. Andy McKay and Morgan and Eli Curtis came up from Logan. Only Cody and Kevyn Mckay who now live in the southwest were missing. Terrie’s parents, Karen and Layne Erickson shared in the bounty of the day.

Chad and Dawnell Greene are missing a son due to long distance. Travis Greene has moved to Florida. Two of the Greene sons, Josh and Robbie, and their families live here in Mink Creek, Heston’s family is in Preston and Izac is in Cache Valley. Only daughter Hannah now fills the Greene nest.

Tracy and Joni Hilliard-Crane came up from Vernal, UT, to do some visiting within the area. They headquartered in Grace, ID, but as Mink Creek is Tracy’s family’s roots there were several stops here. Memories and the Crane and Keller cemetery plots make this a comfortable place for these two. Seeing Tracy it was like having his father, Keith Crane, back in town.

 Depending on your perspective, our weather has improved. Since the last post of the blog two storms have moved through on their way east. The first dropped an inch or two of snow, enough to warrant shoveling the walkway. The second brought in about 4 inches more. When the fall season has been as dry as this past one has been every bit of moisture is welcomed. I had a reader comment that I often write about the weather. I am a farmer’s wife and weather with its ups and downs has always played a very important role in our lives. In this village we pay attention to the weather, 24/7, year round.