North Camp Crook News

Dec. 20 - Dec. 26, 2021


Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone! The week was a flurry of activity and now, Sunday evening, quite peaceful. Even the wind has calmed a bit!

After a flurry of Christmas programs last Sunday, the week started out calmly enough. Celia Welch and I took a leisurely grocery trip to Spearfish where Lane and Ann Dingfelder treated us to lunch at Perkins. Then things started to heat up for the weekend. By Christmas Eve, everyone was in airplane mode! The neighborhood was abuzz!

Somehow I missed Kayla Spickelmier’s news last week, so here it is: Kayla Spickelmier hosted an Arbonne party at the Hall, Monday evening to get geared up for the 30 Days to Healthy Living starting Jan. 3! The Spickelmier boys had Head start, Wednesday afternoon. Afterward, Kayla and Hazen went to the church to practice the Sunday School program. Thursday the boys stayed with Grandpa and Grandma while Kayla dropped off gifts at the Artemis House in Spearfish. Grandpa Wayne and grandma Susan brought the boys to Buffalo where Miles joined his little family and they headed to Faith for the Spickelmier Christmas. Saturday they returned home in time to celebrate Haize Tope’s birthday at his house. They finished off the day with the Olson Christmas party in Buffalo. Sunday, they were in the Sunday School program.

This week: Kayla attended the Parish Council meeting Tuesday evening in Buffalo. The great-grandchildren of Selma Gunderson gathered the next day for pictures at what was originally her house. (It now belongs to Kaycee and Tyrell Moody.) Susan reported there were 13 children 15 years old and younger! Afterward they all got together at Doug and Brittany Hausman’s. Susan mentioned that Doug and Brittany Housman hosted the group for an evening of memories, the Christmas story and a few hymns to honor Selma’s memory and the birth of Christ.

Wayne and Susan’s entire family gathered at their house for supper Friday night followed by the candle light service. Saturday the entire family returned to Wayne and Susan’s for the prime rib dinner followed by presents and family time!

John Ovitz delivered eggs and had coffee with Tarters, Thursday morning. That evening, Amanda Tarter came home from her job in Brookings to spend Christmas with her dad, Rock, and her grandparents, Dean and Mary. The whole family attended the Methodist Church candlelight service, Christmas eve. After the service, they went to Matt and Janet DeBow’s for their annual couples Christmas Eve party with Rod and Yvonne Yoder and Bruce and Lynn Gustafson. Christmas day found the Tarters visiting and eating at the neighborhood get-together at Bullock. Tarters entertained Karen and Shane Wagner from Gladstone, ND and Rock and Amanda Tarter for their Christmas dinner, Sunday.

Nathan Beck Bangs vaccinated Tennant ranch heifer calves, Monday morning. Jean went to Rapid City, on Wednesday for an appointment, Paul arrived Thursday. Kari, Claire and Aubrie arrived the Friday evening. Jean attended the Christmas Eve service (actually she set up the lovely candle lighting part of it) and she brought ham and buns to the Christmas Day dinner at the Bullock Hall. Mark and Carroll and Emily and Addisyn were there too and brought food also. Mark, Sammi and Addisyn, Paul and his family, Ty and Cathy and their girls had soup at Jean’s house Sunday afternoon.

Darwin and Kay Latham and the boys brought Joy home for a Christmas break, Wednesday. Black powder hunters from East River hunted on the Latham place this week. Dale, their nephew, helped Jason work on his basement. The whole Latham family gathered at the Candlelight services at church. Christmas day Darwin brought Shirley up to join the family.

John and Linda Humbracht, Barb Stordahl, Brian, Lori, Jacie and Kylie Teller all attended the Little Missouri Christmas Eve candlelight service. After services, everyone came out to John and Linda’s and had supper. Barb stayed over night. Christmas Day the same group and Jeremy and Robin gathered there for dinner. Barb returned home Sunday morning.

John Ovitz had coffee with Jesse Bail, Wednesday morning. That afternoon he procured his two gallons of fresh oysters from H&L. He said “It sure is nice to be able to get them locally!” and they were really good, too! John enjoyed the coffee and visiting at Tarter’s Thursday morning. John and Kay attended the usual Christmas celebrations at Becky’s (He provides the oyster stew every year) and the Fritters the next morning also at Becky’s. They enjoyed the gathering at the Hall Christmas Day, although the game of spoons got pretty rowdy!!! They spent a quiet Sunday evening listening to Glenn Beck!

Chuck and Peggy Humbracht went to Bowman, Wednesday. Wes came down Friday, Christmas Eve, and stayed through Christmas, returning to his home Sunday morning.

Becky Holsti and Paula Richter joined Lane and Ann Dingfelder in providing entertainment for the residents of the Good Samaritan rest home in Mott, ND, Wednesday afternoon. Becky and Traci Routier were in Rapid City, Thursday. Becky’s family gathered up for the traditional Christmas Eve celebration at her house Friday evening. Saturday, Becky joined everyone at the Bullock Community Center for Christmas dinner. That evening she was at the Cramer’s enjoying a couple Christmas movies.

Casey and Jessica Holmes headed to Phoenix, Monday, with a trailer load of young horses. Joe and Cindy took their kids and flew out, Wednesday and met them there. PJ and Ryan flew in, Thursday, for Christmas. The whole group went to Bill and Cindy Mankin’s Christmas Eve for food and fun. Meanwhile it rained over three inches Christmas Eve there. Cindy said, “We sure wish that was in SD!” And she said, “We have been riding in the mud!!” She added “Merry Christmas to everyone!” Of course she did not realize that back in South Dakota it was -12º so the rain option was not working!!!

Russell Cramer started working for Harding County, Monday. That same day Hattie started home from Ames, IA. She had a great trip, stopping at Randy’s in Spearfish to pick up a Christmas present. Tuesday Mary and Hattie started baking, continuing throughout the week and brought the most sinfully delicious cookies, candy and lefse to the festivities. Christmas Eve they all attended Ladner’s candlelight service. They enjoyed the lively atmosphere with all the wonderfully cute children. The place was hopping! Mary said, “It was WONDERFUL!” Of course they all went to Becky’s afterward. Calvin called on the I-Pad early Christmas morning while they were opening gifts. Then they went to the Bullock hall Christmas Day.

The Bails made a quick change to their holiday plans when Kim’s grandmother passed away, Dec. 16. For those of you who don’t know, Kim’s grandmother, Rafaela, was born and raised in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. Kim’s favorite pastime from the Brown side was gathering with cousins and eating Grandma’s homecooked Mexican food. She said, “Grandma would make enchilada assembly lines. We celebrated her life with a home cooking recipe night where Aunt Linda taught some of Grandma’s tips and tricks for authentic enchiladas, pork verde, pinto beans and rice!” Jesse flew home early. Kim and the kids stayed to enjoy ice skating, the beautiful Lights Before Christmas at the Toledo Zoo and visiting more family. Now that Christmas is over they will make the long 1,100 mile drive home to SD where the kids are hoping to find a few gifts from Santa.

Matt and Carmen Gilberts’ Christmas Eve was spent at Carmen’s brother’s (Will Meyer) in Reva. Christmas Day the Gilbert clan all came to Matt and Carmen’s. She said, “We had a full house!! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday!!!”

It was a wonderful week of celebrations. And now we go on to march into the New Year. We are starting out with crispy cold weather but finally got some snow. The wind yesterday (Sunday) practically ripped the screen door off the front of the house. It skidded me along like a sail on one of those dreadful skiing/sailing ideas meant only for the young at heart. Poor Greg after that let me in and out of the house so his eardrums would not be assaulted like that again!

Have a great week everyone. See you next year!!!!

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