March 4, 2008 - Tuesday

(early)
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Todays Gazette is being brought to you, in part, by the eastside
"RINKRATS."
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The current temperature is 6

Yesterdays H/L temperature was 31/4
Normal H/L temp for this date is 28/11

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"Profanity makes ignorance audible."
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L O C A L news & stuff,.. mostly stuff.

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Another day of not much new in Shivercity. There was a van and trailer
parked in the alley between Polly's and the Extra End for a couple days.
I'm really not sure what that was all about. I don't think it was a
band. However, it did have something about being number 1 in the number
2 business painted on the side of the trailer. Lord knows, parked
between the two most famous "John's" (pardon the pun) in Grafton, they
shouldn't have any trouble picking up a load of "number 2".

Or so it seems to me.

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I mentioned skating and Stub Colsen in Mondays Gazette and Bert
remembered the following. >>>> Stub Colsen and Bob "blacksmith" Bar ran
the arena and the "Rinkrats". Myself and my brothers Orville and Kenley,
Calvin and Doug Swanson, Walter Gjersvold, Don Sandvig, Norbert, Russel
& Jim Hanson, Bob Bar, Benji and Norval Nelson and several others I
can't remember right now were the "Rinkrats. We scraped the ice every
night and flooded it with hot water. For this we got to use the ice to
play hockey and for some of us older ones we got to play during the
periods when Grafton had the semi-pro Millionaires hockey team. We were
all east side kids with the exception of Arlen Thorsenson.
The big treat we looked forward to was once in a while Bob Bar,
Stub and Fisken Colsen would take us all over to the Bon Ton next to
Paps Tavern and buy us a $.10 hamburger. That was a treat we always
looked forward to especially because it was not a regular event.
When it happened it was really a big deal for us because all our
families were on the lower end of the pay income scale at that time so
going out to eat --- even a hamburger --- was something that just did
not happen often. Bert A. Overland <<< Thanks a million for caring
and sharing Bert. I'll bet if you tried, you might even remember Truman
Mattson's name back then as well.
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It's funny sometimes how things go, and how things run together. Just
yesterday I was writing about "our" Ohio friends and how they seem like
family. Not long after sending that Gazette, I received a note from
Cindy, telling me of the passing of Bob and Darrel's Mother.
I pulled out the picture I had just received and the following thoughts
just seemed to bounce back and forth between my ears.
- - - - - -
There's so many things I just can't explain.
Like the sun, and the sky, and the sweet smell of rain.
There's so many reasons, to ask our Lord why.
Why those loved so dearly, still have to die.
Why if God can make mountains and oceans so blue.
Must He call up the loved ones from me and from you.
Why does God need our moms more than us.
Doesn't He know it just causes a fuss.
- - - - - - -
On Wednesday, February 27, the Lord called Patricia Willson to her
heavenly home.
I have never met Patricia Willson, though I have enjoyed the results of
some of her work. Her two sons Bob and Darrel represent her lifestyle
well. I can see by Patricia's interests, she served her God, her family
and her country too.
It saddens me to share Patricia's obituary though I'm pleased to tell
the whole wide world that Her dash, between August 23, 1924 and February
27, 2008, was filled with family fun and faith, and love of life and
nature. And dashes don't get any longer or more meaningful than that.
Patricia M. Willson, age 83, of Delta, Ohio, entered into eternal
rest, Wednesday, February 27, 2008, at The Toledo Hospital, following
heart surgery. She was born on August 23, 1924, in Metamora, Ohio, to
the late Leo and Veronica (Snyder) Schmitz. Patricia married James
Willson on March 6, 1943. She was a homemaker and enjoyed canning and
gardening, especially flowers. She loved the outdoors--wildlife,
snowmobiling, camping, traveling, bird-watching and hunting woodchucks!
She also enjoyed going out to eat. She is survived by her loving husband
of 64 years, James; children, Cathy (Larry) Clausen and their children,
Eric, LaWonda, Rena, Shawn, Scott and Benjamin; Barbara (Charlie)
Mossing and their children, Laura, Steven, Michelle, Michael and
Cassandra; Robert (Carol) Willson and their children, Allen, Paul and
Wesley; David (Shirley) Willson and their son, Tom; Maria (Terry)
Willeman and their children, Jody, Jason and Mindy; Annette (Ray)
Wensink and their children, Lucas, Adam and Brittany; Earl (Paula)
Willson and their children, Krystal, Tiffany and Jacob; Darrel Willson
and his children, Ashley and Joshua, and 39 great-grandchildren. Also
surviving are her siblings, Jean Prescott, Ralph (Madeline) Schmitz,
Sonny (Lois) Schmitz, William (Mona) Schmitz, Florence Ruple, Camilla
Cleghorn and Thomas Schmitz and several nieces and nephews. Besides her
parents, Patricia was preceded in death by her son, Michael Willson,
granddaughter, Dannielle Marie Clausen and sister, Suzanne Hubbel.
Friends and family may visit Sunday, March 2, 2008, from 2 to 8 p.m. at
the Weigel Funeral Home in Swanton. Prayers will begin in the funeral
home Monday morning, March 3, 2008, at 10:15 a.m., followed by a Mass of
Christian Burial at 11:00 a.m. at Holy Trinity Catholic Church at
Assumption. Fr. Dennis Metzger will officiate. Interment will follow at
St. Mary's Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Holy Trinity
Building Fund. Online expressions of sympathy may be made at:
www.weigelfuneralhomes.com
My wife Pat and I, along with all of Bob and Darrels new found friends
from Grafton, wish to extend our deepest sympathies to the entire
Willson family.
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GOTTA GO WORK ON MY DASH
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