By Dorothea Schlappi

Billy Snyder, a longtime member of the Sheriff’s Department, passed away last week. Another classmate from the Memorial High School Class of 1956. We are thinking of the family at this time.

We congratulate Cathy and Patrick Carrier on the safe arrival of baby Barbara a few weeks ago.

We know that spring is here when we see the pair of geese on the creek outside of Stanford. They say geese pair for life. Each year they are there and she lays her eggs on an old railroad support. We can see her sitting there and later the babies and parents play in the water. I sometimes wonder what they do in the winter that they come back to the same spot.

Gardens are being planted and the woods are abundant with beautiful wildflowers. Mushroom hunters can be heard bragging on how many they find. The morals are so good.

Rev. Carl Johnson, who was a pastor at St. Sylvester Church in Ottenheim for a few years, passed away recently.

The Martin birds arrived this week from the south. They travel a long way each year as they leave in the fall and return in the spring. Their song is so beautiful.

Mildred Clausen had the misfortune of falling and breaking her hip. Keep her in your prayers.

Life is like a flame, always burning out, but can be re-lit with the many blessings that are given to us each day!