Gadsby came alive last Saturday with close to 40 children at the bank building, accompanied by parents and grandparents. Visits with Santa, hayrides, hot chocolate and hotdogs, as well as candy bags, were the highlights of the day. Not to mention pictures with Santa.
More than 125 people gathered at the community hall later that day for the turkey and ham supper, and then back to the bank building where 42 lucky people tried to win a turkey or ham or maybe the loonie pot.
Bill and Joyce Hansel hosted a family pre-Christmas dinner at the community hall on Sunday with 30 family members able to come from Cadogan, Provost, Red Deer, Beaumont and Drayton Valley.
Among them were eight of Bill and Joyce’s great-grandchildren and Santa was on hand to hand out presents to all the wee ones. Pictures, games and laughter were prevalent, and then everyone headed safely home despite the heavy snowfall that began early in the afternoon.
Westwoods Recreation and Ag Society will be having their annual general meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 12, at 7:30 p.m. at the Agrilot. Memberships available at 7 p.m. Everyone is urged to come.
Then on Sunday, Dec. 16, Santa Claus will be at the Agrilot at Westwoods from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free hotdogs at noon. Everyone welcome!
Rene Blackmore helped her Uncle Dick Herbert celebrate his 93rd birthday, which was held at Lousana. And her aunt Peggy in Kelowna recently turned 90. Their youngest sister Dorothy is Rene’s mom.
There will be an open house from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 15, for Iona Berg in honour of her 90th birthday. This will be held at Heart Haven Lodge in Stettler, where she lives. Come and have a piece of birthday cake with Iona. Friends and family are invited to attend. A short program is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Word has come of the passing of George Richman Jr. in Red Deer. He was 84 years old. The Richman family (George Sr. and Edith) lived in the Westwoods area, where the children grew up. Sympathies to his family, which includes Hazel Ann Yucker of Stettler.
The community was saddened with the passing of Ruth Goodkey, who, along with her husband George and their family, farmed south of Gadsby for many years.
Funeral services were held on Saturday at the Stettler Funeral Home. Sincere sympathies from the community to her sons Victor (Julia), Lyle (Betty Jean), Russell and Murray (LaDonn) and their families.