GADSBY/WESTWOODS NEWS -- Thanksgiving has came and gone with several family functions throughout the countryside. Stan and Gloria Diegel would have had all the family there but Tasha and Aaron and family received six inches of snow and even though they started out, turned back home, safe in their own home.
Percy and Paulette Heer hosted Thanksgiving Sunday with cousins John and Lorraine Hankins, Justin and McKenzie (also safely home from Saskatoon where she is enrolled in U of S, taking a seven-year veterinary course); Jeanne Biesel; John and Jewel and Bailey; and Doug and Shirley McKay.
Bill and Joyce Hansel were very thankful as they attended the wedding of grandson Tyler and Breanne Bauman which was held in the Stettler Community Hall. It was to be an outside wedding, but once again Mother Nature had other plans. The hall was decorated with a net full of balloons. Following the reception and first dance, and to the delight of the great grandchildren, the net was opened and the balloons released. The highlight of the day for Joyce was the fact that all of Bill and Joyce's family were there and a 50-person family picture was taken. Devon and Heather Trennery spent the night with Bill and Joyce before heading home on Sunday to Metiskow.
Also the Friday night, previous to the holiday weekend, the Stettler High School hosted their annual awards night. Several students from our community received awards. Grade 10 honors went to Shayna Brower, Keyonna Derr, Sadie Diegel and Megan Kobi. In Grade 11 Rylee Jacobson received a scholarship in Building Construction. The Paul Berg Scholarship went to Todd Yaremcio of Stettler. Congratulations to all recipients, well done.
The Big Knife 4-H Beef Club held it's organizational meeting this past week. It was decided to open membership for "Cleavers," age eight and under. Anyone wishing information or would like to join, please call Denise at 403-740-5566. The new executives for the year: Leader Denise Jacobson; President Rylee Jacobson; Vice President Grace Hebbes; Secretary Junae Ventnor; Treasurer Keyonna Derr; Parliamentarian Austin Jacobson; Club Reporter Laura Hebbes; Phone Communications Charlee Derr and Lunch Jayna Weatherly. Good luck for a productive year.
Gloria and Stan Diegel enjoyed a short visit from Stan's cousin Roger and Diane from Eckville on Sunday. Brave people, driving through the fog which was at times very thick.
The Botha/Gadsby students of grades 4-6 took part in the CARA Cross Country run at Theresetta School in Castor. Principal Mike Flieger was proud to report that Botha had a "strong showing" with Tyson Wedlund and Denim Ross finishing in the top ten for Grade 6 boys and Hannah Winter (my granddaughter) finishing in the top ten for Grade 6 girls. Congratulations to all who participated.
The Red Willow Hutterite annual cattle drive came past our place on Wednesday, Oct. 12, with cattle and riders, heading to Merle Gordon's where they camped overnight before heading to their destination. This has become a yearly event and enjoyed by all.
Rosalind LaRose contacted me excited to let everyone know that she has been chosen to pin the first poppy at the ceremony to commemorate the 2016 Poppy Drive. The first poppy is received by the Alberta Lieutenant Governor Lois Mitchell. A real honor for Rosalind. Watch the news on that Saturday, Oct. 22.
And it is with sadness that we say good bye to another past Gadsbyite, Kay (Walgenbach) Gravely who passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 11. Kay has been an integral part of Gadsby, growing up in the area, marrying Tom Gravely, becoming a nurse and keeping in touch with and supporting the Gadsby community. Sincere sympathies to her children, Susan (Larry); Marty (Louise); Guy (Beverly); Robyn (Gwenda); to the grandchildren and great grandchildren and the many nieces and nephews. A private service at the Gadsby cemetery was followed by lunch at the Botha Seniors' Center. Kay was 91.