Rumsey Record
If you are looking for something to do on Saturday, July 23rd, you could go to Michichi and have breakfast as the volunteer fire department is having a pancake breakfast that morning beginning at 10 a.m.
I do hope that everyone had a good July first weekend. From all reports, the Drumheller parade was just great. I haven’t heard about Trochu yet.
We were at the Ponoka parade which was held June 29th. (This parade is always held on the Friday of the stampede but this year was changed due to Friday being July 1.) We were at the Ponoka stampede for a week and the weather was great. This was the 75th year of this stampede and the festivities all week were centered around the Old West. In the opening ceremonies on June 27, every winner of every event over the past 75 years was honored in the infield surrounded by 75 black horses carrying Canada Flags. The infield was nearly full of celebrities and their families.
The stagecoach that the Ponoka stampede board has comes into the infield whenever dignitaries are honored or introduced plus more. Each day, the afternoon performance begins with the singing of “O Canada” by the rich toned voice of Dwayne Vold as he sings from the infield mounted on his trusty horse.
There were several people dressed in 1936 era clothes as they commemorated the early days of the stampede. In the bronc riding event, three fellows rode bucking horses in the old style with the outriders containing the bucking horse until the rider mounts and then is turned loose. I really enjoyed that as my father, Chris Clausen was a pickup man for the early day rodeos and Ernie’s father was a bronc rider. That was in the early 1920s before each knew the other. This was discovered after we were married.
Among the many folks that we saw at the stampede were Margit (Schowalter) and her husband from Tofield. She was showing us a book that has been written about noted horticulturists and her father Walter Schowalter is featured in one of the stories.
The local 4-H beef club held their annual awards night and banquet on June 28 in the Rumsey hall when each member was rewarded for good work during the past year.
All crafters and quilters are invited to come to the Morrin community hall, July 23-24th for a Creative Weekend Retreat. Bring your quilts, scrapbooks, knitting or whatever you do and join us. For more information, call Marg 403-823-9429 or Marj at 403-771-3814. These folks would like to hear from you before July 18 if possible. Proceeds from the retreat will be going to the Blooming Prairie Seniors Center. Sounds like fun.
I had the pleasure of attending the Munson Centennial Celebrations on July 8-10. Because I took my high school in Drumheller, I became very good friends with the students that attended from Munson. It was like going back some fifty years, maybe more to be with these folks again and be a part of this great weekend. Hats off to all who organized the affair. It was very well presented and enjoyable. Great food and activities. The parade was just great also.
Among the many visitors who came ‘home’ for the celebrations were Doreen and Jim King from Kelowna BC. Jim was a native of Munson and he marred Doreen (Wofson), daughter of Phillip and Helen Wolfson, who were residents of the Rumsey area years ago.
Coming up this weekend is the Rumsey ball tournament. This is always a great time with lots of entertainment and Saturday night supper and Sunday morning breakfast.
Coming up also very soon is the 22nd annual STARS ride which is held at the TL Bar Ranch on the west side of the Red Deer river west of Rumsey. Anyone wishing to be a part of this terrific fundraiser should mark their calendar now and plan to attend. On August 7th, the day will begin with a pancake breakfast in the out of doors, activities all day in camp besides the ride itself during the day. In the later afternoon, there is a roast beef supper, which is always a hit as no one wants to go home and make supper when they are tired from being outside all day. Call 403-368-2132 for any information or if you would like a pledge sheet to be a part of the ride.