Appreciates story on Grandma Kettwich
Hi David:
I enjoyed your write-up on Gesche Kettwich so much! I thank you for that. Some of the information was new to me or at least, I had not remembered some of the details. It's great that someone has taken the time to write these things down or the stories are lost forever.
To explain....I am the granddaughter of Lucy Kettwich Ostermann....Gesche's daughter. To correct your story, my grandmother lived to be over 100 yrs. old. She died in October following her 100th birthday which was in July. She and I were very close and I have a wonderful cassette recording of her relating some of her stories to me when she was in her late 90's. My father was John Ostermann and I have many fond memories of visits from the Illinois relatives and of our visits to Illinois. Bill and Berneice Baumann were always favorites and their 2 children and my brother and I had many gay old times.
Sue Bruch forwarded your story to me and I am wondering if it would be possible for you to send me those pictures via an attachment so that I might print them out.
Thanks so much for your story and I would be interested in knowing where you fit into the family tree.
Shirley Ostermann Boyken, Mesa, AZ
Editor's note: My mother was Florence Baumann who was a daughter of Lena Baumann who was Great Grandma Kettwich's oldest child.
"Keep on making that lemonade"
Dave:
I read your editorial on "New Era for Minonk", and it did my heart proud. When I was there a year or so ago, I noticed that nothing had changed too much. Oh a few things here and there were different, but no real progress.
I can remember those days you talked about when Minonk was the hub for shoppers from all over the area. Saturday nights were "events" where you'd shop, meet friends and go to the Princess Sweet Shop for a soda and one of their great chicken salad sandwiches.
Competition is a healthy thing. So your new Dollar store sells some canned goods, and other items sold by other businesses, it's still good. The more we see the opportunity for growth, the better. I've seen it happen here In Round Rock, Texas. It was dried up..nothing going on. Then The City Council started a huge move to entice businesses here. We now have Dell Computers, a Super Mall, and another on the way. Plus many other shops already here, and more to come.
As a former resident, and one who will always care about my old home town, I say"Keep on making that lemonade", life didn't hand you a lemon after all, it handed you opportunity.
Art Kettelhut
Round Rock, Texas
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Looking for mosquito remedy
Is there a household item like laundry soap or something I can pour into our rain water buckets that will kill the larvae but will still let me use the water for plants?
Did you know that blocked rain gutters are a breeding ground?
John A. Hawk
Editor's note: Anyone out there have the answer to this one?
Hates snakes also
Hi Dave, I loved the editorial. I usually do. I can relate to the snakes. I
hate any of them...even a large night crawler can make me cringe. I have a
ditch out front that water sets in most of the time. This year being the
exception because of no rain to speak of. Last year my riding mower hit a
huge bull snake in the left side of the ditch. It spread out across the road
and went belly up. While I hate them, it did not make me feel good I must
say.
I also wish they would not mow my ditch. I have thrown wildflower
seeds in it every fall ever since I first moved here. I have also tried
getting hollyhocks started, and they mow it and kill everything. Also there
is a little triangle in the right front that I could mow but do not want to,
as I wanted it as a refuge for the wildlife also...but someone mowed that
as well. They do not want to get on the house side of the ditch to mow
because its too steep, so there is still a little cover for the animals out
front, and I do have some pretty wildflowers too....and one red hollyhock
made it, though its gone now. Better believe I will be like Johnny
Appleseed and be out there this fall and scatter more hollyhock seeds.
Keep up the good work.
Wanda Patterson
Correction to report
I am writing to correct your report of the City Council meeting of
August 5, 2002.
In your report you stated that the city auditor reported a deficit in
the city sewer fund and that I responded that a increase in the sewer
rates would make that fund profitable.
In fact the auditor was referring to the water fund not the sewer fund
and my comment was that the past increase in the water rate should take
can of the deficit in that fund.
I did not say that either fund would or should show a profit.
Indeed it is my belief that neither fund should show a profit, but both
funds should be maintained at a level to operate those departments,
including much needed repairs.
I trust your error was inadvertent.
Mark G. Spencer
Mayor
Editor's reply: I checked with other people at the meeting and they also thought that
the auditor referred to the sewer fund. In any case, a correction is made to the report.
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