More Friends from the Park!

How lucky can we get! This is two weeks in a row that we've been able to dine with great friends from the park!

This week, Tom and Dianne drove over from their camping spot at Thompson, IL, a nice CoE park right on the Mississippi River. If you follow them on facebook, you'll have seen some of their kayaking excursions and also the grand old riverboat they visited Wednesday.

[caption id="attachment_810" align="alignleft" width="355"] Tom & Dianne Carl; Pat & Keith Williams[/caption]

I chose Emil's Hideaway as the spot for lunch. As you can imagine, we had a lengthy lunch!

It's so wonderful to spend time with friends from Winter's past! Thanks for coming, T & D!

Chet Sutherland: R.I.P.

Chet Sutherland, 92, long-time gardener at the park, passed away early in September. His obituary is here: http://www.rockportpilot.com/obituaries/article_ee734c78-565a-11e5-be32-3ff4886dd96d.html

Chet and his wife, Peggy, lived on Fifth Street until this past season, when they moved to care centers. Later, Chet moved to the same care center as Peggy.

[caption id="attachment_802" align="alignright" width="262"] Chet Sutherland[/caption]

While he was still in good health, Chet was a regular at the morning coffee session at the clubhouse. He was also called upon at Sunday morning church service at the park, to sing a solo part of the popular hymn, "In the Garden."

These pictures were taken February 24, 2009.

Park Friends Meet in Iowa

We were thrilled when we learned that Fran and Sandy Bulawa were in the Omaha area celebrating Sandy's fiftieth HS class reunion and that they might venture evern futher east to visit other Park friends!

[caption id="attachment_794" align="aligncenter" width="455"] Friends from the park meet in Iowa![/caption]

It happened! They visited Ron and Vi Powell in Burlington, Iowa, then the four of them plus Pat and I met at Little Amana (I-80, Exit 225) for breakfast last Friday moring. Fran and Sandy were headed back to Wyoming, specifically to Laramie, to attend a football game the next day with three of their grandchildren who are students at U. of Wyoming.

As is the usual case when good friends from the Park get together, a good time was had by all!

All agree that there are/have been lots of wonderful people at Wilderness Oaks and its predecessor park!

R.I.P. Norman Sherman

[caption id="attachment_775" align="alignleft" width="300"] Mary and Norman enjoying friends
at the club house.[/caption]

During our seven winters at the park, Pat and I met many wonderful people from all over the country. Among them were Norman Sherman and his wife Mary, who hailed from Coldwater, Kansas

Norm and Mary were easy to make friends with, as each had a welcoming smile and a down-home attitude that anyone could feel comfortable with immediately.

Because I enjoyed Norman's friendship so much, I was saddened to learn a few weeks ago that he had passed away.

You've heard the term "Jack of all trades," right? Well, Norman probably told you of some of the things he did during his interesting life but you can get a more complete picture from Norman's obituary.

His love of flying and of owning a Piper Cub is mentioned. Norm told me that in one year, he flew that Cub over 500 hours! That's a lot of sitting but I agree with Norm, well worth it!

Norman had a provisioning plan: he'd arrive in Rockport with a small chest freezer in the back of his pickup, filled with Kansas beef. On the way home, he'd pass through Louisiana and fill it with shrimp!

Norman use to sit under the overhang of his trailer and read paperbacks, mostly Westerns, as I recall. But he always had an extra chair for guests and time for a good visit with anyone who happened to be passing by and was inclined to stop.

Rest in Peace, good friend Norman Sherman!

Back at Wilderness Oaks

[caption id="attachment_779" align="alignleft" width="300"] Someone Remembered Us!![/caption]

On our way home to Cedar Rapids from Mission, we spent a night on our old spot (80) at Wilderness Oaks!

It was GREAT to visit with friends with whom we'd spent up to seven years at the previous park. They even rmembered us!

We chose our date wisely: it was the day of the park's weekly potluck dinner!



 

 

And, we were fortunate enough to get a piece of Joan's pie! She ceretainly has a reputation, doesn't she!