Winnett Senior News & Flatwillow News

WINNETT SENIOR NEWS

JULY 2021

July 1 - Twenty-six members in house and seven take-out orders enjoyed a picnic lunch of Polish dogs with bun, crab macaroni salad, chips, watermelon, and an ice cream cone. We celebrated having a picnic for the 4th of July only we were inside. It was fun.

The foot clinic will be held on Tuesday, July 6 in the rec room of the apartments. Contact Linda G. for an appointment.

Flatwillow Hall will be celebrating their 100 year birthday on July 2 at the Hall. The Hall is providing the meat, the rest is potluck. Festivities begin at 5:30. The Neil Hamilton band will begin at 7:00. Come out for a fun time of eating, socializing, and dancing to celebrate a milestone birthday at the Hall. The tradition of a midnight supper after the dance will continue with Flatwillow sandwiches, chips, a pickle, and a browning. Hope to see everyone there.

Melody mentioned that the Winnett Times newsletter is out and there is a nice spotlight article on Jim Johnke. He is being recognized for his years of service and work with the Winnett Lions Club.

There will be a graveside service for Connie Nesheim on July 2 at 10am. It will be at the Flatwillow Cemetery. There will be a short service and her ashes will be interred in the cemetery.

Ralph won the 50/50 for $10. Congratulations! Ralph also was in a car accident last Thursday after seniors. He told a bit about his accident. He had been to Grass Range and was on his way home when he went off the road, through the barrow pit and then hit a culvert. He was able to get out, but his car was totaled. He was taken by the Winnett ambulance to the ER in Lewistown. He has scrapes, bruises and was sore, but was okay. We are so glad he was okay and able to be with us this week.

July 8 - The menu today was potato soup with ham, cucumber salad, 3 bean salad, and apple crisp.

Luann gave a report on the fun time at Flatwillow Hall. The board would like to plan something like this every year, only a little earlier and maybe it won’t be so hot. We’ll have a start of summer bash at the Hall. Sounds like fun!

Tracy Taynor was here and brought her dad, Larry Patterson, with her. He is the newest member of Petroleum County. He joined seniors and has just moved into the apartments in Winnett. Welcome Larry. We are so glad to have you with us.

Lindsey Wilkerson, the school superintendent was here with us today. She wanted to introduce herself to the seniors and let them get to know her. She has been here for a year now and doing a great job. Last summer when she arrived, Covid had shut seniors down, so she hadn’t had a chance to visit and get to us.

Vicki and Florence of Area II in Roundup were here today. The July newsletters are here. Be sure and pick one up. There is some good information on a lot of senior concerns.

Patti gave out an “Aging Services Nutrition Risk Assessment”. Please fill out and return to Patti next week. She needs the information to turn into Area II. It is federal and state funded, and they need a demographic base to make sure we get enough money for our senior centers.

Welcome back to Leo and Kim Tarplee. They have not been in for over a year, due to Covid and then they went to Indiana for a vacation. They brought Kim’s dad, Jack Barsich, with them. Good to see all of them here.

Kim let us know that Lewistown will no longer be hosting the Relay for Life. They pulled out of Lewistown. Lewistown will host Color Cancer Celebration instead. Kim will do luminaries for anyone that would like one. They are $5.00 a bag, or 6 bags for $25. There will also be a raffle for a quilt and a raffle for a 90lb. pork bundle. Raffle tickets are 1for $1.00, or 6 for $5.00. She will bring the forms with her next week and anyone can request a luminary. Kim will decorate them also if you would like.

Melody won the 50/50 for $11.00.

July 15 - Upside down pizza, sunflower crunch salad, French bread, and pudding cups were on the menu for today. There were twenty-eight seniors and 7 takeout orders for lunch.

The questionnaire that Patti handed out last week needs to be filled out and returned. She will make a master sheet of who all has returned them but overall, everyone has been really good about getting them back to her.

Georgia won the 50/50 for $11.00.

There will be a 100 year celebration of Cat Creek. It is a celebration of when oil was discovered there in 1921 to the present. There will be a street dance, barbecue, and fun times on September 18. Put that date on the calendar and come out for a good time.

Marvel Manuel is in assisted living at Valle Vista in Lewistown. Hugh Brindley was taken to Billings last Monday. After visiting with his doctors and the family, they need to put him in extended hospice care. Patti Saylor (lived in Sidney) passes away yesterday. She was 92 years young. She graduated from Winnett. She was in Lillian Moore’s class.

Jack and Marsha Jensen will be having a 50th year anniversary celebration at Flatwillow Hall on August 14. That will begin at 5:00pm. There will also be a wedding reception for Braden and Brooke Jolma (they were married on July 17 in Helena). It will be at the city park in Winnett at 2:00. Braden graduated from Winnett in 2017 and this will give a chance for all the locals to get a gift for them and congratulate them. Ray Hale, and Steve Hale’s dad Dave passed away in Ennis. Our sympathy goes out to the family and friends of Dave. They lived in Winnett for many years. Ray and Steve both still live here.

Jack and Shirley Hughes were here for a short time for their grandson’s wedding. They then headed back to Arizona where Shirley is taking treatments for her eye. Jack is now cancer free. They hope to come back to Montana in September before they head back to Arizona for the winter.

Cassie and Tracy each told a joke. Diane I. told a joke on herself about her card playing last week.

July 22 - Today is our birthday lunch to celebrate July birthdays. Thirty-five members were here and there were three takeout orders. We had our traditional dinner of oven fried chicken, mashed potatoes with milk gravy, lettuce salad, cranberries, with birthday cake and ice cream. Thank you to Carol Ann for making the cakes. Carol Ann was the only one here today that had a birthday in July. Happy birthday, Carol Ann.

Brenda Brady with the PCCC committee gave an update on moving the old Odd Fellows building. They are waiting on the asbestos abatement process which is about 6-8 weeks away. She introduced Lance Olsen who came for lunch today. He is the new director of the Petroleum County Community Center and in charge of the youth program. The youth program will be starting this fall on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesdays after school. Until the community center is built, it will be in the First Baptist Church. The after school program will be for K-12. They are working with the church to not interfere with the youth group and kids club that the church hosts. Funding for this youth program comes from the Bruno and Evelyne Betti Foundation. Evelyne grew up in Sand Springs and graduated from Winnett High School in 1936. What a wonderful gift for Winnett youth.

Sylvia won the 50/50 for $11.00.

Gary mentioned to send a card to Tracy Taynor. Her dad, who recently moved to Winnett, passed away on July 15 in a senseless and tragic murder. He wasn’t with us in Petroleum County very long, but he was very happy to be living here and looking forward to getting more involved with playing cards at seniors and playing bingo when it started back up in the fall. We all send our sympathy and hugs to Michael and Tracy and all his family and friends.

Patti gave a report on her brother Michael Bevis’ condition. He is in Billings Clinic in Billings.

Kim Tarplee has the forms and information for anyone interested in doing luminaries and raffles for the Color Cancer Celebration. It will be on August 5 at Frank Day Park in Lewistown. That is the park next to the swimming pool. It will be from 5:30 – 9:30 in the evening.

There will be a short business meeting after lunch next week. Lee I. told a joke. After dishes and clean up were finished, those who wanted to stayed and played cards.

July 29 - Thirty-one members and two takeout orders had roast beef, herb potatoes, fruit medley, green beans with bacon and tomatoes, and a brownie for dessert.

Patti gave an update on Michael’s condition. He is hoping he can come home tomorrow. He has a long road ahead of him, but it will be nice to get home.

Melody’s nephew died unexpectedly. There will be card on the counter for us to sign and we’ll send it to her. Our sympathies got out to Melody.

A memorial celebration for Jim Johnke’s brother Martin will be July 31 at Flatwillow Cemetery starting at 10:00. Both Martin and his wife’s ashes will be buried at the cemetery. Afterward, there will be a reception and food at Jim and Melody’s home. Everyone is welcome.

Congratulations to Gary and Linda G. on the birth of their great granddaughter. After hearing of so many people losing their loved ones it is wonderful to hear about a new life beginning.

Cassie won the 50/50 for $11.50. She also told a funny story about Jade losing two teeth and getting money from the tooth fairy. We all had to laugh because we’ve all been there .

Update on Torgy – he is home. He had a water tanker truck rollover last week. He was taken to the hospital and had several stitches, but he is okay. The tanker didn’t fare well.

Kim Tarplee still has the luminaries and raffle tickets for anyone that is interested. They have to be in by August 1 so they will be ready for the Color for Cancer Celebration to be held on August 5. All proceeds will go to the Colors for Cancer.

This has been such a busy month and busy summer. We still send out prayers for all the farmers and ranchers and anyone impacted by the drought. It has been a tough summer. We also send out prayers for all those fighting the many fires and those who have lost property and/or homes in the state of Montana and the entire west. Take care, stay safe, and pray that August will begin a cool down and we will have some fall rains.