HAND HILLS GRAPEVINE NEWS: Could the cable be from The Lady of the Lake?

By Marilyn Vredegoor

Hello, Hand Hills – I want to thank everyone who has complimented me on my column. I do it because I love to keep people connected. Whether it is through a story about the history of the Hand Hills, a story about a family from the Hills and yes, those dreaded obituaries, it is all part of being a community. Please keep me informed so I can keep this column going.

How did your Garden Grow? Mine was a challenge to keep watered this summer. I was okay with that because the two local Hutterites Colony, under the supervision of Chris at Neu Muehl and Sam at Verdant Valley, did a bang-up job of their gardens. Many of us choose not to have a garden due to time or not having a green thumb, so we really appreciate the work the Colonies do.

Of course, their gardens wouldn't be the same without the help of all the women on the Colony. It makes for a team effort. The potatoes from Ed at Neu Muehl were the best, and we enjoyed every one of them.

It was a milestone that few ever reach! Larry and Lyla Nelner celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary, and they did it surrounded by family and friends. In August, the Clubhouse was a beehive of visiting, good food, and lots of grandchildren, nieces and nephews with their little ones, cousins, who all gathered to make the day a very special occasion for a very special couple. Side by side, year by year, is so true of the Nelner's. Congratulations from the Hills!

When I was walking on the Lake I had an idea that I was going to go east of the old Clubhouse and see if I could find anything interesting on the bottom of the Lake. There was a pier there years ago, which was a community gathering place in the 1920s. The Lady of the Lake, which was a boat built by Mr. Anderson of Craigmyle for Mr. Billy Millard in 1922, was also docked by the pier. The cost for the boat was $1700, a lot of money back then. Mr. Millard had Mr. Peacock run it and take charge of the boat. It was .50 cents for a ride and ran every Sunday, picnic days and the Stampede. It roamed the Lake for three years. What did I find? I found some old cable, and my story is that it sure could be from the pier or the boat. I need someone with information on the old cable to help me confirm this. The cable has hemp inside of it. I am sending a few pictures, but if anyone wants to come have a look and solve the mystery, please do.

Hockey has started up for local Hanna kids. They are renting the ice in Drumheller to get in shape for the season. The ice in Hanna will go in right after the Annual Ladies Auxiliary Rummage Sale.

Remember to mark October 22nd on your Calendar. This is the date for the Turkey Supper. This tradition started in 1953 as a Fowl Supper and was held in December. That is 70 years of feeding people and doing it right. Come see for yourself.

Tony and I stopped at the Senior Circle in Drumheller to visit with Maria Gammie. That is a busy place! Cards, coffee, great music, shopping and visiting. What a great place for seniors to gather. I really enjoyed the music. We took Maria some pictures of her 7-month-old great-grandson, James Reid Edward Raugust. Brag away, Great Grandma!

Hats off to the Hanna Rodeo Committee and the Town of Hanna for putting on a great weekend for the whole town. There seemed to be something for everyone, and it brought people together. Yeehaw!

We all need to count our blessings, and yes, it might take you a while. Some families are not as lucky, and when it comes to a two-year-old going thru cancer, I just have to raise my hand to help. This little boy, Roy Keasey, of Edmonton, has lots of family ties in the Hanna and Hand Hills Area. Names like Hutton, Edwards, Siewert, Moench, Crowle, Quaschnick are all feeling the brunt of this little boy's journey through stage 4 Neuroblastoma. He is facing 18 months of treatments between Edmonton and Calgary. Jenn Moench and Andrea Heilman, cousins of Roy's Mother Joy, have started an online fundraiser. If you want to help this family out, please join in. It is on Facebook, or you can call one of the organizers, and they can help you donate, bid or pledge money.

Till next week – Hope is putting faith to work when doubting would be easier.