Ramona
By JESSICA GILBERT
Ramona correspondent
(785) 965-2621
What you're reading is the news for March 31 — there just hasn't been room to include it until now. Unlike a gallon of milk, the Ramona news is still good even after three weeks!
I was peeling potatoes for supper when Bryanna Svoboda and Molly Mercer knocked on my kitchen door. "Do you know about the new people who have moved into town?" asked Bryanna, who's in second grade. "We thought you'd want to know for your newspaper column."
I was indeed unaware of anyone new moving into town, except for the Nelsons, whom I had included in my previous column. "These people moved into the big yellow house on the edge of town," continued Byranna. "They have two kids, a girl who is 13 and a boy who is in our grade." Molly, also in second grade, interjected, "His name is Dustin, and I think his last name is Rose."
"Do you know where they're from?" I asked.
"Maybe somewhere near Ohio," said Bryanna.
"I think the town name starts with the letter P," said Molly.
They conferred quietly with each other and then pronounced, "We think the town is called Princeton," said Bryanna. "Yes, that's it. Princeton, Kansas."
Now I wasn't sure if there was a Princeton, but I was grateful for the "news tip" from these eight-year-old mini-correspondents, and set about verifying the facts. I called Rob and Marianne Prine, who live in the big yellow house south of Ramona. I knew the house was for sale, but hadn't seen any "sold" sign.
When Marianne answered the phone, I knew instantly they were indeed moving, because I heard tears in her voice. "I wouldn't let the realtor put up a "sold" sign," said Marianne with emotion. "It was just too hard to look at it. The other night we were packing and taking things off the walls and I couldn't even take the kids' senior pictures down without crying — so Rob had to do it."
Rob and Marianne have lived in the two-story yellow house south of Ramona for eight years, and Rob has served as the chief of the Ramona volunteer fire department for the past year. The Prines are moving to Bartlesville, Okla., where Rob's father lives. Marianne already has a nursing job in a hospital there.
I learned the Prines sold their house to William and Kristi Rhodes (my young reporters were pretty close with the name
When the Rhodes family purchased the house they wanted to move in within two weeks. This meant that the Prines had to pack like mad. "On Sunday night we had everything packed," said Marianne. "We had no food in the house, no dishes. Luckily Connie invited us over for dinner. We had an amazing meal. We called it the last supper since we're leaving March 30 for Oklahoma."
Connie Smith loves to cook and she prepared a spicy Louisiana dish called "dirty rice and beans," along with a pasta salad featuring black tiger shrimp. As she described the meal, my mouth watered just listening to the menu.
"After supper we went home and continued packing," said Marianne, "and then about midnight Rob got so hungry he was about to go back to Connie's for another go at the leftovers!"
"They didn't come at midnight," said Connie, "but they arrived at 7:30 Monday morning and had the leftovers for breakfast!" When Rob arrived at Connie's door he said, "I dreamed about that great food!"
The Prines have had a lot of "good-byes" recently. On March 15 they were at Ft. Hood bidding farewell to their son, C.J., who was leaving for Iraq. "It was just horrible seeing him go," said Marianne. "Some soldiers didn't even have family there to say good-bye so we all stood in a circle and Rob said a prayer for them all. It was so very emotional that I forgot what I was going to say — so I just said a prayer, too."
Marianne is leaving new, bright, yellow ribbons on all the trees at the yellow house her son called home. "I asked the new owners if they'd leave up the ribbons when they moved in, and they said they would," said Marianne. As soon as the Prines get settled in their home in Bartlesville, you can bet there'll be yellow ribbons on every tree in site!
While the Prines were grieving to see their son depart for Iraq, Kim Ditto Mellstrom of Ramona, was experiencing the joyfulness of homecoming, when her husband of six months, returned from Iraq. Sean Mellstrom arrived home last week. He's already assumed part-time duties at Ft. Riley as he gets acclimated to life back in the United States.
Chris and Dawn Deines of Blue Springs, Mo., cruised through Ramona March 21. "Whenever we are in the area, we have to drive through Ramona," said Chris, the oldest son of Maynard and Judy (Lee) Deines.
"I was just at Trinity Lutheran Church — I remember going to catechism there, and afterwards going to Betty's Café for candy. Phyllis Brunner was like my second mom. She was best friends with my mother, Judy."
How are they related to the Deineses still in Ramona? Mervin Deines's dad, Ort, had two brothers — Chris and George. George was Maynard's father and Maynard was the father to our "visiting" Chris.
"The Deines family were characters," said Chris. "I remember one of them became mayor of Ramona — he had a huge plug of tobacco in one side of his mouth and a jawbreaker on the other!" With a little investigation, I learned that this colorful "character" was Vernon Deines.
When Tooltime Tim heard this story repeated, he said, "Vernon could even add a piece of gum to the chew and hard candy, and keep all three separate!"
Here's a heart-warming moment in Ramona history: in 1992 a group of farmers from the Ukraine came to Ramona as part of a farmer's exchange program. One of the Ukrainian guests, Alexander Melnik, stayed at Norma Weber's house, and evidently had such a grand time he still keeps in touch 12 years later.
What a surprise for Norma when she heard from Alexander around her birthday last month. He sent a birthday gift — a scarf — along with his letter. He still remembers the people he met in Ramona and the good time he had here. "He sent greetings to everyone," said Jeannie Weber, Norma's daughter-in-law, who shared the story.
And now for more current news
Early Saturday morning Tooltime Tim dutifully put on the brown fuzzy bunny suit that Pat made especially for this annual Ramona event. He even agreed to let her tie a huge blue ribbon around his neck and paint his nose black and apply "whiskers" to his cheeks. "It gives me something to do," said Tim with a chuckle. "And I love the kids."
There was lots of laughter as family members tried to coax the youngsters to sit on the bunny's lap for a photo. When Rachelle Jirak headed with her baby brother, Elias, toward the Easter bunny, Elias let out a blood curdling scream — the experience made him suspicious of cameras for the rest of the morning!
Tim's sister, Sandra Svoboda, has been helping with this annual event for quite a few years, since she has two kids who especially enjoy the egg hunting. As for Pat and me — well, we get involved because we'll always be kids at heart!
After the egg hunt ended, Tooltime Tim walked around town and took the extra cupcakes that my mom, Martha, made for the party, and delivered them to the senior citizens in town. It proved that no matter how old you are, it's still fun to open the door and see the Easter bunny standing there!
Bobby Thornhill proved that he's still a kid at heart, too. When Tim and I returned to the park to clean things up, there was Bobby, walking slowly through the grass. "Just checking to see if the kids missed anything," he said with a grin.
Lisa Hanschu brought her daughter, Anna, to the egg hunt, and then she was off to help with a fund-raising event that was held at Papa T's in Hope for her friend, Pam Barrett, who is battling melanoma cancer. "Everybody was so supportive at my benefit," said Lisa, "that I just wanted to give something in return."
Lisa was in Houston, Texas, the end of February for the regular testing she must endure to monitor the cancer she's been fighting. When Lisa had to stop the treatment she was undergoing because of damage to her liver, she decided to undergo a bone marrow harvest should the cancer return and chemotherapy fail to stop it.
Lisa's doctors predicted the cancer would return within three to six months and therefore urged her to undergo chemotherapy. But Lisa refused chemo — "I was feeling so good," she said.
But the truth would be known in February when she and Ronnie went to Houston for testing. "When the doctors walked into the room with the results they said, 'We don't know how to say this,' and my heart sank," said Lisa. "And then the doctors went on to say that out of a million cells, only .134% were abnormal. It blew them away! What was happening in my body was not 'by the textbook' — I should have had a relapse by then."
Lisa said her health is a continuing miracle. "This is just one of many miracles since it all started," said Lisa. "I've gone from receiving the worst news of my life to a mountain-top experience. It's all been made possible through prayer and God's help."
Lisa tries to stay positive and now that her health has improved, she's giving back to others who also are facing the same crisis. "I sent 11 cards today to friends who have cancer," said Lisa. And helping with the benefit for her friend, Pam, is another way she's passing along the love and support that was given so generously to her.
This is by no means, all the news from Ramona. Why on Easter Sunday we had the Fikes with 50+ guests and the Buxmans and Birds with large groups, too. And Alyssa Ryff had a bridal shower at the Lutheran church — she's getting married in June. But if you want up-to-the minute news, you'll just have to move here!
Future "happenings" you're invited to attend:
April 23, 7:30 p.m. Tracy and Yvonne Brunner will take you on a trip to South America when they share pictures and stories from their recent trip to Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. This travel adventure will be held at the Trinity Lutheran Parish Hall. You're invited!
May 8, 2 p.m. Spring Frolic Tea Party in Ramona, sponsored by The California Sisters. This event is becoming so popular, we get reservations before we have time to send out the invitations. This means, if you want tickets ($10 each) call 785-965-7110 and reserve your spot!
That's the news from Ramona where a traffic jam is two parked cars and a dog in the road (except on Sunday, when there's so many cars at the Ramona Café, we can't count 'em all!).
