Serving the Heart of Central Alberta for 106 years
VOLUME ONE-HUNDRED EIGHT
PM40011853 R08546
NUMBER TWO
STETTLER, ALBERTA
January 8, 2014
PRICE — $1.09 Plus GST
New Year’s baby arrives ROBIN TARNOWETZKI Independent reporter
ROBIN TARNOWETZKI/Independent reporter
Big brother Jacob Hofer, 10, with Stettler’s first 2014 baby, Saphira Nola Hofer.
Stettler’s New Year’s baby didn’t arrive right at the dawn of the New Year, but was still the Stettler area’s first baby of 2014. Saphira Nola Hofer made her way into the world one minute before midnight on Jan. 2. She is 7 lbs. 3 oz. and 19 inches long. Her parents are Margaret and Jacob Hofer of the Red Willow Hutterite colony. The labour was easy and uneventful. Margaret Hofer pointed out that nothing was really surprising, as she has four other children. “I’ve had more kids, so I know,” she said. Saphira joins big brother Jacob, 10, and big sisters Damaris, 8; Rebekah, 4; and Alana, 1. The distinction of having the New Year’s baby didn’t seem to be a big deal to Margaret, who was still recovering in the hospital the day after giving birth. “It feels normal,” she said. Saphira arrived three days past her Dec. 31 due date, and when labour started, the 20-minute drive to the hospital in Stettler wasn’t urgent. Margaret was in labour for six hours and she, along with Saphira, is doing well. “She nurses and she sleeps,” said Margaret, adding that she has been a pretty good baby so far. Mom and baby got to go home on Jan. 4, two days after the birth.
Presents found 50 years later Discovered hidden in attic under lumber ROBIN TARNOWETZKI Independent reporter
Fifty-two years ago, Stan Nattestad hid his sisters’ Christmas gifts in the attic. And this past summer, he finally managed to find them again. Nattestad’s parents were separated, and every year at Christmas, his mother would give him presents for his sisters and ask him to hide them until Christmas morning. The presents that year were two rings, but when he went to find them, they weren’t there. “I couldn’t believe it,” said Nattestad. They were only there two or three weeks maybe, and how can they disappear? I never told anybody, so how could anyone have taken them? I was suspicious. I was from day one until I found them,” Every so often, over 52 years, he would go into the attic and search for the rings. But he always came up empty.
“I never told anyone,” said Nattestad. “Never told anybody. And I go up there several times a year and look for those things.” He finally found them under a pile of lumber, about five feet from where he always thought they were. It was a relief when they were finally found, to say the least.
“
I couldn’t get it out of the back of my mind how close they were from where I was looking at the time. I still can’t believe it.” - Stan Nattestad
ROBIN TARNOWETZKI/Independent reporter
Stan Nattestad recovered his sisters’ Christmas gifts 52 years after hiding them in the attic.
“I couldn’t get it out of the back of my mind how close they were from where I was looking at the time. I still can’t believe it,” said Nattestad. The two rings have a gold band and a black Alaska diamond, and have been appraised at $500 by Ware’s Jewelers
More Independent . . . more often . . .
here in Stettler. He gave one of the rings to his sister, and is holding on to the other one until he sees his other sister, who lives in Las Vegas. “They must have wondered how come my mother never gave them Christmas presents,” he said. “They must have, in the back of their minds.”
And now they know. But that hasn’t been the only find for Nattestad. He recently bought two 1954 calendars for $30 each at an auction, that originally came from a service station in Hackett, Alta., that his father used to own. “I don’t remember seeing the calendars
ever. That was a long time ago, 60 years ago,” said Nattestad. He got them both framed and has given one to his son. He wants to give the other one to his daughter. It’s safe to say that this year’s Christmas was a significant one for Nattestad.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook and at stettlerindependent.com