SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023
Custer Public Power District supplies electric power over 4,600 miles of distribution lines to Custer, Thomas, Blaine, Logan, McPherson, Loup, and Hooker counties, including portions of Sherman, Dawson, Cherry, Lincoln, Brown, and Garfield counties. Proudly, serving over 8000 square miles of rural Nebraska.
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A true testament to the grit and determination of the pioneer spirit, many of Nebraska’s county courthouses stand today to tell the stories and pride of the past. Take a photographic tour across the state in the second installment of Nebraska Life’s County Capitals series.
By Alan J. Bartels
Indian Cave State Park is the perfect place for some spooky seasonal exploring. In this reprint from our archives, hike and bike 22 miles of scenic trails, right alongside a certified ghost town, St. Deroin, with a past as haunting as it is interesting. Did hot-tempered Joseph Deroin deserve to die over a $6 hog?
By Alan J. Bartels
The town of Sidney has a storied history filled with dramatic changes, Wild West adventures and a people fighting to preserve the past, while reaching toward the future. Dive deep and venture to Sidney, saying “hello” to local establishments and unique people on the way.
By Megan Feeney
One family’s loss inspired a garden of hope, reflection and peace. Take a stroll along the cancer-ribbon shaped pathway, enjoy art installations through every turn and stop to smell the roses.
By Lauryn Higgins
Over the next 10 years in Nebraska, $100 billion will transfer from one generation to the next. There is always a transfer from generation to generation, as parents pass away and leave their estate to their children. But if the heirs no longer live where they grew up, that wealth may leave as well.
Imagine if just five percent of this abundance were given back to the places where it was made and accumulated. Think of the impact that kind of money could have on education, health, prosperity, and quality of life. Harnessing just a small percentage of the transfer of wealth could be a gamechanger for the future of our hometowns.
This is your opportunity to enrich its future. We’re asking you to consider leaving just five percent of your assets to your favorite Nebraska hometown or to Nebraska Community Foundation to benefit all of our communities. When we all leave five, our hometowns thrive!
Gering, pg. 22
Chadron, pg. 22
Ord, pg. 22
Sidney, pg. 56
Ogallala, pg. 22
Eustis, pg. 80
Wayne, pg. 22
Saint Paul, pg. 22
Aurora, pg. 22
Kearney, pg. 12
Minden, pg. 63
9 Editor’s Letter
Observations on the ‘Good Life’ by Assistant Editor Cheyenne Rowe.
10 Mailbox
Letters, emails, posts and notes from our readers.
12 Flat Water News & Trivia
A beloved popcorn stand returns to Beatrice streets, Toby’s Last Resort offers sanctuary, Graf Bees showcases the sweet life in Emerson, MONA keeps guests engaged and doctor Keith Vrbicky reflects on organ donation. Plus: Test your knowledge of Huskers in the NFL.
48 Kitchens
The harvest season and this trio of earthy favorites – featuring beets, carrots and more – helps Nebraska pay tribute to its roots.
52 Poetry
Pumpkins, ghouls and gourds are key elements to a Nebraska fall. Autumn gives a cool embrace; things go bump in the night; apple juice is compared to apple cider.
64 Traveler
Plattsmouth hosts a spooky historical walk through the night, patriotism is on full display during the Lincoln Veteran’s Parade, and the Minden Bandfest steps off in perfect rhythm to fill the streets with the sounds of student-led music.
74 Naturally Nebraska
Alan J. Bartels gears up to test his patience during hunting season. Will it be blessings or luck that brings him the cow elk of the season?
76 Last Look
Photographer Don Brockmeier played hide-and-seek with this fawn, embodying a Nebraska fall, in an October grain sorghum field.
Emerson, pg. 12
Norfolk, pg. 12
Wahoo, pg. 22
Lincoln, pg. 64
Plattsmouth, pg. 64
Tecumseh, pg. 22
Beatrice pg. 12, 22
Humboldt, pg. 70
Shubert, pg. 32
ON OUR COVER Bright crimson red and rich honey orange leaves, kept company by fallen acorns, grace the ground at Omaha’s Elmwood Park. They are gifts from towering maple and oak trees.
PHOTOGRAPH BY AJ DAHM
Your everyday life deserves high-quality care, and Columbus Psychiatry Clinic is here for you.
At Columbus Psychiatry Clinic, your mental health is our top priority. We offer care for children, adolescents, adults and seniors and provide medication management, psychotherapeutic services, psychological testing and counseling services.
The clinic’s patients have a wide variety of concerns, including but not limited to the following:
• Depression.
• Anxiety.
• Personality disorders.
• Substance abuse and addiction.
• Difficulties with child behavior.
The staff has a very team-based approach, and when a patient or a family member needs help, we want to find just the right clinician for them. When you call us, our staff member will ask important questions about what you need so we can find the right match.
Additionally, if you start seeing a clinician and they determine you or your loved one could benefit from seeing another clinician, they can connect you with the right person.
Above all, Columbus Psychiatry Clinic uses evidencebased medicine to support our patients. No matter what we do, we make sure there is always science behind any approach we use.
To learn more about our services or to make an appointment, call our office at 402-562-4765 or visit columbuspsychiatry.org.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023
Volume 27, Number 5
Publisher & Editor
Chris Amundson
Associate Publisher
Angela Amundson
Assistant Editor
Cheyenne Rowe
Photo Editor Amber Kissner
Design
Karie Pape, Rebecca Velazquez, Hernán Sosa
Advertising Marilyn Koponen
Subscriptions
Lea Kayton, Katie Evans, Janice Sudbeck
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THE FALL SEASON in Nebraska holds many of my fondest childhood memories. They came flooding back in full force, thanks to our inspiring Nebraska poets in this issue. We tasked them with writing to the theme of “Pumpkins, Gourds and Ghouls,” and they delivered plenty of treats for our pages.
Nebraska families gather and celebrate simply being together this time of year. The weight of the world seems to lessen as the air chills and the leaves begin to turn.
I grew up with family roots firmly planted in Omaha’s Benson neighborhoods. My mom loves fall and Halloween, and football is a religion in our household. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “You don’t go anywhere on a Husker gameday.”
I’ve also been barred from getting married on a football Saturday. My fiancé, Nathan, and I want a winter wedding – maybe I’ll get to worry about that if the Huskers decide to make a bowl game one of these days (sigh).
After reading “Out Come the Ghosties and Beasties” by 14-year-old poet Ruby Schow of Paxton, I was immediately transported back to the days of trick-or-treating with my sister, Marissa, and younger cousins. The youthful lilt of the poem mirrors the spooky excitement we felt while wandering Benson in the dark, dressed to the nines, in search of the best houses.
After an hour, or three, of scouring nearby blocks for candy, Marissa and I would return home and dump our buckets (or pillowcases) onto the expanse of the dining room table. First, we organized our stash, then commenced Wall Street-level candy trading. For my sweet portfolio, I invested in mini 3 Musketeers. Marissa stockpiled anything sour.
Not surprisingly, all my Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups usually disappeared – but I blame that on the candy-nabbing ghost I call Mom. She labeled it the “parent tax.”
After the candy trading, our family retreated to the living room, where we drew the curtains, turned off the lights and hunkered down under blankets with a scary movie. Today, Halloween looks a lot different in adulthood. I’ve grown past horror flicks and now fill the balance of the bewitching hours with the greatest cinematic masterpiece and Nathan’s favorite movie: Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin
Children in our small town, Central City, are blessed to safely continue their traditions en masse. They gather, dress in their fright-night bests and trick-or-treat by the hundreds down Highway 14. I don’t trade for mini 3 Musketeers anymore but do have the satisfaction of digging them out of the candy bag every time my doorbell rings.
Bring on the Power Rangers, goblins and ghouls. This is the spooky good life.
Cheyenne Rowe Assistant Editor cheyenne@nebraskalife.com
What Lewis and Clark saw
My purpose is to express my gratitude for all Nebraska Life does to spread the word about your favorite subject – and one of mine (“Between Two Rivers: Outlaw Trail Scenic Byway,” July/August 2023).
I am a lifelong (except college) resident of South Dakota. But my wife was born in Nebraska, and her family has a long history here. Her ancestor John P. Becker was a founder of Columbus in 1856. Other ancestors created the beer gardens that became Glurs Tavern in Columbus. Her family still has land in Colfax County that I visit every year.
Still, my heart-deepest connection is via Northern Prairies Land Trust, of which I am a founder, director and current president. Via our long, and hopefully continuing, partnership with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and Nebraska Environmental Trust, we provide the means, guidance and services for Nebraska landowners to accomplish and preserve their own goals for their cherished land. We are entirely a private organization and are dedicated to you in Nebraska for whom your natural resources are so much a part of your essential being, just as my connection to Nebraska is a part of my heart.
Our dedication and heart originate with Lewis and Clark, who passed through Nebraska on their way to the end of their journey at the Pacific Ocean. They never imagined what they would encounter. Near the Platte River, their ascent to a bluff led to Clark’s famous sentence that included “and saw the most butitfill [sp] prospects imaginable.”
They made other references to seeing massive herds of buffalo, deer, elk and antelope, and even bear – together grazing on the prairie as far as the eye could see. While waiting for the Otoe tribe to return from a hunt, they fished in a pond and caught 490 catfish and 300 other fish of nine other species. It was as close to a Garden of Eden as one could imagine.
No, you and we cannot re-create that. We live here. We need here. We worship here. We are not just discovering what we have never seen. But this stunning history can be part of what we now see and what we want to preserve for whatever eternity we can assure.
Every time – several times a year – that I explore the Snake River Canyon in Cherry County, I know I am in a place of special creation and meaning. Bless you for your heart in Nebraska.
Steven Sanford Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Thanks for publishing the picture of the 4014 locomotive in the latest issue (“Last Look,” July/August 2023). It was astonishing to realize what it took to snap that photo.
Viewing that, I had a memory back to my boyhood experience in the 1930s when my uncle had a similar mission to photograph a Union Pacific steam engine.
After driving some 40 miles, we stopped at a railroad depot in a small town and the agent said that a train would go by in 30 minutes. Uncle Sam drove to a country crossing, and soon the train could be heard. Without a drone or sophisticated equipment, he used what he had – a Kodak 8mm silent movie camera.
As we stood at a safe distance, he produced a quick movie of the steam engine and part of the freight train. It was thrilling to be there. In two weeks, we had a viewing of the great pictures on the reel. Our remembrance filled in the sounds.
As a farm boy, we didn’t take trips on trains. My first ride was to Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1945 when I turned 18 and was called for a physical in the armed services. In later years, my wife and I did take train trips. Sometimes we slept in a Pullman. It is all just a memory today –some of Nebraska at its best.
Lowell Broberg Puyallup, Washington
I enjoy Nebraska Life so much! Several years ago, my mom gave me a gift subscription and I have been keeping it up ever since. It is so great to read about all the special places and people we have in the great state of Nebraska.
I recently liked the May/June 2023 issue, as my hometown of Hampton had a little feature (“Where’s the (Hawk) beef?”). It talked about the Hampton High School FFA livestock program. Also in that issue was our next door neighbor town of Aurora, featuring Laura (Carlson) Wilson and her farming (“In A Tractor and Online”).
Damaris Olsen Hampton, Nebraska
Please send us your letters and emails by Oct. 15, 2023, for possible publication. One lucky winner selected at random will receive a free 1-year subscription renewal. This issue’s winner is Lowell Broberg of Puyallup, Washington. Email editor @nebraskalife.com or write by mail to the address at the front of this magazine. Thanks for reading and subscribing!
I was so pleased to read your article “Between Two Rivers: Outlaw Trail Scenic Byway” in your July/August 2023 issue. Earlier this year my ladies’ group at church enjoyed a program sponsored by Humanities Nebraska called “Aprons, Skirts, Hats & Flirts.” The presenter’s informative program (through women’s stories, pictures and music) centered on “sisters of the of the Outlaw Trail.” I had never heard of this part of Nebraska’s history before, and your excellent article helped the information come alive again.
Anita Bowman Fremont
“In a Tractor and Online” in the May/June 2023 issue provided new insight through technology about farming. Young Laura Wilson is promoting the life of a farmer through YouTube with many who may have limited access to life on the farm.
What a great way to share the love of the land and provide up-close and personal information about this occupation so prominent in Nebraska.
Laura identifies with farmers (and farmers’ wives) of the past and present, bringing and sharing the lifestyle in an updated way. She is a fifth-generation farmer who has passion for the land in her DNA. She enjoys sharing life on the farm through modern technology.
Like her, I come from a long line of farmers. I watched and admired my mother, a farmer’s wife, accompany my dad with many of the day-by-day, sometimes spur of the moment jobs required of the farming profession.
Two factual quotes surfaced in the article representing Nebraska farmers: they “readily give up plans and other duties at the drop of a hat to help a neighbor,” and “the good life still exists in rural Nebraska.”
I was unaware of Laura Farms on YouTube based out of Aurora. Now, thanks to
e holidays are our busiest season. Book now to avoid disappointment!
Nebraska Life, and thanks to Laura, we can enjoy this occupation in real time. Thanks for modernizing the good life and making it accessible to others. Now, I need to view more of Laura’s videos.
Connie Allen Grand Island
We all love the beautiful pictures and stories about the different places in our great state that we may never have known about. We especially liked the article on the Sandhills Scenic Byway (“Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway, Part Two: Dunning to Alliance,” May/June 2023), as we brag about how beautiful and different it is whenever we travel to other states. There is so much more to Nebraska than what you can see from I-80. We love the wide-open spaces and we are glad that it is “not for everyone.”
Sue Hawke Broken Bow
BY TIM TRUDELL AND ALAN J. BARTELS
Traubel’s Popcorn, a Beatrice community staple, has been warming hearts (and providing a delicious treat) for generations. Thanks in part to a local organization, this must-see stop is back in business after a 27-year pause in operation and popping in to make new memories.
Many people who lived in or visited Beatrice between the 1930s and 1980s share a flavorful memory: the aroma of freshpopped popcorn wafting through downtown.
John and Stella Traubel were the purveyors of that popped pleasantness. The couple ran their Traubel’s Popcorn Stand at the corner of North Fifth Street, hocking popcorn and other treats for a few cents a bag. The silvery/gray concession stand shown with “Traubel’s Popcorn” glowing in pink neon until 1987, when aging owners and
health concerns led to the Traubels’ popper going cold.
Seeing a chance to preserve an important part of their youth, members of the Beatrice High School Class of 1949 purchased the stand and donated it to the Gage County Historical Museum. The cherished aroma faded from downtown, but never from Beatrice memory.
“Dad would give me and my sisters each a dime, and he’d send us to Traubel’s,” said Lori Meents, who grew up in Beatrice. “That was the 1960s. We’d walk around eat-
ing popcorn and talking with friends. For a whopping 30 cents, Dad was able to enjoy an hour or so of peace and quiet.”
Knowing that Beatrice missed the buttery goodness of Traubel’s Popcorn, a local organization – Community Possibilities – formed in 2010 and explored options for a new popcorn stand. In 2014, after an absence of 27 years, Traubel’s Popcorn popped back up in Beatrice. Hundreds of customers who popped in for the grand opening had a jolly time. The line stretched down the street and around the corner –
but nobody had to be buttered up to attend. Designed to similar specifications as the original stand and with the addition of comforts such as air conditioning, the new stand is parked on the west side of North Fifth Street, on the opposite corner from where the original stood, said Deb Fiedler, who operates the vintage-looking stand with the help of dedicated volunteers.
On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday afternoons, they pop the popcorn that reminds older residents of a bygone era while helping to create new memories for those who were not around for the original stand. Individuals, teenaged couples, friends and
families with children or grandchildren in tow step up to the window for hot comfort food by the bagful. Harvest Caramel Corn, which includes a generous helping of those seasonal candy corn candies, makes its annual appearance each September.
Popcorn proceeds are donated to organizations including TeamMates, Beatrice Rotary and Keep Beatrice Beautiful. More kernels of community mindedness shine when a local high school boy who pops in to raise money for a school trip to Washington, D.C., and there’s the teenaged girl from Wymore who churns out salty batches to raise money to get herself a seizure response dog.
Beatrice’s cherished popcorn stand on the corner runs on hard work, hot butter and a flavorful passion born of community-mindedness, history and pride. Residents and visitors again stroll downtown with their buttery fingers reaching deep into popcorn bags and those familiar narrow red and white boxes. Now, please pass the salt.
Always keeping the community in mind, popcorn proceeds are donated to organizations such as TeamMates, Beatrice Rotary and Keep Beatrice Beautiful. Look for Harvest Carmel Corn at the stand this fall.
BY CHEYENNE ROWE
Embedded deep in the wide-open Sandhills of Nebraska, Pamela Carter Joern brings a handful of unique characters together in Toby’s Last Resort. This work of fiction displays an intimate knowledge of the beauty of rural Nebraska life and the way it can lead to healing for the soul, as well as the complexities of everyday life.
Though a continuation of an earlier book, The Floor of the Sky, Joem introduces her characters and their warring, but cohesive, personalities in an easy-to-understand format. Each character is dealing with their own struggles, prejudices and divides, family drama and questions about themselves. Somehow these circumstances bring them together.
Toby, a rougharound-the-edges matriarch, comes to grips with her place on her homestead, Bluestem Ranch. She’s the last surviving member of her family (including a husband, a second-chance lover, a child and parents) and has opened her land to the “wounded and broken, misfits and dreamers,” over the summer.
These misfit guests include a minister on sabbatical (with a secret) and an observant and soul-seeing cancer treatment recoveree. Then, of course, there is the hired help, Anita and Luis (aging themselves, but stubborn) and Toby’s adopted daughter, Nola Jean (who is in search of answers she might not be ready for).
The author ensures that everyone can’t help but run into each other, cozy up like strangers, and help each other down the path of life.
Toby’s Last Resort by Pamela Carter Joern University of Nebraska Press 214 pp, softcover, $22
BY TIM TRUDELL
Mark Graf has been stung more times than he can remember, but that hasn’t stopped the Emerson resident from collecting hundreds of gallons of honey each year for the business, Graf Bees, he and his wife Linda run from a storefront on Emerson’s Main Street.
Why would anyone get into an occupation where one of the main hazards is being stung almost daily? Mark said he needed a hobby to keep himself engaged, as he will retire in a year from farming and working as a state health inspector. It took a year of raising bee colonies before the couple started seeing honey. Hives average about 40,000 bees, led by
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a lone queen bee. Today, about 4 million bees produce honey for Mark and Linda. Harvesting five gallons of pure honey in their first outing, the Grafs bottled the product, giving most of it to friends and family. What started as a hobby to keep busy then exploded into a small business.
Two hives became four, and the Grafs continued adding. With more than 100 hives today, the Grafs produce up to 300 gallons of honey annually – enough to keep everyone in Emerson (population 824) sticky in the sweet treat. With business buzzing, the couple knew they needed to find a storefront to sell their wares. As luck would have it, the Emerson Public Library moved to a new location, freeing up the building next to their house. Graf Bees, aka The Buzz, opened in 2020.
“The commute is terrible,” Linda joked. “But you do need to worry about icy sidewalks during winter.”
Content with letting Mark handle the bees, Linda manages the small store. “I stay away from the bees,” she said. “When I get stung, I swell up.”
Linda enjoys socializing with customers. The store averages 70 customers per month and was selected as a 2023 Nebraska Passport stop, which has brought in a swarm of additional honey lovers.
Today, Mark Graf keeps up honey production with help from more than 100 hives in his apiary. Graf Bees, aka The Buzz, collects 300 gallons of honey annually.
20th Anniversary Sept. 22-24, 2023
While pure honey is the top-selling product, Graf Bees also features honey-coated pecans and nuts, lotions, soaps and even candle sticks. All honey products and sweet treats are created onsite. Customers can even find a hand-made nativity scene year-round and participate in occasional apiary tours, should they want to see what all the buzz is about. Experience Nebraska’s original long-distance garage sale. Enjoy the beauty and charm of Central Nebraska across 350 miles, 33 towns and more than 500 vendors selling their prized “Junk.” Mark your calendars, then call or go online today to pre-order your 2023 Shopper Guide.
Classical concerts include banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck, Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, and several premieres of new music. The season also includes a pops concert of Star Wars music, LSO’s annual Deck the Halls concert, and two family concerts.
Single tickets cost $20/$40 for adults and $5 for youth, and subscriptions start at $80.
EDWARD POLOCHICK, MUSIC DIRECTOR
While the Museum of Nebraska Art (MONA) in Keaney is currently closed for substantial interior renovations, art-enthused guests can still visit traveling exhibits in locations across the state.
BY LISA TRUESDALE
Just because the Museum of Nebraska Art (MONA) is currently closed for renovations doesn’t mean it’s impossible to still see the artwork. Luckily, doing so also doesn’t involve peeking through the construction fence thanks to a handful of digital galleries keeping the art accessible to those interested.
MONA opened her doors to the public for the first time in 1986, located in the iconic 1911 United States Post Office building in Kearney. The museum’s impressive collection features artworks that reflect the state’s history and heritage, such as Thomas Hart Benton’s original illustra-
tions for The Oregon Trail. This traditional work is only complimented by the inclusion of works from the state’s thriving contemporary arts scene – like those from Jun Kaneko, Mary Zicafoose, Keith Jacobshagen and Martha Pettigrew.
The extensive renovation and expansion project that has kept the museum’s doors closed to visitors is set to be complete in mid-to-late 2024. This will nearly double the museum’s space, adding another 23,000 square feet to the existing 28,000. Updates include new and renovated galleries, vital storage, a centrally located community studio for art classes and workshops, and an expanded library for the museum’s growing collection of books and other reference materials.
While the interior of MONA may be off-limits to physical eyes, the option to continue exploring the museum’s artworks couldn’t be easier. Through the ARTreach program, selected pieces travel throughout the state, from Omaha to Haigler, to
public places like hospitals, libraries, art centers and chamber of commerce offices.
The museum’s website also offers an index of nearly every MONA artist, complete with extensive biographical sketches of the artists and full-color representations of the works that can be seen in person once the museum reopens.
For those interested in the inner workings of the expansion itself, there’s a behind-the-scenes documentary-style video series, called “MONA All Access,” available through MONA’s YouTube page. MONA’s website, mona.unk.edu, also offers a list of upcoming traveling art locations.
“MONA is set to become a dynamic and accessible cultural institution, as it responds to changing expectations of visitors,” said Gina Garden, the museum’s marketing coordinator.
Aside from traveling art exhibits featuring a wealth of visual media for guests to enjoy, MONA itself has published a behind-the-scenes documentary-style video series, called “MONA All Access,” available to satisfy the curious on the museum’s YouTube page.
BY LAURYN HIGGINS
Norfolk doctor Keith Vrbicky knew something was wrong when he suddenly lost his appetite and could no longer catch his breath. The physician with seemingly perfect health visited the doctor in early September 2021, and before he left, was given the shocking diagnosis of acute congestive heart failure. At 67, a husband and father of six with a thriving OB/GYN practice found his life hanging in the balance.
Three weeks later his heart gave out – caused by giant cell myocarditis – and the 48-hour window for a transplant opened.
“As my condition then rapidly worsened, I was placed on the transplant list knowing that it would be unlikely that a match would be found soon enough for me to survive,” Vrbicky said. “By the power of God, a match was found within 12 hours of me being listed.”
Norfolk doctor Keith Vrbicky channeled a harrowing experience, turned new lease on life, into an artfully penned 186-page memoir about the entire experience. He speaks to gratitude toward life.
Whether you’re traveling through or moving to town, you’ll appreciate the beauty of this unique community and all of the opportunities it has to offer.
He underwent the transplant surgery Sept. 24, and his life changed forever. With a renewed lease, Vrbicky took to building himself back up, all the while thinking of how he might do the very same for others. He continued to follow the same Mediterranean diet he enjoyed before his heart transplant, built his stamina back up by riding his bike, walking and lifting weights to maintain his upper body strength.
Four months after his successful transplant, the Clarkson native returned to practicing medicine. The champion of health is now back at full steam, averaging 26 deliveries per month.
But make no mistake: Vrbicky knows he wouldn’t be here without that life-saving donation. He remains a loud advocate of joining the organ donation registry and often expresses his gratitude toward the willing stranger and their heart in his chest.
Live On Nebraska, the state’s organ
procurement organization, worked with Vrbicky and his team of doctors at the Nebraska Medical Center to find a match fitting his needs in the knick of time.
The non-profit organization, which has been connecting recipients and donors since 1977, has facilitated over 6,000 organ transplants. There are several ways to become an organ donor, said Live On Nebraska Marketing Manager Kara Cordell. The easiest way is to check the box for organ donation when renewing or obtaining a driver’s license.
Inspired by his experience, and with the help of Omaha writer Leo Adam Biga, Vrbicky has penned a 186-page memoir, Forever Grateful: The Gift of New Life from Organ Donation.
“Organ and tissue donation is literally the gift of life – a gift that you or your loved one gives so someone else can live a longer, healthier life,” Vrbicky said.
Landscape Painter in Merna
Try tackling these questions about past footballers who saw NFL careers. Questions by BEN KITCHEN
GENERAL
1
This former Huskers tight end hails from Aurora and has most recently found a spot on the roster for the Green Bay Packers.
2
In 1984, Irving Fryar became just the second Cornhusker (and first since the AFL-NFL merger) with what NFL distinction? The most recent player with this honor is Bryce Young.
3
Despite spending eight years with the Houston Oilers and being named to an All-Rookie Team, Dean Steinkuhler is probably best remembered for scoring a touchdown on a trick play in the 1984 Orange Bowl with what 12-letter name?
4
Defensive end and Nebraska All-American Neil Smith has an NFL rule informally named after him, preventing players from trying to draw what pre-snap offensive foul?
5 Who was the starting quarterback on the 1997 Huskers, Nebraska’s most recent championship team? While he played in 59 games in the NFL, he’s most notable for his career as a college football head coach.
No peeking, answers on page 69.
6
Center Mick Tingelhoff holds the NFL record for most consecutive starts for the same team in the NFL, with 240 straight for the Minnesota Vikings.
7 Zac Taylor won Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year at Nebraska. Since then, he has become the head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, coaching the team to half of the franchise’s playoff wins.
8
Will Shields was invited to 12 consecutive Pro Bowls as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, tying him for the record for most consecutive selections.
9 Guy Chamberlin led his teams to win over 75% of their games in the 1920s as a player-coach. He was the first Cornhusker in both the College and Pro Football halls of fame.
10
Ahman Green recorded over 1,000 rushing yards in six of his eight seasons with the Green Bay Packers, becoming the franchise’s rushing yards leader in the process.
11
Two of Nebraska’s three Heisman Trophy winners were drafted by teams that moved from (and later moved back to) Los Angeles, had NFL careers cut short by injury, and ended up spending more time in the CFL than the NFL. Who does not fit that description?
a. Johnny Rodgers
b. Mike Rozier
c. Eric Crouch
12
Ndamukong Suh has played in three of the last five Super Bowls, winning one. With which team did he win?
a. Los Angeles Rams
b. Philadelphia Eagles
c. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
13
As a member of the San Francisco 49ers in the 1985 season, Roger Craig became the first player in NFL history to surpass what offensive milestone in a single season?
a. 2,000 rushing yards
b. 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards
c. 2,000 receiving yards
14
Though he was only drafted in 2020, Khalil Davis is already a two-time pro football champion. In which of the following leagues has he not won a championship?
a. NFL
b. USFL
c. XFL
15
As the 191st overall pick in the 2023 draft, who is the most recent player to be drafted out of Nebraska? He was selected just two spots after fellow Cornhusker Ochaun Mathis.
a. Trey Palmer
b. Samori Toure
c. Matt Farniok
Iconic centers of government inspire patriotic pride.
by ALAN J. BARTELS
Many of Nebraska’s county courthouses were built more than a century ago, a time when residents held living memories of the persistent pioneers who laid the first cornerstones of our legal and judicial system on what was then a vast windswept prairie. Dignified and durable without being grandiose or luxurious, Nebraska’s county courthouses stand as points of pride across our prairie state.
The jury is in: Nebraskans appreciate these symbols of freedom, democracy and equality under the law. Here are 10 county courthouses representing the history and culture of Nebraskans through the ages.
Tecumseh, 1889
Ever hear of Richard M. Johnson, the namesake of Johnson County? Johnson served as vice president under President Martin Van Buren from 1837 to 1841. In the 1836 election, Johnson fell one vote short of the electoral votes needed. When the U.S. Senate acted and elected him to the vice-presidential office, Johnson became the first and so far, only, vice president elected under provisions of the 12th Amendment.
The Johnson County Courthouse is resplendent in cherry red St. Joseph brick and Nemaha County limestone and represents the Classic Revival/Romanesque style. Previous courthouses were built in 1857 and 1868.
The current courthouse was designed by Lincoln architect William Gray, known also for designing courthouses for Hamilton and Cass counties. At ground level, the two-story building begins with a raised foundation. The second story features arched window openings, and the weathervane atop the central dome overlooks Broadway Street, Tecumseh, and Johnson County from a height of 110 feet.
Built in 1889 for $40,000, the Johnson County Courthouse is a priceless point of civic pride for county residents.
Wahoo, 1904
The Nebraska Territorial Legislature created Calhoun County in 1856. The name was not popular due to a government surveyor with the last name of Calhoun being suspected of corruption. In 1862 the county name was changed to Saunders in honor of Alvin Saunders, who served as the governor of Nebraska Territory from 1861 to 1867.
The county seat was located at Ashland briefly before voters chose to place it in Wahoo due to the central location. A courthouse was erected, but by the 20th century it was showing its age. A vote to pass bonds for a proper courthouse passed by a margin of 1,967 for and 524 against. The state auditor objected, since the time between the election notice and the election was short by one day. A second vote was held and passed.
The stately structure was built on Chestnut Street for $87,000.
Wayne, 1899
The Independence Day celebration in Wayne on July 4, 1884, ended abruptly at midnight when smoke and flames began rising from the Wayne County Courthouse. This was not a Roman candle gone astray. Local lore recounts that two men, shackled to the floor in the sheriff’s office as punishment for being drunk and disorderly, started the fire in a escape attempt.
The current courthouse was built in less than four months in 1899, according to plans drawn up by prolific courthouse and school designer Fremont Orff. The building rests atop a raised foundation of Omaha pressed brick and Lake Superior red stone trim. An 80-foot-tall tower pierces the skyline, and the eight-sided roof features a quartet of conical corner turrets.
Occupying a 4-acre plot in a mostly residential area west of downtown, the courthouse stands across town from Wayne State College. This fine example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture demands attention on Pearl Street.
St. Paul, 1915
The community of St. Paul was designated the first seat of Howard County government in 1871. This did not sit well with the leaders of Dannebrog, a Danish village in the southwest portion of the county. An 1874 election settled the issue, and St. Paul remains the county seat today.
A wood frame courthouse was built in 1877. By 1912, county officials pointed out that the building was not “fire-proof,” and that the jail “is not of sufficient strength to hold prisoners and is unhealthful and unfit for use.” Voters approved a bond for a new courthouse. The cornerstone was placed in 1913.
The four-story building makes use of Bedford, Indiana, limestone in the trim, foundation and the smooth, round columns. Some of the building’s most elaborate stonework appears on the south side. A lintel includes a shield bearing the letter “H,” and ears of corn flank it on both sides. Marble counters, stairs, balusters and ornamental plasterwork, appear inside.
Gering, 1921
Only two courthouses have served this county during its history. Scotts Bluff County was founded in 1888. Gering, the county seat, was born a year earlier. Six decades before that, unfortunate fur trader Hiram Scott died in the nearby bluff country near the North Platte River. He lives on by way of lending his name to the county, a city and a national monument.
The east-facing main entrance of the current courthouse, which celebrated its centennial in 2021, features a massive portico held by a half dozen limestone columns. An ornamental header at the top is punctuated by a clock. The hallway on the main floor is cross shaped, the open center showing a view from the first through third floors.
The functional, artistic design was brought to life by C.E. Goodhand, a contractor from Ord. It still resides today in a shady lot on the west side of in Gering.
German-born architect William Germand designed the current Valley County Courthouse in a Beau-Arts-style. Germand also designed nine other Nebraska courthouses.
Ord, 1920
Motorists traveling where Nebraska highways 11 and 70 become L Street in Ord can’t miss the historic Valley County Courthouse rising up through the center of the town square.
Valley County was established in 1871. A one-story courthouse was completed in 1876, the same year that Judge Thomas Griffey presided over the first session of district court ever held in Valley County. The current courthouse is a Beau-Artsstyle structure designed by German-born
architect William Germand. He also designed courthouses in nine other Nebraska counties.
The icon in downtown Ord features six columns at its west entrance, along with elaborate masonry including twin cornucopia flanking an ornate shield, sheaves of wheat, and “VALLEY COUNTY” centered below a US flag waving from a pole affixed to the roof.
A cafe, office buildings, shops, a brewery, and the local museum are among the establishments bringing vibrance to the square. The Valley County Courthouse, and all of Nebraska’s 93 county capitals, inspire pride and permanence every day of the year.
Chadron, 1935
Dawes County was carved out of Sioux County 50 years before this courthouse was erected. At the time, in many ways, northwest Nebraska was still part of the American frontier.
In Chadron: A Chronological View of the Early History of the Old Home-Town by H.D. Mead, an entry from 1890 mentions a vein of coal being discovered 2 miles south of Chadron. Another telling of a rumored Native American uprising is starker and reflects the fears felt by resi-
dents who sought out their county seat as a refuge of strength and stability. “Many families were camped in the court house square in Chadron,” Mead recounted in the book.
The Wounded Knee Massacre, also known as the Battle of Wounded Knee, took place later that year across the border in South Dakota.
The current Art Deco courthouse does not occupy the center of the town’s courthouse square. Why not? Well, the previous courthouse, which was centered within the square, remained open for county business while the current courthouse was being built. Talk about a perfect example of taking civic responsibility seriously.
Aurora, 1895
Orville City had the distinction of being Hamilton County’s first seat of county government. The short-lived community occupied a scenic plateau overlooking two forks of the Blue River, with most of its buildings relocated to Aurora when voters chose that town as the new county seat in 1876 (it took five elections).
A new courthouse was completed in Central Park Square in Aurora the following year, but it didn’t last long. The Jan. 13, 1894, issue of the Hamilton County Regis-
ter broke the story with the headline, “The Court House Burned.”
The fire company responded promptly but was hampered by a broken hose and a fire hydrant that blew its top. A small fireproof safe was about all that was recovered from the destruction.
Even disaster can’t keep Hamilton County residents down for long. A new courthouse was completed the following year. That courthouse, which stands south of U.S. Highway 34 in Aurora today, was built to emulate parts of the U.S. Capitol. A spire towers in place of a central dome, and Colorado sandstone was used in place of more expensive marble. The interior gleams with white oak woodwork.
The colorful history of Gage County includes a government cover-up, but no whistleblowers were involved (as far as we know).
A fire in 1960 nearly led to the Gage County Courthouse, which went up in 1892, being bulldozed. Instead, paint, white Formica, suspended ceilings and wood paneling were used to cover up damaged parts of the building. Evidence remained: visitors could smell smoke on hot summer days.
In 2008, residents passed a $2.8 million bond to restore the cherished courthouse.
The vaulted ceiling saw the light of day for the first time in decades. New benches, counsel tables and a jury box were built to match original furnishings. The local jail had an inmate with a talent for plaster work, and as a result of community service, the walls were restored.
Ogallala, 1962
This one-story structure at the corner of North Spruce and West Sixth streets is the most modern structure included in this feature. Hinde and Laurinat Architects from North Platte designed the building, and construction of the courthouse – the county’s third – was completed in 1962. A notable architectural features include the concrete grill work on the west facade.
The building that it replaced was a two-story brick structure erected from 1888 to 1889, as Ogallala was shedding its frontier moniker as “the Gomorrah of the Plains.” With its violent Old West days behind it, the community was experiencing massive growth.
Elsewhere on Spruce Street, a stately home built by L.A. Brandhoefer, was completed in 1888. That Victorian-style brick home, known as the Mansion on the Hill, still stands on the north side of Ogallala today.
This courthouse is home to the 11th Judicial District, which serves 17 counties.
Bobcats and blacksmiths bring life to
by ALAN J. BARTELS
This story, a fan favorite, originally appeared in the September/October 2018 issue of Nebraska Life
ST. DEROIN IS pretty busy for a ghost town. The former ferryboat hub in Nemaha County is part of Indian Cave State Park. Nearly 300,000 spirited adventurers visited the 3,052-acre park in 2017. Not too shabby for a town that peaked with a population of 300 in the 1870s.
Hikers, mountain bikers and backpackers explore 22 miles of scenic park trails. Equestrians bed down near their mounts at the horse camp after trotting along 12 trail miles of their own. Ash Grove and Hackberry Hollow campgrounds envelop recreational vehicles with scenery and shade. Campers preferring to rough it in tents pound their stakes at locations across the park. Birders flock here to glimpse winged things ranging from diminutive cerulean warblers to pileated woodpeckers with wingspans approaching 30 inches. Archers sling arrows at the archery range. All of this activity hasn’t scared off St. Deroin’s ghosts.
JOSEPH DEROIN WAS the son of a French trapper and an Otoe woman.
Similar unions produced children rejected by both cultures. The 138,000-acre Nemaha Half-Breed Reservation was established in 1830 for this homeless population. Deroin claimed 320 acres in 1842 and built a trading post to serve the reservation’s 230 mixed-heritage residents. The community of homes and businesses that sprung up around Deroin’s store was founded as St. Deroin in 1854.
Deroin, who was living with three wives by this time, was known up and down the river for his hot temper. He was bullishly attempting to collect a $6 payment for a hog when settler James Biddow shot him dead in 1858. The killer was acquitted. Visitors gathered around evening campfires today repeat the tale of Deroin being buried atop his favorite horse. Some report hearing the clopping of hooves near St. Deroin Cemetery.
A.J. Ritter was laid to rest there, too, but not before losing an arm while “fishing” with dynamite on the Missouri River. The detached appendage was supposedly buried west of town. Ritter was interred at St. Deroin Cemetery years later. Park staff perpetuate the legend of Ritter’s ghost rising in search of his missing limb on moonless nights.
The Missouri River inundated St. Deroin
in 1911. The town dried up four years later when the shifty river channel left its ferry landing high and dry. The cemetery and the St. Deroin School that was moved brick by brick to higher ground are all that remain of the original community. A rebuilt general store overlooks the river that swept St. Deroin away.
That is where Mike Wilhelm makes whisk brooms and other sweeping tools during living history weekends. How did the Verdon resident living near Sardine Creek end up making brooms along the Missouri River?
“You know how mothers are, right? My mom told me the park needed a broom maker and that I should go do that,” Wilhelm said. “That was 18 years ago. Now I only have to drive 15 miles to meet visitors from around the world.”
“How long does it take to make a broom?” a visitor from Omaha asks. “Usually about an hour, but it depends on how many questions you ask,” Wilhelm said jokingly while looking up from his 1879 broom winder. Growing his own broom corn didn’t work out. Wild turkeys ate it to the ground.
Other animals lurk nearby. Wilhelm was cutting twine on the store’s front porch when a bobcat slinked across his view. “That thing was about 30 pounds and its
tail twitched every time someone said ‘bobcat,’ ” Wilhelm said. “She was so tame that people were pulling ticks off it.”
Not everyone appreciated the wild animal’s close proximity. The park’s soap maker discovered the feline sleeping behind her kettle one morning. “She jumped over the counter, and the cat went out the window. I’m not sure who was more scared,” Wilhelm said.
Joan Keighley knows that 20 pounds of lard, 41 ounces of lye and 6 gallons of water make 120 bars of lye soap. A visiting chemist who listened to the soaper’s spiel declared the product 99.6 percent pure. Customers say the soap relieves the itch from poison ivy and dampens discomfort from sunburn.
“One guy swears by it as the best catfish bait ever, and it works on dirty-mouth children, too,” Keighley said while in full pioneer character.
Sparks fly and the clanging of iron erupts
from the blacksmith’s shop as Keighley’s soap cools. She hollers to her blacksmith husband to “knock it off.”
“I don’t get paid enough to put up with this. Oh, wait, I’m a volunteer,” Wayne Keighley said with a mischievous smile peeking through his grizzled gray beard. He pulls hammers and wedges from his tool crate. Then he stokes his coal forge to 4,000 degrees.
Iron cools from orange to red and then black while shaping hot dog sticks and fire pokers. His collection of anvils range from 44 to 182 pounds. “I can still pick up the big one, but I’d pay a price the next day,” said the fit 63-year-old, who attributes his good health to the custodial job he works at a Kansas high school. “Three-story building with a basement. I do stairs all day,” he said. Visitors step back as the blacksmith shares the story of a black rat snake named Hilda that once dropped unexpectedly from the shop’s ceiling. Goosebumps rise as he tells
tales of ghostly apparitions.
There was the park employee who saw a man “in old timey clothes” standing next to a gate. She took her eyes off him, and he was gone when she looked back. The woman was convinced it was the same man she later recognized in a historic photo of the old St. Deroin livery stable.
“The man in that picture was Charlie Noyes. He had been dead more than 100 years by then,” Wayne Keighley said.
His favorite story is the legend of an odd light appearing in the park at night. The story goes that the light mysteriously moved across the road as a park superintendent investigated. The light appeared across the river moments later. “River pirates!”
Keighley exclaimed with a slam of his sledgehammer. “More than likely they killed this lady’s husband, dumped the body in the river and stole his goods. Her ghost sits by the cave with a lantern while waiting for her murdered husband to come home.”
Indian Cave State Park is named for the large sandstone cavern at the southeast corner of the property. The walls are adorned with ancient petroglyphs that some experts say were carved 1,500 years ago. Explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark noted the cave in their journals in 1804. They didn’t carve their names in the stone but more recent visitors have. A boardwalk provides prime viewing while
protecting 15 intact carvings including geometric figures, a fish-like creature walking on two legs and depictions of ponies.
Lewis and Clark would have recognized the weaponry of the Pioneer Longrifles gun club. There are flintlock and muzzleloading rifles, antler-handled knives and double-edged hatchets. The club’s mission of embracing the pre-1840 mountain man culture includes women.
Ann Claymiller’s .36 caliber muzzleloader has been handed down to four different members since the club began in 1972. One day she will hand it down to a young new member. Hundreds of park visitors have shot the antique firearm at the club’s range about a mile from Indian Cave.
“We show people how things were done in the old days,” Claymiller said. “Children often ask why pioneers hunted instead of just going to the grocery store. People living here 150 years ago were shooting for survival, not for fun.”
Shayne Siddens is one of the club’s better shots. He proves it by displaying the nine playing cards he has sliced in half through each card’s thin edge during competition shoots. Other challenges include shooting eggs at 100 yards or knocking jellybeans off the ends of toothpicks. Siddens, the club’s range officer, looks the part of sharpshooter in buckskin pants, a work shirt, felt hat, hand-tooled leather belt, powder horn and beaded hat band.
He hollers “cease fire” when curious whitetail deer cross the firing line. One time he stopped the action as a dachshund chased a flock of turkeys across the range. His .75 caliber rifle was built in 1863. The 13-pounder was a favorite of longtime member Cheryl McDowell, who volunteered as a blacksmith at the state park.
“She knew more about Indian Cave State Park than most people who ever worked here,” Claymiller said. “The little bridge in St. Deroin is named for her.”
Gun club members loaded up to fire a memorial shot to McDowell after she died in October 2015.
“We’ve got this photo of us all lined up to fire, and there is a shadow where nobody was even standing,” Claymiller said. “We know Cheryl was here with us in this hidden treasure of a park that she loved so much.”
some interesting questions while working the front gate at Indian Cave State Park. Callers, “not from the Midwest,” according to Allen, ask if Indians still live in the cave. Whether bears inhabit the park is another popular query. One thing is not in question: Indian Cave State Park is a mecca for outdoor trail adventurers.
Two-wheeled travelers share space with hikers while catching air, grabbing tight turns and slicing through hardwood forest on 22 miles of twisting trails named North Ridge, East Ridge, Rock Bluff and Hardwood. Adirondack shelters every few miles provide explorers with places to recharge. Panama resident Jim Craig has been exploring Indian Cave State Park since 1993.
“Even when park roads are busy, there is plenty of room on the trails,” Craig said. “You’ll be riding along a ridge and then it
opens up and man, you see the Missouri River, and to me it looks like I can see all the way to Kentucky.” He loves exploring when autumn leaves are changing color. One memorable experience was black and white.
“I was pedaling along and had to stop for this skunk plopped down on the trail. We had a meeting of the minds,” Craig said. “I finally caved and turned around since the wind was blowing my way. Wildlife and scenery are why Indian Cave State Park is the cream of the crop for Nebraska mountain biking.”
Horseback riding on the park’s 12 miles of equine trails is another popular pursuit. Dusty, Dynamite, Lucky, Wildfire and Doc are some of the steeds stabled at Indian Cave State Park’s horse barn. Jade Hill brushes, saddles and feeds the animals before visitors arrive. She was in the lead and riding Lucky when something
slithering on the trail gave her a shiver.
“We came around this bend and there was a big black snake about 4 feet long,” Hill said. “Lucky is a 1,000-pound fraidy cat that is scared of everything, but he didn’t freak out. If the lead horse doesn’t react, the other animals usually won’t either.”
Fellow wrangler Sara Wertenberger admits to preferring the company of horses over people some days during the park’s May through October trail ride season. She began showing horses at age 8 and enjoys showing visitors Indian Cave State Park via horseback.
“Being just a little above the trail on a horse gives people a totally different view than if they are walking,” Wertenberger said. “Getting off the main roads and onto the trails is the best way to see this impressive park.”
No question about it.
Reaching out above the changing forest, the outlook at Indian Cave State Park provides a birds-eye view of the mighty Missouri River. A rustic fall rainbow of colors frames the perfect picture.
Nebraskans owe the preservation of their past to museums around the state. Big or small, these locations offer the chance to go back in time for all those who pass through their doors. An adventure awaits!
BANCROFT
John G. Neihardt State Historic Site p 46
CHADRON Museum of the Fur Trade p 46
FORT CALHOUN
Washington County Historical Association and Museum p 43
FREMONT
Dodge County Historical Society Museum/ Louis E. May Museum p 44
GRAND ISLAND Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer p 46
HASTINGS Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History p 44
HENDERSON
Henderson Mennonite Heritage Park p 46
KEARNEY Museum of Nebraska Art p 43
Fort Kearny State Historical Park p 38
LA VISTA Czech and Slovak Educational Center and Cultural Museum p 46
LINCOLN International Quilt Museum p 43
MADISON Madison County Historical Society Museum p 46
NEBRASKA CITY Wildwood Historic Center & Period House p 45
NORFOLK Elkhorn Valley Museum p 44
OMAHA Durham Museum p 42
Omaha Children’s Museum p 45
WEEPING WATER Weeping Water Valley Historical Society/ Heritage House Museum Complex p 45
WINNEBAGO
Angela Decora Memorial Museum/Research Center p 44
YORK
Clayton Museum of Ancient History at York College p 45
Naval
•All-Day
Three
•Theatre
D-Day:
Narrated by Tom Brokaw
Together
Visit this unique cultural experience in LaVista!
Explore our exhibits featuring the Immigration Room, Music Room, Sokol Room and Josef Lada calendars from the 1940s.
Our gift store offers many beautiful Bohemian items from the Czech land.
THE HARVEST SEASON and warm family traditions – usually in the form of a homecooked meal – go hand-in-hand. Returning to one’s roots is important, especially to Nebraskans. Families with ties to the land contributed this trio of locally grown recipes, all proudly featuring some of the best the soil has to offer.
Complete with a quartet of colorful root vegetables, often found growing in gardens across the state, this roasted-roots side dish is the center of attention at any meal. The recipe features sweet and salty notes and is complemented by a bright and nutty Tahini drizzle – perfect for even picky eaters.
Peel and cube root vegetables. Combine vegetables with garlic and onion in large bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well to coat the vegetables with oil. Divide mixture on 2 large baking sheets (lined with aluminum foil for easy cleanup), making sure vegetables are in a single layer and not too crowded.
Roast at 350° for 45-50 minutes, until vegetables are fork-tender. Larger cubes of vegetables will take longer to cook than smaller cubes, so be sure to cut firmer vegetables into the smaller cubes. Top with tahini drizzle.
To make tahini drizzle, whisk together ingredients, adding more olive oil depending on how oily your tahini is, and drizzle over the roasted vegetables.
1/2 lb carrots
1/2 lb beets
1/2 lb turnips
1/2 lb sweet potatoes
3-5 cloves garlic left whole
1 medium onion, sliced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Pepper to taste
Tahini drizzle
1/4 cup lemon or lime juice
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
Pinch of cumin
Serves 4-6
Some Nebraskans prefer to eat dessert first. What better way to do that than with a root vegetable dish that is actually cake? This family recipe pulls straight on the heartstrings, featuring locally grown carrots and a number of other sweet ingredients. Complemented perfectly by traditional ingredients like cinnamon and ginger are the surprise supporting actors, applesauce and pineapple. Slather on the cream cheese frosting and dig right in!
Gently combine eggs, oil, applesauce and vanilla. Stir in brown sugar and white sugar for 3 minutes, and then add pineapple. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger. Add dry ingredients to the oil and sugar, and stir only until combined. Add carrots and stir until evenly mixed. Pour into a greased and floured 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes.
To make frosting, beat butter and cream cheese for at least 4 minutes. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and mix well. Add a teaspoon of milk at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
4 eggs
3/4 cup oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1 Tbsp vanilla
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, drained
2 ½ cup flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ginger
Cream cheese frosting
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup butter softened
3-4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1-2 tsp milk
Serves 12
Keeping it fresh and light, this simple and textured salad pairs sweet potatoes and apples with raisins, spinach, quinoa to transform into a staple autumn supper. Add the perfect crunch with a handful of toasted walnuts (alongside the sautéed potatoes and apples) and this salad is sure to warm up any drafty dinner table.
In oiled frying pan, saute sweet potato 7-10 minutes until tender. Add apples; saute 3-5 minutes. Add spinach; sauté 2-3 minutes. Combine with remaining ingredients. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup raisins
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
Chopped spinach
Toasted walnuts
Serves 4-6
AJ Dahm
Ryan Dettman, Central City
In Nebraska’s embrace where the harvest begins, And the aroma of autumn floats on playful winds, Friday night football calls the young and the old, To cheer for the home team, brave, daring, and bold.
Pumpkins and gourds line the paths of the town, While fall festivals dance ‘neath a harvest moon’s crown, Laughter and music fill the crisp autumn air, A joyous communion, none other compare.
Veterans Day parades march with pride through the street, With flags waving high and drumbeats in repeat, A salute to the heroes, the brave, and the true, A town’s heartfelt tribute, a red, white, and blue.
Ghouls whisper tales of the season’s rich lore, In a landscape that thrives on so much to explore, From corn mazes to hayrides, and bonfires bright, Rural Nebraska glows in fall’s golden light.
So come to the fields, where the scarecrows keep watch, Where life’s simple pleasures are found and are sought, Join in the festivities, be part of the cheer, In a season of wonder, in a place we hold dear.
Harvest and football, parades, and delight, These are the treasures that make fall’s embrace right, A hauntingly beautiful season awaits, In Nebraska’s heartland, where life celebrates.
Spooky sights and sounds fill the fall air across Nebraska, and residents are gearing up for a festive season complete with pumpkins, ghosts and ghouls. In these poems, our Nebraska poets boast about colors, welcome autumn’s embrace and ponder what goes bump in the night.
Kay Marks, Nebraska City
“Cider,” he said, “Isn’t that just apple juice?” “Oh, no,” I say, “Cider is wild turkeys crossing the road on the road out of Syracuse. It is wild sheets hanging on the line, ripe plums, and falling leaves at Wilderness Park.
Cider is old barns and old men who still wear bib overalls and talk about shucking corn and threshing crews. It is a team of horses names Whiskey and Babe pulling memories behind a plow.
Cider is cousin to pickles steeping in crocks, homemade peach jam, and potatoes stowed in the same fruit cellar that you hid in when the tornado took your farm.
Drinking cider is a ritual where you contemplate the meaning of gravity, the purpose of sweat bees, and the scariness of reflections that peer back from the depths of cisterns and well. It is murkiness and clarity as one. It is both yearning and reward.”
I give him a drink of cider in a chipped jelly glass and wait for his response.
“Now,” he says, “I understand.”
“Apple juice,” I say, “however, is just apple juice.”
Dennis C. Radil, Comstock
Gentle rain with colored leaves Falls slowly to the ground; While honking geese fly homeward Far beyond the autumn sound.
The calves are fat, their mothers graze On bluestem red and tall; The countryside is golden rich, Expectant with the fall.
The morning air now freezes A fire thaws the chill; We huddle round our woodstove As daybreak waits to spill.
Soon jack-o-lanterns will be lit And ghosts will pass our way. Their little fingers clutching to The treats we gladly pay.
The land breathes one last Mournful sigh before the winter snows; Soon all that was will be no more, Another season goes.
Ruby Schow, Paxton
When the leaves turn crimson and the autumn breeze blows, Out come the ghosties and beasties!
When pumpkins are carved and their bright candles glow, Out come the ghosties and beasties!
When black cats are glimpsed and their eyes gleam with light, Out come the ghosties and beasties!
When things shift and moan and creak in the night, Out come the ghosties and beasties!
Run! Here they come! They are almost upon us! Out came the ghosties and beasties.
Debbie Flower, Omaha
The old folks talk about the days of yore when times were good and kids were sweet. Until one day in late October 1994 when a wicked wind came whistling through town.
Hallowed Eve arrived stormy and blue. The kids were all pumped and excited. Parents were ready to join in the fun too. In the background a ghoul is waiting.
Up and down the streets the kids go. Parents as well as children receive their treats. Hot dogs, hot cider, cocoa and other drinks to go help keep everyone’s spirits high.
Neighbors take turns outdoing each other for best and scariest house. Some neighbors, or even a mother, become part of the trick and become a ghost, a witch or ghoul for the night.
NEBRASKA LIFE IS seeking Nebraska-inspired poems on the theme “Love Me Tender” for the January/February 2024 issue, deadline Oct. 15, and “The Wonder of Weather” for the March/April 2024 issue, deadline Dec. 15. Send to poetry@nebraskalife.com or to the mailing address at the front of this magazine.
Bowling - 2 Bowling Alleys
Golf - Golf Courses
Reading and Research - Libraries in O'Neill and Atkinson
Swimming - Swimming pools in O'Neill and Atkinson
Walking/Bicycling Trails - The Cowboy Trail and The Bluebird Trail in Atkinson
Holy County Visitors Committee 125 S 4th St • O’Niell, NE 402-336-2355 • lauri@oneillchamber.com holtcountynebraska.com/thing-to-do
this fall and enjoy our nifty corn maze design. It’ll have you twisting about!
Sept. 30-Oct. 29 10 am-6 pm Saturday & Sunday
Sidney is bright and beautiful at the heart of Cheyenne County. Thanks to various economic efforts, the town is growing and lush with opportunity.
Jeff Phelps
by MEGAN FEENEY
FACING SOUTH FROM Camp Lookout-Fort Sidney, the distant horizon stretches for miles.
Built on the highest point in Sidney, the fort once provided an unobstructed view of four directions. That was when this was a dusty, treeless frontier town. Today houses and pine trees obscure the views in other directions. Residents undertook tree planting campaigns in the 1980s, and today Sidney celebrates its Tree City status.
The Pony Express played a brief role in the early history of Sidney.
ple enjoy a monument dedicated to the route along a bike trail near the interstate.
This Western Nebraska town of 7,000 people has experienced other dramatic changes. There were two significant exoduses in Sidney’s history – one in its Wild West days and another in the recent past when the town’s biggest employer left. Both times, folks in Sidney had to remind themselves who they were and how they wanted to live. They had to be scrappy and smart to keep their families and community together.
To understand the tenacity of Sidney’s people, the past is an excellent place to start. Marva Ellwanger is one of the town’s local historians. A go-getter on multiple town committees, Ellwanger carries six cell phones, each for different facets of her life, including one for her work as general manager of Adam Autos & Equipment. Juggling comes naturally to the long-maned platinum-blonde mother of five grown children. She’s learned a few things about fence-climbing, too.
At a Cheyenne County Visitors Committee meeting, Ellwanger was distressed that a local nonprofit organization planned to dispose of historical items stored in the Union Pacific Locomotive 407 at Legion Park. A few weeks later, Ellwanger scaled the chain link with a friend and put aside photos, memorabilia and the story of how the train came to the park. With help from
other locals, she reunited many artifacts with the original owners’ families. Along the way, Ellwanger, an expert on all things Sidney history, even learned something new: the town once held a Miss Fort Sidney pageant.
Ellwanger tells Sidney’s historical tales with tremendous verve. She leads visitors on tours at nearby historical attractions, including Boot Hill Cemetery, where victims of murders, sickness or lynchings were put to rest, and Camp Lookout-Fort Sidney, a guard station that housed soldiers.
A town in 1867 –the same year Nebraska became a state. Named after Sidney Dillon, the president of Union Pacific and a railroad attorney, the railway was central to the town’s development. Facing attacks from Native tribes threatened by the railroad’s expansion into traditional hunting grounds, the army erected a military outpost.
But the violence in Sidney was only getting started. The Black Hills Gold Rush, beginning in the mid-1870s, introduced a rough cast of characters – and their preferred vices: prostitutes, booze and gambling. Sidney was the southernmost terminus to Deadwood. Anyone heading to South Dakota might pass through – and
return. Bars and brothels boomed. Murders and lynchings were rampant.
Ellwanger recalls this troubled history as she runs her hands over the interior walls of Camp Lookout. She was part of a group of volunteers who rejuvenated Boot Hill Cemetery, they restored this historic building. The mammoth project included pulling off five additions, ripping out electricity and plumbing, resurfacing the limestone, rebuilding the balcony and replacing the windows using historical standards. Maybe Sidney’s criminal element colors its history, but people here have always fought for the town’s betterment – especially when their backs are against the wall. For Sidney’s historical population, a crime in 1880 was the tipping point.
Armed robbers entered the freight clerk’s office and stole $5 million of gold. Union Pacific threatened they’d no longer stop at Sidney if the town couldn’t solve its crime problem. Fed up, vigilante townspeople rounded up some of the most notorious characters and lynched one man by hanging. It took him 15 minutes to die. The next day, the townspeople delivered an edict that may sound familiar to fans of a particular popular Western show: “Get out of Sidney.” As many as 200 conmen, murderers, prostitutes and thieves left within weeks.
Sidney’s second exodus is more recent and not without its unsavory players. The town’s biggest employer, Cabela’s, an outdoor retail chain, sold to Bass Pro Shop after a hedge fund forced the merger. Before the deal was completed in September 2017, the hedge fund cashed out and made nearly $100 million.
The new company began slashing jobs. Cabela’s once employed 2,000. By 2019, Cabela’s employed only 200. Between 2017 and 2018, Cheyenne County lost nearly 350 people, adding to 390 people the year prior. Empty houses lingered on the market. That drove down values for others who wanted to move but couldn’t without selling. Local businesses – from construction companies to mom-and-pop restaurants –felt the impact.
But many who lost their jobs didn’t want to move, like Trent Santero and Mike Riddle. They liked the community and owned homes. Their families were here. Along with six other Cabela refugees, Santero and Riddle started regularly hanging out in Riddle’s garage, brainstorming a way forward. Then, they tapped into locally mobi-
lized resources.
To address the fallout from Cabela’s and help people create new opportunities, the chamber of commerce director, economic development director, and Western Nebraska Community College (WNCC) developed business resource meetings throughout the Western Nebraska. WNCC also opened an Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center, where aspirational small business owners received free office space and mentorship to transition to a brick-and-mortar space. This program helped launch NexGen Outfitters and Karuna Counseling, a mental health and substance abuse counseling facility.
When eight former Cabela’s employees opened NexGen on the east side of town, they used their new 7,500-square-foot space exclusively for online sales. However, it soon became apparent that people still wanted to shop retail in person and receive the guidance wildlife experts could provide. “People kept showing up,” Santero said.
So they built out retail space. On a recent afternoon, Riddle stands behind the counter and holds court with a group of young men shopping for firearms. He expertly
answers their questions and cracks jokes. Nearby, other shoppers browse for arrows and fishing tackle. Santero needs to get back to it, too. It’s shaping up to be another busy workday in Sidney. Fortunately, other Sidney entrepreneurs have created places to wind down and fuel up after a long day.
are coming out of the oven at Sam & Louie’s on 10th Avenue. Husband-and-wife owners Stan and Melissa Norgard greet guests by name as they serve flights of the beer they brew in the basement. After buying the place in 2020, the Norgards renovated and reopened the business. They added a bar and outfitted the basement with a small brewery, which they branded Boss City Brewing Co., after Sidney’s toughest-townon-the-tracks history. The Norgards both worked in food service in San Diego before relocating to Sidney, Melissa’s hometown. Stan is the brewer, but they always name the beers together, with Sidney in mind. Think Lawless City Lite, Hickory Square Hazy IPA, Buckshot Wheat, Fort Sidney Porter and Hot Shot Hefeweizen, among others. Like many in town, the couple’s jobs were both affected by Cabela’s departure. Stan worked for a video production company
that sold work to the outdoor retailer. Melissa climbed from a customer service representative position to a brand partnership program manager to a financial analyst position. After she left, Melissa used her vast array of skills in the role of economic development director for the City of Sidney.
Even now, she remains a town booster who spends her free time advocating for a revitalized historic downtown. After a quick meeting at the restaurant with other volunteers on the town’s beautification committee, she bids farewell to her husband and heads out to pick up the couple’s two sons. Her energy is positive and palpable, despite years of hardship in the industry with pandemic restrictions, staffing shortages and inflation.
After Melissa departs, former Californian Stan admits he never expected to make a life in Western Nebraska, but he says it’s a good life. “Here, you can stand out instead of being drowned out,” Stan said. But were there sacrifices? “I used to
surf.” He shrugs. “Now I golf.” In Sidney, there are some premium places to pursue the sport – and other outdoor fun.
An electric-assist bike can go surprisingly fast. As great gray skies threaten rain, Doug Loghry, a Sidney native, whips along the 4.5-mile paved Deadwood Walking/Biking Trail on his orange cargo bike. The trail offers expansive views of the bluffs surrounding Hillside Golf Course.
From Exit 59, the Deadwood Walking/ Biking Trail travels by the Sidney Pony Express National Monument, a frisbee golf course, lakes and well-maintained soccer, softball and baseball fields before ending in Legion Park. It’s primarily flat riding, but occasionally there’s a small hill. That’s when Loghry hits the electric assist. The bike softly whirs and launches forward. Even in the rain, Loghry is grinning. This is what he loves to do.
Loghry and his wife, Vicky, who moved from Denver to Sidney in 2008, renovated a historic filling station at
Ninth Avenue and Illinois Street, and opened Pedalers Corner in 2021. Their bike shop sells road, mountain and hybrid (electric/pedal) bikes and offers bike repair. They are working with the city to construct bike trails on the north side of town. Their dream is to see the Sidney/ Deadwood bike trail extended all the way to Deadwood, South Dakota, with camping yurts along the way. Vicky and Doug are not only advocates for bikes but also for the community. For example, Doug has fixed many bikes around town. Among his favorites was the childhood bicycle of an elderly retired town veterinarian who now cruises around Sidney as happy and free as a 10-year-old boy.
Real 10-year-old children know they can stop by the bike shop and grab a complimentary pop from the antique cooler equipped with a bottle opener. Friends – old and new – often come by to chat. The Loghrys organize community bike rides and collect and fix donated bikes for
needy kids. They have an outdoor space adjacent to the shop where they host movie nights. The area has a hammock, benches, flowers, birdhouses, a cellphone charging station and a firepit that anyone is welcome to use at any time. That generous spirit of inclusivity may also be found in other parts of town.
climbing children squeal at Legion Park’s newly constructed playground. Some of these children might be in wheelchairs; others might have sensory issues associated with autism. All will find something to engage with at this playground designed with children of all abilities in mind. The playground opened in August 2022 because of the efforts of a group of young Sidney residents and the support of their community.
Madi Wilkinson works as a pediatric physical therapist. One day, her boss, Michelle Weimer, mentioned Sidney could benefit from an improved playground. It would be another public place not only for families of kids with special needs to meet each other, but it could provide another spot for therapists to work on physical therapy exercises with kids. Weimer didn’t have the time to pursue the idea but said she’d support Wilkinson.
Wilkinson first called her older sister, Benzel, who is also a physical therapist. The sisters were close – their relationship drove Wilkinson to return to their hometown after pursuing her studies in Omaha. They’d grown up playing in Le-
Working together, the people of Sidney, including Stan and Melissa Norgard at Boss Brewing Co., Doug and Vicky Loghry of Pedalers Corner and Mike Riddle of NextGen Outfitters, have instilled a sense of innovation and prosperity, into their community to help it grow.
gion Park. Now Benzel was a mother and took her children there.
“Madi said, ‘I have a little project in mind,’ ” Benzel said with laugh. “I just need a few things.”
Benzel liked the idea. A park renovation could also benefit the people she worked with in her physical therapy practice – older folks who wanted to take their grandchildren to the park. Gravel was tough for walkers. Taller benches could ease the difficulty of getting up.
Soon, a small volunteer committee of about a dozen people gathered to determine what needs weren’t being met by the current playground. Teachers, moms, therapists and emergency services people
conducted surveys in the community. The sisters connected with Jeremy Lee, who had construction and fundraising experience, and Sarah Sinnett, who helped with finances and business planning. They reached out to playground construction companies – particularly those specializing in inclusive playgrounds.
The volunteer committee grew to about 40 people – with them came more expertise in construction and fundraising and more local connections to potential donors. The volunteer committee raised more than $700,000 in donations from community members, the Sidney Community DonorAdvised Fund, Knights of Columbus, Farris Engineering, Platte Valley Bank, Sidney
Sidney saw a decline in population due to a past merger between Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shop. Determined citizens took this in stride, building new businesses, parks and jobs.
Regional Medical Center, Adams Industries, Black Hills Energy, Nelnet and others.
In April 2022, work on the playground broke ground. A few months later, kids in wheelchairs were riding an accessible merry-
go-round or sitting in a zipline chair. Other children, with or without special needs, played wind chimes, bounced on a seesaw or sailed high on swings. Laughter and delighted screams ring through the sylvan escape.
Throughout its history, people in Sidney have surmounted challenges with grit and vision. They’ve done it by collaborating on an optimistic future. Whether native or transplant, Sidney folks agree their town isn’t defined by its criminal or corporate past but by the strength of its citizenry and the bright skies on the horizon.
by CHEYENNE ROWE
Lantern carriers in black Victorian dress somberly parade through the Plattsmouth Main Street Historic District. They silently lead the way for an equally grave group of people wearing modern garb. In front of the Cass County Courthouse, a guide urges spectators to accept a kerchief from one of the assembled Victorians for protection on their journey. They are embarking on a trip to the supernatural side of Plattsmouth.
Organized by the Historic Downtown Plattsmouth Association, the annual Legends and Lanterns Ghost Walk relies on volunteer lantern carriers and actors recounting the river town’s strange happenings for their guests. The players wear costumes from the historical association’s
wardrobe of Victorian clothes. At several stops throughout downtown Plattsmouth, different costumed actors tell tales of restless spirits who’ve haunted Plattsmouth and other regional locales and fictional stories from Victorian literature.
At a caboose, one man tells the tale of a mother waiting for a train to return for her son’s wedding. Strangely, no one else can see the woman. Traveling uphill, guests encounter another man standing across from a vacant lot. He recalls the story of a missing boy discovered buried there and how he returned for one final trick-or-treat.
A visit to a candlelit Victorian mansion allows guests to rest in a handsomely decorated parlor, but there is no reprieve from
A historic holiday haunting, alongside the festively dressed, aims to entertain in Plattsmouth.
RENO PIZZA
This family-owned and locally-operated pizzeria prides itself on homemade crust and fresh ingredients. Grab a serving of sausage ricotta pizza, complete with garlic oil sauce, before it gets cold! 542 Main St. (402) 298-4145
the frights. Before he recently died, the house’s former owner told many stories about ghost sightings to friends. One of his friends, a woman dressed in an enormous black lace gown, keeps those stories alive in her telling – including one macabre mystery in the basement.
Guests proceed to meet more characters and hear more stories until the evening ends at St. Luke’s, a 19th century Episcopal Church, where “until death do us part” takes on a sinister tone. There are no jump scares in this tour, but the creepiness factor lingers long after one spooky night in Plattsmouth. To purchase tickets visit historicdowntownplattsmouth.com.
– Megan Feeney
The 5th annual Lincoln Veterans Parade is the capital city’s display of patriotism that helps to showcase Nebraska’s pride for those who have served and those that still do.
This year’s parade set at 2 p.m., will feature a parade-viewer packed route that stretches along K Street from South 21st to 14th streets. Also unique, Lincoln’s display honoring veterans brings a theme of specific reembrace and celebration to the streets.
Registration for Lincoln’s 2023 parade is open to marching bands, veterans service organizations, military organizations, color guards, businesses, clubs and more. The deadline is Oct. 30.
“Everyone involved in the parade are veterans and civilians working together, learning each other’s strengths and weaknesses to create a better community,” said parade commander Antonio Marino.
Further according to Marino, veteran activity in Lincoln (and beyond) has increased notably since the parade’s birth in 2018. New veteran organizations have formed, while older ones are getting more involved. Another part of the group’s community involvement is giving back. Every year, any proceeds from the parade are donated to participating school marching bands and an organization who services the veteran community in relation to that year’s theme. This year a recipient has not yet been selected.
This year the parade’s theme is honoring veterans in business. The parade’s Grand Marshal is John S. Berry Jr., the CEO of Berry Law Firm. Berry Jr. is an advocate of the military veteran community, and a veteran himself, serving as an Army infantry officer until 2000, when he joined the firm.
The parade line is lead in regal fashion
Despite being in the heart of the fall season, the Lincoln Children’s Zoo will be alive with several daily animal encounters, limitless animal viewing opportunities, train rides and warm snacks and beverages throughout the week and weekend. For an extra fee, guests are invited to feed the local giraffes, too. The zoo is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily.
1222 S. 27th St. (402) 475-6741
Just steps from the parade route is Muchacho’s, jam-packed with New Mexican flavors and a warm-and-cozy atmosphere. Warm up on a cold November day with your choice of tacos, luscious and creamy “Hatch Mac,” nachos, one of the restaurant’s famous burritos and more. There is also a selection of beers and coffee for those not quite as hungry. 416 S 11th St. (531) 500-2290
all the way to the Nebraska State Capitol, where remarks from speakers and opening ceremonies will take place (not during the parade). This segment features remarks from special guests, yet to be selected for the event. For those who cannot attend the event, the entirety of the parade will be broadcast live on LNK TV channels, as well as online at lnktv.lincoln.ne.gov.
Each year, a carefully crafted personal touch is added to the parade celebration by way of the poster creation contest. This year’s poster was designed by Kensey Kassebaum. Kassebaum’s love for art stems back from kindergarten art class in Papillion. She is a 2021 grad of Papillion LaVista South High School and is currently attending Metropolitan Community College working toward a degree in graphic design. lincolnveteransparade.org.
The Minden Bandfest marches to the beat of its own drum, all the way down Brown Avenue, and right into the heart of Kearney County residents.
OCT. 14 • MINDEN
Back for its 33rd year of marching band celebration, the Minden Bandfest steps its way onto the scene in the heart of Kearney County. The parade steps off at 1 p.m. and has featured nearly 40 bands each year since 2021.
With a goal to showcase the skills and dedication of these youth marching bands, the spectacle begins with junior high bands leading the way. Larger bands follow these students, gradually working up to the Class A school bands at the end of the parade. Bands range from 10 to 155 students strong. Those wishing to support the bands as they march line up along Brown Avenue
(Highway 10), though the hotspot is the intersection of 4th Street and Brown Avenue, as this is where the judges are. Bands are judged in three categories: general effects, music and marching. The faces for the 2023 judging panel include Jan Palmer of Holdrege, Dave Klein of Kearney and Paul Ramp of Friend.
A field competition, also open to the public, follows at Kuper Field. Not all marching bands compete here, but it is still a showcase to behold according to Todd Jensen, local businessman and Minden Chamber of Commerce Member.
According to Jensen, the field competition is filled with special music selections, unique show themes, visual effects, soloist musicians, dancers and more, as well as drumline and flag corp performances.
The inspiration for the Minden Bandfest came from local band director Phil Fahrlander. Jensen helped get the event off the ground and has been the event’s coordinator ever since. Today the event is sponsored through the Minden Chamber of Commerce. mindennebraska.org.
This newly renovated and modern apartment space is the ideal location for small or large family stays in historic downtown Minden. Complete with all the wanted amenities, guests are welcome to relax by the fireplace, cook their favorite meals in a fully equipped kitchen, take advantage of high-speed internet and more. The rooms in the apartment can be rented individually, or together. See the Wheelhouse in Minden’s listing on airbnb.com.
The parade route sings with music from Nebraska school bands, ranging in size from 10 to 155 studentmusicians strong.
Harvest of Harmony
Oct. 7 • Grand Island
The 2023 Harvest of Harmony parade and field competition is one of the most popular marching band showcases across the state of Nebraska and it’s back in all its toe-tapping glory for another year of sound. This year’s theme, “Celebration of Sound,” will prompt bands to rejoyce. gichamber.com/ HarvestOfHarmonyParade.
Erin Hanson Exhibition
Oct. 1 – Nov. 2 • David City
The Bone Creek Museum of Agrarian Art will wrap up its multi-month solo exhibition by Erin Hanson. Erin Hanson: Color on the Vine offers a wide range of artistic viticultural landscapes created by the
artist in their “open impressionism” style. Those unable to attend the exhibition in person can also view the artwork online at erinhanson.com, under the events tab.
Dusty’s Pumpkin Fest
Every Saturday in October • Buffalo Bill State Historical Park
Get ready for the pumpkin festival to rival all pumpkin festivals! Guests are treated to a wealth of seasonal activities on the beautiful grounds of the Buffalo Bill State Historical Park. There will be everything from corn cannons, a hay slide, wagon rides, horseback riding, a petting zoo, bounce houses, fire pits, concessions and more. dustytrails.biz/ dustys-pumpkin-fest-at-the-codys.
Make Burwell your outdoor destination this year in the heart of Nebraska’s Sandhills. Relax on the white sandy beaches of Calamus Lake and take in the beauty of the Loup Rivers Scenic Byway. Great restaurants and warm hospitality await you!
Order a Free Travel Guide today 888-328-7935 VisitBurwell.com
Trick-or-Treat in Town
Oct. 13 • Indian Cave State Park
Get a head start on your trick-or-treating game with this special event in Shubert. Guests are invited to embrace the spooky and search for treats in the old town of St. Deroin. Follow the decorated trail from 5:30-7:30 p.m. (402) 883-2575.
Museum Insider: Omaha’s Eerie Past
Oct. 14 • Omaha
A special tour offering at the Durham Museum in Omaha offers guests the chance to see what is rarely seen in the museum’s collection. Advance registration and payment are required. Space is limited! (402) 444-5071.
Family Ag Night
Oct. 19 • Grand Island
Raising Nebraska will be celebrating their giant pumpkin, and other squashes and vegetables, with this family friendly drop-in event. Hands-on activities for kids of all ages and abilities raisingnebraska.net
Satisfy your taste buds in Burwell with hot, fresh pizza! Dine in for lunch buffets, carry out or take home from our grab-and-go freezer.
Oktoberfest
Oct. 20 • Nebraska City
Fall and Oktoberfest go hand in hand, and Nebraska has its own version to celebrate in Nebraska City. Those looking for a good time are invited to Steinhart Lodge for authentic German food, beer and dancing. (402) 873-8733.
Autumn Festival
Nov. 2-5 • Ralston
Some of the nation’s finest artists, crafters and vendors are set to sell their wares at this highly rated event. There will be an hourly gift certificate winner, food and drink options of all kinds and fun for the whole family. hpifestivals.com.
Good Life Halfsy
Nov. 5 • Lincoln
Runners, lace up your shoes! This 13.1mile course winds through Lincoln and ends in the Historic Haymarket District,
where organizers serve Runzas and local brews to the runners. A taste of the Good Life with good views. goodlifehalfsy.com.
Candlelight Tour
Nov. 4 • Ft. Atkinson
Step back in time and explore the grounds of Ft. Atkinson by candlelight – just like the pioneers! This walking tour among the historic buildings and grounds will last about an hour and a half. Refreshments will be served after the tour. Reservations are required. (402) 630-0316.
Candy Cane Parade
Nov. 19 • Kearney
Get in the spirit of the holiday season with a trip to the Hilltop Mall. This funfilled winter celebration kicks off at 1 p.m. and features a free reindeer petting zoo, train rides, pictures with the big guy (Santa Claus) and more! Follow the event on Facebook, Candy Cane Parade Winter Celebration, to stay up-to-date.
Questions on p 12-13
6 False (the record is held by Jim Marshall, with 270 for the Vikings)
7 True
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Trivia Photographs
Page 20 Heisman winner Johnny Rodgers. A glimpse at the 1984 Orange Bowl. Page 21 Guy Chamberlin led his teams to win over 75% of their games in the 1920s.
with bright, bountiful color and florals,
by LAURYN HIGGINS
AN UNASSUMING BRICK
walkway meanders through a lawn of rose of Sharon bushes, fragrant beds of lilacs, flowering hyacinth bean vines and a sea of other vibrant annuals and perennials. The breeze blows along, spreading petals, only adding to the calming effect of the Southeast Nebraska Cancer Memorial Garden.
For years, the space tucked along First Street in Humboldt was a sunken lot with a small stream running through it. It was easy to pass by and provided little in the way of a haven for guests or pollinators. A simple idea, courtesy of an area resident, changed that notion and gave new life to the area.
The vision of this enchanted garden came to garden founder and designer Jan Wilhelm in October 2016. She started work on her own in her spare time, beginning by mapping out her vision. The garden quickly took root. As a child, Wilhelm’s grandfather maintained the local town park. He built a bridge, a stone water fountain and a running water wheel for visitors to enjoy. One could say planning something of this flora-focused variety was in her blood.
Removed on the northwest edge of the park, secluded from the usual hustle-andbustle of outdoor explorers, the garden held extra charm for its founder. Draw-
ing again from experience learned via her grandfather, Wilhelm knew just what to do with the unused space.
“I knew that it would be the perfect location to honor cancer survivors and my husband’s son who lost his battle to cancer,” Wilhelm said.
Unfortunately, this is when Wilhelm’s plans took a pause. She tucked away her plans, she said, and forgot about it for what seemed like forever.
“But then on a Saturday morning, Jan. 14 of 2017, I was awakened by a voice I’d never heard before telling me to, ‘Get up, start the garden today,’ ” Wilhelm said.
It was then, or never.
Barriers that had previously stood in her way fell to the side. She made a few phone calls, assembled a team and got approval from the city council to begin work. Wilhelm’s vision came to life quickly, and it was bigger and better than members of the garden club could have hoped.
“When Jan showed me the area that she had in mind, I realized that this was basically a whole park, not just one flower bed,” said Sally Stalder, the garden club’s treasurer.
With an official location, and a douse of inspiration, Wilhelm, club president Lois Luthy and club members set to work. The garden they created together serves as a welcoming haven for all those in need of peace. Guests are immediately greeted by an arbor to walk under as they arrive. This
experience is followed closely by sights of a heart-shaped breast cancer flower bed, complete with a bronze statue.
Large sitting stones were placed throughout the area, making for perfect rest stops. And bountiful flowers beds, representative of all different types of cancer, burst with varieties of annuals, perennials, vines, roses, bushes and grasses of different textures.
Finally, a paver sidewalk, in the shape of a cancer ribbon, encircles a 34-foot open octagonal pergola with wisteria vines growing up the sides. Swings and benches pair alongside a fountain in the middle of the garden and a small memorial of engraved bricks near the pergola seeks to remember those touched by cancer.
For Lincoln resident Shari Vesuck, the garden is a safe place for her to visit. After losing her father to a brutal battle with cancer, she frequents the space with her mother.
“It really provides you with a sense of peace and understanding and a knowing that you’re not alone,” Vesuck said.
The garden is open to the general public, with solar lights that come on at night for those wanting to visit during the evening. The most recent addition of a fairy house has delighted guests of all ages.
“One thing that really amazes me is that everything laid out just like my vision saw it,” said Wilhelm. “My husband works in the garden all the time and does all the mowing. It’s one thing he can still do for his son.”
93%
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by ALAN J. BARTELS
MOST OUTDOORSY types
that I know are pretty patient. Catfish anglers will wait all night for the bite that often never comes. And it’s nothing for deer hunters to sit in a frozen tree stand from before dawn until after dusk waiting for a buck or doe to walk within range. Like accurate marksmanship, or the ability to make a rubber worm dance like it’s full of life, patience is a critical skill to possess outdoors.
My parents may not agree, but I’ve always been pretty patient. My time in the Army taught me that patience and planning are key to mission success – the same elements that lead to most successful hunts. A little luck goes a long way, too. Actually, I better stop right there.
I remember a sermon where my good friend, Pastor Kyle, told the congregation that there’s no such thing as luck, and that all blessings come from God. I’ll never forget those powerful words.
You can call it a blessing, good fortune or luck, but I was thanking God this summer after opening two emails from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. The first one said I was not drawn for a pronghorn tag, again. The other email said that I drew a cow elk tag!
I couldn’t believe it. When I tell fellow hunters, their congratulatory spirit fades to friendly disgust when I mention that this was the first time I’d ever applied. People I know have been patiently applying for years. A co-worker has a relative who has been applying for a cow elk tag for 10 years now. With somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 wild elk in Nebraska, the supply is fairly low (but growing) and the
demand is great. Barely two dozen permits were issued for the late season unit where I’ll hunt in November. Now, preparation for the mission, er, hunt, begins.
The owner of the ranch where I’ll hunt said to prepare for shots of 200 to 300 yards, possibly further. Target practice is another area where persistence and patience are necessary.
There was a time when I was proficient with an open sighted military rifle out to several hundred meters. Over the last three decades, most of the deer that I‘ve
taken were harvested within bow range. My long-range capability probably is not what it used to be (I know my eyes aren’t), but I’m working on that.
After drawing the permit, I thought about buying a new big caliber rifle. After all, a cow elk is not a whitetail deer, and these thick-hided matriarchs of the West often tip the scales at more than 600 pounds. I was talking big calibers with an expert hunter that I look up to in many ways (for one, he is 6 foot 5), when he correctly told me that a well-placed shot from my from tried and true .270 would likely produce better results than a brand-new mule-kicking shoulder cannon that is unfamiliar to me.
I know he’s right: I remember the stinging embarrassment at a trapshoot after bringing a fancy double barrel I’d barely fired instead of the pump gun I’d hunted with for years.
I’m a meat hunter, period. Everything I shoot is destined for the kitchen table. The thought of hundreds of pounds of lean, healthy elk meat providing dozens of meals for my family and friends makes my mouth water and reminds me to make some room in the freezer.
Harvesting an animal is not something I take lightly. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity. To experience the thrill of an elk hunt in my home state, with my high school best friend along to help, will make this hunt a success whether a shot is fired or not.
If I do pull the trigger, I hope for a wellplaced shot, and Pastor Kyle’s prayers for blessings, opportunities, safety and patience.
photograph by DON BROCKMEIER
ASIMPLE OCTOBER evening drive down a country road south of Eustis embodied the calm and welcoming feel of nature that photographer Don Brockmeier enjoys so much.
On his drive Brockmeier slowed down to watch a youthful encounter between a fawn and its mother. The duo was quickly spooked by its unintended audience and split as Brockmeier sat waiting. The doe entered a nearby pasture, but true to the young spirit of the fawn, it bounded in the opposite direction and into a milo filed. It was as if the young deer was playing hide-and-seek, innocently unaware that its large eyes and fur-covered ears were peeking out above the cover.
The seasoned photographer’s senses for a good photo opportunity sounded, and he took advantage of this unique compositional situation to snap the photo. He was immediately pleased with the outcome, noting it tells a fun story.
Brockmeier’s photographic journey started in 1984 when he bought his first interchangeable lens camera and traveled with it to the Olympics in Los Angeles. He’s carried his camera everywhere he’s gone since, he said. Nature has always been his favorite subject, however.
“I love to show others the beauty of nature and hope they will appreciate it and help to preserve it,” he said.
Although Brockmeier has traveled the world with camera in hand, Nebraska still calls to him as one of the most unique places to capture nature at its finest. He finds the challenge of shooting unique images is best served in his home state.
IN EACH ISSUE, Last Look features a reader’s photograph of Nebraska – landscapes, architecture, attractions, events, people or wildlife. Submit your best photographs for the chance to be published in Nebraska Life. Send digital images with detailed photo descriptions and your contact information to photos@nebraskalife.com or visit nebraskalife.com/contribute.
This photo was shot with an Olympus EM1 Mark II, equipped with a 300mm F/4 lens with a 1.4mm teleconverter exposed at ISO 1250, f/63 for 1/1000 second.
• “Cozad Creates ” paint palette icons Fo r mor e informatio n an d maps, visit barnquilts dc.com Also visit roberthenrimuseum.org and coza dh istory.org
Savor the farm-fresh produce and baked treats at Union Orchard. Bring the kids for pick-your-own fruit and pumpkins, plus monthly events held in our larg e pavilion. Sample a wide variety of Nebraska wines, hard ciders, and seasonal cocktails in our tasting room.
The Taste of Applejack
8am-6pm | Sept. 23-24
Focus on Pumpkins
October
Ready for some plump, pumpkin picking?
You will find the perfect pumpkin here on the farm!
Check the events section of our Facebook page for information on bands and speakers
