Midvale Saturday Market on August 8 was not only a success but another opportunity for local folks to gather together and visit. Elsa Freeman sent the following message: “Lane Williams and I would like to thank everyone who participated to make the first Midvale Saturday Market such a successful and fun event. It was great to see so much support for our local gardeners, bakers and crafters. We hope this will be the first of many to come.”
As one of the happy customers, your reporter can attest to the quality of the products sold! Among the items offered in approximately 13 booths were lovely hand-sewn bags and children’s clothing, strawberry plants, wine and delicious “Karyaki” sauce, fresh corn, cantaloupe, garlic etc, yummy home-baked goods, scented soap (some of which was being “painted” on the spot) , caramel corn and much more! I’m certain that I’m not the only one looking forward to the next Saturday Market! (Another market was held on August 22 and the next one is scheduled for September 5.)
Halloween Message to the Kids! The Midvale Community Partners are making plans for the annual Halloween party, which will be held on October 30 this year, and they need your input. Heather Dixon, chairman of the event, is asking you to write out your party suggestions and put them in the special box at the library.
The Community Partners will meet at the library at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, September 1, and all adults interested in helping with the Halloween party, or finding out more about the Partners, are invited to attend.
Bountiful Baskets Reminder…For those of you who haven’t heard about Bountiful Baskets, and those who keep thinking you will sign up sometime, we want to encourage you to call Karen Piper at 739-3168 or Jennifer Besel at 257-3241, to get more information. The truck rolls up in front of the Midvale School at approximately 10:45 every-other Saturday and the next delivery will be on August 22. There is always a delightful variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, for a very reasonable price. And the well organized process of unloading the truck and filling the baskets lined up on the driveway is something to behold! Hope to see you there next week!
Condolences go to Pastor John Erikson and his family following the passing of his father, Roland Erikson, of Weiser on August 6.
Branch Reunion…submitted by Lois Sutton. “Around 100 descendants of Burt and Etta Potter Branch gathered in Midvale and Cambridge to celebrate family on August 7, 8 and 9. The participants included the last of the six children of Burt and Etta, from 88 year-old Bertha Branch McPherson of Spirit Lake, Idaho, down to the youngest, B0 Rose, 2 month-old daughter of Tyler and Savannah Rose. There were 23 cousins in the first generation, 5 are deceased and 15 were present.
The first event was a wonderful potluck dinner hosted by Susan and Randy Crisp at their home on Hog Creek. Around 70 people attended and enjoyed great food, wonderful music by the McNallys and 88 year-old Faye Daugherty of Bishop, California, who sang and played her guitar. Some of the participants enjoyed dancing while others got into a spirited horseshoe pitching contest, pasture golf, badminton, pool, foosball, and visiting.
On Saturday, Tom and Marva Vogel prepared delicious tri-tip steaks outside the Veterans’ Hall in Midvale for around 90 people. There was a video tribute prepared by Leslie Rose Michelson to honor those family members who are deceased, a silent auction featuring a beautiful wall-hanging with all of the family brands made by Norma Rose, a talent show featuring a song written by Steve Peters of Idaho Falls, and a rap written by Norma Rose. Many pictures were taken and many stories were shared.
On Sunday morning, several people met to travel to the original Branch homestead on South Crane and to visit the cemeteries in Midvale and Cambridge.
Karen and Johnny Piper’s home was filled again this week with kids, grandkids and lots of fun. Karen, daughter Tara and granddaughter Owynn made a quick and exhausting round-trip to Salt Lake last Friday to pick up their son and daughter-in-law, John and Hannah from Pennsylvania, and granddaughter Adelyn from Utah. Tara and her kids also joined them in Midvale for the week. Karen had thought she would be making the trip back to Salt Lake this weekend, but Tara and Dan will return the visitors as a birthday gift for Grandma Karen, whose birthday is this Thursday. She is perfectly happy to be taking care of their children in the meantime!
Thanks to Virginia Seid for the following. “Vern, Karen, Boden Meyer and Virginia Seid vacationed at Hayden Lake over the week end. First we stopped to see Vern’s mom in Grangeville, then on to Hayden. We played at Silverwood Water Park and then Hayden Lake with Dan and Vicky Seid. We also got to see four month old great granddaughter, Treis McCown, along with parents, Jesse and Landin. The trip was finished with school shopping and summer sales.”
Tiedemann Trip….Rolly and Peggy Tiedemann and her mom, Carol Meier (who has been living with them since June 15) were in Soldotna, Alaska July 22-31. They had been anxious to meet their new grandson, Charles Jurgen, but new parents Mark and Amber couldn’t fit in a trip to Idaho. So Rolly and Peg started praying for a miracle and God provided! Each ticket to Alaska was a mere $79 and the total cost of each individual round trip ticket came to only $432.
Departing from the Boise Airport turned into an adventure, as they brought 21 lbs. of hamburger, 14 packages in all, as a housewarming gift for Amber and Mark, who had recently moved into their new home. They had prepared it carefully, wrapped in multiple layers and stuffed into a back pack. Next scene, the TSA were unwrapping all layers except the meat paper, so they could use their instruments to check for explosives. Not finding any, they then allowed Rolly and Peggy to rewrap it!
Their visit was low-key, didn’t involve sightseeing but simply enjoying their family, especially young Charles whom Peggy describes as “a good baby.” Mark, along with Matt and Ruth Mitchell, went dip-net fishing (only Alaskans can participate) but Mom and Dad did get in on the cleaning process and brought home about 35 lbs. of red salmon in an ice chest.
Barbara and Jerry McLay had a house full of company last weekend and filled up two full pews at the Baptist Church on Sunday! Their son and daughter-in-law, Chris and Brenda McLay and children Andrew and Alena, are down from Kenai, Alaska, to visit them from August 1 through 15. Chris and Brenda’s friends, Dan and Melody Kelly and their five children, came up from Nampa and camped in their trailer in McLay’s yard and everyone enjoyed a weekend of fun and fellowship. (Dan and Chris had formerly worked together in Alaska.) Barbara and Jerry noted that there was never a squabble or cross word among any of the kids!
On the Kellys’ last evening, Barbara and Jerry organized the traditional family water fight that was introduced to them years ago by Carol Wolfe, a tradition at their house also. Water flew and everyone had a grand time. When asked if Barbara and Jerry participated, the answer was an emphatic “No! We watched from the porch, which was off limits!”
Around Midvale by Elsie Coburn
