Monthly Archives: April 2025
There are few things that feel as strange as having your sibling graduate to Heaven. Like it or not, at some point, you expect your parents to go home, but a sibling, especially a younger sibling…well, you just don’t expect it. My sister, Alena Stevens was a beautiful woman inside and out, and we always thought she would be with us. Nevertheless, on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, Alena quietly slipped from this Earth and woke up in Heaven. We know where she is and we know that she is happy…very happy, but for those of us left behind, this is really hard. It has been especially hard for her sweet husband, Mike Stevens, because he has lost his life partner, and he loved her so very much. It’s also been very hard on their children, Michelle (Matt) Miller, Garrett (Kayla) Stevens, and Lacey (Chris) Killinger, and the grandkids, Elliott Stevens, Maya Stevens, Brooklyn Killinger, and Jaxon Killinger.
Our childhood was really what I would call idyllic. We had great parents, who took us on many trips around the United States. We traveled by car…and old station wagon, and as was typical in those days, we got to hang out in the far back end of the wagon. No one wore seatbelts in those days, and laying in the back end with the sun shining on us made for a warm little nest we played and sang songs as we traveled. With five girls, our parents found that singing was a great way to pass the time as we traveled, and thus avoid the inevitable question, “Are we there yet?” I don’t recall really ever dealing with that on our travels, but I remember that Alena loved to prank us. She had a great sense of humor, and she might pull a prank quietly, and then be seen trying to hide a giggle as the prank played out. She did delight in that, and she was very good at it. I don’t think there was one of us who didn’t “fall victim” to an Alena prank at one time or another…and when she got you, she always had this satisfied little grin that would light up her face.
While pranking and teasing were both in her nature, so was loving kindness. Alena had a soft heart, and that 
made her a natural-born teacher-educational support member. Alena spent most of her working years as an educational support member at Verda James Elementary School, where she left a legacy of shaping young minds. Her students loved her and the teachers and staff she worked with couldn’t have asked for a better friend. She had a soft, gently way about her, and she had a heart for people. She had a way of settling down a student who was upset, and the students never forgot her kindness to them. Both students and staff have stayed friends with her for many years. For years, Alena was a fixture at Verda James Elementary School, and when she retired on June 8, 2020, it left an empty place there.
After her retirement, she went on to do the things she had looked forward to for years. Alena loved her role as wife, mother, and grandmother, and spent as much time with each of them as she could. Alena and Mike loved traveling, golfing, watching television, and going to her happy place…Pathfinder Reservoir. She always loved the lake. She thrived there. Alena was so proud of her children, and the adults they became. She watched them learn and grow, and was thrilled at the paths each of them chose. She knew then so well that she knew long before they grew up, exactly what field they would go into. She could see it in their personalities. When the grandchildren, Elliott Stevens, Maya Stevens, Brooklyn Killinger, and Jaxon Killinger came along, Alena was thrilled. She would spend as much time as she could with them. They all love her very much.
Over the years, our sister group has seen many phases. Childhood to adulthood. Friends to Prayer Warriors. As this new reality began, I felt like there was a “chink” in the armor of the Sister Prayer Warriors, but then the Lord reminded me that Alena is still praying with us, as are our parents, they just pray from a different location. It’s good to think of our close-knit sister group still being intact, and I know we will all get used to this 
new reality at some point, but we will never stop missing Alena. It is really awful to have to say, “goodbye for now” to our sister, because we can’t imagine life without her in it. Still, we know that she would not want us to be sad, so we will remember all the good times and look forward to when we will see her again. We love you Alena, and we miss you so very much.
I was born on April 29, 1956, a Sunday in a Leap Year. Little did I know of the significance Leap Year would have for me just 40 years later. I was born part of the Baby Boomer Generation in Superior, Wisconsin, the second of my parents, Allen and Collene Spencer’s five daughters. Of course they didn’t know it then, but they would have five daughters, and no sons. My due date was April 27, and they would have loved it if I had arrived that day, because that was my dad’s birthday. One additional note, since my older sister was a girl, I was “supposed to be” a boy…oops. Well, you might say that I messed everything up. Good thing that my parents decided that they would keep me. Hahahahaha!! Of course, there was never a question on that.
That year found prices like fresh eggs (1 dozen): $0.60 ($6.48 in today’s dollars), White bread (1 pound): $0.18 ($2.12 in today’s dollars), Sliced bacon (1 pound): $0.57 ($6.70 in today’s dollars), Round steak (1 pound): $0.88 ($10.35 in today’s dollars), Potatoes (10 pounds): $0.68 ($7.99 in today’s dollars), and Fresh delivered milk (1/2 gallon): $0.48 ($5.64 in today’s dollars). What most of us wouldn’t give for prices like that these days. In addition, more and more Americans were going places, and car sales that year would prove that. President Dwight D Eisenhower signed legislation to construct an interstate highway system in 1956, leading to the creation of thousands of construction jobs as well as an increase in the number of roadside businesses. 
That would be vital in our nation’s future. It was a good year for workers too, as the minimum wage was raised to $1 per hour, which was an increase of 25 cents. As we look on these things today, they seem to be such trivial amounts, but at one dollar an hour, I don’t suppose the prices charged for those things was such a bargain.
You could buy a house, depending on the size, of course, for somewhere between $11,700 and $22,000. Ford model cars coming off the factory line in 1956 ranged from $1,748 to $3,151. Filling up the gas tank of that fancy new car would cost a whopping 22 cents per gallon. A college education at private universities like Harvard and Radcliffe rose from $800 to $1,000 for a full year, including dorm and food. State colleges like the University of Wisconsin were $675 per year for out-of-state students and a mere $225 for students already residing in the state. Rent varied, depending on whether you lived in a boarding house or an apartment, but on average, folks were spending about $88 per month. You only needed three pennies to purchase a first-class stamp for your letters in 1956, and the post offices wonders why people don’t send much in the mail today.
As I look at my own life, and the many changes that have taken place over the years, I know that I am definitely in the best place for me, my talents, and abilities. The Bible was right where it says in Esther 4:14, “For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another 
place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” I think that is true. The abilities I have would not have worked in Biblical times, in the Old West, or even in the 1950s. This is my time, and I am best here. Today, I am 69 years old. I’m probably not typical for my age. I am a Christian, a Conservative, a techie, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a great grandmother, a caregiver, a retired insurance agent, and a writer, and I have loved each and every one of my life’s occupations.
Sometimes, I wonder how I could not know about something. Nevertheless, the Vore Buffalo Jump is an archeological site of which I was unaware. It is located in Crook County, Wyoming, but it is one of a number of buffalo jump sites in the north central United States and southern Canada. The Vore Buffalo Jump was formed where gypsum soil was eroded, leaving a steep-sided pit about 40 feet deep and 200 feet in diameter. I have seen something similar in Thermopolis, Wyoming near the buffalo reserve there, but I don’t know if it was ever considered a buffalo jump. A buffalo jump was used by Native American hunters to stampede buffalo in the direction of the pit. Then, when they got close, they could not stop. They would fall into the pit, which was deep enough to kill or disable the animals that were driven into it. It was a way of supplying meat and skins for a large tribe, quickly and easily.
The Vore site was used as a kill site and butchering site from about 1500 AD to about 1800 AD. I’m sure many people would consider the practice of using a buffalo jump to be harsh or even hideous, but the food and skins were needed and there was no better way to get them at that time. When these jumps became known to 
archeologists, they began to investigate these pits. In the 1970s they uncovered bones and projectile points to a depth of 15 feet. In all, about ten tons of bones were removed from the Vore site. Just about 5% of the site has been excavated, and the pit is estimated to contain the remains of 20,000 buffalo.
Lithic (the study of rocks) evidence suggests that the Kiowa and Apache used the site as they migrated southwards to their modern home in the Texas-New Mexico region. Later, however, the Shoshone, Hidatsa, Crow, and Cheyenne peoples also used the Vore site. The Vore site was discovered during the construction of Interstate 90 in the early 1970s, and was named after the Vore family ranch, on which it is located. The site was found because of a planned crossing by the interstate. Once located, exploratory drilling was done to determine stability of the sinkhole. At that time they found large quantities of bison bones.
Once they found the bones, they notified the University of Wyoming of the potential archeological site, and the road was moved a little way to the south. The site was investigated in 1971 and 1972 by Dr George Frison of the University of Wyoming. The site was transferred to the university by the Vore family in 1982, with the stipulation that it be developed as a public education center within twelve years. Unfortunately, funding 
limitations prevented that development, so the site was again transferred to the Vore Buffalo Jump Foundation, which has built a small interpretive center and provides interpretive services. The Vore site is located in a narrow strip of land between I-90 and old US 14. The site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Someday soon, I hope to visit the site and see for myself.
As another year without my dad, Allen Spencer, slips behind me, I find myself wondering where the years could have gone. How could it be eighteen years on this earth without my dad. I somehow had this idea for most of my young life, that he would always be here. Oh, I know that thought isn’t even reasonable, but then most kids aren’t reasonable, are they? My dad was an amazing dad. He was always so patient and kind. Even in the face of homework struggles, he remained calm and patient. If we came home with a bad progress report, he just said, “Well, we will have to work on that then”…and we did. He and mom, Collene Spencer managed to pull all five of their girls through the school years and into successful adulthood.
Having five daughters, and no sons, my dad lived a unique kind of life. He was always outnumbered, especially when it came to time in the bathroom, while five girls were trying to get ready for school or some other function. I don’t know how he managed, considering that our house only had one bathroom. He must have 
rushed in their around 5:00am, so he could get out by the time we were awake. He didn’t even complain…too much. He was always proud of his beautiful wife and daughters, and he knew that “all that beauty” took time, so he let us have our time and space to get to where we felt ready to face the world. Nevertheless, I’m sure he wondered if he would ever get in the bathroom sometimes.
Dad was a veteran of World War II and served as a Flight Engineer-Top Turret Gunner on a B-17 Bomber. It was an occupation of which we were all very proud, and Dad was very proud to serve his country. While he was very proud to serve his country, and proud of his time on the B-17, Dad never really talked about the war. That was common for men of that era. They simply did what they had to do, and never really told the tales about it. I was always sorry about that, because I think my sisters and I would have loved to hear more about his time in the Army Air Force. We did get a glimpse, years later, when two of his grandchildren did an interview for a class 
project, and Dad finally opened up a little. He also opened up once with his older brother, Bill Spencer, and as we listened to their conversation, we caught a little bit about what they remembered. It was all very interesting, but hard to wrap our heads around, as it seemed almost more like a movie by then. Still, we knew that he was an honored member of the service, and that made us very proud. Today would have been my dad’s 101st birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Dad. We love and miss you very much and can’t wait until we see you again.
My nephew, Zack Spethman is such a sweet young man, who is so loving toward everyone. He has the kindest heart. Many young men don’t like to hug people much. They feel like they are just too macho, but not Zack. He has always been a hugger, and that makes his one special kind of guy. I have always felt so blessed to be his aunt. Zack graduated from high school last year and has decided to work for a while before deciding what he wants to do in his future. He has mentioned welding, or some other kind of trade, and because he is a hard worker, I know that he will do well in whatever he decides to pursue. Most recently, he is working at Walmart in the grocery pickup area, and very much enjoys his work.
Zack has always been a great brother to his brothers Xander and Isaac, and his sister Aleesia. They look up to him and admire him, because he is such a kindhearted person. He and his mom love going hiking together, and the mountain is a favorite destination for them. Zack really loves the outdoors, and pretty much about any kind of weather, or at least he will put a smile on his face and pretend he does for his mom’s many pictures. Maybe that is what makes me think he loves pretty much any kind of weather. Zack is such an easy-going kind of guy, that he is a blessing to everyone.
Zack loves to go shooting and hunting with his dad, Steve Spethman and brothers, and they are all very good at both. Zack has been shooting since he was old enough to hold a gun, and took hunting safety at an early age 
so he could go hunting and help supply the family with meat. Of course, his favorite meal isn’t wild game, but his dad’s chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes, which was cooked for him for his birthday, along with his favorite lemon cake. Zack is a pretty special guy, and his family does their best to make his feel special at all times, as they do with all of his siblings too. You might think Zack is spoiled, but you would be very wrong. He doesn’t have a spoiled bone in his body. He is just an all-around great guy. Today is Zack’s birthday. Happy birthday Zack!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
From the time they moved to Superior, Wisconsin, my mom, Collene Spencer found her new best friend in her sister-in-law, Doris Spencer. They actually lived across the yard from each other. There wasn’t an alley between them, just a fence. It was a very cozy place for the two families, and as the kids came along, it made it easy to play without worrying about the little ones getting out into the street. Aunt Doris and my mom were very close and did just about everything together. Those were some crazy times. They were always on some diet, including when they went to a restaurant and asked for a cup of hot water, to which they added ketchup to make a soup. They figured that it would be the lowest calorie item they could have. Another time, when they were both feeling particularly hungry, Aunt Doris suggested that they each eat one puffed wheat…just one. Like that would satisfy any kind of craving. I can’t help but laugh at the goofiness of those two.
Aunt Doris lived the longest life of all of my dad’s family, passing away November 21, 2024, at the good old age of 100 years. Not many people get to live that long, and it is always a very cool thing when they do. She lived a good live, staying active for many years. The last time we took my mom to see her, before my mom passed, Aunt Doris was still doing a lot of walking around the assisted living facility where she lived. For a time she lived at Harmony House, which pleased her so much, because her grandson and his mother both worked there, so she felt especially loved.
I think that one of the things she was rather proud of, was the fact that she reached that milestone of 100 years. The party that was thrown for her was amazing, and she was so pleased. I don’t think she knew it 
would be her last birthday, but in the end, it was. We were all very sorry to have her leave us when she went, but she was ready, I think. Aunt Doris left us on November 21, 2024, and it was a very sad day for us, but a great day for her, because now, she is in Heaven. She is happy and healthy, and with Jesus and the Father, as well as her family members who have gone on before. I can see the celebration she is still having with them, and that makes me so happy. Today would have been Aunt Doris 101st birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Aunt Doris. We love and miss you very much.
On April 26, 1986, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded. It sent seriously dangerous levels of radiation billowing into the sky. The city of Pripyat was nearby. It housed the families of the Chernobyl workers. Immediately, the city was mobilized. Mass evacuation of the city was ordered, and the people were told that they would only be gone for a short time. There was no time to take their things. It was explained that they could come back later. I suppose that the way the evacuation was handled kept panic at bay, but the reality was that these people would never return home again…never. Since that day, almost forty years has passed, and nature has slowly overtaken the city. The trees are growing up through the once vibrant streets. Water and neglect have damaged the buildings, and they are crumbling. Pripyat was once a bustling city of 49,000 people, and now it is a ghost town. Oddly, the city has attracted visitors and tourists, even knowing its history and the possibility of radiation poisoning. To visit the city, tourists must apply for 
permission to go to Pripyat with a guide. On occasion, tourists who are permitted to go there, but more “tourists” go there without permission and roam about illegally. To do this, they must dodge security (including helicopters!) and constantly have the threat of capture hanging over their heads.
I simply can’t imagine why anyone would go to Pripyat, because many of the prior residents faced grave health problems due to their exposure. Visitors are only allowed to spend a minimal amount of time in the “zone” because of the level of exposure they would receive. Curiosity is the key reason, of course, but at what cost. Simply to say that you have walked those streets? It just makes no sense to me at all. They are lots of pictures you can view, and even to a degree, Google Earth. Still, I suppose it is not like being there. Nevertheless, I’m not sure being there would be such a great thing.
Oddly, the wildlife seems to be thriving in the area, although, I doubt they would be suitable for hunting or eating. Roaming around in the area has likely caused them to absorb radiation. I’m not sure what that would do to the wildlife, but it couldn’t be a good thing. Nevertheless, animals like deer, wolves, foxes, and even rare Przewalski’s horses roam the area. The trees are thriving, the grass was thriving, there may have even been 
flowers blooming, but the city was not a safe place to be. Chernobyl had changed all that forever, and that was likely the end of it. I suppose time will eventually tell, but only if proper testing is done to make sure that the area is safe would the area be considered safe for most people. I still don’t know if I would venture into the city. he whole atmosphere seems very dangerous to me.
My aunt, Deloris “Dee” Johnson, was a fearless woman. I don’t mean that she was always getting in dangerous situations, but then again, she had stood up against all 5 feet (in her tall days) of her mom, Hattie Byer. That may not sound like much, but my grandmother was not a woman to be messed with. Once when grandma and her family of a husband, George Byer and their nine children were washing the dishes after dinner…something that was a big undertaking with that many kids, the children were all arguing. Siblings have a tendency to do that, and these kids were no exception. The noise level in the kitchen grew louder and louder, until Grandma could stand it no longer. Grandma yelled over the roar, “Alright, that is enough!! I don’t want to hear another peep out of you kids!!” When Grandma put an end to an argument, her kids knew that was the end of it, but my Aunt Dee, just couldn’t resist taking just one more chance. So, as all the children stood there working quietly, Aunt Dee assessed the situation and made a decision. Over the silence in the room, came a quiet little voice saying, “Peep.” The other children stood there with their mouths collectively touching the floor, thinking…”She is a dead girl!!” You just didn’t cross their mom…not is you wanted to live!! The kids waited to see just how bad the punishment would be, but Grandma, try as she might, couldn’t help herself. She burst out laughing!! Of course, everyone else started laughing too, and the argument was over. It was such a simple little tension breaker, and it had been executed perfectly. I sure wish I could have been there to witness that one.
While Aunt Dee could be feisty, she was also very loyal to those she loved. In fact, that is likely one reason she might lash out at someone. She did not like things that were unfair, whether it was friend, foe, or family. She wasn’t a bully, but she was a person who wouldn’t take any “guff” from anyone. In fact, that was really advise that my grandpa, George Byer gave to all his kids. He was Aunt Dee’s dad, and he always gave sound advice. So, Aunt Dee acted when she saw unfairness, even to the point of telling someone to get out and stay out. And they knew to listen, because while she was normally gentle, Aunt Dee meant business when it came down to seeing justice being served in a situation.
While Aunt Dee was willing to take chances and refused to take any guff, the reality is that she was an all-around sweetheart. There really wasn’t a mean bone in her body. She had a sweet, gentle smile that warmed your heart. I always loved when she would come to our house for a visit. It was always a blessing to see her. Maybe that was because my mom, Collene Spencer didn’t get on her bad side, or that the two of them were 
really a lot alike. I rather think that was it. Aunt Dee and my mom were more than sisters…they were really good friends. They enjoyed each other’s company, and they always made each other laugh. The had very a very similar sense of humor…the goofier the better. I saw a lot of each of them in the other. My aunt was a person of many talents, moods (mostly very good ones), and ways, and we loved all of them. Today would have been Aunt Dee’s 94th birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Aunt Dee. We love and miss you very much.
Few things can be considered as horrific as the tragedy that happened on April 21, 1930, at an Ohio prison in Columbus, Ohio. The Ohio State Penitentiary was built in 1834, had a poor reputation from the start. In 1849, a cholera epidemic swept through the facility in 1849, killing 121 convicts. A prison superintendent wrote in 1893, that “ten thousand pages of history of the Ohio Penitentiary would [not] give one idea of the inward wretchedness of its 1,900 inmates. The unwritten history is known only by God himself.” The gravity of the situation is glaringly visible to all, however.
The prison was built to hold 1,500 people, but it was almost always overcrowded. It was also notorious for its poor conditions, but it didn’t matter, because they were prisoners, and probably considered “unimportant” to say the least. On the night of April 21, 1930, a fire broke out on a scaffolding that had been set up by construction crews were working on an expansion along one side of the building. At that time, there were 4,300 prisoners living in the jail…a shocking 2800 more that the prison had been designed or approved to house. 
There were 800 prisoners in the cell block adjacent to the scaffolding, most of whom were already locked in for the night. The inmates begged to be let out of their cells as smoke filled the cell block. The guards not only refused to unlock the cells, but they continued to lock up other prisoners, according to most reports following the incident. The fire spread quickly to the roof, endangering the inmates on the prison’s upper level as well.
In desperation, two prisoners finally took the keys forcibly from a guard and began their own rescue efforts. It was too little, too late, but approximately 50 inmates made it out of their cells before the heavy smoke stopped the spontaneous evacuation. The roof then caved in on the upper cells, and about 160 prisoners burned to death. Not all of the guards were as heartless as some, and some guards did work to save the lives of their charges, but the seemingly willful indifference displayed by other guards led to a general riot. The riot became so chaotic that when the firefighters tried to get in to fight the fire, they were denied access because the angry prisoners were pelting them with rocks. By the time the fire was finally under control, 320 people were dead, 
some of whom burned to death when they are not unlocked from their cells, and another 130 were seriously injured. It is one of the worst prison disasters in American history.
The tragedy was condemned in the press as preventable, and rightly so. Some of the laws concerning minimum sentences were repealed. It was these laws that had, in part, caused the overcrowding of the prison. The Ohio Parole Board was established in 1931 and within the next year more than 2,300 prisoners from the Ohio Penitentiary had been released on parole. Of course, no one wants dangerous prisoners on the street, but no crime could make the criminal deserve such a harsh death.
