Loss
My mom, Collene Spencer, had a lot in common with her older sister, Evelyn Hushman. While she was close to all her sisters, she and Aunt Evelyn had a special bond, possibly because their husbands got along so well. Even before my mom married, my parents, Al and Collene Spencer, would double date with Aunt Evelyn and Uncle George. After both couples were married and had children, we spent a lot of time together. I remember playing with the Hushman kids, who, being a bit older than me, often set the tone for our games. It didn’t matter, though…it was always fun.
Later, my parents joined the same bowling team with Aunt Evelyn and Uncle George on Monday nights. They bowled together for years until they decided to stop, except for Aunt Evelyn, who continued bowling for many more years. I even got to substitute on her team when she bowled with her daughters, which I enjoyed because it kept our families connected in an enjoyable way.
Over time, as life got busier, I saw Aunt Evelyn less and less, which made me sad. Time seems to slip away so 
quickly, and before you know it, loved ones age and life changes. Eventually, I only saw her at family events like Christmas parties and picnics, and then not even those. When Aunt Evelyn passed away on May 4, 2015, just over two months after my mom, I felt a deep sadness and loneliness. Losing them both so close together was hard, but I like to think the sisters, who had so much in common, are together again, enjoying their new chapter. Today would have been Aunt Evelyn’s 97th birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Aunt Evelyn. We love and miss you dearly.
Our uncle, Eddie Hein, spent most of his life in Forsyth, Montana, except for the years he worked in Casper, Wyoming, at Rocky Mountain Pack while attending night classes at Casper College to earn his mechanics degree, and the time he served in the US Army during the Vietnam War. He was honorably discharged in 1966, which was when he met his future wife, Pearl Krueger. They married on July 15, 1967…a day they always cherished as the happiest of their lives. Their marriage was blessed with two children, Larry Hein and Kim Arani, and three grandchildren. One of those grandchildren, Destiny Hein, was born on Eddie’s birthday, creating a unique and special bond between them. They were best friends for the rest of his life. It’s so hard for me to believe that Eddie has been in Heaven for just over six years now.
On my first trip to Forsyth, Montana, with my husband and Bob Schulenberg’s family, I was introduced to his 
relatives there, including Uncle Eddie, Bob’s uncle and his dad’s half-brother. That initial visit turned into an annual tradition for many years. We loved those trips, always feeling warmly welcomed. Eddie was a quiet, soft-spoken man with a big heart, who made everyone feel accepted. His big smile and contagious laugh were unforgettable, and he truly loved to laugh. I will always miss his smile and his kind, generous nature. There was never the formality of calling Eddie and Pearl “uncle” and “aunt” since they were close in age to many nieces and nephews. Although we hadn’t seen them as often as the years went by and the grandparents went to Heaven, it was always nice to know Eddie was there. Then, suddenly, six years ago, he was gone. It was and still is such a shock to me. He had always seemed so vibrant and full of life.
On October 16, 2019, Uncle Eddie suffered a heart attack while working in his yard. Despite the efforts of friends, neighbors, his wife Pearl, and their grandson Dalton, it was too late. Eddie passed away, but his memory will live on with his many friends and family. Eddie was a kind man with a heart of gold, always willing 
to help those in need. He loved vintage cars and had his own 55 Chevy that he thoroughly enjoyed. It wasn’t just the cars either, because he loved old tractors too. The people of Forsyth, Montana, knew Eddie well. He was a friend to everyone, always offering a wave as he drove by. Eddie was known as someone you could always count on, no matter the situation. Whether it was a smile, a hug, a wave, or a helping hand, Eddie was there. Someone once said Eddie was one of God’s great ones, and I couldn’t agree more. Today would have been Eddie’s 82nd birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven. We love and miss you very much.
My uncle, Jim Richards was a gentle man with a quiet, sweet spirit. He was always soft-spoken, and those who knew him were likely to say that he was a big teddy bear. Nevertheless, he was also a strong man with a fierce sense of responsibility for his family. While he was soft-spoken in life, I know he would have fought to the death, anyone who would have been stupid enough to threaten any part of his family. He was a family man to the end. Uncle Jim lost his dad when he was very young, just nine years old, as a matter of fact, but that didn’t stop him from fulfilling his self-imposed duties to his family, and he never stopped fulfilling those duties.
Uncle Jim was also a friend to all. I don’t think he ever met someone who didn’t become his friend before long. His friends at school all remembered him fondly and always had kind words to say about the man who helped them out on more than one occasion, even making sure they got home safely from a party in which they over indulged. Uncle Jim cared about people, and he was always willing to give 110% to help them out. To say that he would give the shirt off his back, was not an exaggeration, because he most definitely would do just that.
Uncle Jim was a sports fan. He played sports in high school and never lost his love of the game. Whenever my aunt, Sandy Pattan and I went out to their house for visits, you could be sure that you would find Uncle Jim watching a football game. He was a die-hard Broncos fan, and boy, you had better not damage his Broncos shirt. One time, when he had to be rushed to the hospital, the emergency personnel cut his Broncos shirt off of him to give him medical attention. The fact that they saved his life did little to win them points when he found out that they had sliced his prized shirt off of him. He said that there was nothing wrong with that shirt, and it 
didn’t matter that his family would gladly buy him another one. He wanted his shirt back. I suppose he eventually forgave the EMTs, but I’m sure the family knew to “try to make sure” that didn’t happen ever again. While the situation was very serious, it also had a bit of a funny undertone…once he was ok, that is. Today would have been Uncle Jim’s 88th birthday and it’s his first in Heaven. Happy birthday in Heaven, Uncle Jim. We love and miss you very much.
The morning of September 20, 2002, dawned as any other day in the North Ossetia area of Russia, but by the end of the day, things would definitely not be the same, and more than a hundred people would lose their lives. In June 2002, North Ossetia faced severe flooding, which, combined with an unusually early and hot summer, foreshadowed a major disaster in September. The town of Vladikavkaz lies below large glaciers, and the higher-than-average temperatures that year caused increased water runoff, proving that the glaciers were starting to melt and weaken, but the little town had no idea what further disaster was headed their way.
On the fateful afternoon of September 20, a massive 490-foot-thick chunk of the Kolka Glacier and tumbled 
down the mountain. The avalanche gained speed as it went, reaching nearly 100 miles per hour down the Karmadon Gorge and Koban Valley, and traveled an incredible 20 miles, leaving destruction in its wake. The village of Karmadon was completely buried under tons of ice and rocks. Rescue operations began right away and continued for weeks. Twenty-seven people were rescued alive, but recovering the remains of those who died, proved far more challenging. Even weeks later, fewer than half of the 150 missing people had been found. The main deposit settled 11 miles from the face of Dzhimarai-Khokh. The outflow of mud and debris measured 660 foot wide and 33 to 328 feet thick. Two villages along the gorge were under surveillance as flood waters backed up along the choked rivers. The avalanche finally came to rest in the village of Nizhniy Karmadon, burying most of the village in ice, snow, and debris. It was a devastating event.
On September 25, a first round of explosives intended to break up the avalanche flow was unsuccessful in reducing flood waters lapping through the village of Gornaya Saniba. The avalanche had two distinct flows. In total, the avalanche caused $20 million in damages. Had it traveled just a few miles further and hit Vladikavkaz, the death and damage toll would have been far worse. In the end, the avalanche and mudflow killed more than 120 people, including a film crew of 27 people, among them Russian actor and director Sergei Bodrov Jr.
Our aunt, Pearl Hein has lived her life in the small town of Forsyth, Montana. She was born there, and when she married my husband’s uncle, Eddie Hein, she joined the family. She has always been a sweetheart and a hard worker. She is an asset to the family. Eddie and Pearl were very happy together, until his passing on October 16, 2019. It was a sad day for all of us. Pearl lost her son, Larry just a little over three months later, on January 30, 2020. Those were heartbreaking months for Pearl and her daughter, Kim Arani, but they are moving forward and facing this new reality with grace. Pearl has made a number of trips to visit Kim and her husband, Michael in Texas, and has really enjoyed the warmth and sunshine, as well as the time with family. It wouldn’t surprise me if Pearl decided to move to Texas someday.
Pearl has been a beloved member of the town of Forsyth for many years. She was a fixture at the IGA for a 
long time, and they surely would have gone under in those years without Pearl’s organizational skills. She could barely take a day off, because they were always calling her on the phone to solve a problem of some sort. Whenever we got to town for a visit, we knew that we could go to the IGA, and not only would Pearl be there, but everyone knew her and cold direct us to her location in the store. It was so strange when she finally retired for there. I’m sure there were many panicked people working at that store in the days 
following Pearl’s retirement. It was like a whole new world there, and I don’t think they have ever really been the same since. Still, Pearl was done, and it was her time to slow down and enjoy life, and I hope she is doing just that. Eddie and Larry would want her to for sure.
Pearl loved to make people happy, and she was very good at it. You never visited her house that you didn’t feel her sense of hospitality!! It was in her very blood. She just always made her guests feel welcome and comfortable, and her home always felt cozy. I enjoyed visiting there from the very first visit. Pearl has always been a kind and loving person, and I feel very blessed to call her my aunt. Today is Pearl’s 76th birthday. Happy birthday Pearl!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
Not everyone has in-laws that they truly love as their own parents, but I was one of those very people who were so blessed. The first time I met my in-laws, I felt right at home. My future father-in-law, Walt Schulenberg was the main reason I felt so at home. I think he had already decided that I was the one to marry his son…and after fifty years of marriage to his son, Bob, I would say he was right. We were a match made in Heaven, then and now. Still, my father-in-law could not have known that all those years ago, it was just that we simply hit it off. My father-in-law was a fun-loving guy, who loved making people laugh, and that was exactly what he did that night. My mother-in-law, Joann Schulenberg was a little more reserved, but she came around, possibly with his help…but I like to think I won them both over.
My father-in-law was a hard-working man…or actually, a work-a-holic. He was always working on some project at the house, including building the house. When he got a chance to move from the place that the family had lived in for many years, to a place further outside of town, my father-in-law decided to build a huge garage that could hold sis to eight cars, attached to a four-bedroom house. He built it out of cinder blocks long before cinder block house became fashionable. My father-in-law was very skilled at most kinda of building and even crafts. The house turned out great. It was built into a hillside, so the back part was mostly underground. The house was really amazing and the family was very comfortable there. He ever put river rock on the front so it looked really pretty. During that building process, I learned to be a contractor’s assistant, of spurts. I drove the tractor to help level the ground where the house would sit. That was an experience I will never forget. Nevertheless, it really was fun too.
My father-in-law had many talents. He was an excellent mechanic and woodworker. He made whirly gigs to decorate the lawn, and wooden toys for little kids. He also refurbished lawn chairs with beautiful designs made with cord. He sold many things at the craft fairs in town. Selling his wares was fun, but the main thing was visiting with the people. He was a people person, and he loved to sit and visit with people. That was his greatest charm. Today would have been my father-in-law’s 96th birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Dad. We love and miss you very much.
This year has been a rough one for my aunt, Dixie Richards, who lost the love of her life, husband, Jim Richards on May 11, 2025. It was a day she had hoped would never come. Aunt Dixie and Uncle Jim were so in love!! It was a match made in Heaven and a live that would last forever, even beyond death. Their hearts are still intertwined and always will be. Nevertheless, Uncle Jim would not want his sweet wife to give up and just sit at home. He would want her to go on, and that is what Aunt Dixie is doing, and her daughters, Jeannie Liegman and Raylynn Williams are helping her, as are her grandchildren, Jacob Liegman, Gabriel, Gideon, Noah, and Mayme Williams, and son-in-law, Doug Williams. “Getting on with it” after such loss is never easy, but Aunt Dixie is blessed to have her dear family there to help her along the way. I also read somewhere that “love doesn’t end when breathing stops” and I know that is true. Aunt Dixie and Uncle Jim will always have their love, and they’ll see each other again. He is in her future now, not her past. 
I’m very proud of Aunt Dixie. It’s hard to pick up the pieces, and work toward an uncertain future and on to good health. Nevertheless, I know that Aunt Dixie is going to be ok. The road is never easy, but with hard work and the help of dear loved ones, she can do this. Aunt Dixie has been going to lunch with her girls; taking walks on the road in front of the house she shares with Jeannie; sitting on the deck out back, beautifully decorated by Jeannie into a peaceful sanctuary; or going to garage sales with her daughters, and loving every minute of life, because that is what her dear husband would want her to do. I can almost picture the smile on Uncle Jim’s face…happy that his family is going to be ok…and they are…going to be ok.
Today is the first birthday that Aunt Dixie will spend without her sweet husband, since the first birthday they spent together…so many years ago. It will not be easy, but it will be blessed. She is here and we are all happy 
that she is. I look forward to future lunches and craft sessions with Aunt Dixie and the girls. We have grown close over these past months, and oh what a blessing that has been. I will miss seeing Uncle Jim, of course, but I am so thankful for Aunt Dixie, and I know that she will be ok, as will all her family. We will go forward to the future, working through it together, because it takes more than just one or two people, or once single family, to “get on” with life after loss, it takes a village, a big family, and friends too. And Aunt Dixie will “get on” with it, as will her family members, because they are stronger than they know. Today is Aunt Dixie’s 82nd birthday. Happy birthday Aunt Dixie!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
As the 41st anniversary of my sister, Alena Stevens’ marriage to the love of her life, Mike Stevens arrives, I am saddened, as is the rest of our family, that Alena isn’t here to celebrate it with her soulmate. Since Alena’s passing on April 23, 2025, Mike has gone through all of the normal feelings of grief…sadness, sorrow, loneliness, and that knowledge that nothing will ever be the same again…nothing will ever be quite right again. The “new normal” is not what it’s cracked up to be, and I don’t think anyone ever thought a “new normal” was exactly a good thing anyway. Mike is doing ok though. He is doing a lot of projects with our brother-in-law, Mike Reed, who is married to my sister Caryl. They recently installed a deck and a new door at Caryl and Mike’s house. Mike is making himself get out there and join in the activities of the family. That is so important, and I am very proud of Mike’s determination. Alena wouldn’t want him to just disconnect from the family.
Alena and Mike had almost 41 years of marriage, and of course their years of dating. They met when they both worked at Shellabarger Chevrolet, and the rest was history. They were taken with each other from the very start. Theirs was a wonderful life. They traveled. They loved car races, and so they went to some of the big 
raceways. Alena’s happy place was always the lake, and they camped at various lakes as much as they could in the summer, even having Stevens Family Competitions, complete with trophies and all. They made many good friends and spent blessed time with family. They were a close family and loved each other very much. Alena had a flair for decorating, and their home was stunning. Mike made sure that everything was kept in good working order. Together, they took care of their house, making it a home for their three kids, Michelle Miller, Garrett Stevens, and Lacey Killinger.
As the children grew up, life began to change. Garrett married Kayla Smiley, and soon they had two daughters, Elliott and Maya. Then, Michelle married Matt Miller. Lacey met and married Chris Killinger, and Chris brought children, Brooklyn and Jaxon into the family, making the grandchildren count four. They were so happy. Of course, there is still room for more grandchildren, possibly in the future…there’s always room for more grandbabies. While their life was a beautiful thing to see, now that Alena is in Heaven, it’s hard for me not to think about the things she is missing. Things like watching her grandchildren grow up and knowing any future grandchildren. These are things that Mike will do alone now, but he will also tell them about their grandmother; as will their kids, Michelle, Garrett, and Lacey; and their spouses, Matt Miller, Kayla Stevens, and Chris Killinger. It also makes me sad that Alena’s family will miss out on a future with her. It’s hard to make sense of it all. Cancer is such a cruel disease. As we work through our feelings, we are learning to 
think less about how sad we are and more about how happy Alena is in Heaven. There is no sadness in Heaven, and that helps us a little bit.
I know that the love Mike and Alena created together was a lasting, forever kind of love. They were a match made in Heaven, and while Mike lives on Earth and Alena lives in Heaven now, they are still soulmates. I read a story by a woman who lost her daughter to cancer, and the last line seemed perfect here too, “Love does not end when breathing stops.”
My uncle, Elmer Johnson, like many boys, had a mischievous side as a kid. One day, Uncle Elmer was plowing with an old tractor at his dad’s place. His dad had gone out to use the outhouse, which was what they used back then. That’s when Uncle Elmer and his brother Les came up with an idea. Uncle Elmer drove the tractor right up to the outhouse, while Les hit it with a 2×4 as Uncle Elmer revved the engine. Their dad came running out of the outhouse with his pants around his ankles and the Montgomery Ward catalog in hand. He wasn’t too happy with them, but he was relieved the outhouse survived the whole ordeal in one piece. I’m sure he thought that boys had come too close to the outhouse and couldn’t get backed off of it in time. While the situation was highly embarrassing, he was relieved to be alive. I would assume the boys got into some form of trouble, but maybe their dad was a kidder too, and so he might have let it go.
I think Uncle Elmer might have been an interesting character to know as a kid. His childhood mischief reminds me a bit of my dad, Allen Spencer and my Uncle Bill Spencer’s antics as kids. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit to learn that all of them pulled some of the same stunts. I think it’s most likely just a guy thing. I don’t know if Uncle Elmer had access to dynamite, like my dad and uncle did, but I’ll bet that if he did, he probably pulled a stunt similar to my dad and uncle’s stunt of dropping the gate post about a foot deeper in the ground with dynamite. After the stunt with the tractor and the outhouse…oh yes, Uncle Elmer would have done the dynamite stunt too. No doubt about it.
Uncle Elmer was mischievous for sure, but he was also a great cook. Holidays at the Johnson house meant some really great dishes. Cooking isn’t always common among men. Many men can grill, and that is often considered their domain, but Uncle Elmer was an exceptional cook anywhere. His favorite meals to prepare were holiday feasts, always made from scratch. The family would gather around the kitchen, drawn by the incredible aromas, eagerly anticipating the meal. When it was finally ready, it was always worth the wait. Uncle 
Elmer loved experimenting with flavors and dishes, and somehow, every meal was a success. He had an instinctive talent for combining ingredients and seasoning to perfection. I can’t help but wish I had been able to enjoy some of those meals. It’s hard to believe that 44 years have gone by, since you left. Today would have been Uncle Elmer’s 92nd birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Uncle Elmer. We love and miss you so much.
