aunt
My aunt, Jeanette Byer is an amazing woman. She refuses to let anything shut her down. She pretty much goes non-stop. You might think that’s not such a big deal, but my Aunt Jeanette is 88 years old…she just acts like she 60, or maybe she has convinced herself that she is. To make matters worse, Aunt Jeanette’s eyesight is failing, with Macular Degeneration. Many people would just sit down and quit in that situation, but Aunt Jeanette just keeps plugging along. Whatever it is, it works for her. Every day, she heads out to goes for a walk around her apartment complex…twice. If the weather is too cold, windy, or stormy, she just walks the halls of the building. I am so proud of how hard she works to stay independent. That isn’t an easy thing as we get older. Staying active and independent is a lot of work. You can’t take many days off, or you will never get back. Aunt Jeanette doesn’t take days off. She goes and goes. The words “give up” are just not in her vocabulary.
Aunt Jeanette is always a happy and smiling person. She is always trying to make sure that everyone has what they need to make them comfortable and happy too. Aunt Jeanette is a social person and enjoys social exchanges with other people in her building. She has been known to sit in a chair near the apartment complex entrance, and simply start up a conversation with the people in the building. Some people say, “Hello” and simply move on, but some will sit and visit with her. She like making new friends, and that is a perfect way to “get the ball rolling” on a new friendship. Sometimes it might take a few tries, but once people get past the initial surprise of having a random person start talking to them, they begin to feel comfortable with it and a new friendship is made. I’m sure lots of people might find this strange…at least until they realize that they now have a new friend. Too many people are so isolated in their own little world, that these social situations slip past them unnoticed, and later they wish they had not been such an isolationist.
Aunt Jeanette loves to go to the casinos. The flashing lights, clanging bells, and, the possibility of 
that “big win” are a fun break from the everyday. Because she is a social person, the casino satisfies her need to be with people too. She isn’t a gambling addict. She just enjoys the occasional game of chance. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s a nice outing for her and her daughter, Tina Grosvenor. They head out and make a day of it. I’m glad Tina takes her mom to have a little fun. Today is Aunt Jeanette’s 88th birthday. Happy birthday Aunt Jeanette!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My aunt, Virginia Beadle was the second daughter of my grandparents, Hattie and George Byer. Like her older sister, Evelyn Hushman, Aunt Virginia helped with their younger siblings. When you come from a family of nine children, there are always babies to care for. I don’t suppose the girls always loved taking care of their siblings. Younger siblings can be a trial to the older kids…especially as the older kids head into their teen years. Nevertheless, they did what was needed. Still, when Aunt Virginia found out that since her sister was the main babysitter, and she didn’t have to do housework after a late night of babysitting, Aunt Virginia, who hated housework, asked if the same rule would apply to her if she was working. When Grandma said it would, the deal was sealed. Aunt Virginia went out and got herself a job. She always had one after that, and true to her word, Grandma didn’t make her do housework. I don’t know how long that deal lasted, but for a teenager, who hated housework, it was a good deal.
One of the coolest events of Aunt Virginia’s life was the day happened when she was about 8 or 10 years old. 
She was playing outside with her siblings. Aunt Virginia decided to go exploring at the side of the house, between their house and Great Grandma Byer’s house. She looked at the little flower garden there and saw something shiny. When she picked it up, she saw that his was a man’s wedding ring. Great Grandpa was long dead, and her dad, Grandpa George Byer, had decided to forego a wedding ring so that he could give his bride, her mom and my grandma, Hattie Byer a wedding ring. Obviously, this was an exciting, and quite likely valuable, find.
Aunt Virginia took the ring to show her dad. Grandpa looked at it and told her it was a beautiful ring. He put it on his hand and looked at it. Then he took it off and gave it back to Aunt Virginia. She said, “Daddy, you should keep it.” He said he couldn’t, but she insisted, and that is how my grandfather got his wedding band from his daughter. Aunt Virginia was so pleased to be able to give her dad the wedding ring he had never had and would 
not be able to buy for himself, as there were too many other things that his paycheck was needed for. And Grandpa was so pleased that she wanted him to have such a beautiful ring. He wore the ring proudly for the rest of his life. And everyone in his family was very pleased that he had been blessed with the ring. Aunt Virginia was always a kind and loving person, and I can see how that ring made her day, as much as it did Grandpa’s. Today would have been Aunt Virginia’s 94th birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Aunt Virginia. We love and miss you very much!!
My sister, Alena Stevens has had a wonderful year. In October, her daughter, Lacey married Chris Killinger, and with that union came two new bonus grandchildren, Brooklyn and Jaxon Killinger. They joined the two granddaughters, Elliott and Maya Stevens, that Alena and her husband, Mike already had. Brooklyn and Jaxon have been such a great blessing to the whole family. Elliott and Maya absolutely love their new cousins, and the feeling is mutual for sure.
The past six months, have found our aunt, Sandy Pattan needing several surgeries, and facing several crisis situations. She is doing so much better now, and that is partly due to the caregiver’s heart that Alena has. I was taking care of Aunt Sandy, when Alena came to me and said that she wanted to take several days. It was such a blessing. Caregiving is a big job. It takes a village, and having my sister there to share that workload 
has been awesome. Neither of us would consider taking care of Aunt Sandy to be a burden, because it isn’t. Aunt Sandy is a big blessing to our family, and it is very important that she be ok. Alena has been instrumental in making that happen, and now that Aunt Sandy is doing so well, she and Alena have a friendship that is very precious to both of them. They love to do jigsaw puzzles, and so they have been spending hours working on them, and Aunt Sandy has been loving it. The friendship that Alena and I had has grown much deeper too. She is a huge blessing to me as well. Of course, there are others who have helped, and their importance cannot be overstated. We have grown close to Jim and Deb Pattan, as well as Steve and Wanda Beadle, all of whom were very helpful. It truly takes a village to care for someone who has gone through all that Aunt Sandy did. Alena has always had a heart for those in need. her job as a Refocus Room teacher helped so many students who were having difficulties. Now, she is helping in a new way, and that has really presented itself in these hard days. I will be forever grateful to Alena for her help. She has been absolutely amazing.
Since her retirement, Alena has had the opportunity to spend more time in Sheridan, where her son, Garrett, his wife, Kayla, and their girls, Elliott and Maya live. Kayla has to go out of town for work periodically, and Garrett has to work. So, Alena and Mike have been going up to watch the girls for them. I can’t think of anything that Alena loves more. Spending time with her grandchildren is the top thing on her list of favorite activities. It is a win-win for everyone. Today is Alena’s birthday. Happy birthday Alena!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
Our aunt, Charlys Schulenberg has been through a lot in the past year. She began having some Neuropathy in her legs and feet. Uncle Butch took her to several neurologists trying to find out if there’s a cure for her. The doctors all say they know of none when it gets that bad. One doctor believes that it all started a couple years ago when her red and white blood cells dropped to a seriously low level. She was very weak. They put her in the hospital and found out that she had no cooper in her blood. So, they gave her copper via IVs. This brought her blood back up, but not high enough. They believe the low copper caused her Neuropathy. They also think that there was too much Zinc in the vitamins she was taking. Apparently, too much Zinc can deplete the copper in your system. So, they got rid of all vitamins that had Zinc in them. Meanwhile, she was home waiting to go back to Billings for another week of IV copper infusions. While she was home however, she, being a very determined lady, refused to take this lying down. She was getting around with a walker, but she was really shaky.
Because of all that, she wasn’t supposed to be cooking. Uncle Butch was doing the cooking. They were going to have spaghetti, but they needed French bread and other groceries, so he went down to store. When he came back 45 minutes later, Aunt Charlys was laying on the floor. She had decided to start the spaghetti, and as she was boiling the spaghetti, her feet went out from under her. She hit the pan of boiling water as she fell, and the pan fell on her, spilling the boiling water and hot spaghetti in her lap causing 3rd, 4th, and 5th degree burns from her knees to her chest. Uncle Butch called an ambulance, and they got her to the hospital, and then, she was flown to the University of Colorado Burn Center. While her burns must have kept her in excruciating pain, Aunt Charlys never lost her sense of humor. She joked with the nurses, even though she was the one in so much pain. She has proven herself to be one tough lady.
After a month in the burn center, she was transferred to the hospital in Forsyth, Montana where they live. She spent another month in the Forsyth Hospital. While she was there, she continued joking and just being herself…always positive and happy. I’m sure that like me, the nurses, doctors, and other staff couldn’t believe that this lady, who was in obvious pain was so cheerful and positive. She has never lost her positive attitude. Her burns soon healed and all that’s left is the scars. Uncle Butch is very proud of her, and so is the rest of her family. Charlys is such a sweet, loving person, and I am so thankful that she is still with us.
Because the Neuropathy in her legs is so bad, she came home in a wheelchair. She couldn’t walk. Uncle Butch got the house set up so she can do things herself. They pulled the carpet up and installed posts by the bed and in bathroom and grab bars in the shower area. When she first came home, Uncle Butch had to help her with bath and bathroom needs, but in true Charlys style, she was determined to do things herself. She worked very hard to make a way for herself. Now, with help of a special chair and the bars on wall, she does many things by herself. All Uncle Butch has to do is stand by to make sure she’s alright. She can pull Herself up out of wheelchair and get things out of the low cabinets. She has one of those two wheeled walkers with solid back legs, and she gets a little further walking with it each day. Uncle Butch says that at times her feet and legs just jump all over the place.
They were scheduled to start copper treatment a couple days before the accident, but they had to cancel that. Meanwhile, their daughter, Andi Kay got a hold of the doctors at the burn center and told them about her copper deficiency. They didn’t want that to continue, so they placed a tube in her nose, that went to her stomach, and fed her copper and drugs straight into the stomach., finally bringing her copper and her red and white cells to normal, Praise God!! With the excellent treatment she was given, she was very soon back to being her old spunky self. Unfortunately, they don’t believe that the damage is done in her feet and legs from the Neuropathy, is reversable. So, she’s in a wheelchair or walking a little with her walker. Meanwhile, being the culinary expert that she is, she has the up the task of “teaching” Uncle Butch to cook, with her supervision, of course. She makes sure to tell him what to do next, even if he probably already knows, but that leaves her basically running the show, and that what is most important. She has been struggling with Macular Degeneration in her eyes, so Uncle Butch reads her the recipes, as well as a lot of articles from papers, a true mark of his love for her. She also has a magnifying glass, that has a small light, and she uses that a lot too.
Their grandson, Christian is living with them and working as a CNA at the Forsyth Hospital. That has been such an amazing blessing. He has been a great help to them. He loves his grandma “to pieces” and gives her all his attention, and the love is “reversed” to him too. Uncle Butch thinks that she wouldn’t be as happy, if Christian wasn’t there. Uncle Butch thinks through all that has happened these last few years, it has only served to bring 
them closer to one another. They got Aunt Charlys a small electric wheelchair that folds down and is real light. I didn’t know they made folding electric wheelchairs, but it is awesome!! It slides into a trunk or a pickup. She can go shopping with it now. They went to Walmart in Miles City last week, and she had a blast!! Uncle Butch says that you have to watch her, or she’ll run over your feet…kind of like a fifteen-year-old with a driver’s permit, hahaha!! The good news is that now that she has it, she can get out more. Charlys is full of life yet, even with all the problems. Uncle Butch says, “She’s a fighter and she dang sure doesn’t give up.” It’s a miracle that could only be God and the excellent people He placed at the hospitals and at home to care for her. Today is Aunt Charlys’ 82nd birthday. Happy birthday Aunt Charlys!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
Written by guest writer: Corrie Petersen
What a difference a year can make. Today is my mom, Caryn Schulenberg’s birthday and I’m the lucky one to write her post this year. Every day and every year things change. We never know what to expect next, but that’s ok because surprises are always fun.
This last year has been full of changes in our family. The true blessing is that my mom has been here to be a part of all the changes. She was able to help welcome two more great grandsons, courtesy of my two sons, Chris and Josh Petersen and their wives, Karen and Athena. She was able to take several vacations with my dad, Bob 
Schulenberg and most recently she was able to help my great aunt, Sandy Pattan in her time of need.
While I’m sure she didn’t plan to be a caregiver again, she wouldn’t have it any other way. Caregiving is in her heart, and she is very good at it, I might add. She was a caregiver for a very long time with her parents, Allen and Collene Spencer; my dad’s parents, Walt and Joann Schulenberg; and sister, Brenda Schulenberg. I have to wonder if choosing to help my Great Aunt Sandy was a blessing in disguise for both of them…a time of victory, healing, and reconnection.
Mom has been retired for five years now, and she is still so busy. She finds time to walk nine miles every day, write her daily blog posts, read her Bible and go to church, and spend time with her family. She and my dad go to the Black Hills over the Independance Day week to go hiking, and they take a trip to Thermopolis each year around the time of their anniversary. They also try to get to Washington every other year to visit my sister, Amy Royce, her husband Travis, and her kids, Shai and Caalab. Oh…and she bowls once a week with my dad. Boy, that makes me tired just thinking about it, but that’s her life and she wouldn’t want it to be any different.
Today is my mom’s birthday and I hope she has the best day ever. I love you to the moon and back, mom.
It’s not every day that someone turns 100 years old, but today, that can be said of my aunt, Doris Spencer. She is the last of my aunts and uncles on my dad’s side, and I’m sure it never occurred to her that she might achieve that grand age. Everyone marks the day they hit double digits, but very few people hit triple digits. Just imagine…living for a whole century. What changes she must have seen in all those years. In 1924, the life expectancy was 54.1 years. Of course, that was the average age that people were dying, not how long those born that year were expected to live. Still, Aunt Doris has far exceeded that number and is even beyond the current life expectancy, which is 73.33 years. The average income in 1924 was $2,196 a year, which made the cost of a new car ($265) and a house ($7,720) seem like a whole lot of money. A stamp cost 2 cents. Oh that we could have those pices with today’s income, but let’s face it, that isn’t even reasonable. 
At the time that Aunt Doris was born, Calvin Coolidge was President of the United States, and we had no vice-president from 1923 to 1925, that might seem odd, and in fact, it is unusual, but not unheard of. In fact, there were eighteen presidents who served all or part of their term with no vice-president, and four that served the whole term without a vice-president. Coolidge becme president when Warren Harding died suddenly in 1923. So he had no vice-president. He was re-elected in his own right in 1924, and could have run again in 1928, but chose not to. Of course, none of that made any difference to Aunt Doris, who was just a newborn then, but I’m sure she would find it interesting to note.
Aunt Doris and my Uncle Bill Spencer had three children, Pamela “Pam” (Spencer) Wendling in late 1954, William “Bill” Spencer Jr in 1959, and James “Jim” Spencer in 1962. She has also been blessed with five grandchildren, four great grandchildren and one bonus great granddaughter. She has had a happy life, and she 
has always been a blessing to many people. She and my mom, Collene Spencer were best friends, and loved living across the yard from each other when my family lived in Superior, Wisconsin. When we moved to Casper, Wyoming, the friends really missed each other. I was so glad that my sister, Cheryl Masterson and I took Mom to Wisconsin to visit before she passed away in 2015. I know it meant so much to both of them. I am so glad we gave them that gift, and I’m so glad that my Aunt Doris has made it to triple digits. Today is Aunt Doris’ 100th birthday. Happy birthday Aunt Doris!! Have a wonderful day!! We love you!!
While visiting my Aunt Sandy Pattan during her stay at Elkhorn Valley Rehabilitation Hospital where she is recuperating from a recent surgery, we were talking about our favorite subject…the Byer-Pattan Family History. The subject turned to the many things her parents, my grandparents, George and Hattie Byer had seen come into being during their lifetimes. Grandpa was born on June 15, 1893, and Grandma was born on February 26, 1909. A sixteen-year age difference wasn’t that uncommon in those days, and many people to this day have a large age difference between husband and wife. Of course, the world when Grandma was born was already quite different than the world when Grandpa was born. The automobile was first invented…officially in 1889, but people really didn’t start owning them until about 1929, so by the time my grandparents were married in 1927, a few people might have owned their own car, but many still didn’t. For those, it was still the horse and buggy days.
Planes were another thing that the most likely saw come into existence. While they existed at the time my grandmother was born, they did not during my grandfather’s early years. Nevertheless, like automobiles, planes were not something that was commonly in use for the average citizen. They were too expensive and so were only for the very rich or for military use. Most people who needed to travel long distances used the trains in those days, and some very likely still used the horse and buggy travel mode. Of course, truth be told, there 
are still those who use a horse and buggy today. The Amish and even a few others, but the others are mostly for show, like parades, races, and such. Personally, my husband, Bob and I dearly love the trains. We ride one pretty much every year. I think trains are in my blood. My dad grew up riding them, because his dad worked as a carpenter for the Great Northers Railroad. Because of that, his kids got a free pass to ride…within reason, of course.
Televisions might have been “invented” in the late 1800s, but they were not common in homes until much later. In fact, in 1947 there were only a few thousand televisions in homes in the United States. I suppose that getting programming together could have had something to do with it, but many people thought it was an unnecessary evil, and maybe they had a point. Prior to that time, families would gather around the radio to hear the latest news…especially when it came to the important news of the wars.
Telephones were just as rare. Invented in 1869 by Alexander Graham Bell, although, it was truly a race between him and other competitors. Nevertheless, he was granted the patent. By 1920, about 35% of homes had phones. These days we couldn’t imagine running our lives without a phone, and who needs a home, we carry them in our purses, pockets, backpacks, and even on our wrist. If you don’t have access to your phone, it 
is entirely your fault…either you forgot it or you let the battery die. Either way…your fault. Aunt Sandy and I agreed that there have also been a lot of changes in our eras, but maybe not quite as drastic as the ones our parents and grandparents saw. I’m quite sure there will be many more changes as time goes on. Space travel, for the common man being one. Wow!! Now, that’s something to think about!!
My husband’s aunt, Margee Kountz practically grew up with his older siblings and him. She was born in 1949; and Bob’s sister Marlyce in 1950, Debbie in 1953, and my husband, Bob in 1954. They were followed by Jennifer in 1961, Brenda in 1963, and Ron in 1968. So, by the time she was 10, Margee was an aunt three times, and she had built in playmates. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they were always best friends, because let’s face it, kids fight…even if one of them is the aunt. She was only a year old when she became an aunt. She was only four the second time, and five the third time. That makes them more like siblings than aunt, nieces, and nephew. 
Margee has always had a sweet spirit. She is kind and helpful, and she is a giver. She gives of herself to anyone in need. Margee was a single mom for most of her children, Dan and Sandy’s lives. She worked hard to be a good mom, and when the grandchildren came along, she was a big part of their lives too. Especially after Dan’s wife, Darlene passed away when their kids were very young. I don’t know where the grandkids would have been without her. They grew up very close to their grandma. Now the great grandchildren are arriving, and I hope she will get to be as close to them as she was with her grandchildren.
Margee helped out when her oldest sister, Joann Schulenberg, my mother-in-law, had Alzheimer’s Disease, and I don’t know what I would have done without her. She was retired then, and everyone else worked. When I had to take my father-in-law to doctor’s appointments, Margee would sit with my mother-in-law, and it was a huge 
help. To try to take both of them to the doctor’s office would have been impossible. I owe her a great debt of gratitude. Her willingness to help meant more to me than words can ever express. Margee’s has been a life of service to others. She has gone above and beyond the call of duty move times than I can count, and it has not gone unnoticed. Margee is such an angel, and I am so thankful for her. Today is Margee’s 75th birthday. Happy birthday Margee!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My uncle, George Hushman was a handsome man, and I’m sure that was what first attracted my aunt, Evelyn (Byer) Hushman to her future husband. I’m also sure that Uncle George was just as taken with Aunt Evelyn’s beauty. They never had eyes for another after that. Uncle George had been raised at the Orphaned Children’s Home in Casper, Wyoming, and really what he craved most, was a family he could call his own. He had some good friends, including my son-in-law, Kevin Petersen great uncle, who sadly was lost at sea during World War II. Still, Uncle George maintained his relationship with the family for many years to come, even calling Kevin’s great grandma, Hettie Saint John, his grandmother, as did his children. Nevertheless, the Byer family would become his own family, when he married my Aunt Evelyn on September 1, 1947, after his own service in the Navy and World War II ended.
Since my parents, Allen and Collene Spencer (Aunt Evelyn’s sister) were always close, the two families spent a lot of time together. I got to know Uncle George very well. He was a soft-spoken man who always made us feel welcome in their home. The living room of their home, which they and the rest of the Byer family built, had an unusually large front window area. It was more than a bay window. There was room for a bunch (maybe even 10) little kids to play behind those curtains, and the window gave us all the light we needed to see and have a playhouse atmosphere. Our playing and laughter never seemed to bother the parents, or if it did, they didn’t show it. Maybe it was the fact that we weren’t bothering them that made the difference.
The two couples did many things together, including bowling, and it was probably their bowling that got my sisters and me interested in bowling. I have been bowling now for 45 years…probably longer than anyone in my family, and maybe both families, and it all started with my parents, Uncle George, and Aunt Evelyn. I’m sure 
that for the two couples, bowling was a nice night out, and it wasn’t too costly either. Of course, eventually, most couples decide they have had enough of bowling, and it’s time to let the younger generation have a go at it. So, as the saying goes, they just “picked up their toys and went home.” That seems to happen at a certain age…some people take longer than others. I am proud of all the years they bowled, and thankful for the fun they passed on to us. Today would have been my Uncle George’s 97th birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Uncle George. We love and miss you very much.
Seven long years have come and gone since Aunt Linda Cole went home to be with the Lord. It seems impossible that Linda has been gone that long, and yet time seems to have flown by too. For many years my husband, Bob Schulenberg and I took our girls, Corrie Petersen and Amy Royce to go visit his Aunt Linda and his uncle, Bobby Cole, and their children, Sheila and Pat. It was an annual fun trip, and our family had a great time. Linda and Bobby lived in Kennebec, South Dakota in those days, and if you don’t know the area, well, Kennebec was that town they meant when they said, “If you’re driving along and you blink, you will miss it.” The population in those days was about 334 in 1980. It was about 281 in 2020. That means that there was little to do there, except visit with family and play cards, which we did a lot of. That also meant that the kids could all run about pretty freely, because there wasn’t much way to get into trouble either…other than fighting with their cousins that is.
Linda and Bobby were fun-loving people, who laughed and joked often. We always felt welcome in their home. I’m sure that is why our visits were pretty much an annual event. We wanted our girls to know their family, and since the family wasn’t all located in one state, we took the opportunity to travel to other places for visits…something I have been thankful to have done, now that so many of the family members have left us now. You just never know how long people are going to be around, so taking the time out of our busy lives to make a few connection is so vital…especially when those we are going to connect with live in the same town.
Linda and Bobby particularly loved square dancing. What seems to most of us, like a long-lost dance style, came alive to them. Maybe it was one of the only things to do in rural South Dakota, or maybe, when the opportunity presented itself, Linda and Bobby got excited about the prospect of doing something weekly that had only previously been taught to them in the classrooms of their grade schools. That is where I learned what little I recall about square dancing anyway. I was never really interested in square dancing, so it’s quite likely 
that I didn’t really pay attention to the instruction I was given. I was a child of the rock and roll era, and so square dancing seemed very much like “old fuddy duddy” stuff to me and my generation. Linda and Bobby were of the generation prior, and maybe square dancing was still somewhat in style them…or maybe it was just what was available to them for the whole “evening out with friends” routine. Whatever the case may be, they loved it and they were quite good at it. Today would have been Linda’s 77th birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Linda. We love and miss you very much.
