daughters
Once your mom and mother-in-law move to Heaven, Mother’s Day takes on a different kind of feel. This year, in addition to my mom, Collene Spencer and my mother-in-law, Joann Schulenberg being in Heaven, my sister, Alena Stevens, who was also mom to Michelle Miller, Garrett Stevens, and Lacey Killinger, has gone home to Heaven too. Mother’s Day is supposed to be a day to celebrate Moms, but when our moms live in Heaven, it can feel quite empty. Of course, it isn’t really empty, because I am a mom too, as are my sisters and sisters-in-law, daughters, granddaughters-in-law, and my nieces. So to all of those and to those in Heaven, I wish you a Happy Mother’s Day.
Being a mom is such a blessing, and I can’t express my honor enough at being given my two beautiful 
daughters, Corrie Petersen and Amy Royce. They have always been such great blessing to me. Their kindness and love have made me feel so happy over the years. While I can’t always be with them on this and some other special days, I always know that I am in their thoughts and prayers each day. I love that we talk, either on the phone or by text every day. To know that I am on their minds is such a sweet thought. And I hope that they always know that they are in my thoughts and prayers every day too. They have each given me two wonderful grandchildren and so the blessings grow each and every day. My two granddaughters-in-law, Karen Petersen and Athena Petersen have each blessed me with three great grandchildren, and I love each of them dearly. As my family grows, so grows the depth of the blessing I have been given. God has been, and continues to be, so very good to me. Life is good, and it will only get better and better.
Some people consider days like Mother’s Day and others to be nothing more than a commercial holiday, designed to sell greeting cards, but I could never agree with that. Mother’s Day like so many other designated holidays, is a very special day, when our thoughts turn to our moms and all the blessings they have poured out on us. Of course, I wish I could see them on those special days, but it is not to be, so I will just rejoice in the blessing they have and always will be to me. Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms and especially to mine!! I love you so much.
Who would have thought that this day would come? Fifty years ago, my husband, Bob Schulenberg…the love of my life…and I said our “I dos” and stepped out into a lifetime of love and great memories. I am actually so surprised to be here…not at our Golden Anniversary, but rather at this point so quickly. It seems like just yesterday that we got married!! How could the years have gone by so fast. Nevertheless, while they went by quickly, the years have been so blessed. I could not have asked for a better life if I tried. Following our marriage, we quickly became the parents of two precious little girls, Corrie Petersen and Amy Royce. They blessed our lives beyond measure. They were always well behaved, sweet little girls who were each other’s best friends. They got along so well, and almost never fought.
Through the years we had many opportunities to travel the country and show our sweet girls what a great nation this is. We especially loved the Black Hills of South Dakota; a place we still go every year. We also took some trips with just the two of us. These were like second, third, fourth, etc honeymoons, and we felt very blessed. Our parents helped out with those trips, of course, by watching our girls while we were gone. Those were usually just weekend trips, but they were a lot of fun.
All too soon, our girls were graduating and then getting married. We became empty nesters, but it wasn’t too long before our house was filled with babies. We were young grandparents…I was 39 and Bob was 40, and we were so excited. Plus, being young gave us more energy to be active grandparents. The girls brought the kids 
over every morning before school, and they would be with me until it was time for school. Those were always precious times for me. We had one granddaughter and three grandsons…Christopher Petersen, Shai Royce, Caalab Royce, and Joshua Petersen. We were so very blessed. Those were wonderful years, filled with giggling, laughter, love, and fun.
As with our girls, our grandchildren soon grew up and two of them are now married with children. Once again, our world is filled with babies laughing and playing. We don’t babysit as often, but sometimes we do. We have one great granddaughter, and five great grandsons…Cambree, Caysen, Justin, Axel, Cyler, and Cristen Petersen, and we feel so very blessed. We see the kids as often as we can, but when we can’t their parents are so sweet to send us lots of pictures and videos. Technology is a great blessing too.
Bob and I still enjoy traveling, going to the Black Hills and Thermopolis, Wyoming every year. Our travel is rather simple. We love hiking and the sightseeing of these scenic areas. We like to go to visit our daughter Amy Royce and her family in Ferndale, Washington too. That area has so much beauty, and the hiking is amazing. Now, we find ourselves on a new road…part of the Golden Anniversary crowd. How amazing is that? We are both retired, so our time is our own, to do with as we please. These are blessed days in a whole new way. We might jump in the car and take a drive to the lake on the spur of the moment. Or we might decide to just have a 
quiet evening at home. We don’t have to make serious plans. The thing we are doing the most is to simply enjoy being together, because after all these years we still say “I do” and still love each other very much. Happy Golden Anniversary to the love of my life, Bob Schulenberg. I love you so much and thanks for the memories.
My nephew, Garrett Stevens is a welding inspector working for EMIT. Last year, Garrett went to Denver for a three-week school to learn to be a welding inspector. After the school was done, he had to pass 3 or 4 tests before he was given the certification. This process was very difficult, and the person who was sent before Garrett was not able to pass the course, so we are all very proud the Garret was able to pass, and he loves the new job and his new responsibilities.
Garrett and his wife, Kayla welcomed their second daughter, Maya just under two years ago, and since that time, they have begun to feel like the walls are closing in on them, so the time has come to sell their home. They have been busy getting a few things renovated and updated so they will get a better price for the house. When I say “they” I include the girls, or at least their daughter Elliott, who is almost six years 
old. Garrett is a very hands-on dad, and his girls love him to the moon and back. Elliott has been helping with the painting of the kitchen. This isn’t the first painting project Garrett and Elliott have tackled. They painted her playhouse and really had a good time doing that. Elliott is a big helper. She also helped with planting flowers in the front yard. She really like that she is helping her parents get ready to put their house on the market so they can find a bigger house. At two years old, Maya is limited on what she can do, but she wants to be a part of things too, so they give her little projects as well. Garrett and 
Kayla are really good parents, and time with their girls, even if it’s working to get the house ready to sell, is very important time for them.
Garrett and Kayla bought a camper this year, and they are planning some fun camping trips. They have made plans to go up to the mountains, the Tongue River Reservoir in Montana, and to Pathfinder Reservoir with his family for the traditional Steven’s Family Summer Camp Out. They really enjoy camping, and spending time with the family. The new camper will give them plenty of room for their family to enjoy the great outdoors. Today is Garret’s birthday. Happy birthday Garrett!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
Fifty years ago today, on June 8, 1974, my friends and now sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Debbie and LJ Cook said “I do.” It was a beautiful ceremony. The bride’s mother, Joann Schulenberg was an amazing seamstress, and she made the wedding gown and the bride’s maid’s (me) dresses. Debbie and LJ have had a long and happy marriage, filled with mostly good things. They had three daughters, Machelle Moore, Nancy Cook (who went to Heaven shortly after her birth), and Susan Griffith. They lived in Casper, Wyoming for a short time after their marriage, then moved too Thermopolis, Wyoming for a short time, before moving to Powell, Wyoming, where they would make their permanent home and raise their girls. The girls have married now, and sons-in-law, Steve Moore and Josh Griffith have joined the family. In addition, grandchildren Weston Moore, Jala Satterwhite, Easton Moore, and Kaytlyn Griffith have also blessed the family.
Their daughter, Susan was telling me about her favorite memories from her childhood. She is reminded of their gardens, both floral and vegetable. Debbie and LJ plant a garden every year, and they have since the girls were little. They truly have green thumbs too, because Susan says, “consistently, they always have such beautiful 
flowers in their yard, and beautiful veggies growing in the garden.” She says, “The taste of home-grown tomatoes will always remind me of growing up, eating them like apples.” Unfortunately, their garden was damaged this year by the cold weather, so they had to go to the greenhouse twice and plant twice. Hopefully they end up getting some good ones with the second planting. This year, Debbie and LJ added raised beds to their gardening toolbox. They’re so much easier to take care of!
Susan loves that her parents still live in the house where she grew up. People don’t often stay for many years in the home where they raised their kids, but it is very cool when they do. Susan also loves that her daughters and nephews know that house as well as she does, and for them to see where she and her sister grew up. The kids also have the blessing of being able to glean the wisdom their grandparents have to share, about everything from gardening to school to life. Growing up near your grandparents is a huge blessing, even if you move away after your grown. Those young years spent around grandparents will go with you wherever you go.
Since LJ retired, he and Debbie spend most of their time together. If it’s possible, they have grown closer, and their love has grown deeper. They also have their sweet little dogs to keep them on their toes and the dogs also 
give everyone some good entertainment. The past fifty years have really flown by. In many ways, it seems like just yesterday that they were married, and yet, we know it isn’t. Many marriages these days don’t stand the test of time, but the love Debbie and LJ have for each other has done just that, and I have no doubt their love will grow deeper and deeper for the rest of their lives. Happy Golden Anniversary Debbie and LJ!! Congratulations on 50 years together!! Have a wonderful day!! We love you!!
As with my dad, Allen Spencer, the longer my mom, Collene Spencer is in Heaven, the more I miss her. I was actually thinking about her a couple of days ago, not that I don’t think of her every day, but this was on a more specific subject. Mom was such a deeply Christian woman, and she worked very hard to educate herself in God’s ways and in His Word. Now, as I take my own walk in the Lord, I find myself reflecting on all the people my mom influenced to turn their lives over to the Lord. My parents were great spiritual leaders, and while they didn’t travel the world evangelizing, they spoke to those they could, and their good clean lives did the rest. After my mom’s funeral, I was surprised at the people who told me about how my parents’ lives had influenced them. To say the least, I was amazed. My parents, in their own quiet, unassuming way drew many people to the Lord.
While my mom’s Christian walk is so important, it is not the only endearing quality my mom possessed. She loved making her daughters smile and would go to great lengths to accomplish her goals. She woke us up each 
day with a song…often a silly song. If we didn’t smile, she would sometimes make funny faces or act in a funny way. Mom’s laugh was infectious, and you really couldn’t help but laugh. As I think back of the days of my childhood, I realize more and more, just how blessed I am, and how blessed I was then. Mom taught her daughters the things we would need to be successful in whatever we undertook, but first and foremost, she taught us how to care for a family and a home. We all knew how to cook, and we are all good cooks. Mom came from a long line of really great cooks, and she passed all the knowledge down to us. Like her mom, Hattie Byer, she could make a great meal out of just about anything. Mom was born toward the end of the Great Depression, and the people of that era knew that it was essential to be frugal. She had 8 siblings, and Grandma and Grandpa (George Byer) never turned away a hungry soul. The food just had to stretch, and it did. And it still tasted great, even if there was a little more water, a couple more potatoes, and a little less meat in the stew. Mom learned from the best, and her daughters and our families benefitted.
Mom was such a sweet and loving person, and always tried to do right by all who crossed her path. Mom always tried to walk in love toward her fellow man. She was known to stop and pray for someone who had a need. She was a generous woman who always gave as much as she could. Her giving nature, a reflection on her parents and her loving relationship with our dad, showed in everything she did, and was something she tried to also instill in her daughters. We simply couldn’t have asked for a better mom, or dad. Today would have been Mom’s 88th birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Mom. We love and miss you very much, and we look forward to seeing you again when we all go to Heaven.
My nephew, Garrett Stevens has been a welder for a long time now. He currently works at EMIT Technologies, but he has been selected to take the certified welding inspector (CWI) test. The CWI is an extremely challenging test with only a 30% pass rate on the first attempt. Right got now Garrett is in classes to prepare him for the test, and he will be taking the test in August. When Garrett passes the CWI, he will be able to work more in quality control. This is such a great thing for Garrett, as it will help him move his career forward in the direction he wants to go. Garrett is a natural at welding. He learned his career easily, and is always striving to improve himself. He is never satisfied with the status quo, choosing excellence instead.
Garrett has chosen excellence in all areas of his life. He has always made his parents, Alena and Mike Stevens so 
proud. Garrett was their only son, and he is his dad’s son for sure. They love doing things together, even though they don’t get much time to do that these days, now that Garret and his family live in Sheridan, and the rest of his family lives in Casper. Nevertheless, whenever they can, Garrett and his dad get a little fishing in, even doing some ice fishing recently.
Garrett is a hands-on dad who likes to spend quality time with the two daughters, Elliott and Maya, that he and his wife, Kayla have. Kayla tells me that he is great girls dad, which isn’t too far out of his wheelhouse, since Garrett grew up the only boy of his parents’ three children. That meant that Garrett, while all boy, still understood little girls. He and his sisters, Michelle Miller and Lacey Stevens have always been close.
Recently, Garrett and Kayla bought a trampoline and he doesn’t hesitate to jump around and be silly with the girls. Kayla thinks it takes him right back to his childhood since he has such fond memories from the trampoline his parents got for him and his sisters. They had so much fun playing on that trampoline. Now he is making new memories with his girls, and they are loving it. It’s not just the trampoline that Garrett plays on with his girls. The go swimming, to the park, the bouncy game place in town, and running around in their own living room or their yard. The girls will have so many wonderful memories and games to pass down to their own kids someday. Today is Garrett’s birthday. Happy birthday Garrett!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
My niece, Kayla Stevens is mom to two beautiful daughters, Elliott and Maya, who arrived just under a year ago, on June 24, 2022. With her husband, my nephew, Garrett Stevens and the girls, Kayla is as happy as she can be!! She and Garrett are living their best life, watching their kids growing up and learning so many new things. Kayla and Garrett really enjoy taking their girls to the park, now that nicer weather has arrived. Of course, Elliott is in a number of activities now, so they all stay pretty busy.
Kayla has always been a kind and compassionate lady. That really makes her perfect for her career as a social worker, working at the Veterans’ Administration. Really, that is a unique 
kind of job. Many veterans have been through so much, it helps to have people who understand the stressors, and are there to help with it. Things like PTSD, have become so well known in recent years, but for years veterans, like anyone who is facing something like that, felt like they had no one to turn to. With Kayla’s kind heart they can feel less alone now. I know that the parameters of Kayla’s job have changed over the years, and now she works from home, but that has not stopped the sweetness of this lady from shining through to these people she works with every day.
I know that her kindness is in a big way, what drew Garrett to Kayla in the first place. Garrett and Kayla were 
introduced by his sister, Lacey Stevens, but it was Kayla who won his heart. Nothing more was needed, once they met, because they knew that their life was real. Now after being married for eight years and having two beautiful daughters, they are happier than ever. The only sad part for the family here in Casper is that they live in Sheridan, and we don’t get to see them as often as we would like. Nevertheless, Kayla is good about sending us lots of pictures and videos of the kids. That really helps. Today is Kayla’s birthday. Happy birthday Kayla!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
Story by guest writer, Corrie Petersen
Today is a special day for a special person in my life. My mom’s birthday is today, and I am so grateful for all the things she has done in my life for me and everyone else. She is such a caring person, and she is a Godly woman. She has taught me to believe in God and trust in Him because He will make all things come to pass.
As of today, she has four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren with two more great-grandchildren on the way. She loves spending time with all of us and she does all she can to make sure she does just that even though two of her grandchildren and her other daughter, my sister, Amy, and her husband Travis live in Washington State. She loves to visit them in Washington and she and my dad are planning a trip to see them next year.
The past six years have been a roller coaster of events. From me starting college for a nursing degree to all the great-grandchildren that have come along. We’ve experienced some not-so-fun things as well including a death in the family and my dad had a heart attack, but the good thing is that God helped us through each of those days. I know she has helped my family when I was not able to be there for them due to school. Nursing school takes a lot of time, energy, and dedication and during that time, she helped my family in so many ways that I don’t know how to thank her for what she did for them.
My mom has been retired for a little while now and I am positive she and my dad love the retired life they are living. They love to travel and hike while on the way. They bowl together, they hike together, and they go to family events together and they would not have it any other way because they love being together.
Today is my mom’s birthday. Mom, I hope you have a wonderful day. I love you so much.
With each passing year, I find myself feeling more and more blessed with this husband of mine. Bob and I met while I was working at Kmart, where his sister, Debbie Cook also worked, 49 years and 4 months ago. We have been married for 48 years as of today. There were people who didn’t think we has a chance for a lifelong marriage, but they were all wrong. I guess you could say that we are both stubborn…in a good way. We made a commitment, and we were determined to stay committed. The rest, as they say, is history. We have been blessed with two daughters, Corrie Petersen and Amy Royce; two sons-in-law, Kevin Petersen and Travis Royce; four grandchildren, Chris Petersen, Shai Royce, Caalab Royce, and Josh Petersen; a granddaughter-in-law, Karen Petersen and soon to be granddaughter-in-law, Athena Salazar; and three great grandchildren, Cambree, Caysen, and Justin Petersen. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Through the years, our lives have taken a number of turns. Things we expected and things we didn’t. We have made major job changes, to jobs we didn’t expect, Bob working for the City of Casper and me at The Stengel Agency, from which we would both retire. Of course, our family has grown and continues to grow. We began 
our married life living in a mobile home, which we moved several times, and finally in 1995, we moved into town…the best move we ever made. I guess it took us that long to realize that we really didn’t like country life. We became caregivers in 2005, an eventually would take care of all four parents until each one passed away, the final one in 2018. That was probably the biggest, unexpected thing of all. When you are young, you naturally think your parents will live forever. We miss them very much and consider ourselves blessed to have had them with us for so long.
The future is bright, and with retirement, we have more time to be together. I suppose some people think that all that time together would get…complicated, but for us it has not. We have always enjoyed our time together and have found that working different shifts at times was one of the hardest things we endured. I’ve heard people say that we should have fought less in those years, but we actually fought more, so there is another myth shot down. These days we like to travel, hike, spend time with our family. Of course, Bob still keeps busy 
working on cars in our garage, and I have my writing. We find too, that we are homebodies to a degree, with Bob needing to be out and about more than I do. So, he runs to the parts house several times a day, hahahaha!! It’s his social life. I like to walk on the trail near our home, and the Carpet Trail (inside our house) in the winter. I always look forward to the warmer weather, because the Carpet Trail can get boring after a while. I would say that we have led a very blessed life!! Happy 48th anniversary, Bob!! I love you more each and every day!! Here’s to many more years of wedded bliss!!
When a couple has daughters, it naturally follows that when those girls reach dating age, the house will be filled with young gentlemen callers. My grandparents, George and Hattie Byer had seven daughters, and two sons…so you can imagine that as time went on, a long line of gentlemen callers went in and out of their home. The first young man to transition from being a gentleman caller to being part of the family was George Hushman, who became Uncle George when he married my Aunt Evelyn (Byer) Hushman. Of course, he wasn’t uncle then, nor was she aunt, because they would be the couple to start the 
procession of grandchildren who would bless the lives of my grandparents and continue to grow even after their passing.
Uncle George won Aunt Evelyn’s heart pretty quickly, because when he saw her…well, he couldn’t see any other girl again. It was pretty much love at first sight, and that feeling never left them. They could be in a crowded mall, but as far as they were concerned, they were the only ones in the place. Their happy marriage brought them five beautiful children, Sheila (Susie) Young, George Hushman Jr, Shelley Campbell, Shannon Limmer, and Greg Hushman, as well as a number of grandchildren, great grandchildren and great great grandchildren. Yes, they were very blessed throughout the years. And, as the Byer siblings married and had children, they got to be aunt and uncle to many nieces and nephews too, making them finally the aunt and uncle I knew from birth.
The had many hobbies, including their beautiful yard and home, bowling, traveling, and in their early 
marriage…double dates with my parents, Al and Collene (Byer) Spencer. The two couples were great friends right away and loved spending time together. The Hushman kids and the Spencer girls were often together in those young days. Uncle George and Aunt Evelyn lived long lives too. She passed away on May 4, 2015, at the age of 86, and he passed on December 21, 2018, at the age of 92. Their lives were blessed and happy, and really all they ever wanted to do was to be together. Today would have been Uncle George’s 96 birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Uncle George. We love and miss you very much.
