loss
This is likely to be the hardest birthday my brother-in-law, Mike Stevens will ever have. It has only been 25 days since his wife, Alena Stevens went home to be with the Lord. It has been a deeply sad 25 days for all of us, but even more so for Mike, because Alena was the love of his life, his other half, his life partner, and he never wanted their time together to be so short. The were married almost 41 years, and they had built a wonderful life together, and now, he must go on without her. This will be a long transition for Mike, and I just feel so bad for him. It’s such an empty feeling for him. I’m thankful that he has their children, Michelle Miller, Garrett Stevens, and Lacey Killinger to comfort him too. The kids have been staying closely in touch and letting him know that they are there for him. Mike is a good grandpa, and he loves spending time with the kids, Elliott and Maya Stevens, as well as Brooklyn and Jaxon Killinger whenever he can too. 
Over recent years, Mike has been helping brothers-in-law, Mike Reed and Chris Hadlock with various projects they have been doing, so they have become good friends. That is such a blessing, because they are always working on something, and Mike can help them with those projects, and that helps too. Mike Reed has been rebuilding and flipping cars, and Mike Stevens has been helping him with those too. It’s almost become a lucrative new business venture for them. They have become good friends. That friendship has been a source of strength for Mike Stevens through these hard days since Alena’s passing.
Mike has always loved golfing, hunting, and working on cars, and I know that these things will help him to stay busy as time goes on. He is very dedicated to the Lord and attends church every Sunday too. That will also be a source of comfort for him in the days ahead. I know that Mike is going to be ok, but right now, his feelings are very raw, as they are with all of the family. There is just no way to lose your other half, and not feel very 
incomplete for the rest of your life. I know that while Mike will never get over Alena’s passing, he will pick himself up with the help of the family and get on with it, because that is truly all you can do. Today is Mike’s birthday, and while it’s a hard one, I hope there will be some moments of happiness too. Happy birthday Mike. You are in our prayers for peace and comfort. We love you very much.
On May 11, 2025, our family lost another sweet member. My uncle, Jim Richards went home to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Uncle Jim was born on October 19, 1937, in Bassett, Nebraska, to John and Mayme (Murer) Richards. Uncle Jim joined our family on June 3, 1961, when he married my aunt, Dixie (Byer) Richards. Together they had three children, Jeannie Liegman, Jim Richards (who passed away on February 16, 2021), and Raylynn Williams. Their union was also blessed with six grandchildren, Jacob Liegman, Gabriel Williams, Gideon Williams, Noah Williams, Jonah Williams (who lives in Heaven), and Mayme Williams. The family is very close, and they all consider themselves to be greatly blessed. Uncle Jim was truly the rock of this family, and everyone came to him for wisdom, advise, strength.
Uncle Jim’s dad, John Richards passed away in 1945, when Uncle Jim was just a young boy of seven…one month shy of eight years old. Losing his dad, changed Uncle Jim’s life in so many ways, but probably the most significant way was that he effectively gave up his childhood and became the man of the house. Of course, he had older siblings, but Uncle Jim took the support of the family very seriously. He just knew what was needed, and he did it. His whole family looked to him for guidance many times. That shows that he possessed wisdom beyond his young years. Uncle Jim helped his family many times over the years, even after he was married to Aunt Dixie. Several of his family members lived with them over the years. They knew that when times were 
tough, Uncle Jim and Aunt Dixie would be there for them.
Uncle Jim also loved the family he married into very much too, showing them the same kind of love that he showed his own family. When he and Aunt Dixie were married, there was a situation that took everyone by surprise a little bit. When my sister, Alena (Spencer) Stevens was born to my parents, Allen and Collene (Aunt Dixie’s sister) Spencer on June 2, 1961, it meant that my mom would not be able to attend her little sister’s wedding. My mom loved weddings, and her sister, and she was very disappointed, so after the wedding ceremony and before the reception, Uncle Jim and Aunt Dixie, dressed in their wedding clothes, came to the hospital to see the baby, and to show his new sister-in-law how they looked. It was such a sweet and precious moment, and my mom was so happy. Uncle Jim and my sister, Alena can reminisce in Heaven now, because my sister went to Heaven on April 23, 2025, less than a month ahead of Uncle Jim. I can imagine the reunion in Heaven with all those who have gone before. And Uncle Jim can see his son Jimmy Ray again, as well as get to know his grandson, little Jonah Williams too. Reconnecting with all of his family will be one of the treasures of Heaven for him.
Uncle Jim was the last of his parents’ children left living. He was blessed with a long life. The Bible tells us in the fourth commandment to “honor your father and mother, that it may be well with you, and you may live long on the earth.” Uncle Jim lived long upon this earth. He was good to his parents and to his in-laws. When my 
grandpa (his father-in-law), George Byer was ill, and Grandma Hattie Byer needed help, Uncle Jim and Aunt Dixie and their kids closed up their home and moved in with Grandma and Grandpa for the time they were needed until Grandpa passed away. That was such a blessing to Grandma, who really needed their help. Uncle Jim’s mother Mayme Richards lived with them too as she grew older and needed more help. Uncle Jim was all about family and that included his extended family too. Kindness and compassion simply flowed from Uncle Jim’s heart, and I know that even people who barely knew him felt the exact same way. Uncle Jim will be deeply missed by everyone who knew him. We love you, Uncle Jim, and we look forward to seeing you again when we are all reunited in Heaven.
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.
A couple of days ago, we found out that our aunt, Esther Hein had passed away. She was 84 years old. Esther was the eldest of my husband, Bob’s grandmother’s children from her second marriage. I am so sorry to see her go. With her passing, all of Grandma’s children are gone. It is now left to the grandchildren to carry on the legacy Grandma started. Esther had lived much of her adult life in California and Oregon, choosing that milder climate over the harsh Montana winters. Because of where they lived, we didn’t see Esther’s family very often, but she did her best to come for visits to see her parents, Walt and Vina Hein, and siblings Marion Kanta, Walt Schulenberg, Eddie Hein, and Butch Hein and their families in Montana and Wyoming as often as she could manage.
It was on one of her trips to visit her parents, that I first met Esther. It was a good meeting for me, because when I married into the family, my husband Bob asked me to just cut his hair for him. Well, that was a really bad plan. I had never cut a guy’s hair, and it looked awful. His mother had to try to fix it. Ugh!! While we were visiting Grandma and Grandpa, Bob decided to ask Esther to cut his hair. She was trained to do that, so it was a 
good plan. Esther took pity on me, and she taught me how to cut Bob’s hair. It is a skill that has served me well over the last 50 years, and one for which I will always be thankful to Esther for…as will Bob.
Esther was as skilled seamstress and artist. I remember a set of bathroom curtains she made for my mother-in-law, (her sister-in-law) Joann Schulenberg. She loved them and in her later years, while I was taking care of her when she had Alzheimer’s Disease, she never forgot to tell me about the beautiful curtains that Esther had made for her. My mother-in-law loved Esther dearly. When they were first married, my mother-in-law and father-in-law, Walt Schulenberg often kept Esther at their house in town during the harsh Montana winters, so she wouldn’t miss school, because they couldn’t always get her to town from the ranch. Esther was almost like their own daughter, except that they were too young to have a daughter her age at the time. Esther never forgot how special they were to her, and when she started painting, she painted a landscape picture on a saw 
blade for her brother, Walt. He cherished it always. She also painted a set of TV trays for him, one of which I have now. Her work was beautiful. While she couldn’t come for visits anymore, she loved keeping in touch with the family, and spoke to my sister-in-law, Debbie Cook on a regular basis. They were very close. My sister-in-law, Brenda Schulenberg also kept her updated by printing out and mailing her many of the family stories from my blog. Esther loved reading all about the younger generation as they grew up. Esther was a beautiful soul, and we are going to miss her very much.
My sister-in-law, Rachel Schulenberg was born just three days after my husband and I were married. It seems strange that my sister-in-law was about the age of my own children, but then my husband’s family was spread out in years, and my brother-in-law, Ron was only seven years old when I married his brother. Rachel would have been 50 years old today, had not her life been cut short by a stroke on January 19, 2021. Rachel was a sweet Christian woman who loved the Lord and loved telling people about Jesus. She worked at a church in Powell for a number of years and was known to 
pray with anyone who needed prayer. She was a great servant of the Lord and loved by everyone who knew her.
Rachel was mom to three children, Cassie Franklin, Riley Birky, and Tucker Schulenberg, who was adopted by her husband, Ron Schulenberg (my brother-in-law), when he was 11 years old. She was a great mom, and her children were so very blessed. Rachel was also a grandmother to Lucas and Zoey and they were among her greatest treasures. Today she would also have Ryder and Alicen, as well as bonus grandson, Jace. Rachel would have loved having all these grandbabies. I wish she could have known the new ones and the future grandbabies. She would have loved having lots of grandbabies.
Rachel was only 45 years old when she passed away, so it’s coming up on five years now. I am always amazed at how fast the years following a loss just fly by. Before you know it, your loved one has been gone five, ten, fifteen years, and beyond, and with each passing year, you just continue to miss them. It is especially hard for 
the children of the one who has passed away. My heart aches for Cassie, Riley, and Tucker; and for the grandchildren too, especially Lucas and Zoey, who had the opportunity to know their grandma, and therefore to miss her very much. For them her loss is a heavy one. Today would have been Rachel’s 50th birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Rachel. We love and miss you very much.
While I didn’t see her in person very often, my cousin Liz Byer was a bright light shining from Facebook into the lives of those privileged enough to call her friend. She loved flowers, making Spring and Summer her seasons of choice, but she actually received a gift from Jesus on December 27th, when some of her outdoor flowers decided to be “blooming idiots” by blooming in the Winter. Leave it to Liz to come up with that. The reality is that she often came up with funny things. That was a big part of her charm. She would post things like “All of my flabbers are gasted” or show a picture of the birds at her “cat food bistro.” You really had no choice but to laugh at the stuff she found to brighten the day of anyone who followed her page. I would often go look at her page just to start my day with a smile. Oh…how I will miss those silly little posts. 
Liz was born with Brittle Bone Disease, but she never let that get her down. She always wore a smile and always had a kind word or a funny quip to lift the spirits of those around her. You may not have even been feeling down, but after you talked to Liz or read her posts, you knew that your day got just a little bit brighter. She had a way of making your day better, even when you didn’t know you needed that. That is a person who is a bright light. That was Liz.
Liz’s top priority, after the Lord, was her family. She was married to my cousin Tim Byer on July 12, 1986. I’m sure that one of the things Tim noticed first about Liz, was her winning smile. You could just see the joy in her heart through her smile. Their marriage brought them two sweet daughters, Danielle Elizabeth and Nickole Marie, and when the girls married, they added James Forseen and Caleb Holscher. Liz and Tim now have six beautiful grandchildren, Natasha Elizabeth, Eleanor Mercedes, Joanna Carlyne, and Henry Axel Forseen; and James Timothy and Judah Everett 
Holscher. They are her pride and joy. Together, Liz and Tim started a beautiful family, and their family will continue on long into the future. While her home going will bring sadness to the family, they know that because she had accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior, she is not in their past now, but rather in their future. They will see her again when they all join her in Heaven with the Lord. We will all miss Liz very much. Liz, we love you and look forward to seeing you again when we go to Heaven too.
Over the years I have been called many names by my grandchildren. Names like grandma, gma, granny, graham cracker, gram, and one of the most common…the shortest name, G. So, it really stands to reason that some of my great grandchildren should call me GG. And it is a name I love because it’s endearing, but also because it reminds me of the original GG…my mom, Collene Spencer.
Mom got her cute little moniker from my grandniece, Aleesia Spethman. They were best pals, and Aleesia loved her GG. Whenever she came over to the house, she would call out, “GG!!” It was as much to call for her GG, as it was to announce that she had arrived to see GG. She spent as much time on GG’s lap when they were together, as she did on anyone else’s lap. They were best friends, and they loved spending time together. Mom always loved being a grandmother and considered it one of life’s greatest blessings. She was a great mom, and always kept our life light and happy, even if she had to act a little bit crazy to make us laugh. Being a mom was all she ever wanted to do, but being a grandmother topped being a mom…mostly because she considered grandchildren as the blessing that came from motherhood. So great grandma, was an even bigger blessing, because it was the blessing that came from the blessing that was motherhood and grandmotherhood. It doesn’t get any better than that.
Mom loved being GG. It made her feel special. Before my mom, I never heard anyone called GG, which of 
course stands for great grandma. I’m not sure how Aleesia came to call her that, but she called her GG from the time she could talk. I have always loved that Mom was called GG, and I consider it an honor to be called the same thing. She was the original GG, and it is quite a title to live up to. I don’t know if I will ever be as great a GG as she was, but I will gladly spend the rest of my life trying to be. Today would have been my mom’s 89th birthday. Happy birthday Mom in Heaven, Mom. Have a great Heavenly birthday party. We love and miss you very much, and we can’t wait until we meet again.
I have been very privileged to have had two men that I called “Dad” who were both among the kindest men I have ever met. My father-in-law, Walt Schulenberg became my second “Dad” when I married my husband, Bob Schulenberg in 1975. He was a hardworking man, almost to the point of being a workaholic, but that was common for the times and the bigger families that people had. My in-laws, Walt and Joann had six children, of which my husband was the third child and first boy. In big families, there is, by necessity, a certain amount of joking and teasing. It’s really the only way to make sure the kids aren’t always fighting. Everyone’s kids need to know how to hake a joke. They also, need to know how to tell one in good clean fun. Dad taught them well, as did my parents, so Bob and I were quite compatible in that way, as well as many others, of course.
My father-in-law spent most of his childhood living on ranches and learned his work ethic there. When you are 
raising cattle, there is little sleeping in until noon. As with most kids of that era, the workload was shared. The parents couldn’t be expected to take care of everything, especially when there are perfectly healthy kids who can help. He helped with chores around the house, and later with everything from feeding the animals to branding them. Over the years he raised some animals of their own, although not to the grand scale that he had grown up with. I was raised in town, so cows, chickens, rabbits, and the like were a little foreign to me. Nevertheless, if you put your mind to it, you can learn just about anything, and my in-laws were good teachers.
Later in his life, my father-in-law moved my mother-in-law and their eldest daughter, Marlyce to town. While he no longer raised animals, he planted a garden in the back yard, from which my mother-in-law canned the vegetables. His also built a hobby barn, really just a tall and fairly large shed, where he could tinker around making different crafts. He made wooden toys and wind spinners. They graced his yard for the rest of his life, 
as well as may yards around town. People would see them and want to buy them. He also refurbished lawn chairs, actually making them far more beautiful than they had previously been. He was an accomplished contractor, though mostly just for himself and his family. Nevertheless, he did make so steps for people and a few other things over the years. His was a life well lived, and it makes me sad that he has been gone for eleven years now. Nevertheless, time marches on, and today I find that he did leave us eleven years ago today. I still miss him every day.
My sister-in-law, Rachel Schulenberg left us all too soon just over three years ago. She was just 45 years old. We all felt her loss quite deeply. Rachel was a kind soul, who loved everyone. She had worked at a church in Powell, before she was introduced to my brother-in-law, Ron Schulenberg. When they were married, she moved to Casper, where Ron lived. Prior to that, and even after her marriage, Rachel could often be found talking to people about Jesus. She was sold out to the Lord, which of course, makes me thankful, because we know where she is, and that we will see her again. While we know that is the case, it doesn’t mean that we miss her less. Rachel is the kind of person who makes her mark on your heart, and it never goes away.
Rachel left behind her husband, Ron and three children, and at that time, two grandchildren, Lucas Iverson and Zoey Iverson. She would be thrilled to know that she now has four grandchildren, and a bonus grandson. In addition to Lucas and Zoey, Ryder Birky and Alicen Burr, were born in 2022 and 2023 respectively. Also, Riley’s fiancée, Sierah Martin, had a son, Jace Swan from a prior relationship. I know that her children, Cassie Franklin 
(Wesley Burr), Riley Birky (Sierah Martin), and Tucker Schulenberg (when he has kids) will all tell their children about their sweet grandmother. They need to be told how very special she was, and how thrilled she was to be a grandmother. I will never forget when Lucas was born, and she first became a grandmother. Lucas was early and very small, and she couldn’t wait to meet him. I’m sure she is looking forward to meeting all of them one day.
Rachel would not only be very proud of her grandchildren, but her children as well. Each of them has gone through some adversity, and they have persevered to come out on top on the other side of their problems. Rachel raised so very strong human beings, and I believe that they will live successful lives that their mother would be very proud of. They are highly motivated to live lives of which their mother would be proud, and that makes me very proud of them. These kids, who are mostly not kids anymore, have become responsible adults…people Rachel would have been really proud of. Of course, she was always proud of her kids. They were always 
her pride and joy, and she knew that they were going to be ok, because she had trained them to be strong people. I just really wish she could have been her to play with these sweet little grandbabies. Life goes on after a loss, and we must go on with it. I heard an old saying once, in reference to the loss of a loved one. When asked how you get over it, and the answer was, “You don’t get over it…you get on with it.” Truer words were never spoken. While Rachel is no longer her with us, the memories of the good times are, and we will cherish those forever. Happy birthday in Heaven, Rachel. We love and miss you very much.
When my husband, Bob’s uncle, Bobby Cole comes to mind, I am taken back to the days when my girls, Corrie Petersen and Amy Royce, were little. Whenever we took a trip to see Bobby and Bob’s aunt, Linda Cole, we always had a great time. The girls got to play with their cousins, Sheila and Pat, and we enjoyed visiting and playing cards with Linda and Bobby. In those days, they lived in Kennebec, South Dakota. It was a tiny little town, with very little to do, so having visitors was a big deal to them.
Linda and Bobby owned a hotel, and there were a few guests, but not really very many. It was like they owned a bed and breakfast…for us anyway. The rest of the guests had to go somewhere else for their breakfast. Bummer for them!! The visit was always so relaxing. The small-town feel was always there, and really, I loved it. I wouldn’t want to live in a small town all the time, but as an annual getaway, it was nice. I suppose it was the break from the everyday that held the majority of the appeal. We didn’t get to see Linda and Bobby much, so having the unhurried time to visit was a rare treat. They were always so full of laughter and fun.
A few years later, their hotel was struck by lightning during a summer storm, and it burned to the ground. After 
the fire, they made the decision to get out of the hotel business, and to get out of Kennebec. That was when they moved to Winnemucca, Nevada, and for the most part the annual trips stopped. Winnemucca was too far away to make it a weekend trip, like we could with Kennebec. I was always sorry to see those trips end. It was rather like the end of an era. The only thing that was more sad was when Bobby passed away, and then when Linda passed away. I will always miss them. They were a very fun couple. Today would have been Bobby’s 81st birthday. Happy birthday in Heaven, Bobby. We love and miss you very much.
