MAIDSTONE—Sincere condolences are extended to the families and friends of two beloved community members who passed away in Maidstone on Dec.15: Shirley Jansen, 81, and Cecil Skolrood, 93. Through community involvement and personal experiences, each left us with many cherished memories.
Shirley Jansen is survived by two daughters Tara (Bob) Banks and Inga (Brian) Grimley, five grandchildren Sheena (Trent), Leah, and Brenna (Jordan), Jaron (Samara ) and Kendall (Walt) and five great-grandchildren: Jansen, Bennett, Vaughn, Aaliyah and Landyn. A celebration of life for Shirley will be held on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 2 p.m. MST at Maidstone United Church.
Cecil Skolrood leaves behind his wife, Elsie; three children David (Diane), Roger (Beth) and Leanne (Tim), five grandchildren Brayden, Jordi (Tamica), Jessie, Addison and Kayden and two great-grandchildren Huntley and Sutton. A service for Cecil will be held at a later date.
Grace Community Church Ladies’ Night was a fun fellowship for all. Maidstone High School carollers stopped by to share inspiring Christmas pieces and the Happy Birthday song for Kristin. They did an amazing job. Ladies then made a wooden spoon snowman (for some reason mine looked like a pirate), Janice encouraged us with a moving devotional and we finished up with an abundant selection of snacks.
Ratushniak Elementary School's Christmas concert was a joy for all to see and hear. The program began with an uplifting presentation from the MHS carollers. Students from pre-K to Grade 3 then recited a variety of seasonal selections interspersed with commentary and jokes from several MCs. Everyone did an awesome job. Thank you to students, staff and parents for another excellent concert.
Maidstone High School's Entrepreneur Class held two sales last week, one in the school pit and one at Lloyd Farmers Market. The four groups reported good sales along with extra orders. I snagged something from each group: sweet potato pet treats; cedar, winter mint and mulled wine candles; bars of soap (lavender was my choice) and delicious salsa (regular or pineapple). The students have done a terrific job and will have products available until mid-January.
Congratulations to Joyce Orange, winner of $195 in the Dec. 19 Chase the Ace draw. The jackpot (now at about $5,800) remains unclaimed so keep buying those tickets.
The Village of Waseca is all lit up so take a drive and check it out. Winners of the recreation board’s Christmas lighting program are: first - Karen Pateman, second - Barry and Vi Broadhead, third - Rod and Barb Weisner, fourth - Randy Herman-Fretz.
Keep your eyes and ears tuned for news of Maidstone Museum’s winter plans. They hope to have another snow event for everyone to enjoy after Christmas. There wasn’t room for Winter Fun Fest photos last week so we’ve included a couple this week.
As I write this (Dec.19), I realize tomorrow is the last day of school until Jan. 6. That's a long holiday break so I hope everyone enjoys the opportunity to be with family, friends and others who are alone. Merry Christmas to all of you!