Exeter-Milligan Update: Junior High Football

Exeter-Milligan Junior High Football

The Exeter-Milligan junior high football team hosted Hampton on September 26. At halftime, EM held a narrow 20-16 lead. Sean Maxson got the scoring started for EM in the first quarter on an 8 yard touchdown run, Johnathon Mounce added the two point conversion. In the second quarter, Sam Zeleny hit Maxson on 26 yard TD pass. Cameron White added a 43 yard TD run before half for EM.

In the second half, the young Timberwolves pulled away, scoring 28 points, while holding Hampton scoreless. On the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter, Zeleny hit Jack Dinneen on a slant for a 43 yard score. Zeleny added a 9 yard TD run and conversion run. Maxson ran 35 yards for another score, with Elliot Erdkamp running in the two point conversion. The final score came on a 37 yard interception return by Zeleny.

The solid EM defensive effort included interceptions by Zeleny and Maxson. Fumble recoveries for EM were by Maxson and Mounce. The final score in the contest was EM 48, Hampton 16.

On October 3, Exeter-Milligan traveled to Henderson to take on Heartland in their only away game of the season. At the end of a high scoring first half, EM held a 32-24 lead. EM scored TDs on a 9 yard run by Sean Maxson and a 1 yard dive by Johnathon Mounce. One of the two point conversion was successful when Sam Zeleny hooked up with Jack Dinneen. In the second quarter, EM scored three more touchdowns. Zeleny hit Maxson on a 10 yard pass, Dinneen ran 9 yards on an end around, and Zeleny scored from 1 yard out after Maxson was knocked out of bounds at the one yard lined on a long kick return.

The Exeter-Milligan offense added four TDs and three conversions in the second half. Maxson had a 60 yard run that led to a 5 yard TD run for Zeleny, Zeleny added a 5 yard TD run, and Maxson a 9 yard TD run. A 53 yard pass TD from Zeleny to Maxson was in the second half as well. Zeleny threw to Dinneen and Trevor Luzum for two point conversions, with Maxson running in another.

The defense was solid in the final two quarters, holding Heartland to just 8 points. Luzum led the way for the Timberwolves defense with an interception and two fumble recoveries. Mounce and Zeleny also had fumble recoveries. The final score in the game was EM 62, Heartland 32. The Exeter-Milligan team finished the season with a 2-2 record.

Death Notice: Theodore Larsen

Funeral services for Ted Larsen will be Saturday, October 8, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. at the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cordova, Nebraska. Interment will be in the Zastrow Cemetery. Memorials are directed to the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Exeter Fire & Rescue Units or the Exeter Senior Center.

New United Methodist Pastor in Exeter and McCool Junction

The Exeter and McCool Junction United Methodist Churches have a new pastor in residence at the Exeter parsonage.Pastor Ray Underwood, his wife Sharon and their young son Derrik have moved to the parsonage in Exeter.

Underwood grew up as the son of a minister and never imagined that he would find himself in the same vocation growing up. As a child he was very involved in church, “My first year in college I went to church about a dozen times when my parents were there to visit,” explained Underwood.

At Centre College in Danville, KY, Underwood was a German Language major and spent some time overseas in their campus in France. He experienced some difficulties there and upon his return “started to seriously reevaluate what I believed,” according to Underwood.

It was during a student led prayer group and Bible study that Underwood found his way, “I got honest with myself and with God and realized I could continue to live my life my own way or choose to let God lead me.”
He didn’t respond positively to God’s call to the ministry immediately. It took a week to accept the feelings that were directing him toward following his father’s footsteps. He headed to Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary as he grew up a Presbyterian, however the school also trains Methodist pastors.
After he received his M.Div in 2000 there wasn’t a full time ministry position available so he joined the Army for “reliable income, and good leadership skills.” Underwood was deployed on active duty from 2001-2005 stationed at Fort Bragg, NC from February 2002-May 2005 and served in Kuwait traveling north to Iraq when Sadaam was removed from power from 2003-2004.

After he was released from active duty he felt God calling him to Nebraska and enlisted in the National Guard and found work at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution in 2006. He met his wife Sharon online before his second deployment and neither was looking for a relationship. They became friends, and during his deployment corresponded regularly.

Sharon moved to Omaha from Baltimore, MD and they started to date, marrying in 2008.  Sharon recalled “On our way home from our honeymoon we got a call that Ray’s unit was going to be mobilized.”

As part of the 192^nd Military Police Ray spent about a month responding to Hurricanes Gustave and Ike before returning to Nebraska for more training and then heading to Baghdad. This deployment, Ray worked a desk in the International zone with law enforcement, but his primary responsibility was working with licensing vehicles in the area. He enjoyed “working with the different cultures in a way that was very positive.”

When his tour was done he returned to Syracuse and his job at the correction facility. Prior to deployment, Ray and Sharon searched for a church home and found the Syracuse United Methodist Church where they became involved in several ministries.

Their minister was actively recruiting Ray for a ministry position especially after he learned of Ray’s education. However, there were no ministry openings in that district. Ray began to look at the possibility of becoming a chaplain in the military until he heard about the opening in Exeter and McCool.

After interviews and visits Ray started the job on August 1^st commuting until the parsonage was ready for his family to move in to. So far the family is enjoying the community and the churches. They are expecting another child in the spring. They hope to spend some time getting to know the community and seeing its needs. “We hope to build on the traditions that are already here,” said Sharon.

Ray wants to focus on “learning what the felt needs of the community are. Until you meet the basic needs of people you won’t be able to address the spiritual needs of people.”

He faces several challenges with the change in venue; coming from the Department of Corrections and military background to working full time in the church will be an adjustment. The ministry position is a three quarter time position, which works for Ray as he is still a guard member and spends one weekend a month at drills.
The biggest challenge as Ray sees it is, “Two different communities, two different backgrounds, two different histories, two different strengths and challenges and learning the differences and working with the two churches.”

His goal in working with both congregations is to help them grow spiritually, “If they don’t have a healthy spiritual relationship with God they will not experience God’s blessings as richly as they could. A church is never going to grow and sustain growth if the pastor is doing all the work. The church has to do outreach as the pastor won’t be there forever.”

Services at the McCool Junction United Methodist Church are at 9:00 and the Exeter United Methodist Church meets at 11:00.

Exeter Fire Department discovers bullet holes in building

 From the exterior of the Exeter Fire Hall, the hole is visible in a window that has been covered up on the inside.

 From the inside of the Exeter fire hall the hold caused by a bullet is visible in the locker area.

 

Jacob Miller holds his fire helmet showing where the bullet richocheted preventing damage to the nearby fire truck.

 

 Scuff marks are visible on Miller's helmet where the bullet impacted.

 A bullet ripped through the garden hose the department uses to wash the fire trucks.

 

With Miller's fire coat back in the locker, the hole is visible.

 

Monday night during a Junior Fire Patrol meeting, members of the Exeter Fire Department discovered damage caused by a bullet shot into the Exeter Fire Hall.

 

Fireman, Jacob Miller, put on his fire gear to show the fifth graders present for the Junior Fire Patrol and when he removed his gear from his locker noticed a large hole in the wall.

 

Miller, recalled that on Friday, September 23rd one of the regular garden hoses had several holes in it when he washed one of the large fire trucks in preparation for the Homecoming pep rally. The last time the hoses were used on August 11th, there were no holes in them.

 

Once the hole in the wall of the fire hall was found, obviously made by a bullet, the department members present examined the hose and found several bullet holes, they also found a bullet lodged in the hose.

 

As far as department members could tell, the bullet entered the building and richocheted off of Miller's helmet changing it's course away from the fire truck and toward the hose that was on a reel nearby.  "We suspect my helmet took the brunt of the bullet and prevent damage to the fire truck," said Miller.

 

In addition to the hole in the window there is a great deal of evidence of additional shots fired at the building, hitting a door, the wall of the building, the metal gutters and metal roof. 

 

Anyone with information should contact the Fillmore County Sheriff's Department who are investigating the damage.

Exeter-Milligan Update: One-Act Play

The Exeter-Milligan One Act Team, under the direction of Jami Adelman, will be performing The Insanity of Mary Girard this season. Our first performance will be at the One Act Dessert Luncheon on November 6th at 2 P.M. We invite the public to attend our performance. Desserts and refreshments will be provided by the E-M FCCLA. A free will donation to support both the One Act Team and the FCCLA will be collected at the door.

(Pictured: Ashley Miller, Megan Waldron, Brady Bristol, Nolan Beatham, Amber Pribyl, Becca Vossler, Deidre Stevens, Meredith Emshoff, Kylie Briske, Sierra Christensen, Hunter Stride, Kaitlyn Hertzel, and Toni Bossaller. Not Pictured: Meghan Miller)

Exeter-Milligan Update: Third and Fourth Graders attend Festival

 Kayla Geiger and Anna Sluka make slime.

 Jackson Beethe making slime.

Ty Underwood and MicKael Halverstadt

Jacy Schlueleter, Kayla Geiger, and Anna Sluka

On Friday, September 23rd, the Exeter-Milligan 3rd and 4th grade students attended the Plum Creek Literacy Festival at Concordia University in Seward. While there they saw authors and illustrators. They also participated in a Fun Science for Kids class and made slime.