Throwback Thursday

Week of August 3

A free scrap tire recycling was held August 6 at Fairmont State Airfield.

Virginia Mae (Muff) Sudrla died at home in Exeter, Nebraska on August 8, 2010, at the age of 88.

Exeter-Milligan Board Approves School Reopening Plan

The Exeter-Milligan school board met in a special meeting on July 30, 2020 in the Exeter-Milligan gymnasium.  The meeting was also available for interested parties to watch on STRIV.

The primary purpose for the meeting was to discuss reopening policies for the upcoming school year.

Superintendent Paul Sheffield presented a blueprint plan for reopening.  The plan was formulated by a committee made up of Sheffield, Principal Laura Kroll, business manager Jackie Yound, elementary teacher Laura Steuben, secondary teacher Amy Tomlison,  maintenance staff /bus driver Steve Briske, school nurse Marilyn Pribyl, and school counselor Denice Kovanda.

The committee report showed four levels of response to the pandemic in order to keep students learning at school as long as it is safe.

The district emailed the information to each school family and also placed them on their website.

All students will be required to wear masks on school transportation (no exceptions).  Parents may option their students out of wearing a mask but if a student contracts COVID 19 all students in the same school  group (K-2, 3-6, or 7-12) who are not wearing masks will be required to quarantine for 14 days.

There are a few exceptions to the mask rule.  Students under 5 will not have to wear a mask nor will students be required to wear one at recess, during PE and for activities like welding.

Temperatures will be taken before students enter school transportation or enter the school building.  Students who display any symptoms will be asked to stay at home.

Principal Laura Kroll added that they are adding an option for a zoom absence in their attendance records, ‘they will have to be on the zoom to be counted.”

Sheffield explained that no field trips are being planned for the 20-21 school year, “I truly think we will have to go to e-learning at some point.  We want to get as much school time as we can.”

No non-essential visitors or volunteers will be allowed in the school.  Parents wanting to drop something off for their students will be asked to bring it to the office.

The district cancelled the open house before school starts but kindergarten, third and seventh graders have been invited to an orientation.

Lunchtimes will be staggered and additional space for eating will be opened up to spread out the upper grades.

The district is following the guidelines set out by the NSAA for athletic and academic activities.  Their committee has recommended that entrance fees are waived for all sports activities.  No programs will be distributed but will be available for viewing online.  Safe precautions are being outlined for concessions.

Sheffield praised the staff at Public Health Solutions, “They have been so easy to work with.  This is all going to be a work in progress.  I can guarantee there will be some hiccups along the way. It’s a group effort, we are going to rely on everyone. We want to keep kids in school as much as we can.”

School Board President Adam Erdkamp.asked, "From the committees recommendation we are not going to offer online learning as an option?"

“If e-learning was the way to go we would be doing it 100 percent of the time,” explained Sheffield.

One patron asked if they considered going to a staggered schedule like Lincoln has proposed.

Sheffield explained that the number of the students in each class allows the district to socially distance but they did have one parent who planned to homeschool.

The other item on the short agenda was a discussion on the Wednesday, Aug 5 meeting in Geneva with the Fillmore Central school board about the feasibility study.  The boards will meet at 7:30 p.m. in the media center.

Erdkamp added that he would, “Make a recommendation to use the same people we used in the study with Friend.  It would be easier to go through and compare our options.”

The board passed the reopening blueprint resolution unanimously.

Throwback Thursday

Week of July 27

Alan Emshoff, President of First National Bank in Exeter, was recently appointed to the Fillmore County Hospital Board by the Fillmore County Board of Supervisors. Alan and his wife, Amy, have lived in Exeter for 13 years with their three daughters and have been very active in the community. Alan serves as the treasurer for the Exeter Chamber of Commerce and also serves on the Fillmore County Development Corporation's board of directors.

Softball, street dance and silly kids were the theme in Exeter Saturday July 24. Despite some rain Saturday morning the two day softball tournament brought teams from all over to compete before heading downtown to the street dance Saturday evening.

The Exeter Volunteer Fire Department served some great barbeque along with the band, "Who's Bill Anyway." The Exeter Chamber of Commerce sponsored the kiddie parade whose route ran through the blocked street to lots of applause.

Obituary Bill Cudaback

On Thursday, July 23, 2020, Bill Cudaback died at his home at the age of 68 years, 11 months and 12 days surrounded by loved ones after a nine-year battle with lung issues due to rheumatoid arthritis.

William (Bill) Cudaback was born on August 11, 1951, in York, Nebraska, the youngest son of Clarence and Agnes (Becker) Cudaback. Bill graduated from Exeter High School with the Class of 1969 and immediately began his life-long passion as a farmer. Straight rows and weed-free fields were his motto.

Bill met his wife Judy (Suhr) in 1977 while he was a patient at York General Hospital and she was his nurse. Shy Bill, drawn not only to Judy but also to her yellow sweater, asked for her phone number. Two weeks later, Bill got up the nerve to make his first date call. The result was an evening in York at the only movie choice in town, “Return of a Man Called Horse,” followed by dinner at the Camelot Inn. As life was meant to be, their love grew and they were married one year later on January 27, 1978, in Seward.
Bill and Judy made their home and raised their family only one mile south of where Bill grew up outside of Exeter. He enjoyed watching his boys grow up on the farm and was proud to see them mature into the wonderful young men they are today. Bill loved the peace and quiet of country life and took great pride in transforming he and Judy’s farmstead over the years. Bill served on Quad County Coop Board and St. Stephen’s Catholic Church Board and was actively involved in the farm operation until his death.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents Clarence and Agnes; and brother-in-law Jeff Suhr.

He is survived by his wife Judy (Judith) and their two sons Brandon of Omaha and Chad of Lincoln. Other relatives include brothers and their wives Larry and Bonnie and Roger and Sharon of Exeter; parents-in-law Don and Barb Suhr of Seward; sisters-in-law Deborah Zavitka of Burbank, California, Donna Zigler of Lincoln, Diane Lichty Ringler and husband Rob of Seward; and brother-in-law Mark Suhr also of Seward. Lots of nieces and nephews and their families share memories of Bill as well as friends.

Obituary: Norman Leo Yound

Norman Leo Yound was born to Emmett Yound and Myrtle Simnit Yound on April 10, 1935, in Brandtford, KS, and passed away on Friday, July 24, 2020, in Lincoln, NE, at the age of 85 years, 3 months and 14 days. He was the oldest of three children.

Norm attended and graduated from Washington Kansas High School in 1954. On April 3, 1955, Norm married Carol Elaine Johnson, and to this union six children were born.

In 1970, Norm and Carol moved to Exeter, NE from Washington, KS and opened Norm’s IGA. Norm and Carol worked together in the grocery store until his retirement in 1999. They enjoyed their retirement years together traveling the United States by bus and car.

Norm was very active in the Exeter community through the United Church of Christ, Senior Center and Fire Department. In his free time he enjoyed woodworking, especially building toys and helping anyone who needed a hand. His favorite activity was spending time with his family.

He is survived by children Sandy (Myron) Zoubek of Milligan, NE, Cindy Yound of David City, NE, Greg (Jackie) Yound of Exeter, NE, Scott (Jeanette) Yound of Grand Island, NE, Sara (Darrell) Oltman of Lincoln, NE, and Shari Yound of Roeland Park, KS, sister and brother-in-law Verda and Larry Lindsley and sister-in-law Karel Johnson, three nieces and a nephew.

Norm is also survived by his grandchildren Matt (Marissa) Zoubek, Jeremy (Liz) Zoubek, Brandon (TylerAnn) Zoubek, Lara (Greg) Gerlach, Anthony Yound, Travis (Justina) Yound and Erica (Brady) Vossler, Jennifer (Jeff) Lasker, Nathan (Talisha) Yound, Ashley (Brett) Dorcey and Adam Oltman, and his great grandchildren Presley, Treygan and Macie Zoubek, Addyson Zoubek, Weston and Palmer Yound, Spencer and Zoey Lasker and Axel Yound.

Death Notice: Norman Leo Yound

A Private Family Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday, July 29, 2020 at the United Church of Christ in Exeter, Nebraska with Pastor Stuart Davis presiding.

A Public Book Signing will be held on Tuesday, July 28, 2020 with family present from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Farmer Funeral Home in Exeter, Nebraska.

Graveside Services will be held in the Exeter Cemetery.

Death Notice Bill Cudaback

A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial for Bill will be held on Tuesday, July 28, 2020 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Stephen's Catholic Church in Exeter, Nebraska. The Rosary will be held at 10:00 a.m. preceding the Mass at St. Stephen's Catholic Church. Father Brendan Kelly will officiate the services.

A Graveside Committal of Ashes will be held in the Exeter Cemetery following the Memorial Mass.

Memorials are suggested to the St. Stephen's Catholic Church or the Exeter Volunteer Fire Department.

Due to Covid 19 restrictions, we will practice social distancing and follow health department guidelines allowing us to have 50% occupancy for the Mass.

Scout Paints Cattle Barn for Eagle Project

Eagle Scout Candidate Clint Oldehoeft in front of his completed Eagle project

Clint Oldehoeft, a Boy Scout in Troop 218 in Exeter, recently completed his Eagle scout project at the Fillmore County Fairgrounds in Geneva.

Oldehoeft, who shows cattle at the fair with his 4H club, noticed that the cattle barn area had started to look a little rough.  “We would pull staples off the boards to try to make the area look nice.  I wanted to paint our section.  I thought it looked tacky and needed to be redone.”

Besides spending a lot of time in the cattle barn Oldehoeft noted that the cattle barn is the only permanent livestock area.  “It’s a good centerpiece for the fairgrounds.  There is a lot of pedestrian traffic going through there.”

Time and weather had gotten to the inside of it.  “Paint was peeling, boards were rotting.  It was overdue for a freshening,” explained Oldehoeft.

Oldehoeft researched the project and approached the Fillmore County Fair Board for both permission and financial assistance for the project.  His plan was to scrape and paint all of the sound boards and replace rotten boards inside the cattle barn.

Oldehoeft obtained the supplies and the manpower and the Fair Board funded the paint and tool bill.

An Eagle project is never just about the actual service project.  Instead it’s a tool to teach young people how to show leadership, coordinate workers and finish a job, including the paperwork.

For Oldehoeft the biggest challenge was “learning how to estimate time and quantity of supplies needed.  There were a few hiccups and I learned from them.”

Fortunately the COVID 19 virus did not affect his project.  He had a small group of about 14 helpers for the project. Oldehoeft was disappointed that not as many people got to see it at the fair this season but was pleased with the response last week at the slimmed down version of the county fair.  “We’ve gotten quite a bit of appreciation. People are really happy with it.”

Fillmore County Fair President Mark Becker worked closely with Oldehoeft on the project. “This was something that needed to be done.  It wasn’t on the top of our list but it is one we can scratch off the list. Now that it is done it really improved the looks of the building and will extend the life of the boards and make everything look new again.”

“We were disappointed that it was a shortened fair and we didn’t get to utilize it as well as we would have usually.”

Becker was pleased with the interactions he had with Oldehoeft, “Clint was very polite and ran everything by me or one of the other board members. I was really impressed with the work he did on the numbering of the stalls.”

Scoutmaster Dean Bartu was also impressed with Oldehoeft’s leadership during the project, “Clint was very organized and concise in his direction and leadership at the cattle barn.  He has done an outstanding job staying on top of the paperwork that is required for the project as well.”

Earning the Eagle rank has been a long standing goal of Oldehoeft’s since he got his arrow of light in Cub Scouts.  It has been the culmination of a great experience for him, “I have learned a lot in scouts and am very thankful for our troop and everything we have done.  Being able to have a troop here in Exeter was a big deal for me.”

Scouting has helped him grow in many ways, “I have become more outspoken. I have learned leadership. I am not very extroverted but have gained a lot of confidence and learned a lot of life skills and basic knowledge like tying a sheepshank knot.”

The project was challenging but with the help of his family members, troop members and friends who altogether contributed 111 hours, Oldehoeft met his goal and now has one more last board of review before the Eagle rank is earned.

 

Scouts and friends helped Clint Oldehoeft work on his Eagle project at Fillmore County Fairgrounds.  They paused for a photo once the work was done.  Pictured from the left are Ben Bartu, Wes Ronne, Clint Oldehoeft, Mikey Bartu, Tyler Sysel and Braden Capek (not pictured are William Yokel, Will Yokel, Carol Capek, Laura Sysel, Jill Oldehoeft, Kiley Oldehoeft and Dean and Leesa Bartu).

Scouts and friends helped Clint Oldehoeft work on his Eagle project at Fillmore County Fairgrounds.  Pictured from the left while pulling staples are Wes Ronne, Clint Oldehoeft, Braden Capek, Ben Bartu, Jason Oldehoeft, Mikey Bartu and Tyler Sysel.