New Administrator

Cleve is now also an administrator of this blog. That means he too can add people, remove comments (occasionally a comment may appear from somebody not connected to us who's just trolling for a business or whatever), or change or fix things. I thought it might be wise to have more than one person who can do all that.

So if you get up and the template is all changed around, you can assume that it was Cleve who was being creative the night before!

Aaron touching in

We're expecting our 3rd child to be born any time now. The bags are packed!

We had a great time @ Angela's house with everyone. It was nice to spend some time with her family and Jason & Janice and their family. I may have even enjoyed that more than the chance to get some Monical's pizza. Thanks for your hospitality Angela!

Lynn, I enjoyed reading your book. Nicely done and very interesting.

Just call me The Bag Lady

I have been making these "humbug" bags for Kelsie's softball team so that when it is her turn to take snacks for the team, the girls will each have a special bag of treats. I have embroidered a name on one side and U-High on the other side and obviously the school colors are green and yellow. Only had to start over on two when I realized the zipper was in upside down or inside out whichever way you want to call it. I completely wiped out the fabric stores in Bloomington of their yellow zippers! It's been a fun project.

I might even put a few treats in the bags. It is normal to spoil your grandchildren, right?

Now - my big challenge is to see if I can get this picture into this post! Yeahhh!

Ada

Good friend killed in car accident

Hi Everybody

I awoke to sad news this morning. Ray Feucht was killed in a car accident near Eureka last evening - probably had something to do with the brief ice/hail storm we had at about 6:30 pm. I received an email this morning from Sonia Endress, his daughter. She and her husband Brandon are in our Crown Study group and we had a meeting from 6:30 - 8:30 last night just after the ice storm. They were at the meeting and must have gotten the word shortly after they got home and I'm sure they were up all night.

Ray and Marge moved to Gridley about 4-5 years ago from Lester Iowa. They were very "unique" additions to our Gridley congregation and everyone just appreciated them both. Ray helped Jerry "dig up" our over-grown flower garden last spring so we could replant and start it over. Ray who is over 80, in his overalls, with his little bucket vehicle and Jerry with his poor hip were quite a pair doing that heavy work -- I stayed in the house and didn't even want to watch! Anyway, both Ray and Marge just fit right into the church family and were involved and helped in everything. Put most of us to shame.

Sonia didn't say anything about her mom, so I don't know if she was with him or not. So pray for their family. They have two daughters who live in Gridley on the same street as they do which is two blocks north of us. There are two other children that I don't know.

It's bright and sunny in Gridley today. Talk to you all later.

Ada

Mary sent me this yesterday to post, but there were problems with a Mac and PC trying to communicate. ~Rhoda

While you are shoveling out of the snow, we're enjoying a beautiful
spring. I took these photos of Bradford Pear trees on a short walk I
took outside my office a few minutes ago. The owner of our company
has planted hundreds of these trees in our area and they're
beautiful in the spring and again in the fall when they turn vibrant
red. It does feel like snow in the spring when the wind blows the
blooms off the trees! p.s. If it's any consolation, the past 2 nights
it has gotten down to freezing temps.

Fun family gathering

Seeing that Aaron is on the blog, I want to share with you all about a recent family gathering. After Uncle Ralph's visitation, Jason and his family were planning to come to our house for pizza before heading back to the suburbs. On the way, he called to see if it was OK with me that he had invited Aaron and his wife. Of course it was OK, so I ordered a ton of pizza from Monical's, which turned out to be a good idea since there isn't Monical's in Indianapolis. I would never have thought when I woke that morning that Aaron would be over that night, but it was such a good time. I'm so happy we got to know each other. I hope that through the blog we can keep in touch, and maybe get together with them again after the baby is born. Would be especially fun for Nathan to be with their 3 boys, and J&J's 3 boys -- and any other cousins we could round up!

New Members

As you saw below, Aunt Alice has joined! Also, Aaron has joined from Indianapolis. So glad to have them both a part of this. There are three open invitations to family members who have requested them but have not yet joined.

If anyone has a personal blog that you would like to have linked on the sidebar, just let me know.

Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!

I remember at last year's dinner Dad said, "Well, we'll go to bed tonight, get up in the morning and begin our next 50 years." I guess tonight you'll go to bed, get up in the morning and begin your 52nd year of marriage.

--Rhoda

Easter

Happy Easter to everyone. Bonnie showed me how to join the blog! So if all goes well, you may be hearing from me soon. Hope everyone has a lovely day.

Love,
Alice

Easter Greetings

http://www.americangreetings.com/ecards/view.pd?i=464105106&m=5625&source=ag992


Hope everyone had a wonderful Easter today. Meeting Mom and a few family members for dinner at Cracker Barrel. Enjoying the blog!

Judy K

Ralph's Condolences

Here is one of the Peoria Journal Star newspaper's online condolences to Ralph.

"Please know that Ralph was a valuable contributor to the lives of many, including myself. I remain forever grateful for having known and been mentored by him for an all too short time during his service to our nation. His wisdom was to be cherished, his spirit admired, and his commitment to sound principle rare"
Gary C. Martin, Washington D.C. (formerly of Princeville)
.................................

It's been 17 days since Dad passed away. Just in case some of you have missed his on-line condolences, and wish to read them, you can go to them at the following funeral-home website. Very nice written remembrances from many different people.....
Just click on OBITUARIES on the left, then scroll down to click on Dad's name, then
click on "View condolences" under his picture.

www.ruestmanharrisfuneralhome.com

Cleve

Easter Egg Hunt Disaster

It's cold here in Roanoke, too. 32 degrees, wind chill feels like 30 below (to me). We were running late. Ethne only had a spring jacket with a broken zipper and no hood strings. She'll do a lot for candy, but this was just too much!! What a memory!

How's Your Spring Going?

Ours? Not so Spring-y. We had about 9 inches of snow yesterday!



We made our way through white out conditions to Grace & Owen's first Taekwondo belt promotion test. The video below shows the last step they need to take:



If you can't make out the audio, Owen is first and asks for "two child boards". Grace is second and asks for the same. The judge (not pictured) asks if she is Owen's big sister, subtly hinting that she should ask for "one adult board".

They are both very proud of their accomplishments (and so are their parents ;-).

Sweet? Yep!!!

More goodies have been uncovered through the establishment of this blog site. Who are the "attractees?"
And--what year?

Another New Member

Gloria has joined the blog! There are also three open invitations out to people who have requested to join, but I'll let you know who they are when they actually sign up.

BACK TO THE BABY BUGGY PICTURE

Lynnie, Lynnie --I know a baby buggy from a chair - I was referring to the ugly red, black, gray thing that is a chair. And yes, looks like a matching pillow on one of the couch pictures.

As for the baby buggy, didn't Mother sell it at the auction? If not, it also seems like she might have given it to Jay as it was originally his.

Love you, Ada

Violinist or Agriculturist?

I've been meaning to comment on Rhoda's question below, but I thought it better to create a new post, as you wouldn't want to miss this.

I remember Dad explaining why he took up the violin. He loved watching fiddlers, especially those on the Hee Haw show. They made it look so easy - anybody ought to be able to do it, if they just make up their mind to and then practice a lot. Well, one of the first things he learned from his teacher is you have to have a "good ear" in order to play the violin. Mom then tells the story of Dad's experience in high school Chorus. The teacher introduced the first song and Dad belted it out as loud as he could. The teacher said, "Let's try again, but this time, Ralph, turn the volume down a bit." Which he did. Again the teacher asked he turn down the volume yet a little more. This process kept repeating until Dad was merely moving his lips, at which time the teacher proclaimed, "Now THAT was PERfect!"

Needless to say, Dad's career as a violinist was short-lived!

Beloved "Aunt Mary" at the Homestead

Here's a lovely picture of one of our favorite "Aunts", Aunt Mary, who lived catty-cornered across the intersection from Grandma & Grandpa for most of her years. She watched over her parents diligently and always had a comment about most any topic.
Anybody know who's bicycle that is or who's Dodge car that is? What year? She passed away in 1989, over 90 years of age. Any insightful comments about your experience(s) with Aunt Mary????

Good friend passes away

S. M. (Mac) McAllister is "absent from the body and present with the Lord." Mac and Jeanette have been friends of ours since late 1974 when they joined the newly formed Christian Radio team in Decatur, AL. They were at our 50th wedding anniversary and through the years some of our Klopfenstein family members have met them. They were and are fine Christian friends. Son, Dale, lives near Cincinnati, OH, and Bruce, lives in Greenville, SC. He is faculty member at Bob Jones University.

Mac was 82 and in failing health for a couple of years. Pray for Jeanette and the boys. So--with the passing of Brother Ralph and now Friend Mac, Mim and I have significant holes in our lives. But this is where a meaningful faith in the Lord really "kicks in" for the support needed in spirit.

Moreover, I think the family blog is one of the better things since sliced bread. This mode of communication is simply neat for unification of our family. You all keep up the good work. It is a form of "family payday." Thank you for the variety of entries!!!
Uncle Lynn

The Violinist

Hearing about Uncle Ralph's short-lived career as a violinist at the funeral and then seeing the picture reminded me of the Herman Miller Millwright story. It's often told at events here at work as it shows the importance of seeing people as individuals and not just as a worker.

You can read the story by clicking here.

So I must ask the question, "Was Uncle Ralph a violinist who worked in the agriculture world or was he the modern day Joseph of the agriculture world who played the violin?"

--Rhoda

Mystery--need help

Any sculptors out there? Anyone with expertise on wood carvings? Mike is the man, but he's in SC and we're in AL. Yesterday LCCS had a yard sale and some man (no one knows who) dropped off at least twenty-nine wood carvings such as two foot graceful herons, gnomes, fat women, monks in thick hoods reading a book, and more. Several have a tag with Edward Fitzpatrick with a Pensacola address and phone number. Both were dead ends. Each piece has EF burned into the bottom along with his signature. The latter appears to be that of an old man, even older than we! The dreamer in me sees $ to use for repair work at LCCS. Need help!
Mim

A Violinist?

Although I was working hard at trying to keep Nathan quiet during the funeral, I do remember the minister mentioning Uncle Ralph's "short career" as a violinst. Not sure if the collage on display at the visitation contained a photo of him playing, but I found one in my old photo albums I thought you all might enjoy. Mom's got Nathan for awhile, so I'm spending time figuring out how to scan and such....

Off to the Windy City!

Since it was Spring Break this week, mom and I took Kelsie and a friend to Chicago for the day on Thursday. We rode the morning train and took a cab from Union Station to Water Tower Place. Then we shopped, ate at The Cheesecake Factory, and walked on Michigan Avenue all the way to Millenium Park. From there, we caught a cab back to the station and rode the 7 p.m. train back to B/N. There was sure alot to see! The girls even got to ice skate, despite the warm(ish) spring temperature. What a great day!

Homestead scene from the 50's

For the benefit of any family member under the age of 52, here is what one could see most any evening from May - September on Perry's front porch throughout the 1950's --Grandpa (or great-grandpa) E.J. sitting quietly on the porch swing. And, usually in a long-sleeved white shirt, with hat, as shown in the picture. For those of us over the age of 52, this might be one of the main images you might have of him. It is for me and it brings fond memories.
Cleve

Where did the photos go?

Ann -- Was I dreaming or did you post photos of Chicago from the plane? I was telling mom about it, but she said she didn't see it. Now I'm checking for myself, and see that indeed it's not there. Am I crazy?

Angela

Misc. Saturday

Drake has signed up on the blog--Also, Aunt Alice has put in a request to join!

Could someone get me an email for Jamie? The one she gave me last Sunday has come back, and she would like to join.

Interesting point: I found the itinerary for last week's plane flight, which cost $209, saved on my computer. Just out of curiosity, I plugged in this week's dates for the identical flights--Saturday and Monday, same flight numbers, same times leaving & arriving, same airports--just to see if the price was the same. This week it would have cost $1058. Can you believe the difference?

Storms are heading this way so I may be battening down the hatches soon. Y'all have a good one.

Reminders of Yesterday!

No guesswork on this one! Mim found some old slides and had a few photos printed. Such good memories. I'm persuaded that we should record as much history as possible. Journaling and writing are so important.

Babies in a Buggy

Three guesses and only one counts!
Need names and year. What ever happened to the buggy?

Good to see so many of you

Even with the circumstances, it was really, really nice to see so many of you this weekend. It may have been subdued, but it was a wonderful reunion.

Judy, Cleve, Cathy, and all--I thought you did a beautiful job in planning a tribute to your dad. Everything was tastefully done and added up to a memory that people will never forget of what a multi-talented man your dad was--and even more so, what a family man and God-honoring man he was. Clark Stoller's words were especially poignant. And Judy--the pictures you posted below are not morbid; they are beautiful and touching.

I got home about 11:30 last night (EST) and was in the classroom at 8:00 this morning. It was a weird feeling to know that 24 hours ago I was with family in Gridley. Thank you to all.

I actually had a wonderful time at the cemetery this morning watching "my boys" dig their grandpa(great)'s grave. Casey has become the official gravedigger in Gridley and he and Wade, Sam and Thad and Ben, and Dave dug a perfect grave for Dad. I think it is something the little boys might be able to remember. Thank you for all the prayers the past few days.

Love,

Judy K

Seeing Family

So for the next day or two we will not need a blog to stay in touch. Though the occasion is sad, it is also the celebration of someone who has gone on ahead, and I look forward to seeing many of you in person as we honor the life of Uncle Ralph.

I thank God for the privilege of being born into an extended family with the Christian heritage that we have.

ooooops!

This crazy laptop! I hit something -- who knows what -- and posted before completing my post. Anyway, back to my grandchildren. My little Nathan loves it when I babysit which is every Wednesday. He wears me out but it's worth every minute. I thought I'd share a little of his vocabulary with you: eeee is green, boo is blue, rrrr is red, eye is white, no is snow. OK that's enough of boring you with that. He loves to go shopping with me and has learned already that it's good for at least one toy.

By the way, he has a pair of boots -- and he always wears them appropriately!

As all of you are, we continue to pray for Ralph and his family during this time.

That's my Grandkids!

Just in case you don't know, those beautiful kids in Angela's post are my grandkids! And they gon

Nathan loves Kelsie

This photo was taken in February 2008. Kelsie is 17, and Nathan is 1 (almost 2!). I'm happy she's still around here to be with Nathan for a few years, even though he may never remember "living with" her. I enjoyed finding this photo on the computer (Kelsie took it herself with a digital camera) because the two of them are usually picking and fighting, but this tells me they are in love when I'm not looking, and that's enough.

Update

Just want to keep everyone updated on Dad. He appears to be comatose today, 101.5 fever, yet appears to be peaceful and pain-free, for which we are thankful. Bob Pfledderer came today and had a nice visit with Mom and then read Scripture and prayed very close to Dad. We saw no response, but believe it's very possible that he does hear us. So we are on a wait and watch mode, knowing it could be a day, days, or even a couple of weeks. I will keep you all posted.

Love,
Judy

Hello from a newcomer. I note everybody who contributed to the EJK blog so far possesses Klopfenstein DNA. That makes me sort of a foreigner--but I've been a Klopfenstein for fifty-one years, which is longer than most of you. So hopefully that qualifies me to join this
illustrious group!

I've really enjoyed reading the blogs and feel I've gotten to know some of you that I really didn't know before! So keep writing and cementing the family bonds. The "guess who" and/or "guess what" are lots of fun. Have some old slides to get printed at WalMart soon so hang on and keep watching.

Judy, that is an adorable pic of Ben? or Thad? But, who dressed him--you or Dave?
Love you all, Mim

You have to pick your battles!

I know it's 10:30 am on Sunday but I am home enjoying two of my grandsons who are sick with cough/fever. Will (the oldest) had severe influenza this week, the others have been coughing, etc. (even the 2-week old baby) so Shelley and Sam have had their hands full. Sam is on call all week-end so I brought Thad and Ben home for an overnight. Had to take this picture of Ben...he definitely has a mind of his own. Check out the footwear...as I say, you have to pick your battles! Amazingly, I did get both of them to try cough drops (Yeah, they were Luden's, but these boys don't like anything new!) and they both slathered their chests with Vick's! We had a pretty decent night.

Dad continues to run a low grade fever, has an ugly bed sore on his tailbone, weighs 128 pounds and has a painful cough. He eats little to nothing. We got hospice on board, but we realize this could go on for weeks, hopefully not months, yet. Will keep you updated.

Love to all,

Judy K

Grandpa E.J.'s picture trivia

Congratulations to Ada for knowing and posting the trivia question answer about the 3 sayings on the plaque on the dining room wall (the picture post of Grandpa at the dining room table). And, to Uncle Lynn and Rhoda for knowing that the phone # was 4-Blue. Yes, the grain office # was 20. Ours, up on E. 4th Street was 127-Blue.
However, I am still curious about the toy race-car in front of him in the photo. Any knowledge of the origin of the toy car or who has it now? Not a big deal, but just a strange curiosity about an odd toy in an odd place.
Cleve

Joining the ranks of the Klop runners

In the fine tradition of Grandpa Ralph, Uncle Perry, Cousin Angela and others, Brett & I have decided to train for a half marathon. We will be running in the San Diego Rock & Roll marathon on June 1. As of today, I have run 31.5 miles total with a longest distance of 4.5 miles. Brett has run 41.75 miles with a top distance of 5.5 miles.

To help with our training we joined Team in Training, a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We sent out letters to aunts/uncles and cousins, but if any extended family members are inclined to donate or would like to keep track of our progress, you can visit our website at http://www.active.com/donate/tntil/tntilBHeinig
If you'd rather use snail mail, e-mail me at bjheiniger at verizon dot net and I'll send you our address.

Updates & New Posters

Jake Knobloch and Miriam Klopfenstein have recently requested blogging invitations, which have both been sent, and it will be good to have their contributions also.

Activity slowed somewhat this week. The ebb and flow of bloglife is to be expected. I myself was only able to check the activity level occasionally this week, much less take the time to post.

An update on Uncle Perry's convalescence would be appreciated!

I understand that the situation with Uncle Ralph continues to evolve. Working on my own dad's memoir with him brought back fond memories of reading Uncle Ralph's several years ago. He certainly has led a long and honorable life, and his accomplishments and dedication to worthy causes have been amazing.

I remember as a newlywed living in the little town of Prosperity, SC, in 1986--during Uncle Ralph's tenure in government--listening to the AP newswire one day when something about agriculture was in the news. What a pleasant and fun surprise to hear his name as he was quoted on some statistic! I remember yelling for Mike to come quickly--that was my Uncle Ralph on the radio!