Saturday at Creek Days

The weather was perfect --sunny and cool. I started the day at the Masons' pancake breakfast at the fire station and had pancakes, delicious sausage, scrambled eggs, milk and coffee for a bargain price--only $4. I haven't lived in Odebolt for many years, but no one, especially a homegrown person, is ever a stranger here. I had a great time talking to locals and former locals at the breakfast--see some of them in the slide show which is linked at the bottom of the page.

After breakfast I intended to go directly to the kiddies' tractor pull and the Chamber of Commerce washer throw, but couldn't resist going to the Odebolt Museum first.  In case you haven't heard, the museum is moving into the building at the northeast corner of Second and Maple, which provides much more room to display the museum's wonderful collections. To raise funds, the museum commissions an Odebolt historic Christmas ornament every year, and this year's ornament features the old Odebolt Hospital. Carol Auen, the museum's curator, said that the ornament featuring the Cracker Jack building is selling briskly to collectors of Cracker Jack memorabilia all over the U.S.A. Perhaps they discovered the ornament on Odebolt's web site! In addition, the museum sells its history book which was written for the Quasquicentennial. Odebolt Forever, 1877-2002, is a terrific read. The museum also had flea market items displayed on tables on Maple Street.

Those tireless and dedicated Tiefenthaler sisters, Thelma Schroeder and Verna Mae Schwaller, have arranged wonderfully evocative period rooms on the first floor of the new museum quarters--a parlor, a bedroom and a large kitchen. On the parlor wall hangs a panoramic photo of the Mission Covenant Church congregation taken by A. W. Dahlstrom in 1917. He had started the camera at the left of the group and had then taken his place in the photo at the right. Warren Hanson showed me his four-year-old self in the front row of the picture, as well as his parents and baby sister. My grandparents and my mother, a babe in grandpa's arms, were in the picture too. The museum was full of enthusiastic people poring over and exclaiming about the exhibits. Our Odebolt heritage is alive and well at the Odebolt Museum!

The kiddie's tractor pull was in full swing by the time I got there. Children of various sizes and ages were peddling with all their might to pull the weights in the wagons behind the pedal tractors. They had lots of encouragement from adults running the event, and of course from their families watching from the sidelines. Nearby was the washer tournament, which had many contestants lined up tossing washers into boxes across the lawn. The TAG students were busy setting up their carnival events on Third Street.

I strolled down Willow Street and saw that the beautifully restored classic cars were beginning to arrive for the car show. In the next block the vendors had set out their wares and were attracting customers. Around the corner the Odebolt Community Center was a beehive of activity as volunteers from the United Methodist Church prepared food for lunch. The entire east wall of the community center is now covered with murals of historic Odebolt buildings, and it looks great. Specialty food vendors were setting up on the street in front of the Community Center.

I started toward the library, but ran into some high school contemporaries, and we chatted until lunchtime. I went back down the street to the Community Center, which was full of people enjoying lunch and, of course, lots of talking. For dessert I treated myself to a funnel cake from a street booth, a fund-raiser for O-A students' European trip. After retrieving my folding chair from the car, I headed up to Odebolt Park, my favorite place to watch the parade. And what a great parade it was--75 minutes long! Read the write-up here: Parade

Immediately after the parade, the organizers of the coaster car races swung into action at the northeast corner of the park. I'm not sure who has more fun at these races--the kids or the parents. The onlookers gasped as a few of the contestants wove from side to side as they attempted to steer their cars down the hill. We all roared with laughter when one little girl coasting downhill waved at spectators from her car as she'd seen people do in the parade. The coaster car races are good fun for all ages.

Later on I wandered down to the Community Center. The band for the evening's dance was setting up on the outdoor stage and testing sound levels. Young people were playing sand volleyball in the lot next to the stage. The beer garden was in full swing, and many people were seated at picnic tables on the street under canopies. Kristy and Brad Rosemeyer were enjoying themselves; it was the first Creek Days in several years that Kristy hasn't been involved in nearly every aspect of planning and running Creek Days. I took a picture of the happy couple, and the Odebolt web master will put it on the website when I get the film developed. Again, I ran into old friends at the Community Center and engaged in the favorite Creek Days activity--talking. In fact, I talked so long that I didn't get out to the open house at Heart and Home, Jeanette Fertig's charming gift and flower shop. I'll go there first next year!

I went to Herby's Bar and Grill for dinner Saturday evening, compliments of the gracious members of the American Legion. There were three class reunions at Herby's Saturday night, and the restaurant seemed to be handling the reunions, plus regular customers, with great aplomb. I had a prime rib sandwich--yum!

Sunday at Creek Days

At church Sunday morning I saw more old friends. Afterwards I went to the omelet brunch at the Arthur Community Center, where the men working over hot stoves made omelets to order. I ran into another high school contemporary and had a nice chat.

Arriving back in Odebolt, I saw a few tractors parked at the tractor pull site, but it was threatening rain and the event was called off. The demolition derby took place in the late afternoon and evening. It's a great favorite for many at Creek Days.

Sunday afternoon's event for me and about 200 others was the open house at Hattie Grace Boarding House, Sherry Grove Gritten's new bed and breakfast. It's a large house at the northeast corner of 4th Street and Hanson Boulevard built around 1902 by Odebolt's master carpenter and contractor, John McFarland. The house has been restored and is tastefully decorated, and will be a comfortable and welcoming home away from home for visitors to Odebolt.

I'm always impressed by the many volunteers who work so hard to bring us Creek Days. It's a testament to what a community of dedicated people can do, and I thank them for providing this enjoyable weekend every year. Don't forget that next year's Creek Days will begin with an all-school reunion on Friday night, June 17, 2005. We hope to see you there!

Slide show of some Creek Days activities