May 4, 2006 News
Ken & Lou Thompson, Bucklin, were here on Monday to visit with Grace Thompson to wish her a happy birthday.  They had gone to Salina for the weekend to take care of their grandchildren while their son Bryan and Cindy Thompson went to Boston to hear their eldest daughter, Emily, sing.
 
William Greenway, Western Plains High School, aka Ransom/Bazine, competed at the Southwest Kansas Business Competition at Garden City Community College.  William placed third in accounting and fourth in business law.
 
Bill and Marge Moran spent the weekend at Topeka celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary.  Those joining them were John and Ellen Moran, Michele Moran, Jason Moran and Joya, David Moran and Clark and Nicole Kirk.  A pre-party was held on Easter at the home of Clark and Nicole Kirk at Burrton.  Those attending were John, Ellen & Josh Moran, Jason Moran, Michele Moran, David, Stacy, Nick, Zack and Abby Moran, Aunt Steff and Cliff & Carol Kirk.
 
 Richard "Dick" Buxton, Arvada, Colorado, died March 28, 2006.  Dick was a 1951 graduate of McCracken High School.  He was born to Mont D. and Margaret Peterson Buxton in December 1933.  His wife Pat writes that "He put up a tough fight with courage and now he is at Peace".  He was cremated.
 
The final Encore Series performance was held on Monday, April 24, at Beach-Schmidt Performing Arts Center.  It was Mark O'Connor's Appalachia Waltz trio.  The trio included a violin, a viola and a cello.  Mr. O'Connor has collaborated with Yo-Yo Ma and wrote the musical part of the closing ceremony of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.  Those attending Monday's event were R. B. Hayes, Royalyn Hayes, Betty Schwartzkopf, Ruthetta Hansen, Carol Weber, Shirley Higgins, Carolyn Thompson and Lorraine Ryan.
 
The Encore Series 25th anniversary celebration 2006-2007 will begin in October.  Those events will include "I Can't Stop Loving You" (Ray Charles), Miami City Ballet, STOMP, New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Lost in Younkers, Man of La Mancha, The Letterman and Emerson String Quartet.  Contact Fort Hays for tickets.
 
Pat Derr hosted a birthday soup supper for her mother, Grace Walker Thompson, and her family on Tuesday evening.  Grace received so many nice cards and messages for which she is grateful.
 
We understand that John Stull recently celebrated his 70th birthday.  Congratulations John.
 
Father Basil Torrez celebrated mass at St. Mary's Catholic Church on Saturday afternoon.  DeAnna Bergquist was the lector and Whitney Taylor served. Frances Casey & Laura Linsey led the rosary.  Fred & Mary Anne Taylor brought up the gifts.  Ushers were Wilfrid Higgins, Francis Wierman, Bet McCormick and Paul Pavlu. Jim Schafer was sacristan and Roy & Phyllis Conrad arranged for the mass to be held with the Bishop.  Father Torrez will be a priest for 50 years on May 26, 2006.  A special celebration will be held at Collyer in June.  He will be honored at his home parish of Kanopolis on the weekend of May 26 with family and friends.
 
Mike, Susan and Shannon Keith, Carolyn Thompson, Ruth Yawger and Al Hugh attended the Requiem by Mozart at Beach-Schmidt on Sunday afternoon.  Judy Hugh was a member of the Hays Community Choir, which joined with the Fort Hays Choir and Symphony to present the program.  Afterward the family went to IHOP for a birthday supper for Ben Thompson.
           
Memorials have been given to the McCracken Alumni in memory of Oliver and Edith Pearson from Lynnette Pearson Guy; David Rogers from Terri Rogers Cox; Elmore Ryan from Lorraine Ryan; Margaret Buxton from John Hanson Jr.; Dick Buxton and Jack Wilson from Carolyn Thompson;  Lester Higgins from Sarena Higgins; Celestin Stremel from Kathleen Stremel; Emmett D. Sloan from Ruth Ann Sloan Sissel; Jack Wilson from Francis and Julia Davenport Zeller; Charles and Wanda Carman Walker from Diana Walker Hart; Rollo, Edna and Jack Cheney from Phyllis Cheney Dooley.
 
Jan North celebrated her birthday in Arlington, TX last week with Ronn and Laura Martin, Sarah and Aidan. Arlyn and Eunice also attended the week long party.  One evening the kids took great grandma Eunice to see Elvis.  He stared into her eyes and serenaded her!!
 
Brandon and Logan North baked a cake and made ice cream for Grandma Jan’s birthday when she returned home from TX.  The party also included Heath, Paula and Carson; Ted Shawna and Clay and Grandpa Arlyn.
 
Marge Elias returned home April 17th after spending a week with Doug, Staci and Maggie Elias in Tampa, Florida.  She very much enjoyed Easter with her granddaughter.  Doug took her and Maggie on a tour in the golf cart on the Country Club golf course and saw many alligators.  She thought she saw the granddaddy of them all!!
 
Congratulations to Ted and Shawna North on the birth of a baby boy, Dalton Glenn, born April 26, 2006 in Hays.  He weighed 8 lbs and 5 oz and was welcomed home by his big brother Clay.  Grandparents are Arlyn and Jan North, great grandmothers, Icis Eisenhour and Eunice North.
 
Holly Schkoda and Joyce Mays accompanied Stacy Schkoda and the rest of the 8th grade class to Washington DC this past week.  There were about 40 8th graders along with chaperons.   They were gone 10 days and visited Jamestown, Williamsburg and Gettysburg.  Joyce visited with her cousin Nancy Royal in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.  Holly and Joyce, who live in California, are the daughters of George and Joy Hunter.
 
Congratulations to Ian and Caitlyn Winters Moore on the birth of a baby boy April 26, 2006.  He has been named Gavin Donald Mark Moore.  Gavin weighed 9 lb 9 oz and was 22 inches long.  Caitlyn is the daughter of Patty and Craig Winters.  Caitlyn stayed with her great aunt and uncle Joy and George Hunter and attended Bazine High School for a year.
 
The MHS alumni would like the addresses of Alberta Anderson Kriesel, Helen Smith Foote, Joyce Fluharty Towns, Ruth, Wayne and Don Johnston, and Patty Graf Dreher. 
 
The Hoisington CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) charted a bus this weekend and traveled to Denver where they went to the ESPN ZONE restaurant, visited Mother Cabrini Shrine, Red Rock Amphitheatre and had mass at Cathedral of Immaculate Conception all in Denver.  Kyra and Cameron Horesky are members of CYO.
 
Les and Rose Diehl and their friends, Pat and Vickie, Topeka, spent the weekend in McCracken and attended the wonderful brisket supper Saturday evening.
 
Clinton Kershner, Angela Morgan, Brian Legleiter, and Scott Irvin attended the Confirmation rally for young adults at the Eastern Heights United Methodist Church in Wichita on Friday and Saturday. Saturday evening was spent at the All Star Sports Center and swimming at the motel pool.  In a skit at the rally, Brian was Pastor Billy Bob Brian.  Kerri Morgan was one of the sponsors.  They returned home Sunday.
 
The pool fund-raising committee reports that the Saturday night fund raiser was a great success.  Brett Gilbert was the chief ‘cook’!! The meal consisted of brisket and baked potatoes by Brett with wonderful desserts and salads from our good cooks in McCracken.
‘Lucky’ Laura Casey Linsey won the Choppa trike that was donated by Laura North Martin.  John Zeller called the numbers for bingo.