More Great Students Who Have Stayed to Grace Wahpeton's Landscape

This week I'd like to highlight a few more of the fine students it has been my pleasure to get to know better because they have chosen to stay here and dedicate their gifts and talents to improving Wahpeton's quality of life. Almost every week I bump into Brenda Cjesdahl who waits on me at Econo Foods when I buy gas or minnows for my fishing. She was my student way back in the 70's. And she does a great job at Econo.

And almost every week our Yorkie, Jake , goes nuts with the urge to rub noses with Nancy Diederick's muscular pug-like dog when Nancy takes him for a walk . Jake always acts like a big shot when he's safely on his chain or behind a window, but I think he'd turn tail and run if that pug ever decided to take him seriously. Many of you may know Nancy because she and her husband, Dan used to own and operate Terrace Lanes. Then Nancy lost Dan to a tragic illness and had to sell the business. A prayer or two aimed in her direction might be very much appreciated. Nancy is a brave lady facing the “fell clutch of circumstance” pretty much all by herself. If you know any widows or widowers left alone to face all the problems both spouses used to face together, try to imagine what it must be like to have to deal with life's low blows all by yourself. It's got to be tough. And I want to add here that Nancy was also a terrific student and part of a memorable class full of bright young “seekers of wisdom and truth.” If the Spirit of Compassion brings someone to mind, pray for them. Prayer works and helps. A while back I asked readers to pray for my old buddy Warren Williams battling stage four cancer. Guess what? His wife Mary E-Mailed us a picture of Warren standing up and looking great. The picture was labeled, “Look Ma, no walker. His cancer appears to be on the run! Please believe it, prayer works!

And Nancy's ordeal brings to mind others in the same boat. I think of Craig Caspers whose beautiful wife, Sue, was so cruelly stolen from him. Both of them were such gracious servants at the many funerals they helped with. The Caspers family, as many of us know, have been major contributors to Wahpeton's success as a great little city, but they have had to suffer more than their share of tragedies: Bob, who was a student with me at Science back in the 50's lost his beautiful wife Sandy, also, and now brother Woody, who was certainly the best public relations man NDSCS has ever had has been afflicted by another deadly malady. Certainly Shakespeare's famous line, “When sorrows come, they come not single spies but in battalions.” is ringing all too true, all too often.

And while we're on the topic of widowhood, I think of Janae Ries, whose husband, Robert, was stricken and taken from her. She was never my student, but I can truthfully say I was one of hers. She showed so many that she waited on at Econo Foods her amazing gift of hospitality, the magic of making people feel accepted. I know that many an old guy, myself included, often stopped at Econo early on our way to fishing,or to work or to morning coffee--- not so much that we needed to buy anything, but just to get that encouraging word, or loving smile, or even a badly needed hug --just to feel reassured that someone still cared. And she never played favorites; everyone received that same amazing grace, I know Janae had to leave that job so she could find one with better retirement benefits, but I hope personnel managers can get better at assessing the true contributions of their best employees so they could rightly discern which ones, like Janae, are truly indispensable.

Also well worthy of mention are the Dahlman's Allen and Judy. They may even have met in one of my classes, because I remember them both as being single in my English class, way back when. Both went on to great careers in education. And Alan has served the Twin Towns Music Series as the congenial master of ceremonies.

Often also when I sojourn up 11^th Street, I catch a glimpse of another of my successful students, that well-known and somewhat Lincolnesque barrister, Christian Anderson, who also shares my love for Chinese food. He once bought the antique pick-up truck my dad left us when he passed. Chris did a great job of restoring that old heap into a fine looking automobile.

These are but a few of the notables my shaky recollections have brought to mind. Wish I could add more detail in some of these, but faulty hearing over the phone and reticence to be too nosy have added to the diminution of these somewhat sketchy anecdotes. And many other notables still await being disclosed when my memory brings them to mind.

Gene Pinkney, (3/10/20) Daily News