Jesus said, “I am with you always, to the very end of the.” Matthew 28:20

As I begin to type this column, it is late Friday afternoon, March 6, and I am still “high” on emotion and excitement and memories from the Eads Eagle girls and Kit Carson Girls Wildcat basketball playoff game at the Eads gymnasium, which had lots of fans from both schools. There would have been even more from Kit Carson, but their boys basketball team was traveling eight hours over to the western slope to play the Nucla team playoff game toward a state title.

The girls’ game was exciting, and the school spirit was very outstanding! Neither small school has cheerleaders. This is painful to me since I was the Eads Pep Club sponsor for many years in the past. I am glad that the students and some teachers and adult fans are beginning to take part more this year! In the end, the Eads girls won the game, so they will go directly to state Great 8 Playoffs in Greeley the March 12. Here is a list of the Eads players and their jersey numbers: 0—Itzi Ramirez, 1—Aubrey Mitchek, 2-Addison Courkamp, 3-Emma Woolert, 4—Peyton Eder, 5—Reece Barnett, 10—Kara Wilson, 11—Lexi Shotton, 12—Bailey Sierra, 15—Savanna Brown, 20-Aspen Nelson, 22—Emma Woolert, and 22—Tailee Weeks-Johnson. These talented girls are coached by Trey Eder, assisted by Justin McCloud and Kaylee Wilson.

Last week, three men from Kiowa County, Brandon Briggs, Jeremy Brown, and Jaime Crockett, drove together Arizona to play in a big golf tournament. Jeremy said they had a good time and enjoyed the warmer weather of 83 degrees.

Congratulations to Jax Cordova, who is an Eads six grade student. The multi-talented young man is the 2026 Colorado State 120-pound wrestling champion! His parents are Cody and Riki (Berry) Cordova.

The senior citizen bunch was to be Thursday, and was rescheduled to Wednesday so the center could be used for Terri Voss’ funeral dinner. There was a large-sized group who came to share the monthly brunch. When I went into the center, Konda Howard was flipping pancakes, Gail Voss was sliding eggs cups into the oven, Sylvia Weeks was chopping more fruit, Mary Englehardt was setting out lots of salads, and Areta Laird, Alice Glover, and Nancy McCracken tended beverages and deserts, as they did the next day at the Voss funeral dinner. Terri came from a large family and friends, who gathered in Haswell for her burial, officiated by Pastor Mark Emel of Eads. The guests filled both large rooms. Gail said friends could come also. I did go, and was able to visit with one of my student friends, Brett Rusher, who is a buffalo rancher in South Dakota. He and his wife were surely enjoying their grandchildren, and are now looking forward to the births of four grandchildren in summer.

Glenn Smith will retire this year. He has been a fine leader of Eads schools over a number of years. I remember the night I first observed him many years ago in Holly, where he was a wrestling coach and I was a Pep Club sponsor. That night after the team boys gave their mothers a rose, he gave his wife, Tracy, a big bouquet of roses. I knew then that he was a good man. Later, he came to Eads to be our Superintendent. He was a pleasure to work with. It was wonderful to watch their children grow up in our school, and cheer for them in school. Garret, Logan, and Mariah are all college graduates and married now. Glenn’s dear wife died several years ago of cancer, which was so sad for many of us who enjoyed and loved her.

Linnae Kelley, who graduated in 1976, painted by lettering the “The School Song” on a long white banner, which is hung just inside the Eads School Library windows just inside the front entrance.

In Eads we have been celebrating Orville Mousel for being 105 years old. He is a special man, especially since he escaped the burning war ship, California, when it was burning after being bombed by the Japanese in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Orville swam under flaming water to escape from dying. Orville’s family had received a report he was missing and presumed dead. Orville did not realize this had happen, so when he walked into his family home near First View east of Kit Carson some time later to their shock, after they had had his funeral. Last week his son, Roger, and wife, Marsha, and their son, R.J., who was a military man, too, came to see Orville. Too much snow kept them away from Orville’s birthday party, however, Kent and Brent Stoker, and his granddaughter, Pam Mousel, came to enjoy the party at Weisbrod Externed Care Center in Eads. Six Mousel relatives came to join those from Bennet. They were Betty (Mousel) Lee, Francesca, Zoey, and Theresa Mousel, Kathy (Mousel) Staub, and Patrick Reed, who sat at the long table at the home with Orville. Our director, Brenda Leon, served the lovely cake with punch while Orville answered many questions from the guests. Patrick Lee is a World War II research author on the eight to nine remaining World War II veterans. He flew to Denver from Austin, Texas, to interview Orville before his 105^th birthday party.

Many people traveled to Wray to attend the funeral and burial of Brady Buck, young father of two little boys, and husband of Eads’ Jordan Barnett. Sadly, Brady died from a lingering cancer.

Peace be with you.