Ben Castro is my hero: Binder lost and found

There is a black binder in my life measuring 9.5 inches by 6 inches. A zipper on three sides closes and opens the device.

Inside are four day planners, each covering two years. Inside the planners are upcoming events, motel reservation confirmation numbers, computer passwords and much, much more of my everyday life.

My checkbook is also inside, along with current lotto tickets and a notebook or two.

Last Sunday I asked Mom to breakfast. My hands were full of a couple of items, including the black binder, when trying to place the items in the backseat of the truck. In order to free a hand, the binder was placed on top of the hard cover over the bed of my Ram.

Off we went to breakfast. We were seated and visiting 15 minutes later when my cell phone sounded.

"Hi, my name is Ben Castro," the caller said. "I found your day planner on Alder Street."

Apparently when the turn onto Alder Street was initiated, near the Alder Street Tan building, the black binder flew off the truck-bed cover. Ben and his family found it, checked for identification inside, found my business card and called me.

They were headed for Wal-Mart on a shopping trip, so we decided to meet in the parking lot in front of Petco. They were there, patiently waiting, when I arrived 10 minutes later.

He handed me the binder, I shook his hand and thanked him and waved to his family as they drove off.

Thoughtful acts, such as Ben and his family taking the extra step to contact me and return the valuable binder, leave one with the warm feeling about mankind.

A big thank you to Ben and his family.

Weber tells of life in the Volga colonies

Today we backtrack a bit and then continue the story of the Columbia Basin Irrigation Project by Jake Weber recorded Nov. 9, 1976:

He landed at Quebec, Canada, crossed the continent on the railroad with the port of entry Spokane, and landed in Ritzville. During the winter or early spring the rest of the Webers came to the United States. My father, and Hannah's father plowed together the first 160 complete acreage in the Quincy Valley.

Now, when Central and Western United States was opened to homesteaders many of the German Russians migrated to this country. The Russians from the southern part, around that Odessa which I spoke of first, were known as the south Russians and they settled pretty much in North and South Dakota. Those from the Valga colonies settled in Wisconsin, Nebraska and Colorado and some later on came to the State of Washington.

These German Russians established at least four towns in Washington that I know of, Colfax, Endicott, Odessa and Ritzville, and quite a few came to Quincy. Descendants of some of the original ones, or the names that you might recognize were the south Hussians, the Stuhlmillers, the Schorzmans, the Reimans, the Schulz, the Schmuz, the Zimbelmans, the Dormaiers, the Raus and the Roduners; the north Russians were the Reiders, Amends, Greenwalts, Toevs, Greggs, Kulms, Emtman, Swints and Webers.

My father traded his homestead three miles south and a little bit west of Quincy for one just a half mile south of the town and a few years later he acquired another 160 acres, so then he had a full half-section to farm there.

Some of you folks know that my folks built that house, which is directly across the highway from the Reclamation Bureau, in 1905. Some of you remember that it had a porch on top and some pillars that held up the roof. These pillars were quite handy. When I was in eighth grade the sinful game of basketball was being introduced.

Now I didn't think a little of that sin would hurt me too Much, so I used to slide down those pillars and go to town and play basketball. Of course, when you had to crawl back up it was harder than sliding down.

After I was in high school and became a member of the basketball team it wasn't considered quite so sinful and my folks even approved of it. Some of the fellows that I played with at that time were Tom Martin, Ed Petrack, Warren and Clyde Greenlee, Frank Huffman, Alvin Sapp and myself.

E-mail from Cheryl

Facts from the past gleaned from the Moses Lake Herald, Columbia Basin Herald and The Neppel Record by Cheryl (Driggs) Elkins:

From the Columbia Basin Herald on July 27, 1950:

Program Friday to close Bible School of church

The Vacation Bible School of Immanuel Lutheran Church will close Friday evening with a children's program for parents and friends. It will be presented around the theme of the school, "My Christian Faith." The school has had an enrollment of 65.

The Friday evening program will begin at 7:30 o'clock at the housing project.

Wilson Creek area history

The Rev. David H. Crawford compiled and published a history of families in and surrounding Wilson Creek titled, "Family Memories of Wilson Creek Area." The book was printed in 1978, which was the 75th anniversary of the town. David's son, John Crawford, has given permission for those memories to be a part of this column.

Today we continue the story of The McKeehan family:

Somehow Mom was always able to manage a large household of her own kids, assorted pets and the many friends we had. Before school, after school and through the evening our house was like Grand Central Station. But there was always room for more at the breakfast or dinner table. She had the greatest easy-going manner; I don't think all eight of us kids together would need more than 10 fingers total to count the number of times we got a spanking or ever saw mother angry with us.

A great chapter in our lives closed when we lost our beautiful and beloved wife and mother, Elsie Eleonor Shodene McKeehan, on January 27, 1969. Her passing was like the end of our childhood with only memories remaining. She was mother to nine but Mom to many.

For 20 years dad drove roundtrip to Ephrata and work with the Grant County PUD. He wanted his children to grow up with all the advantages of a smalltown, such as closer friendships, caring and respect for self and others, ability to grow as individuals and the personal recognition each person of a small town receives. Dad wanted his family to be able to recognize and develop their talents to the fullest as they saw them. He never cajoled or threatened us into doing or not doing something.

Dad still lives in Wilson Creek and spends his retirement years working around the house, gardening, reading, watching TV, traveling, visiting and keeping track of his eight children, 19 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. In 1970 dad married Helen Beatrice Willard Schrieber.

Helen was born the 6th of 11 children to John B. and Laura A. Willard on September 20, 1901 in Grant County, Oklahoma. She has three children, Helen Gee of Fallon, Nevada; Lois Stanford of Pasco and Donna Wick of Soap Lake.