Ramona correspondent
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May is traditionally a month where many milestones are celebrated — graduations being at the top of the list.
Members of the Makovec family always seem to have a busy month of May, whether it’s their own celebrations or it’s Marissa catering somebody else’s.
It seems like just yesterday that Shaina was graduating from high school, Sheila from eighth grade, and Simon from college, and the Makovecs had a 25th anniversary.
This year, Shaina graduated from Kansas State University with a degree in fashion marketing, Sheila graduated from Centre High School, and Gail and Marissa celebrated their 29th.
“We had quite a few family events to cater,” Marissa said. “First a big party for Shaina in Manhattan on May 16, and then Sheila’s party on Sunday, May 17.
“I’m sure 200 or more came filtering through. Before the afternoon party we also had a big family dinner at our place, because my nephew was graduating from Marion and we couldn’t be at his event and Sheila’s, so we had a dinner before all the graduations took place.”
The Makovecs celebrated their anniversary on May 31.
While Marissa is often the one cooking for big family and community events, Gail and Marissa were determined to take it easy for their own anniversary.
“We went to eat in Marion,” Gail said, “and then our son, Simon, arrived from Wyoming, and surprised us.”
Sheila is already anticipating college at K-State, where she plans to major in interior design.
“I’m so excited to start this new chapter of my life,” she said.
Shaina’s next chapter is equally exciting.
The day before her graduation from K-State she was scheduled to have supper at the Tampa Café with her parents. Her boyfriend, Cody Schafer, was going with her on this supper date, and when she drove to his farm west of Pilsen, she was slightly irritated to find her beloved not ready to depart.
Not only wasn’t he ready. He still had chores to finish.
Shaina, in her high-fashion high heels, was tiptoeing around mud puddles to the barn, where Cody was still standing in his work clothes with a feed bucket in each hand.
You can imagine the interchange — the kind that happens between people (even when they care a great deal for each other) when timelines, expectations and agendas are not being met.
With typical efficiency and flair, Shaina walked over, grabbed a feed bucket from her boyfriend’s hand, and started helping get the job done.
Shaina dumped the grain into the feed trough and was dismayed to turn around and see Cody still standing there.
Why wasn’t he moving at the same speed as she?
Cody calmly looked at her and said, “I think you missed something. Better check the feed you just gave the cows.”
Shaina turned to look in the grain trough. There, being nuzzled about by hungry bovines, was a plastic bag, which contained a little box.
“I was so stunned, I just stood there,” she said. “It hit me what was happening, but I couldn’t move. Cody had to finally pick up the bag holding my engagement ring, because the cows were starting to eat around it!”
Cody then got down on bended knee in front of Shaina.
“He said some sweet stuff, and then proposed.”
You can bet Shaina forgot all about the supper appointment with her parents.
Eventually the happy young couple made it to Tampa Café, where Shaina’s parents awaited, and her sister, Sheila, happened to be working that night.
“She was still shaking when she walked into the café,” Sheila recalled. “And she was holding her hand over her mouth, to see if people would notice the ring.”
Sheila didn’t notice any rings. She was busy serving food to customers. But a commotion soon erupted that got her attention.
“I heard lots of screaming from the back room,” she said, “and I dashed back to see what was going on, and everybody was checking out Shaina’s hand!”
The wedding is scheduled for next May, of course.
“We have to work around the farm schedule,” Shaina said, already blending his rural rhythm with her fashion flair.
It’s the time of her life
Lisa Hanschu, like the Makovecs, had several May events involving her children, James and Anna.
When I asked Lisa about James’ high school graduation from Centre, she began by saying, “I’m normally not a crier, but the week before James graduated, I was pretty emotional.”
If you’ve watched a child transition from an infant in your arms to going to college, it’s pretty emotional.
“To see this 6-foot-4 person walking down the aisle in cap and gown, and then recall him as a little curly blond boy on the farm. Oh, yes, it was emotional!” Lisa said. “I’m naturally very happy for James and so proud of him. He’s going off to do exciting things.”
The greatest reason for all the emotion was that Lisa got to be present for this amazing moment in James’s life.
“The fact that I survived to be at his graduation, and participate in all the basketball games and school events that led up to this moment—oh, words cannot express!” she said.
Lisa is a cancer survivor. In 2002, she was given six months to a year to live after being diagnosed with an advanced stage of leukemia. Today, after treatment at M.D. Anderson Cancer Research Center in Houston, she is cancer-free.
James made a video diary of his life that he played throughout the day of his graduation.
He also created a video of basketball highlights from last year, with comments from team members. That, too, was playing at his graduation party.
“There were so many special moments throughout the day,” Lisa said.
She estimated that more than 130 people attended his party, made special because his two half-sisters from Arkansas— Jamie and Mishelle (Jim’s daughters)— came, too.
James will be going to K-State this fall. He’ll be living in a home in Manhattan with four friends, three of whom also graduated from Centre this year. He’s planning to major in conservation and park/wildlife management.
Another happy graduate
Cahn Antoszyk, also of Ramona and also a graduate this year, will be living in the same house and pursuing the same major.
When I asked Cahn how he felt after graduation he summed it up this way:
“I’m glad I got my diploma!”
His party was at his family’s home on Remington Road and was planned by his stepmother, Penny.
Looking ahead
Lisa and Ronnie Hanschu had more celebrations in May with Lisa’s daughter, Anna, graduating from eighth grade.
“She was also confirmed in the Hope Methodist Church on May 31,” Lisa said. “I’m about ‘mealed’ out,” she said.
“I’m so thrilled to be celebrating these amazing milestones. Now, with Anna a freshman in high school, we’ll be concentrating on all the women’s side of sports. Anna’s got tremendous drive and determination to win. She’s very competitive.”
Memorial Day weekend
A couple of hundred folks enjoying the annual Memorial Day weekend picnic in the Ramona park.
Mark Heiser orchestrated the service at Lewis Cemetery, and Lisa Hanschu and Terry Deines sang two musical numbers.
Cole Svoboda played taps at the conclusion of the service.
Memorial weekend was especially busy because of the 50th anniversary reunion at Centre High School.
According to my cousins, Gary and Keith Schubert, who came from Colorado, the reunion was a gratifying and amazing. I won’t even attempt to relate the many stories from Memorial weekend.
And now Ramona is gearing up for its big event of the summer —Redneck in Ramona on July 4. This year, for the first time, there’s a Web site: http://www.redneckinramona.com.
And that’s at least some of the news from Ramona, where a traffic jam is two parked cars and a dog in the road.