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Ramona

By JESSICA GILBERT

Ramona correspondent

(785) 965-2621

Where did April go? I've been gone for half the month — in California. And now, as I attempt to capture the news of April, there's so much that's happened, my column may have to be printed as a "mini-series." This month seemed to especially speed by because my sister and I were in California for the arrival of Pat's one and only grandchild — a little boy who arrived April 15, weighing 8 pounds 14 ounces and having the largest hands and feet that the nursing staff had ever seen.

"Oh, those long fingers will be great for playing the violin," said Richard, the baby's father, who is a professional musician. As a mix of Korean and Norwegian/German this little boy is so beautiful and so tranquil that I call him, "little Buddha."

Pat and I were honored to be present for the labor and most of the birthing. "We just want to be alone (if one can be alone with a midwife and several coaching nurses) for the actual arrival," said my niece, Jana. "We started this journey alone, and want to finish it with just the two of us."

Pat and I were delighted to be included as much as we were. Watching Jana go through the various phases of labor was remarkable and awe-inspiring. Jana's a great athlete (she did yoga and long walks up to the day of the baby's birth), and her passion is fencing.

"When the labor got intense I just imagined being in a challenging bout," said Jana.

I knew when the baby arrived because I was standing at the door of the birthing room and I heard Richard exclaim, "Oh, he's so slippery!"

Richard and Jana named their baby Dagfinnr, (pronounced Dogfin), which is a Scandinavian name in honor of Jana's Norwegian heritage (along with German). While we raised our eyebrows at this name, we attempted to be supportive.

I recalled those stories that my mother used to tell about her own birth, when her mother and sisters wanted to name her Esther, and her grandmother announced that her name should be Martha. Then there's the story of when my sister was born, and they told the great-grandparents that her name was "Patty" and Great-Grandma muttered in German/English, "Pitty," What kind of name is that?

To all these stories, my inner response was rather militant. "What business is it of theirs," I'd say or think. But then several months before their baby was born, Jana and Richard announced that his name would be Dagfinnr, and Pat and I suddenly felt like Great-Grandma — we wanted to offer some suggestions!

One morning as Jana, Pat, and I, drove to our favorite coffee shop (we did a lot of errands and eating at favorite places as we waited two weeks for Dagfinnr to arrive), we were talking about the name selection. "Richard and I really liked the name — it's quite common in Europe. But if you want to know what it feels like to buck conformity, well, let me tell you, we've felt the pressure to conform and pick a name everybody understands — it can get quite intense and uncomfortable." The look on Jana's face told me exactly how it felt.

After the baby was born, I noticed that I was really the only one who called him by his name. I mentioned this to Jana and she laughed. "Oh, in the Korean culture they say, '100 days, 100 faces, 100 names," which means that in the span of 100 days you'll see 100 sides of your baby emerge and you'll probably call him everything from "little bean" to "buddy," to "little Buddha," or "Wiisung" which is the Korean name assigned to Dagfinnr by his Korean great-great-grandfather. (Dagfinnr is a very BIG deal on the Korean side of his family because he's the fourth generation first-born son.) On Dagfinnr's 100th day birthday, the Korean side of his family will throw a big birthday party in his honor — by then, I'm sure a predominant name or nickname will have emerged.

Because Dagfinnr arrived late in the game (he was due April 7), I had to extend my California stay by a couple of days, returning April 18. I was determined to hold this precious little boy before I came back to Kansas. Pat stayed another week, returning April 22. so she could be of assistance to the new parents, but in truth she wasn't needed all that much. Richard and Jana had read up, studied up, and together they were taking on the parental roles, so Pat was outside putting in water lily ponds in the back yard, mowing lawns, and cooking meals when needed. (Richard and Jana live in Pat's home in the Napa Valley.)

The first morning I was in California I went to my favorite coffee shop and ordered a cup of coffee — ah, coffee that had texture. I savored each bite of moist almond croissant as I watched interesting people come and go in the coffee shop.

I saw more cars drive by in the 15 minutes I sat there than I see in a year in Ramona. "You look really happy," said a man as he walked past me, and out the door with his own delicious purchase. I was!

On this trip I realized that there's a part of me that is a city girl, and there's also a part that's a country girl. Diversity is what I enjoy — I enjoy it all. I wouldn't want to give up my life in Ramona for a city life — no way! I enjoy walking between the worlds.

I came back to Kansas more quickly than Pat did, because we had guests arriving at our guest houses for a family reunion and I needed to get everything ready.

The day after I got home, however, Mike and Nancy Kutzle of Fountain Valley, Calif., called and said they wanted to stay overnight at Cousin's Corner. I learned that Mrs. Kutzle had connections to Ramona — her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Conrad "Coonie" Schnell, once lived in Ramona in one of the town's oldest homes on 2nd Street. (Other residents in the house were Deines and Cheever — the house is owned by the Andusses, and Reign has been cleaning up the place, and doing work inside it as one of his "hobbies.")

The Kutzles were coming out to the Missouri-Kansas area to see relatives and since Nancy Kutzle had such fond memories of visiting her grandparents in Ramona, they decided to cruise through. Her husband got on the Internet in search of bed and breakfast housing in the vicinity and was shocked to find such a place in Ramona.

"When I saw Cousin's Corner on your website my jaw dropped! I ran and told Nancy that we could actually stay IN Ramona at a B&B."

Nancy's response was: No Way!

When they arrived in Kansas and approached Ramona, Nancy said to her husband, "Wouldn't it be funny if Grandpa's house was for sale?"

They drove into town and found the house — the place of so many memories — and wonder of wonders, there was a For Sale sign on the house.

When I met the Kutzles, we had instant connection. It was like meeting somebody that knew the same song. Nancy Kutzle and I both had wandered the streets of this little town at the age of seven, making memories with grandparents.

I went with Mike and Nancy over to walk around the house on B Street. A door was open, and knowing the Andusses were not in town, and knowing the kind of people they are, I took the Kutzles inside to have a nostalgic look around.

"Oh, this was Grandpa Schnell's bedroom," said Nancy, looking from wall to wall, and I knew that in her mind she was seeing the bed on the north wall, the rocker by the window, the dresser by the door. "I still have all that furniture — it's in our garage in California."

Conrad "Coonie" and Sarah Schnell lived in this two-story house until the day they died. Little Nancy was the "darling" of the family. "My parents, Abe and Elizabeth, married late in life, so I was the only child," explained Nancy. "This also meant that I was the youngest of the grandchildren. So Grandpa Schnell really pampered me — he made me doll beds, table and chairs, and even a little kitchen cupboard."

As Nancy and Mike walked around the property, they investigated every building. "When we got to the garage I looked down and suddenly saw a piece of cement and the initials AHS and the date 1954 carved in the concrete," said Nancy. "Those were my dad's initials."

For a brief time Nancy and her parents lived in Tampa. "Tampa was home until I was about three, and then we moved to Wichita, and finally California," said Nancy. "I was seven when my grandparents died — they were killed in a car crash together. Because I had the chicken pox, I couldn't attend the funeral so I stayed at Neva Applegate's house, which was next door to my grandparents. Before my grandparents were taken to the cemetery they drove the funeral procession by Neva's house so I could have one last look."

In Nancy's adult life she hadn't returned to Ramona all that often. "The last time we were in Ramona was 25 years ago," she said. "Wouldn't this be fun to restore the house to its former glory?" said Mike to his wife. "Wouldn't it be fun to do this without kids?" And then the eventual question: "What do you think the Andusses want for the house?"

I got on my cell phone and left messages for Reign and Marlene — told them they might have a buyer if the price was right — and suggested they stop by our guest house and meet the Kutzles.

By breakfast the next morning, a deal had been forged! The Kutzles would own the Schnell House in Ramona! When the Kutzles drove out of town — 12 hours after arriving — they headed for Branson, Mo. Both Reign Anduss and I received phone calls from Mike Kutzle when they were in Branson.

"Guess where we are?" asked Mike. "We came here to see shows, but instead we're in Lowes, looking at cabinet designs for renovating the kitchen at the Schnell House!"

"We'll be back in June," said Nancy, "and our son, Brent and his friends will be with us. Our son's a rock star," said Mike with a special grin. "He and his band have a song — Apologize — that's in the top 100 songs in the world charts. He's really pumped up about what we're doing."

Brent Kutzle spent three years at California Baptist University at Riverside, Calif., and is currently studying music at Vanguard University. He's studied cello for more than 10 years, and it's the cello and upright bass that he plays in his band.

The Kutzle's other child, Kristin, also will be involved in this house renovation. Kristen has her master's degree and is a teacher at Junior High and Jordan Intermediate schools in Garden Grove, Calif. "Since she's a teacher, she has summers off, so it will be easy for her to be part of this family adventure," said Nancy.

"When Brent arrives, we'll have to meet him at the airport and show him how to get to Ramona," chuckled Mike. "He's a city boy, and will need to learn how to navigate in the country."

The day after the Kutzles left town the Schoofs arrived. Now Jim and Carol Shields Schoof, have been to Ramona many times for family reunions and other occasions. When Carol knocked at my door my first thought was, "Am I confused? Are you connected to the reunion happening here this weekend?" But alas, Carol and Jim were not stopping in Ramona for long — they were on their way to Wamego and the Tulip Festival where Carol was debuting her new book — "Angel in the Clouds" — which is an autobiography of her life from childhood to present.

Carol wrote the book with assistance from her sister, Arlene Shields Aitken. Carol proudly autographed and handed me a copy of her new book, while Jim handed me a poster. "We'll be back in Ramona on Memorial Day and will have the book at the Memorial Day picnic," said Carol.

If you can't wait until then to get your hands on a copy, write Carol at 14923 Forward Pass, San Antonio TX 78048 or e-mail her at Error! Bookmark not defined..

"My daughter, Jana, says we're like the movie, 'Paper Moon.' Remember the characters played by Ryan and Tatum O'Neil? They go from town-to-town selling Bibles?" laughed Carol. "We're having a great time just traveling the countryside, selling our new book."

"Angels in the Clouds" was written in memory of Carol's mother, Dorothy Moseley Shields. But the book is filled with history and stories of the entire Shields family, who were influential leaders in Marion and Dickinson Counties. Carol's grandfather, J.B. Shields has special connection to Ramona because he was the first school teacher here and was so beloved that when the town was formed in 1887, the residents wanted to name the town after him. (That didn't happen because another town along the railroad line had already claimed the name.)

Before Carol and Jim headed down the road toward Wamego they handed me a $300 check made out to the City of Ramona. "Here, this is for the sign you want to put out by U.S.-77 to advertise Ramona." How grand to have the support of all those who have ties to this little town!

The Hamm, Hoeppner, Riffel, and Weber families met in Ramona on April 20-22 for their family reunion. They stayed in our guest houses so I got to perch on the front porch of Cousin's Corner along with cousins, aunts, and uncles and hear some of their stories.

"I'm here because of our aunt Alice," admitted Debra Dolin, of Lodi, Calif., whose mother was Alice's sister, Elaine Hoeppner. "I created the reunion invitations for Aunt Alice and then she called me every few days worrying about whether anybody was coming," continued Debra. "Aunt Alice was really the catalyst," said nephew Tim Wilburn, also of Lodi. "To get 41 relatives here was a testament to her will." Alice Meier of Texas just grinned. "I made them feel guilty," she says, laughing.

"Both our aunts lived in Lodi where we live, but all they ever talked about what Ramona. It was a bigger than life story," said Debra.

"When I drove into town my first reaction was — This is IT?!" admits Debra's brother, Tim, who also grew up hearing Ramona stories.

After the reunion was over Tim and his sister came by my house. "Yesterday when I got here I was grumbling about being here," admitted Tim. "I had just driven seven hours from Oklahoma City and this was it? But after being here awhile I've come to appreciate the experience. My cousin Paulette reminded me that while I thought I came here as a gift to my Aunt Alice, it was really a gift to myself. 'A couple of years from now you'll appreciate this experience,' she said. I now know she's right."

On Sunday morning I saw folks standing outside Trinity Lutheran Church, following the church service. Because I live next door I relish this sight — the quiet tranquillity of folks reconnecting — whether it's been just a week since they've seen each other, or several years.

I grabbed my camera in hopes of getting a picture of Debra and Tim with their Aunt Alice, and what luck — I also met cousin Paulette Trainor (her mom was Verona Hoeppner) who uttered the sage advice that family gatherings are a gift to one's self.

When I met Paulette I just grinned in delight. She was proudly a "city girl," a commercial and residential interior designer from Sacramento and she stood before me like one of her own design creations — a living piece of art! Now, I truly aspire to live life as though a living work of art — unique, vibrant, colorful, singularly unusual and delightful to behold. I must admit, however, that I am challenged in upholding this standard out here in the country, where my attire is most often paint clothes or blue jeans. Cousin Paulette reminded me of an exotic bird from the Brazilian Rain Forest, that flew into Kansas by fluke — for a flash there was brilliant color, sparkle, and flair on the streets of Ramona — I wanted to stop and stare, to study how she put all the colors and textures together, but instead I took a picture.

After posing for my camera, Aunt Alice and her entourage walked west toward the Cousins Corner House, and then they stopped in front of the parish hall. "Now we're all going to the Brunner Reunion," Alice said, as they turned and ascended the steps. "They're my cousins!" And that's the news from Ramona, where it seems everybody is related, and a traffic jam is two parked cars and a dog in the road.

P.S. This isn't all the news by any means. Stay tuned for next week's column where you'll hear about the Brunner and Kickhaefer reunions, a tea party in Waterville, weddings, bathrooms being built in the city park, the Sader house cleanup, and more!

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