CHRONICLE
November 29, 2012 I The Lovell Chronicle I 3
Taiwan student adjusts to life in the
United States with enthusiasm
BY MERYK M. MCARTHUR
When first asked to be interviewed
for this series, Wang Chien Ho, or Duke,
was nervous and shy at first, but it turned
out that he has a good sense of humor
underneath.
Duke lives with Tim and Jennifer
Jones of Cowley, and he's from Taitung,
Taiwan. He noted that one of the weirdest
things about the United States is people
use a fork to eat rice, and the coolest thing
is the students in school say the Pledge of
Allegiance every morning before classes
begin. Duke decided to come to the U.S. be-
cause he learned to speak English in mid-
dle school and wanted to really use the
language and explore the culture. Duke is
enjoying his stay with the Jones family.
Duke's hobbies consist of playing com-
puter games, reading science fiction and
competing in sports, but when he's fin-
ished with homework and doing chores
the first thing he does is take a nap. So far
this school year Duke has been involved
with Rocky's cross country team and he
plans on participating in other activities
throughout the school year. Other sports
he has done are soccer, badminton and
kudo. Kudo is a popular sport in Taiwan
that mostly involves sword fighting. This
is tied to Duke's hope to one day becoming
a samurai. He's good at Rubik's cube and
solving puzzles, and he's very good with
languages.
Duke's host mom, Jennifer Jones, ex-
plained Duke's first taste of raw vegeta-
bles. The family still laughs over the face
he had made when he tried them. Duke
has taken to cooked potatoes and gravy,
which is now his favorite American meal,
but the raw vegetables are still coming
along.
Interestingly enough, when asked
about his favorite movie star and Ameri-
can movie, Duke expressed how he hadn't
watched a lot of television in Taiwan. In
his hometown, Taitung, he said "the the-
atre had burned down."
There's one thing Duke would tell
Americans about his homeland: "Taiwan
is not Thailand." Some advice he would
give to someone coming to the United
States would be, "Enjoy it, but the class-
es are hard." His favorite memory of his
experience here so far was Rocky's home-
coming week, where the school had a par-
ty and Duke had an enjoyable time with
the other students.
Duke said the best gift he's ever been
given is a laptop from his dad, who is
also the person he looks up to the most.'
The best gift he ever gave to someone is
a unique cotton fabric from Japan called
bfi. If Duke could have one wish that
could come true it would be that his Eng-
lish speaking would be better. With prac-
tice he knows he'll get there. He loves to
play card games and his favorite holiday
is New Year's, because in Taiwan the stu-
dents would have a week long break to
celebrate. Duke has a mother, father, sis-
ter and brother, who he misses. If he could
have one superpower Duke would like to
fly.
Cowley news
A lasting legacy left by Dr. Scott M. Welch
BY DRUE TEBBS-MEEK
548-6901
The Thanksgiving Day vacation was
a great day for most of us. The weath-
er was clear and the travelers had good
roads. Then Sunday the snow fell, it was
cold and we all worried if our relatives and
friends would have decent roads on their
trip home.
The Ray Peterson family had a grand
reunion with their grandchildren who are
now two months old and beginning to coo,
smile and entertain. Reese and Stephanie
and Connor were with Ray and Cresta and
family for a week, and Jordan, Brittany
and Colton arrived Wednesday night. The
two young Peterson boys were born a week
apart, and the great-grandmothers were
especially thrilled to be with the little ones
as they are miracles to us and we are joy-
ous and very thankful for their health and
strength as they are certain to contribute
to the world and their family as they grow
and thrive.
Each family has reason to be thankful
for love, friendships and the feeling of com-
munity and friends, and as I speak about
my family I speak for all of us who have a
continuing wealth of family.
The Welch and Peterson family and
friends gathered together to honor Dr.
Scott M. Welch at his funeral the day after
Thanksgiving. Relatives traveled from long
distances to be with each other, and we all
mourn his passing, but we also are thank-
ful that his extreme suffering and loneli-
ness and pain is over and he has passed
to eternal life and joins his wife, Kathleen,
his parents, brothers and sisters and oth-
ers who have gone before him.
The funeral service was held at the
LDS Stake House and Scott and Kath-
leen's posterity filled the middle pews of
the church. The program was filled with
music and heartrending tributes to a life
well lived as he and his wife impacted all
who knew both of them. The grandchildren
sang, the sons sang and the family choir
rendered those who loved him to tears.
It is almost beyond words to try to ex-
plain the service. It was a moving hour and
as Robert and Scott told his life story with
emotion and beauty and great love, the au-
dience was stunned by Robert as he talk-
ed, then sang lines of Scott and Kathleen's
favorite songs, and the closing lines were
from the song "The Hills of Home," as Dr.
Scott Welch's love of Cowley and especial-
ly Lovell where he lived with his family
seemed to bring together all facets of his
life. How wonderful for his family to be giv-
en the gift of music, a fine work ethic and
to be strong in family and be assets to their
various communities with the gifts they've
been given by their Welch and Peter-
son heritage and the pioneer families who
came before them bestowing talent, love,
joy of life and family, endurance, love of
community and good works. We have been
blessed.
Since the Thanksgiving holiday, the
Christmas decorations are popping up all
over town. The lights are twinkling, the
yards and homes are bursting with light at
night and the celebration has begun. The
town is beautifully decorated by the volun-
teer group of women and the town main-
tenance crew. Our Main Street is covered
with lights and wreaths and we thank those
who contribute with their hard work and
joy. We thank those who volunteer their
time and efforts to ensure that our town
continues to be cheerful and beautiful.
Nick Sponsel used to hang Santa
Claus and his team of reindeer with Ru-
dolph leading the pack with his red nose,
and I hope that somehow this tradition
will continue. We miss you, Nick, and wish
you were well enough to continue your con-
tributions and joyous spirit to our commu-
nity. Santa and his team used to belong to
the late Cal Harvey and every year dur-
ing the Christmas holiday he was flying at
Cal's house, now he is on top of the water
tower and it gives us pleasure and wonder-
ful memories of the Christmas season.
The news of the unexpected death of
Steve Cole, Maurine Hinckley's husband,
has reached us. Steve and Maurine just re-
tired, moved to Powell for their retirement
years, traveled to Ireland for their "bucket
list" and are well loved and cherished by
his family and friends. He has left behind
his beautiful wife Maurine, three children,
his grandchildren, his family members and
the Hinckley extended family and all his
friends and acquaintances.
We mourn for Maurine and her family
and for the loss of Steve at such a young
age. May God bless and comfort you in the
trying months and years with acceptance
and understanding. We are stunned and
grief stricken.
Scheffler, Brown wed in September ceremony
Dave and Lori Schef- Grandparents of the
tier have announced the bride are Jackie and the
marriage of their daugh- late Ray Minchow of Lovell,
ter, Kristen, to Calvin and the late Ralph and Es-
Brown, son of Craig and ther Scheffler of Marys-
Cindy Brown, ofBasin, ville, Mich. The groom's
The celebration was grandparents are Carl and
held on Sept. 29 at the Sharon Brown of Lovell
Circle J. Ranch near Ten and Martin and Jackie Co-
Sleep. Pastor Kurt McNabb bos of Denver.
of the Lovell Bible Church Kristen is a 2008 Lovell
performed the ceremony. High School graduate and
Standing up for Kris- attended and played bas-
ten were Matron of Honor ketball for the Universi-
Shelli Skjoldal (Scheffler), ty of Wyoming. Calvin is a
and bridesmaids Betha- 2007 Riverside High School
ny Reasch, Jamie Schef- Calvin and Kristen graduate and a 2012 Uni-
fier (Chicane) and Ash- versity of Wyoming gradu-
ley Palmer (Haskell). In Ty Brown and Toby Wood. ate. They are currently liv-
support of Calvin were Thane Zollman was the ingin Basin, where Calvin
Best Man Bryce Vigil and ring bearer and Aniya Co- farms for Mitch and Karen
groomsmen Caleb Brown, bos was the flower girl.Vigil.
Byron news
Memories of river crossings and teaching
BY PAMELA COZZENS
HOPKINSON
548-2471
pamhopkinson@gmail.com
Thanksgiving vacation
has come to an end and the
weary travelers are off to
their routine for a few more
weeks until Christmas va-
cation arrives. Going back
to school after a vacation
always seems exciting, and
it wasn't until I became
a parent that I knew how
the timing for returning to
school somehow coordinat-
ed with the end of my pa-
tience. Thank you to the
teachers who show up with
a smile and enough energy
to face their charges for the
day.
I suspect many of my
generation have slipped
into the "when I was a kid"
mode once in a while to
tell of how tough it was as
a child getting to school...
"walking through snow
drifts in the dark of morn-
ing, wind chill threatening
to freeze nose and toes,"
etc., only to realize as an
adult that it was less than
a block and seldom dark
and never did a friend lose
a body part to the cold. The
great perspective of reality
seems to take the fun out of
most stories retold.
But for the early set-
tlers of our area, it was
pretty tough. Edith Pow-
elson (born in 1907) start-
ed school in Byron before
the bridge was built across
the Shoshone River. There
was a school wagon that
picked up the children, took
them to the edge of the riv-
er where they held hands
and walked across a foot-
bridge. When the river was
frozen, they walked across
the ice. Later, when the
bridge was built, Edith's
brother Cliff and others
south of the river went to
school in a horse-drawn
wagon. "There was a little
woodburning stove in the
back of the wagon to keep
the children warm," she
said. Cliff actually drove
the school wagon when he
got old enough.
In researching old
school memories, I came
across an interesting tidbit
written by Mrs. Nicholls.
She and Clyde had a young
family during the Depres-
sion and "times were hard,"
she wrote. "One day, Clyde
and I and the two children
were swimming in the ca-
nal...when a car drove up,
stopped and three men got
out of the car and came
up and watched us. They
were Superintendent Lar-
son and two of the Byron
school board members: Er-
nest Jensen and Charles
Wolz. They wanted me to
teach first grade in Byron
and they gave such a good
offer that I couldn't re-
fuse: $129 a month, plus
a modern home." That was
1943. Edna had taught in
Lovell and Cowley schools
previously. She taught first
grade in Byron for the next
30 years.
"I think I was unique,
as I was the only teacher
Ed and Jeri NeVille in 1933
Congratulations to Ed and Jeri NeVille on their 79th
wedding anniversary. They were married Nov. 25, 1933.
hired while swimming in
a canal," she wrote. "Each
year (brought) fifteen to
twenty new: anddifferent
challenges. Their parents
depended on me to teach
the 3 R's. First grade de-
veloped their study and
work habits and attitudes
for life. I took my teaching
seriously. I loved them as
my own and they, in turn,
loved me. I was their moth-
er at school, and I taught
them as if they were my
own. I still claim them all. I
hope I still have a place in
their hearts, too." She does.
We attended Scott
Welch's funeral on Fri-
day. He was a good man
with a great heritage and
a wonderful progeny. He
was my first dentist. Not
many dentists give out cou-
pons for ice cream these
days, but he did. Off to the
corner dairy with a numb
mouth anxious for that
yummy ice cream. So many
choices...chocolate, vanilla,
strawberry.
My corner has been busy
for at least a month. Every
day crews show up to trans-
form the old "Winzenried",
"Cowley", "Asay" "Akin"
place on Shoshone and Cen-
ter. The trees have been
trimmed, the roof repaired
and the inside complete-
ly redone from the studs
out. What a transforma-
tion is taking place. It will
soon be home to the Sylvi-
as (granddaughter of Bet-
ty Tanner Langston). New
neighbors are welcome. Not
everyone gets to have a pix-
ie move in down the street
(one of her daughters is a
little blonde pixie named
Pixie). And much to my
grandchildren's delight, up
the street west lives Harry
Potter. Some magic must
be here.
Debbie and John Was-
smer were the first to light
up their street with a beau-
tiful display of Christmas
cheer. Others are beginning
to flip that Christmas spir-
it switch. Thanks, Glen,
for braving the high ladder
to hang the lights on that
tall, tall, pointy roof of the
old "Lightening Fast Sta-
tion" on Main. We are look-
ing for someone who wants
to step forward to hang the
star on the very high tree in
front of the old school. Any
volunteers?
Don't forget the ginger-
bread house contest. En-
tries will start being accept-
ed starting Saturday, Dec.
8, at 10 a.m. for display in
the old trophy cases in the
lobby of the gym leading
up to the family Christmas
party on Thursday evening,
Dec. 20. Word just received
from the North Pole is and
I quote, "the reindeer are
skittish about their tiny lit-
tle hooves on the asphalt
pavement, BUT Santa has
arranged to arrive in Byron
by fire truck."
Hooray! Plan to be
there to greet and meet the
Jolly Old Elf who shakes
when he laughs in spite of
himself. Pictures with San-
ta will be available, win-
ners of the gingerbread con-
test will be announced (age
appropriate categories with
prizes), and families can
enjoy general Christmas
fun festivities. Be there or
be a certifiable Scrooge.
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