Where did 2016 go?? In This Issue. Volume #15, Issue #1. February 2017

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1 Volume #15, Issue #1 A Newsletter for the Panhandle Gems Getting Together in the Inland Northwest February Gems were able to attend the December 28 th luncheon in Spokane at Maxx s in the Mirabeau Hotel! A great turnout with wonderful food & friends! In This Issue Page 2 - Recipe, Pet Facts, RV Info Page Rally Information Page 4 What cha been doing? Page 5 Border Info, Indio Rally, Birthdays Page 6 Until we meet again Where did 2016 go?? Wow! I feel like I just wrote the December newsletter, yet here it is February already! Amazing! We have a lot of fun Rallies lined up for the group this year! Check out our schedule on page 4! Another friendly reminder!! If you haven t already, don t forget to send in your annual dues to Karen Pratt. You don t want to be in arrears! Also, if you have ANY changes to your address, phone, , etc., PLEASE let me know so I can keep the Member Directory up to date! How s it going on recruiting new members? I know it s something we don t generally think about, but something we all need to work on! New blood will mean new ideas and new talents! On a sad note, we lost two beloved members within days of each other. It may be a fact of life, but it doesn t make it any easier. I have their obituaries on page 6.

2 Recipe, Pet Facts, RV Info Warm Bacon Cheese Dip 8 oz. cream cheese, softened 2 c. sour cream 1 ½ c. shredded cheddar cheese ½ c. real bacon bits (more or less to taste) ½ c. sliced green onion Combine softened cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon, and green onion. Spoon mixture into a 1 quart baking dish & bake at 350 for minutes, or until cheese is bubbling & hot. You can also hollow out a round loaf of bread & serve the dip in the warmed loaf. Or serve in a small crock pot so it stays warm. Serve with toasted baguette slices, crackers, or veggies. Spring means de-winterizing and a shakedown cruise! Are you ready?? Here are a couple of articles from The RV Doctor with great information on de-winterizing Interesting Dog & Cat Facts 1. Heaviest dog ever was a 343 pound English Mastiff! Oldest dog ever was 29 years! Cats meow for humans, not generally to talk to other cats Cats don t sweat, but dogs do through their paws! A 15 year old cat has probably slept 10 years of their life! Both can donate blood to their respective species Every known dog has a pink tongue except the Chow, which is black. 8. A cat s brain is more similar to a human s than a dog s. 9. Top 4 dog names M - Max, Charlie, Buddy, & Cooper F - Bella, Lucy, Daisy, & Lola 10. Top 4 cat names M - Oliver, Max, Milo, & Simba F - Luna, Bella, Lucy, & Chloe 2

3 2017 Rally Information Information on each Rally will come from the Hosts or Co-Hosts. If you have any questions, don t hesitate to call or drop them a line! MAY 2017 DATES: May DESTINATION: Trail, B.C. HOSTS: Viren & Elaine Kumar DATES: TBD AUGUST 2017 DESTINATION: Danny & Susan s Ranch in Blanchard, ID. NO HOST RALLY!! CO-HOSTS: Jim & Kathy McBride JULY 2017 JUNE 2017 DATES: June HOSTS AND CO-HOSTS STILL NEEDED!! DESTINATION: FMCA NW Area Rally in Longview, WA. YOU NEED TO REGISTER ON YOUR OWN! FORMS NOW AVAILABLE AT FMCANW.COM DATES: June DESTINATION: Prosser, WA. HOSTS: Ken & Loretta Bennett CO-HOSTS: Ken & Sharon Berger SEPTEMBER 2017 DATES: TBD DESTINATION: Wallace, ID. HOSTS: Dave & Barb Young 3

4 What cha been doing? Art & JoAnn Gemmrig Stayed home for the holidays while their kids visited. They went to two great luncheons, one with their ham radio buddies and one at Maxx s with the Gems who also stayed home. They are currently trying to stay warm and have vague plans for a shake down run in April with friends from their Tiffin group. Sharon Daggett Has continued to practice and sing. She sang Handel s Let the Bright Seraphim on January 29 th at All Saints Lutheran. She is also singing old Broadway pieces and a few classical numbers at the Sapphire and Ella s in Spokane. Gordon & Anne Schoedel Went to Surprise, AZ. in mid October. & stayed busy over the holidays, driving to Las Vegas for Thanksgiving to show their daughter & grandson from Seattle the bright lights and glitz of the city. For Christmas, they flew to Seattle to spend a week with both their kids. They hosted a Rally to Quartzsite for the big RV show near the end of January. In February they flew to San Jose, Costa Rica for an 8 day Caravan tour. They plan to go on 1 Rally per month with their winter RV club and are looking forward to more adventures. They will be in Arizona until the 1 st part of May, and then will head home. Kent & Karen Pratt Went to their winter abode in Yuma at the end of October. Decked out the place for the annual Christmas Street of Lights, and spend Christmas with friends and their sister & brother-in-law. They went to the FMCA Western Area Rally in Indio, CA. where Kent was in charge of parking. They flew to Costa Rica at the end of January and stayed until the middle of February. Also in February, Karen is scheduled for 2 cataract surgeries and radiation on a skin cancer. They will head home in April. Viren & Elaine Kumar Were in Fiji from 11/29 12/22, when they had to leave due to the threat of a cyclone. They then flew to Christchurch, New Zealand, which was heavily damaged by the earthquakes in 2010 and From there, they travelled as far south to the launching point to Antarctica Invercargill/Bluff. On January 22 nd, they flew to Melbourne, Australia for 6 weeks, then on March 12 th, to Honolulu, Hawaii before arriving home in Trail, B.C. on March 31 st. Ken & Loretta Bennett Finally managed to head south on November 27 th just ahead of the cold weather. They visited friends along the way (including the Pratts), and arrived at their winter park in Texas on December 12 th. They have had a whirlwind of activities with special gatherings, classes, water volleyball, and more. Loretta did a lip sync skit in early February & will be in a play soon. Depending on the weather, their plan is to head east toward Florida & South Carolina to visit friends before making their way home in April. Jim & Kathy McBride Spent Christmas in Texas and went to the FMCA Western Area Rally in Indio in January. They are staying at Casa Grande in Arizona while enjoying the sunshine. They will be heading to the FMCA National Convention in Chandler, AZ. In March as Jim was asked to work the parking crew there. Afterwards, they will head home. John & Trish Elser Spent Thanksgiving & Christmas at Val Vista Villages in Mesa, AZ. enjoying their friends along with potluck dinners & lots of activities like hiking, computer club, exercise classes, & swimming. Trish worked with their new computer while John relaxed with his Louis L Amore books. In January, they moved to a park near Algadones, MX. for some dental work, then on to Palm Springs before working their way home. Dave & Barb Young Their granddaughter got married in December. They spent New Year s at the Elks & danced the night away. They also went on a cruise & spent time in Florida. Other than keeping busy during the winter by having fun shoveling snow, they thoroughly enjoyed their winter! Anne Tighe Left Idaho after Thanksgiving, spent the holidays with her son Brian & managed to squeeze in a few weeks with he daughter Maureen in California in January where they had torrential rains & high winds (picture of dislodged rocks on road at right). From there to Arizona where she saw more children, grandchildren, & great grandchildren! All total 3 children, 7 grandchildren, & 2 great grandchildren! Whew! Still battling a few medical issues, but is looking forward to seeing everybody at the rallies soon! 4

5 Crossing the Canadian Border Considering our first Rally in May is to Trail, B.C., this article in one of the FMCA magazines seemed to appropriate. If you didn t get a chance to read it, you may want to before you go! 6 Months of Birthdays January 12 John Elser 28 Viren Kumar February 1 Ken Berger 6 Kent Pratt March 4 Karen Pratt 9 Gloria Wiley 30 Gordon Schoedel The Western Area Rally in Indio was another huge success! A lot of work (some seen in these pictures), but all were worth it! Many different instructional classes, RV s to peruse, gadgets to buy, ice cream socials, a parade, ladies tea, and more! April 5 Sharon Berger 17 Jim McBride 23 Andy Tom 30 Jim Bell May 14 Anne Schoedel June 6 JoAnn Gemmrig 28 Loretta Bennett

6 Until We Meet Again Jutta was born July 26, 1940, in Kiel, Germany. Jutta s mother wanted to name her Ruth, however, under Hitler s regime, biblical first names were not allowed. So she was named Jutta Ruth Gottwald. Jutta spent her first five years growing up in a bunker. When the war was over, they found their house had been bombed. Jutta attended school and two years of college where she learned English. Jutta watched American movies, saw all the open space and when she was 18, she talked her mother into coming to America. The quota was full, so they were given consent to go to Canada. Jutta found a job with Continental Can In A Box Factory. She was paid $12 per hour, which in 1958 was very good wages. Later the family purchased a home in Toronto. When Jutta turned 21 she was offered a job in San Francisco. From there, Jutta and a girlfriend moved to Seattle and Jutta was offered a job at the Cascadian Hotel in Wenatchee, Wash. Jutta wanted to learn to ski, which is how she met Hugh Magnussen. They were married on April 19, They both received their Real Estate License in Wenatchee that winter. After a few years, Hugh was offered a job in Anchorage, Alaska, where they lived for 20 very happy years. During 1988 and 1989, they toured the lower 48 states in a 36-foot motor home. They settled down in Gig Harbor, Wash., for 15 years. In 1998, they purchased a lake house in Coeur d Alene, Idaho. When they retired, in 2005, they moved to Coeur d Alene, and purchased their home. Jutta and Hugh have done extensive traveling; they worked hard and played hard. They were pilots, commercial fisherman and sportsman. Jutta wanted to take their motor home to Arizona for the winter as they had done over the past 15 years, but God had different plans and called her home early on Jan. 27, Jutta s parents preceded her in death along with her son, Bradley. Jutta leaves her husband, Hugh, of 49 years in Coeur d Alene; a daughter in North Carolina; niece in Pasco, WA. and a niece and two nephews in Arizona. Barbara Lee Raikes Hunsinger, 77, of Sagle, Idaho, passed away peacefully in her sleep, at home with family nearby, on January 29, A memorial service was held at Lakeview Funeral Home, 301 S. Olive Ave., Sandpoint, ID at 1:00 pm on Thursday, February 2, 2017 with a reception following. Barbara was born on October 13, 1939 to William and Evelyn Raikes. She was raised in Tarzana, California, where she ran a successful glass business for 35 yrs., was involved with the Chamber of Commerce, and was active in San Fernando Valley car racing. Barbara later moved to Sandpoint where she ran The Nail Shoppe on South Superior. Barbara was an energetic loving mother and grandmother. She enjoyed the water, outdoors, barefoot cruising, and traveling with a local RV club. She is survived by her husband Wayne Schroeder, daughters Cheri (David) Grant, and Spring (Shawn) Stauffer, sisters Patty (Dan) McLaughlin, Suzie Ross; brothers John Raikes, Bill Raikes, Terry (Luann) Raikes, and Ken (Hiroko) Raikes; grandchildren Trevor Pace, Justin Brown, Cori Teague, Brennan Teague, and many nieces and nephews. 6