Patience Josephine Nelson was born into the hands of father Geoffrey Nelson on the morning of Jan. 5 in Juneau. Patience weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces and measured 20 inches. Mom Susie McCartney said the baby’s name was inspired by the long labor to deliver her, but said Patience turned out to be a family name as well. Grandmothers Carlene Clasper Nelson and Jane Maunus greeted Patience at the birth.
Michael, Kaci, Riley and Cassidy Ahmuty returned Jan.6 from a two-week visit with parents K.C. and Gayle Keffer at the Keffer’s “Lazy K” ranch in southeast Wyoming. The ranch is at 8,000 feet, but the Ahmutys arrived to unseasonably warm weather. “We hiked every day,” said Kaci. “It was so beautiful.” Kaci’s sisters Andrea Clarke and Kelly Duford of Denver joined them for the holidays. The family enjoyed a fresh, wild turkey for Christmas dinner, went skiing at a nearby resort, and played ping-pong and card games. On Jan. 1, Kaci prepared a North Douglas chocolate cake for Gayle’s 71st birthday. K.C. and Gayle, who often spend summers in Haines, celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary Jan. 9.
Mark and Joan Sizemore greeted Alison, Glen, Anna, Libby, and Ketch Jacobson at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina in mid-December. “We had just arrived 15 minutes before,” Alison said. “It was pretty neat to see familiar faces.” The two families hatched a plan to meet while in Haines when they realized they would share an overlapping day in Argentina’s capital city. The Jacobson family joined the Sizemores for dinner at a local restaurant, enjoying excellent meat dishes, including the grass-fed beef for which Argentina is famous.
Michelle Sloper of Claremont, Calif., Lindsay Sloper of Anchorage, and Ron Sloper of Anchorage visited parents Randy and Pam Sloper over the holidays. All three Sloper children are Haines High graduates, and spent time catching up with friends as well as enjoying holiday activities with family. Randy said he and Pam have two graduations to attend in May, when Michelle will earn a master’s degree in psychology from Claremont Graduate University, and Lindsay will graduate with a bachelor’s degree. Ron works in commercial fishing.
Beth MacCready, Gregg Bigsby, Sidney Moffatt, John White and Stephanie Scott journeyed to Hawaii’s Big Island over Christmas to visit Kristin, Frank, and Nate White. Gregg and Johnny played golf, and doted on three-year-old grandson Nate. Gregg swam with tortoises and dolphins on a black sand beach near Kristen and Frank’s house in the town of Naalehu. Syd, John and Frank went cliff diving at South Point. Kristin and Frank took their guests to see an active-but-not-currently-erupting volcano at night. Magma glowed beneath the surface of the rock. In Hilo, the group visited the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens with Lee and Shawna Nash, who are on the Big Island with children Ocean and Ezra.
Jackson Long, 5, and Shelby Long, 4, were ring bearer and flower girl, respectively, at granddad John Long’s Dec. 28 wedding to Margi Davis in Chehalis, Wash. John’s son Dave Long grilled steak and veggies with help from Dawson Evenden at a reception held afterwards for close friends and family at John’s ranch in Curtis, Wash. Also in attendance were daughter-in-law Pam Long, Doug Evenden, and Leslie and Marirose Evenden. Pam, Dave, Jackson and Shelby also visited Pam’s dad Ray Hanssen in San Francisco, and made a trip to Bend, Ore., to visit with former Haines residents Sandy, Zoe, and Kali Reid, Travis Reid, Lorin Hayden, Katie Hayden-Lewis, and Keanu Hayden.
Cara and Rob Murray and children Taylor, 8, and Eva, 21 months, visited with parents Keith and Cathy Houlberg over Christmas. Highlights were cross-country skiing, sledding, and marveling over Eva’s developing speaking abilities. Cara, caught up with old Haines friends. The Murrays live in Ketchikan, where Rob is a pilot and Cara teaches part-time and stays busy making art and volunteering.
Christopher Haxton’s third-grade class will be holding a silent auction during the varsity basketball game on Friday. Bids on treats will be accepted through halftime. Proceeds will go toward a Juneau field trip to participate in a tidewater research activity. To donate goodies, contact Haxton at school or by calling 766-2237.
Haines Woman’s Club president Georgia Sampson said the group’s Saturday tea attracted some possible new recruits. The local service group is looking to expand its ranks. All women are welcome to a meeting set for 5 p.m. Feb. 10 at the library. To learn more, contact Sampson at 766-2652 or 314-0630.