Praise the Lord! Not only has He risen, but He sent the kind citizens of Elm Springs a wet, heavy snow fall which turned the ground to mud even as it turned frowns to smiles. The kind citizens beseech Him to open the valve even wider, but they are thankful for what He has given them so far.

Clyde Arneson visited the Lawrence Burke residence for coffee one morning, and the Cary Tines residence for coffee another morning. Tuesday evening he entertained Matt and Nick Trask and Tyler Wilson.

Lawrence and Doris Burke had Easter dinner with Melissa Burke in Rapid City Sunday.

The Ryan Elshere family spent Easter Sunday with the Bill Eastman family in Belle Fourche.

Larry and Peggy Gravatt hosted Mike and Amber Miller of Denver CO for an Easter celebration on Saturday. The Miller’s brought along Madi and Steele Fuegen of Rapid City.

The Sam Johnstons hosted Twila Trask, Norma Pellegrin, Jan Jensen and famly of Gilette WY, Chris Kling and family of Belle Fourche, and most of the Anders for Easter Sunday festivities.

Andy and Kelli Linn and children joined Brett and Charlotte Wilsey and children for Easter Saturday and Sunday fun at the Big House. The Morris Linns joined the Big House festivities on Saturday only.

On Monday, Chrissy and Camri Elshere were visitors at the Morris Linn residence. Wednesday, the Elm Springs schoolchildren had their Easter party, with the help of Shirrse Linn, RoseMary Trask and Chrissy Elshere. Morris, meanwhile, accompanied Bummer Simons to Gettysburg. Thursday, Camri Elshere returned to play, bringing her brother Carter. Easter Sunday, the Morris Linns went to Nana and Papa Simons near Red Owl, where they met the entire Simons clan, Amber Brookman of Wichita, KS, and Brian ,Misti and Statler Walker of Piedmont.

Jesse Bail was a visitor at the Bud Pauley residence Wednesday, accompanying the Pauleys on an overnight stay in Rapid Thursday. The O’Rourkes were Easter guests at the Bud Pauley residence.

The Cary Tines residence hosted Matt and Nick Trask and Tyler Wilson Tuesday night. Easter Sunday, the Tines’, along with Dara Wrachford and Sean Troxel, and Kody DeVries, attended the Easter party at the Kay Williamson residence in New Underwood.

The “Upland Trasks” ended the week in grand style, with the return of Becky Trask on Thursday, from Riverton WY. The return of Becky Trask, was literally a painful reminder to Matt, as he glutted himself at the table she prepared, that the temporal world will lose a great cook when she joins the convent.

Perhaps an unintended perception should here be clarified. From the accounts of Matts wandering from residence to residence in search of table scraps, and from his flattery of his sisters culinary skills, readers of the ESN may have come to conclude that his mother is a poor, or at least miserly cook. Such a conclusion is erroneous. RoseMary is indeed a fine cook, whose duties feeding the “Upland Trasks” and their hordes of company, have honed her skills until she appears almost magical in the kitchen. Indeed, this weekend alone, the hordes were Mark Byrum and Alfred Rice, along with Mr. Rices niece and nephew, Ray Olsen, several neighbor children, and Sally Mickelson.

Josh and Amy Wolberg and Little Mary of Minneapolis, MN, arrived in Elm Springs Friday afternoon, and so began a happy Easter family weekend for the Philp Wilsons, beginning with a baby shower at the “Elk Creek Trask” residence, as promised, and then Saturday visits of Stuart, Shirley and Megan Kitterman, Sally Wolberg of Doland, Pat and Patrick Wolberg of Turtin; Becky Trask, and Sally Mickelson, and the Easter Sunday visits of the Kenny Wilsons, Bruce and Linda Kroetch, Kevin and Joan Howland and boys, Darrell and Norma Harer, Patrick Wilson, Mandy Wilson, Justin Tschetter, and quickly now, before you run out of breath, RoseMary and Gemma Trask.

Tyler Wilson was a visitor at the Kenny Wilson residence during the beginning of the week.

The kind citizens wish you the joy of the Risen Lord and the fallen raindrops!