Activities began with a Thursday evening supper at Weskota Manor for the eldest generation of Pattons and their spouses, hosted by Myrna Schwartz.

Friday evening about 60 Patton relatives were welcomed at a catered supper at the UCC Fellowship Hall. Saturday morning, family members hiked to Cannon Hill then Old Grade trail to Observation Hill before joining others for a breakfast buffet at Springs Inn.

In an afternoon program at the UCC Fellowship Hall, Arlo and Della (Patton) Tiede, Bob and Beth Patton, Lester and Donna Patton, Helen Patton, and Harold Arnott shared memories of family life through the 1930’s, then reminisced and visited throughout the afternoon with relatives.

A silent auction of hometown items organized by Lora Arnott took place Saturday afternoon. Saturday evening, everyone gathered at Springs Inn for dinner and a program with Gail Arnott as emcee. Introductions and family updates were followed by family photos and wheelbarrow rides for newlyweds.

A walking tour of Patton homes, Frisbee golf in the Park, visits to Royce and Carol’s farm and Gail and Susan’s home, tours of Shakespeare Garden and the Heritage Center, and a Sunday indoor picnic with more reminiscing were other activities enjoyed during the weekend .

Reunion attendees assisted with worship on Sunday morning at the Foothills Bible Fellowship with speakers Dean Arnott, Les Patton, Deb (Patton) Buche, and song leader Gail Arnott, Violinist Chelsea Arnott, Jean VanBockern Nelson, accompanist, and a reunion choir participating.

The choir, made up of Patton relatives also sang at the UCC Sunday morning worship service.

Attending the Reunion were: Royce and Carol Van Bockern; Kris (VanBockern) Warwick, Whitney and Walker (Rapid City); Shane and Dawn (VanBockern) Christenson, Conner and Ava (Sioux Falls); Gary and Jean (VanBockern) Nelson (Alliance NB); Tom, Linda, and Kaitlin Van Bockern (Parker, CO); Joe Van Bockern (Rapid City); Alan and Bernice Rasmussen; Helen (Horsley) Patton (Mrs. Newell Patton); Gary and Myrna (Patton) Schwartz (Springdale AK); Marvin and Carla (Patton) Mentzer, Gary and Verna (Patton) Spencer (Ft Pierre); John and Kathy Patton (Minneapolis), Don and Deb Patton, W.S. and grandson Brayden (Sioux Falls); Harold and Joan Arnott (Valley Springs); Gail and Susan Arnott; 1/Lt Andrew Arnott (Elmendorf AFB ,AK), Neil and Jacquie Arnott (FtWaltonBeach FL); Larry and Ardell (Arnott) Johnson; Amy Johnson and daughter Kasey (Valley Springs); Dean and Lora Arnott (Owatonna MN) with daughter Chelsea (Minneapolis); David H. Arnott (Dallas TX); Arlo and Della (Patton) Tiede (Stanwood WA) and daughter Marliece Bate (McPherson KS); Bob and Beth (Knight) Patton; Lynn J. Patton and his daughter Amanda Dotson and her sons Devon and Dylan (Pierre); Diane Patton; Mrs. Joe Patton, formerly Eloise Naser (Hemet, CA); Paul and Dorothy (Reiners)Patton (Mitchell); Greg and Deb (Patton) Buche, Courtney and Zach (Mitchell); Geoffrey and Mary Ann & Gavin Buche; Brian and Barb (Patton) Stork, Traci and Amber (Farmer)and friend Mark (Minneapolis), Greg and Janine Patton and daughters Chelsea, Shelby and McKenzie (Mitchell); Paul B. and Dawn Patton with children Abigail and John (Mitchell); Lester and Donna Patton (Kenmore WA), Tamra Patton (Lake Forest Park WA), Al and Tara (Patton) Iredale (Lake Forest Park); Trevor and Margaret Patton, Levi and Brandon (Kennewick, WA); Lucile Dean, Lavolla Christensen; and Tom and Zilpha (Scheoff) Brighton (Washington). Three of the children of John and Eunice are deceased – Emma Patton VanBockern, Ruth Patton Arnott, Newell Patton, and Elinor Patton (infant). Joe Patton, Hemet, CA, son of John and Eunice Patton was unable to attend due to ill health.

Of course Dale was talking about longtime weather recorder Fred Marken and the dry years of the 1970s when farmers and businessmen were leaving the area with empty pockets. Fred lived to be 100 years old and was a fun-loving guy. When he talked about his weather report he would say, “I may not be right, but I’m OFFICIAL!”

Today is much different from the 1970s as we have already reached half of a year’s annual average precipitation during the month of June alone.

People were sandbagging on the northeast edge of Woonsocket on Wednesday and Thursday of last week, trying to stop the Sand Creek from flooding the town.

And homes and businesses in Wessington Springs took on some water during the 4.3 inch rain that fell on Sunday night/early Monday morning of June 20-21.

Farmers, and the rural roads that serve them, have taken the brunt of the impact so far. With 10 inches of rain in a month, the normal farm work has been stopped. Erosion has also been tough on fields filled with tender crop plants.

Another monster thunderstorm swept across Huron and the Alpena portion of Jerauld County on Saturday night of this past weekend. That one sent unwanted water to Woonsocket, another town that is suffering with flooding.

A farmer from south of town, Tom Hoefert put a new spin on things when I talked to him in front of the Humm Dinger last week. “We used to brag to the neighbors that we got more rain than they did,” he said. “Now we say, I only got twenty hundreds last night, what’d you get?”

All things eventually come to an end… and it’s likely that later this summer we’ll ask ourselves, “Why couldn’t we have saved a little of that June rain for later?”

Weather trivia:

The True Dakotan has printed regular weekly weather information from dedicated local folks for 35 years. They are:

1. Evelyn Weaver

2. Stanley Zak

3. Verla Barber

4. Fred Marken

5. Don L. Wenzel

6. Lloyd Kraft