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John and Bonnie’s Holiday Letter
Happy Holidays to All Our Family and Friends!
Sometime in late December 2005, way after this letter should have been mailed, John writes: This year we got a slightly earlier start on our Christmas letter or else a very, very late start on that 2004 letter that never went out. Anyway, it has been an eventful two years; lots of exciting and happy news and a few not so happy things.
The Big News
Sara and her husband John are expecting a baby in February, Sara and John Bennetts live in Butte Montana. Sara works for Kids Behavioral Health in a school in Butte. Kids Behavioral Health is a private, non-profit organization providing mental health and counseling in schools in Montana. She received her Master of Social Work degree in August. She is now working under the supervision of a licensed MSW; after about two years of supervision, she will be eligible to be licensed in Montana. Sara’s husband John works for the same organization in a school in Boulder, about ½ hour from Butte. He also coaches a wrestling team for the high school in Boulder. Sara coaches a club soccer team in Butte in the summer and a high school soccer team in Butte. The address for the house on a hill they rent is:
More Big News
Bonnie and John will retire in January
Bonnie has been working with mentally ill clients at Southeastern Behavioral Health for almost fifteen years. Before that she worked twenty years or so in social services with Senior Citizens at Aging Services and Meals on Wheels at Senior Citizens Services, and with special education students for the Sioux Falls School System. She will leave SEBH on January 31st.
John has been with the Sioux Falls Health Department since May of 1969; about fifteen years of that as supervisor of the Public Health Laboratory. He will leave that position on January 27th.
John has mixed feelings about leaving a job and people he loves; but he is ready to move on to other. adventures such as granparenthood, cycling, photography, gardening, and some travel. He recently showed some photos at a City employee’s art show and was surprised when one of his so called artworks was sold. In the last few years he has dabbled with Web site design and database development. October 23rd was the thirtieth anniversary of John’s kidney transplant. The picture on the right shows kidney shaped cookies and balloons sent by Kris. John will be forever grateful for the gift of life from Kris; and to the doctors and nurses who kept him alive on dialysis for 1 ½ years and got him successfully through the transplant; and to God for deciding it wasn’t quite his time yet.
Other News.
John’s mother Bernice continues to live at Southridge Healthcare Center in Sioux Falls. She enjoys visiting with many friends, going to gerobics, bible study, and other activities and entertainment at Southridge. Although her eyesight is very poor, and her mobility marginal, she is quite alert and very content at Southridge. Kris, John, and Captain Morgan are frequent visitors.
John finally finished up his work and received his M.S. degree from the University of South Dakota last spring.
We enjoyed the Tollefson Reunion In August. It was so wonderful to visit with the family. If you were there and are wondering where the pictures are, hopefully they will find their way to the mailbox this week or next.
Sara’s sister Trish was married last summer. She and husband Brad Goembel live in Luverne. Trish is studying to be an R.N.
We Were Saddened By the Loss of:
Dorothy Lenth, from Dell Rapids, SD, who passed away in November. Dorothy was a lifelong friend to Bonnie’s mother Evelyn Hess.
Sara’s biological grandmother Eleanor Saukerson, from Chamberlain, SD, passed away in Aberdeen in October. Eleanor had a heart as big as South Dakota.
Barbara Roberts passed away at Southridge Health Care Center. She was a dear friend of Bernice.
Bonnie’s aunt, Clarice Nelson from Chester and Dell Rapids, SD, passed away in Austin, Texas in November 2004. Clarice was also a close friend to Bonnie and her mother Evelyn Hess.
John’s great uncle Alf Tollefson passed away in August of 2004. Alf was the last of the second generation Tollefsons in America.
Season’s greetings!
We pray you are safe and content, and enjoying the holidays. We wish peace and love for you and yours in the coming year. Our family and friends are the most important things in our lives. We love you all.
We will enjoy holidays much more if we see or hear from you. If we haven’t heard from you for a while, please drop us a line, e-mail or call us.
