PHOTOS BY MARY RICHE DES MOINES, Iowa, Jan. 21, 2023 — There was a beautiful snow Wednesday evening into Thursday morning. We got four inches on our patio in Des Moines, eight inches around our apartment in Jefferson and nearly a foot in areas on to the northwest. That made Mary Riche decide to spend…
By MARY RICHE DES MOINES, Iowa, Dec. 30, 2022 – My husband Chuck Offenburger and I received so many wonderful holiday cards, photos and letters with personal messages that, yes, it seems a bit lame to send holiday greetings and recap our Christmas travels and celebrations in a column. I’m hoping you’ll indulge me in…
By CHUCK OFFENBURGER SHENANDOAH, Iowa, Dec. 11, 2022 — While driving Saturday morning to my hometown in southwest Iowa, it occurred to me that 2022 marks 50 years since I’ve actually lived here. (Another thing that occurred to me: On the route I took between Des Moines and Shenandoah, you cross the East Nishnabotna River six…
By CHUCK OFFENBURGER OMAHA, Neb., Dec. 17, 2022 — One of the extended Offenburger family’s greatest successes, my first cousin Dr. Richard O’Brien, and his wife, soulmate and perfect partner for 65 years, Joan O’Brien, were both memorialized Thursday morning at St. John’s Catholic Church in the heart of the campus of Creighton University, their alma…
By PAM KENYON WAUKEE, Iowa, Nov. 20, 2022 — Like the gravy sliding from its pool atop the mashed potatoes toward the green bean casserole (which is OK), or toward the wild rice casserole (which is also OK), or toward Grandma Joy’s red Jell-o salad (which is NOT ok), most all of my childhood Thanksgiving…