Lorraine Ortman, age 96, of Bennington, Neb., formerly of Marion, S.D., moved to her final Heavenly home on Nov. 14, 2022. Preceding her in this journey and waiting to greet her is her husband, Harvey; her parents, Harry and Adeline Kaufman; her brothers, Lawrence and Maynard; and sister Anette; grandsons James and Stuart Berry, and in-laws: Sally Kaufman, Loretta Kaufman, Barbara Kaufman, Marvin and Edna May Ortman, Alvin and Arlyss Ortman, LeRoy Ortman and Arnold Becker.

Lori Uecker writes the names of the volleyball players on the window of the bus that is transporting the team to Sioux Falls for the State B Volleyball Tournament. The Flyers enjoyed a pep rally/sendoff Wednesday morning before leaving town around 9:50 a.m. Their one-hour practice was scheduled to start at 11 a.m.

Freeman Academy students Estelle Waltner and Jayson Allison work together to box up cans of chicken that will be distributed for worldwide relief through Mennonite Central Committee. Waltner and Allison were part of a larger contingent of volunteers taking part in the MCC meat canning effort at C&B Operations Tuesday morning. Work began early Monday morning, and by the time it is finished Tuesday afternoon, 10,000 lbs. of chicken will have been prepared, cooked, canned, labeled and boxed as part of the local effort.

Parents, family and fans are invited to pep rally/sendoff for the state-bound Freeman Public volleyball team at 9:30 a.m. at the high school gym Wednesday, Nov. 16. The Flyers will then leave for Sioux Falls from the school’s parking lot at 9:45 a.m., via an escort from the Freeman Volunteer Fire Department.

Jocelyn Lee, an eighth grader at Freeman Public, was a featured soloist for “A Million Dreams,” a well-known song that is part of “The Greatest Showman” soundtrack, Sunday evening, Nov. 13. Lee is a member of the 28-voice Freeman Area Children’s Choir, which reassembled this fall for the first time since 2019 under the leadership of Amber Bradley and Iwona Letwer, staff members at Freeman Academy and Freeman Public. Sunday’s concert at the Salem-Zion Mennonite Church included seven songs, as well as special piano music by six members of the choir.

Joan Joyce Smidt, 93, following the advice of one of her trademark expressions, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” crossed the bridge to her heavenly home on Nov. 4, 2022. Family will greet friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 8 at Miller Southside Funeral Chapel, 7400 S. Minnesota Ave., Sioux Falls, S.D. A celebration of Joyce’s life will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, Dec. 9 at Miller Southside Funeral Chapel, with refreshments following the service. Interment will be at 3 p.m. Friday at the Menno Cemetery, Menno, S.D.

CLICK HERE to view and purchased photos of the Freeman Academy fall play, "The Inn Around The Corner."

Anette Eisenbeis joined her Lord and Savior in heaven on Nov. 11, 2022, after many years of struggling with Alzheimer’s. A celebration of life was held Tuesday, November 22, at Salem-Zion Mennonite (North) Church of rural Freeman, S.D. Anette Ann Kaufman was born to Harry and Adeline (Boese) Kaufman on Oct. 25, 1934, in the southeastern South Dakota farm home in which she grew up. The fourth of six children, she joined older siblings Lorraine, Maynard and Alice. Younger brothers Lawrence and Sherman Roy completed the family.

The folks at the Tumble On Inn come together to solve a challenge in the closing minutes of "The Inn Around The Corner," a play being presented by Freeman Academy this Friday and Saturday night. The comedy takes place in an Old West town and centers around a conflict between patrons of the inn, those passing by and unseen troublemakers in the community. The actors pictured here are, from left: Madelyn Anderson, Jax Kaufman, Angelyn Allison, Jada Buse, Jessica Paschal and Solomon Ortman. Showtime is 7 p.m. and tickets are available at the door.

An American flag in front of the Freeman Junior-Senior High School is lit by the setting sun — an appropriate image on this Veterans Day. A Courier editorial in the Nov. 10 edition reflects on former publisher J.J. Mendel's account of Nov. 11, 1918.