Jim & Lanell Mahler with Mary (Center) 
Pastor Naomi Delivering Children's Message
Our next stop was Watertown, SD to spend time with my brother Carl and his wife Rose. On Monday we took a day trip to Fredrick, SD, the town where our grandfather, Jacob Jurvelin first came after immigrating from Finland. We were curious to see if we could find out why he chose to come to this little town almost on the North Dakota border. A visit to the local general store led us to a book on local history that had Jacob's name in it. It also listed a few other people who had immigrated from Utajarvi, Jacob's home town in Finland. A lady at the store introduced us via telephone to John and Annikka Marttila who live a few miles out of town. We drove there to visit with them and found out that Annikka is from my father's home town of Ylivieska in Finland. We also learned that Annika and her father had visited my mom and dad in Floodwood in 1973. Small world, huh. Unfortunately, we didn't learn anything more about Jacob Jurvelin's time in Fredrick but came to the conclusion he came there because of people there that he knew in Finland.
Carl and Rose
Annikka & John Marttila
On Tuesday morning we continued our journey west. This time with a stop in Pierre, SD to visit long time friends Jim and Karen Stein who we have known since Winnebago days. On Wednesday we drove to Cow Creek on Lake Oahe for a picnic. The weather was perfect and we remenised about our time in France with Jim and Karen while sipping a nice French Burgundy wine and eating brie cheese and pate with French bread.
We had the motorhome at Farm Island State Park on the Missouri River. It is a beautiful campground and was very relaxing as there were only a few campers there. I rode my bike on Farm Island and got a few good sunrise shots with my Canon SD600.
Mary with Jim and Karen
Missouri River Sunrise
Lake Oahe
On Thursday morning we once again headed west. This time to Devil's Tower National Monument in Wyoming.
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