Charles Leon Kumlien of Waldron, Arkansas passed from this life, Monday, April 4, 2022 with his loved ones by his side. Charlie was born January 1, 1962 to William Bruce Kumlien and Sandra Lee Mueller in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He was 60 years old.
Beloved son, brother, uncle and friend, Charlie never met a stranger. He loved meeting new people and was quick to offer a hug. He started and ended each day with a smile, a smile so big his eyes disappeared! His laugh (giggle) was infectious and could brighten up anyone’s day.
Charlie was a self-proclaimed EB(eligible bachelor) and ladies man. He added new girlfriends all the time but never lost any. His famous line was, “You’re my number 1, but not my only one!” Children were drawn to him with his gentle nature and he was gracious enough to share his toys with them. Pets were no exception either-wherever Charlie was, that is where you would find your dog or cat.
Charlie enjoyed all kinds of music and was a great singer as well. he also enjoyed playing with his calculator and was a whiz at math. He had a knack for remembering numbers and could recite every address and phone number he had in his life. He was also a big jokester and had a joke ready anytime!!
Charlie is survived by his mother, Virginia Robison, birth mother Sandra Taylor, brother Dave (Rhonda) Kumlien, brother Bill (Marsha) Kumlien, brother Joe (Joyce) Kumlien, brother Robert (Kim) Taylor, sister Lori Hinkel, sister Jackie (Matt) Riedel. Charlie will be missed by all that knew him including numerous aunts, uncles, nephews and nieces.
Charlie was preceded in death by his father, William Kumlien, step father, Jim Taylor, maternal and paternal grandparents.
A private family life celebration will be held at a later date. Arrangements and cremation are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home & Crematory in Waldron, Arkansas.
Obituary – Charles Leon Kumlien (1962-2022)
Homemade Coffee Syrups
Coffee is one of the many gifts God has given us. You won’t convince me otherwise. Also Dr. Pepper is a gift straight from God Himself. I obviously value my caffeine.
I love coffee, but I do not enjoy black coffee. I like some sweet to it. For whatever reason it’s hard to find coffee syrups in Waldron; so I took to Pinterest to find some simple syrups to flavor my iced coffee and I was not disappointed.
To start making syrup heat equal parts sugar and water on the stove, simmer for about 10 minutes. I did 1 cup sugar in 1 cup water. Adjust according to how much syrup you will need in about 2 weeks time. Store in airtight container in the fridge.
Vanilla
Add 1 tablespoon to the syrup once removed from heat.
Cinnamon
For cinnamon syrup add 3 cinnamon sticks to the sugar and water, simmer for the 10 minutes then strain.
Caramel
Caramel was the most complicated of the syrups I tried, but it is delicious and worth it if caramel is your thing. If you are drinking your coffee hot then caramel sauce works just fine, but since I prefer my coffee iced making into a syrup was the way to go. Start by heating 1 cup of sugar in a pan. Stir constantly, it burns very quickly. I used 1 cup of sugar. There was several ways to do this when I was looking for recipes but easy is always my favorite. I added 1 cup of HOT water. As soon as most of the sugar was melted I turned off the burner, I wish I would have sat it off faster but it turned out okay. When adding the hot water it sputters, just be mindful of that. It didn’t pop much, but I’m sharing because its pretty essential it’s in a pot with high sides.
Cinnamon has been what I’ve put in my coffee recently with just a splash of whole milk. Absolutely delicious! The glass bottles designed for oil make great containers for your syrup, or just an old fashioned mason jar like I have.
These would make a great gift idea if you need a gift for a coffee lover!
Timepiece: Golden City
By Dr. Curtis Varnell
Just south of Booneville, in Logan County, sits the small community of Golden City. A few scattered homes, some old deserted mines, and a church are all that remain on the site of one of the biggest gold rushes in Arkansas.
The story began in late 1885 when a man by the name of John Redmon moved his sawmill into the area and began harvesting the many pine trees in the area. Needing water to operate his steam mill, he had the dug well on his property deepened. During the process, a large piece of quartz was uncovered. Knowing that quartz and gold are often found together, he had the sample assayed and discovered that it contained gold.
The news swept through the area! Within days, a stranger by the name of Dr. A. Guy Lewis, a gold miner from Oregon arrived and began waving around wads of money. He quickly bought up tracts of land and established an office in the rural community. Others soon followed, using hard cash to buy up the land and establish businesses. A hotel, several stores, and a stamp mill were soon constructed and hundreds of people flocked into the area.
Several shafts, some hundreds of feet deep were sunk into the earth. Pulverized rock by the ton was shipped to Fort Smith and the assay office in Dardanelle stayed busy processing claims. Stoked by traces of gold located in the samples, people from throughout the region invested in gold stock or bought up small plots of ground and began their own mines. Lewis and Redmon hired Bill Carrol and a group of men to stand watch over the opening leading into their mine and this just added frenzy to the mania.
This went on for over a year. Prospectors flocked into the region, buying up high-priced land claims to the west and south of town. Golden City flourished, establishing churches, a literary society, and a post office. Just as soon as it began, the boom died. After a night of heavy drinking, Carrol let it be known that Redmon, Lewis, and others were running the typical scam. Redmon’s son brought in gold samples from Colorado and, according to the story, filled shotgun shells with the samples and “salted” several of the local mines. The real money being made was made from selling the property at an extremely high cost.
Redmon, Lewis, and cohorts claimed that Carrol was lying and attempted to rally the local miners into hanging him on the spot but the secret was out. Afraid to hang Carrol but also afraid that he was right, many of the miners began to closely examine their claims and found the cost of extracting even a trace of gold exceeded any profit they could hope to extract. Many gullible people, looking to make a fast buck, lost life savings and found they held only worthless quick claims to Arkansas rock and dirt.
The bustling community soon disappeared, leaving the peaceful local community that we know today. As Jim Roberts, an editor for the Arkansas Democrat wrote in 1946, it makes you lonely to visit the once-thriving town but the daffodils still bloom, the birds still sing, and the sun still shines in the sky in Golden City, Arkansas.
Obituary – Kathy White (1949-2022)
Kathy White of Parks, Arkansas passed from this life, Friday, April 1, 2022 in Waldron, Arkansas with her loving family by her side. Kathy was born in Waldron, Arkansas to William Carol Ward and Eliza Josephine (Hensley) Ward. She was 72 years old.
Kathy was a WHS graduate of the Class of 1967. She was a faithful Jehovah’s Witness for over 50 years. Kathy enjoyed sharing the good news of God’s kingdom with people. She married the love of her life, Doug White, and together they had 52 years of love, and laughter, good times and bad but no matter what life threw their way, together they could conquer anything. Kathy was a woman of many talents to include gardening, canning and cooking. But the one thing that Kathy enjoyed most was being a momma and Nana. With a smile to light up any room and a heart of love to match that smile, Kathy treasured spending time with her family and well as a host of nieces and nephews making forever memories.
Kathy leaves behind to cherish her memory, her adoring husband of 52 years, Doug of the home, sons: Dal White (Candi), Daniel White (Carrie Ann), Dakota White (Gracie) and niece and daughter, Lisa Weiss (Kerry). Nana will forever remain in the hearts of her grandchildren: Gunner White, Riley White, Dawson Ferguson, Jade Ferguson, Britney Johnson Seth Frayer, Cody Weiss, Kady Jo Weiss. Great grandchildren: Kaiden Ferguson and Ava Johnson, Ember Johnson, Axel Johnson, Luna Johnson, Nova Johnson. Kathy is also survived by one brother, Jo Bill Ward. One brother in law Charles Maxwell, two sister in laws: Marion Ward and Diann Ward. Kathy will be missed by all that knew her and the many whose lives she impacted including a host of nieces, nephews and extended family and friends she loved dearly.
Kathy was preceded in death by her parents, Carol and Josie Ward, one son Dougie White, and siblings: Floyd Ward, Johnie Ward, Jerrell Ward, Juanita Maxwell, George Ward and Marvin Ward and her special mother in law, Eloise White.
Kathy’s celebration of life will be at 4:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 5, 2022 at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Waldron, Arkansas with Bro. Mike Norman officiating. Interment will follow in the Buffalo Cemetery in Boles, Arkansas.
Kathy’s pallbearers will be Dal White, Daniel White, Dakota White, Riley White, Cody Weiss and Caleb Elmore Jr. Honorary pallbearers will be Jo Bill Ward, Charles Maxwell, Dawson Ferguson, Robert Mills and Justin Mills.
Kathy’s visitation will be Monday, April 4, 2022 from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Waldron, Arkansas.
“Just Roll with It” Serving Up Recipes and Humor
By Sheri Hopkins
Lifestyle Contributor
Hello everyone! It’s spring but it has been cold. My friend, Curtis Feimster, said there was snow flurries in Northwest Arkansas where he lives. He calls it God’s country, but we all know the River Valley is God’s country. It sure makes my day to pester him.
Back in the late 1980’s, Lisa Favela and I worked at the Powerhouse. Do any of ya’ll remember the Powerhouse that was out at Johnny Cake Ranch? Lisa and I cooked for all them boys. I loved that job and loved those teenage boys. They were there for drug and alcohol rehabilitation. They were so sweet to us and appreciated all we done. It was also sad the youngest client that was there was 14 years old. I’m sure some of ya’ll remember some of them because they went to Mansfield Public School. That was just a trip down memory lane.
If Chuck had a day off he would take me to work and pick me up, which I hated because he was always late. I mean the man was late for everything. The only reason he wasn’t late for his memorial service was because someone else was responsible for getting him to the church. One time when we lived in that little town of Owego, New York, I left him home and he went on to work. I liked being early and he was always late so I just left him. Needless to say that didn’t go over well. How did I get down this pig trail?
Back to my story. Remember all the gifts Chuck bought me over the years? Ok it’s the month of May and it’s our anniversary. He is picked me up from work and he is late, I’m instantly mad. He was very happy this day, I’m sure he was remembering our wedding day and how glad he was he married me. This made me laugh out lout just thinking that was why he was so happy. That was not the reason. He said “I got you an anniversary gift.” I’m thinking in my mind what could it be? It’s our anniversary so it must be something good. WRONG!! I get home and he comes bringing out my gift. I hope ya’ll are sitting down. To my surprise he didn’t let me sit down, it was a Super Nintendo! I was instantly mad, again! What am I going to do with this? Oh it will be so fun, you are going to love it, he said. Chuck and Shannon had the best time on our anniversary because they loved it. I admit I ended up playing it sometimes. Guys, do not buy your wife a game system for your anniversary!
This week’s recipe is red Zinger poke cake. This is great for Easter. These easy recipes are good for a quick dessert when you don’t have a lot of time. Have a blessed week!
RED ZINGER POKE CAKE
1 white cake mix (baked according to box directions)
1 package 3.4 oz. of raspberry Jell-O
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
8 oz. Cool Whip
2 cups shredded coconut
6-10 drops of red food coloring
Bake the white cake according to box directions, take a skewer, straw or wooden spoon and poke holes in it. Mix the Jell-O with the boiling water, then add the cold water and pour over the cake. Let the cake cool. I put mine in the fridge. When the cake is cool, cover with Cool Whip. Take the coconut and add the food coloring. Stir it around to get it red in color and then sprinkle on top of the cake. Keep in the fridge. Enjoy!
Little Cheesy Meatloaves
I really do not like meatloaf, but these cheesy meatloaves are absolutely delicious. Any cheese will work in this recipe, the last time I made it with mozzarella and it was divine! An extra special thing about this recipe- my mom used it first! I can remember my mom making these kind of meatloaves growing up and every time I make them it makes me think of being back at “home” at my parents house.
Ingredients
-1 egg
-3/4 cup milk
-1 cup cheese (cheddar, Colby Jack, and mozzarella all work great!)
-1/2 cup quick oats
-1/2 cup chopped onion (less to taste)
-1 tsp salt
-1 lb ground beef
Topping
-2/3 cup ketchup
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1 1/2 tap mustard
Directions
- Beat egg together with milk.
- Add remaining ingredients and mix.
- Form small loaves (8 is how many I aim for) and place in pan with high sides.
- Combine topping ingredients and pour over loaves.
- Cook at 350* for 45 minutes.
Meatloaf is hard to make look appetizing in photos, but it is delicious. Serve alongside mashed potatoes for the best comfort meal!
Waldron FFA Has Been Very Busy!
First, we had National FFA Week on Feb. 20-27.
Each year, FFA chapters around the country celebrate National FFA Week. It’s a time to share what FFA is and the impact it has on members every day. Our Waldron FFA Chapter held spirit days for our high school each day of the week. We also scheduled a beautify our community service event, held a business window contest as community engagement, and an Ag Olympics assembly as chapter recruitment. The Waldron FFA also hosted a coloring contest at the Elementary and Middle schools, where 3 prize winners were picked from each school. The business window contest was a challenge to the local businesses to show their FFA spirit. Some participating businesses were True Value, Waldron Livestock Auction, and this Year’s winner was Waldron’s City Hall!
City Hall with their winning window for National FFA Week 
City Hall with their FFA gift basket
Thank you all for showing your support!
We’ve also been very busy with our career development events! We competed at district competition at Arkansas Tech! As well as Logan County and Arklahoma Battletown Rivalry!
Middle School Coloring Contest Winners 
Elementary School Coloring Contest Winners
MHS Tigers Host Large Scale Meet
The 16th annual Mansfield Tiger Relays played host to 24 schools this past week. Teams spanning the region from Clarksville to DeQueen made the March 29 trip. Through it all, Mansfield’s senior girls showed their worth with a high finish against the largest field of competitors so far this outdoor season.
The MHS Lady Tigers went event for event with the top ranked teams. In the end, the group finished in a tie for second with Scott County rival Waldron. DeQueen, a 4A school with a history of outstanding runners, won the meet.
DeQueen took the top team prize with 141 points. Mansfield and Waldron closed, all knotted up with 106 points. Ozark came in fourth (103) followed by Clarksville (87) in fifth.
Similar standings prevailed on the men’s side with DeQueen (163) taking first place. Waldron (122.5) was second followed by Ozark (57), Mena (52), and Clarksville (47) for the top five scoring teams.
Acorn, Magazine, and Mansfield peppered the middle of the men’s standings as the top teams within Mansfield’s own 2A-4 league.
For the Mansfield women, Darby Jones was fifth in the overall individual points standings. The senior totaled 21 points with high valued marks in the 800m, 1600m, and 3200m runs.
Jones looked to prequalify to state in the 1600m run but fell 9 seconds short of the AAA standard. She did however set a personal record for the four lap race at 6:05.74.
Jadelynn Wood, also of Mansfield, ranked ninth among 95 individual scorers. The junior hurdler accumulated 17.5 points through a six event schedule.
Among Wood’s best mark was a 18.4 finish in the 100m hurdles. The measure was 0.8 seconds off the state standard. She also ran 52.56 in the 300m hurdles. That personal record was 1.14 seconds off the prequalification mark.
Close calls seemed a theme among the Lady Tiger entries. Seven Sanderson was another among the group that was close to meeting a state standard.
Sanderson pushed the 4kg shot 31’ 2.5” for the first place award. The measure was 5.5 inches away from automatic qualification to the class 2A state prelims.
Throws teammate Brooklyn Adams made her 2021 debut. The junior softball player came over from the diamond field to compete in the discus and shot put. Her efforts were solid with an 80’ 2” discus toss and a 28’ 6.5” shot put giving the home team an additional 14 points.
Natalie Allison also came over from the softball arena. The junior pointed in the triple jump with a mark of 31 feet.
Seniors Faith Rainwater, Hope Rainwater, McKenzie Griffin, and Katlynn Moore contributed in the distance relay. Sadie Roberts, Raine Hecox, Sarah Fisher, and Shelby Cole did likewise in separate sprints relays.
Fisher also took silver in the women’s discus throw at 87’ 10”. Faith Rainwater pointed in the pole vault, 400m, and three relays.
Ryan Hayslip highlighted Mansfield scoring in the men’s division with an 11’ 0” pole vault. Sammy Sellers ranked fourth in the discus at 103’ 10” while three Tiger relays all scored in the top 8.
Mansfield and Mena Tie At Junior Tiger Relays
The final few events saw the lead batted back and forth like a ping pong ball. Between Mansfield and Mena the lead exchanged hands three times within the last four events. Ultimately, neither could shake the other as the 16th Annual Junior Tiger Relays ended in a tie.
Mansfield’s junior girls built a 10 point lead when Addie Bowman-Stover won the 300m hurdles. Mena countered with an 11 point swing in the 800m run to take over first place by one going into the final two events.
Lady Tigers Carter Whiley and Daisy Nelson combined for a three point differential in the 200m dash to flip Mansfield back on top by two.
Finally, the deciding 4x400m relay would determine the outcome of the hard fought March 31 Mansfield hosted event. Not until Laney Wood of Mansfield passed a DeQueen anchor in the final 10 meters did the numbers reach the tying total.
Mena won the closing race for 10 points. Mansfield passed DeQueen in the final steps for second place’s 8 point haul. Suddenly, the 17 event, cold and windy night ended in a 134.5 exact tie.
“We definitely left some points on the table,” said Mansfield head coach and meet director John Mackey. “Give Mena credit for fighting back. Give Laney (Wood) even more credit for fighting back. A shared title is still a victory. We just really wanted the outright victory. Our home meet has always been one of the biggest and most sought after titles in the area.”
The combination of Wood, Bowman-Stover, Azlynn Stover, and Trinity Triska populated the second place 4x400m relay team. According to their coach, the freshmen core had winning DNA.
“Those four have been in the big moments,” noted Mackey. “It’s always good to have a relay team built around a winning attitude to close the night. In fact our best events; the 300m hurdles, 200m dash, and 4x400m relay always give us a chance to end well.”
Mansfield’s boys had a solid night as well finishing fourth in the overall team standings. Trey Powell led the junior boy’s squad by winning his second high point trophy of the year.
Powell scored 42 points over his six event schedule. The freshman tied for first in the 100m dash, placed second in four other events, and anchored a second place 4x100m relay.
“Trey Powell was excellent,” said Mansfield boys coach Joshua Brown. “He represented our school and community well. We had a lot of guys get ribbons. That’s what we have to do to be successful.”
Booneville, coached by Mansfield 2005 graduate Whit Overton, won the boys title with 150 points. DeQueen came in second with 123 points. Waldron took third with 102 points. Mansfield closed in fourth with 89.5 points among 14 scoring schools.
Among class 2A-4 schools in attendance, Mansfield was rarely challenged. Acorn, Mountainburg, Lavaca, and Magazine were distantly scattered among the remaining team standings.
Ethan Martin was second in the shot put as Mansfield’s other best placing athlete. The eighth grader took silver with a toss of 39’ 9.5 “.
For the Lady Tigers, Kaylee Ward and Triska were the only other individual winners. Ward won the shot put with a 36’ 0.5” toss. Triska took the triple jump with a leap of 29’ 8”.
Mansfield’s 4x100m relay team took a combined victory in the women’s division. The lineup of Ward, Whiley, Bowman-Stover, and Nelson took that victory with a time of 58.10.
Easter Basket Alternatives
Easter is coming up really quickly! Now is the time to work on Easter basket gifts. Rather than a traditional basket I embarked on a mission to see just what could function as an Easter basket.
Rain boots! If your kiddo needs them for all their muddy puddle jumping that comes with the spring stash full of goodies and you’re good to go!
Umbrella! Umbrellas are so fun for kids. Why not pop one open and stuff with the other gifts.
Watering can! Perfect for the budding gardeners.
Sand bucket! Don’t worry about storage, just use out in the sand box.
Toddler swing! The perfect container that also provides loads of entertainment!
Dump truck! So much fun for the future construction workers.
Kids pool! A great way to give multiple kids their Easter gifts.
Potty! A bit different, but if you are like me and have a child on the verge of potty training this would be a fun way to introduce the potty.
Ball cap! What a great way to continue the tradition with an older boy.
Mixing bowl! Have a child that enjoys baking? The perfect Easter basket is really a bowl.
If your children already have an Easter basket for egg hunting grabbing a storage container of a different kind is the way to go! Having a gift that is useful more than just once a year is something we always prioritize.