Christmas Festival Sets Mood for Season

The winter wonderland of enchantment filled the crisp air the evening of Thursday, December 1, as the young and the old came to partake in the Christmas Festival at the Phillips County Museum.

Arriving, as was the word received earlier, Mr. Ebenezer greeted guests and even threw on a smile on occasion, just to keep people guessing whether they were in the right place! Decked out and looking quite debonair and dashing, his carefree and cynical grouchy attitude was the only gloom on the night that set new records for the fundraiser event of the museum.

With 13 entries in the wreath and decorated tree category, the entry "Wings From Above," was the top item of the auction. The entry was created by Kay Hould and Cheryl and Charlie Moore; the decorated birdhouse was in memory of Don Hould. It added $800 to the coffers of the museum. The birdhouse will be decorated for each season. Top bidder for the arrangement was Bruce Hould.

The museum had an excellent crowd come out and support the event, everyone had been looking forward to the kickoff of the holiday season. Emcee Warren Taylor and auctioneer Tanner Anderson brought in the smiles and kept the audience entertained as each entry was introduced and sold. The two worked the crowd while gents took bids and kept the competition lively and interesting.

And as though the spirit of the night wouldn't last forever, 13 trees and wreaths were sold in the live auction, along with 10 silent auction items were quickly. There were nine items in the Chinese raffle category, as well. Even ol' Cliff (Rustad) would have been proud of the top performance of the pair conducting the finest sale of the evening.

The highest bid items were entered, in addition to the one by Hould and Moore's, were the "Birds of a Feather," created by the Rough Riders 4-H Club, purchased by R&G Quality Feeds for $625; and "Blades of Glory", created by the Hi-Line H'Attitudes and purchased by Phillips County Insurance for $525. The 4-H Club received the nod as People's Choice.

Others donated to the cause were created by Patty's Floral, Northwest Realty, Bank of Malta, Art's Furniture, Terry Wass, Ava Ginter, Friends of the Museum, The GN, Nellie Ereaux, and the American Legion Auxiliary and the VFW Auxiliary.

The silent auction items were donated by the Phillips County Hospital, Independence Bank, the First State Bank of Malta, Julie Howell, Ava Ginter, Sheila Walsh, Barb Heinlein, Friends of the Museum, and Marcella McEwen. An antique truck was decorated in memory of Bill and Imogene Cotter and donated by their grandchildren.

Anita Green and "Gone to Pieces," Carol Jestrab and Rose Teske, Becky Bruce, Barb Heinlein, Julie Howell, and Friends of the Museum donated items/gift packets for the Chinese raffle. The donation funds for this category brought in over $1,300.

Smiles were shared over the refreshments throughout the evening and ol' man winter let the group know winter was real, as reality set in, as the doors were beginning to close.