Kathryn and Wendell Erickson traveled with a tour group to seven countries in Europe on April 13 through April 27. Hosts of the group were Harold and Joyce Van Wettering. Harold is formerly from Steen. Also on the tour were Ray Vanderwolde, who is the industrial arts teacher at H-BC, and his sister Edna, who is also formerly from Steen.Countries traveled in included Austria, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Belgium and Holland. The guide, Inge, grew up in Austria during World War II and escaped to Canada after the war. She is now married to an Iowa farmer. Some of the highlights of the trip included a Mozart concert in Vienna, the beautiful Alps, a World War II concentration camp, a tour of a 2,000-year-old salt mine, a visit with a farm family in Austria, the abandoned collective farms in the Czech Republic, and the canals and beautiful tulip fields of Holland.They enjoyed their trip but are happy to be home.Saturday Jim and Marj Roning attended a graduation reception at Lennox, S.D., for her great-niece, Donelle Boe. Joel, Lisa and Lydia Boehlke and Tanya and Zach Johnson also were in attendance. On Mother’s Day they visited at the Johnson home in Jasper and observed Lydia’s seventh birthday a week early. Lena Marbus returned from The Dalles, Ore., recently where she visited her granddaughter, Pam Jensen. Orval and Bonnie Sundem joined other family members Sunday evening to take Bonnie’s mother, Esther Berkhof, out for evening dinner in Sioux Falls for Mother’s Day. Chuck and Rheta DeBoer celebrated Mother’s Day Thursday evening with dinner at the home of Jeremy and Rachel Van Beek in Doon, Iowa. Also present were Seth, Susan, David, Grace and Maggie Hofman of Melvin, Iowa.Jim and Marj Roning attended funeral services April 29 for her cousin, Laurence Wek, at Grace Lutheran Church in Menno, S.D.Celebrating Mother’s Day in the home of Dean and Peggy Goettsch were her mother, Helen Schoen, Albert Lea, Rudy Phillips, Hartland, and Tony and Annette Goettsch, Sioux Falls. Harriet Skattum celebrated Mother’s Day in the home of Gretchen Franklin in Sioux Falls. Fran Sandager returned home Sunday night from Oklahoma City, Okla., where she attended the Iowa Mock Trial Team in competition with 42 other schools. Her grandson, Philip Sandager, a senior at West Des Moines, Iowa, has been participating in Mock Trial for the past six years and his team won. Congratulations to Phillip and his teammates. Last Thursday Ray and Lois Nelson went to the Elmen Center at Augustana College in Sioux Falls where the Augustana Band and the Augustana Alumni Band were giving concerts. Lois plays in the Augustana Alumni Band. Yesterday, Wednesday, was Syttende Mai Day for the Norwegians. May 17th is the day they celebrate their Independence Day. Probably some of you took part in their parades.Saturday night at the Palace Theatre in Luverne the Sioux Valley Luverne Medical Center staged a program of music, which was a gala for the Children’s Medical Network. Performers played instruments, sang, recited and danced for the event. Emcees were Dr. Joseph Crabtree and Shawn Cable, weatherman from KELO. Ray and Lois Nelson attended.