Friends rally support for Vaadelands

By Sarah Smithssmith@parkrapidsenterprise.com If love can be measured by long lines, Ray Vaadeland and wife Betty were smothered with affection Sunday. Hundreds of people lined up inside and outside St. Peter the Apostle Church in Park Rapids to help the couple replace what they lost in a fire Sept. 4 when lightning struck their mobile home west of town. They lost everything. The charitable event raised thousands of dollars – $15,683 to be exact. The line stretched through the church parish hall and through the parking lot. Vaadelands went outside early on to greet their guests. No one complained about the wait. It was a beautiful day to stand in line. Many gave the couple hugs and expressions of sorrow and sympathy. “It was awesome,” said volunteer Donna Neumann, a member of Thrivent Financial. “We served over 400 meals.” Of that sum raised $3,175 came from a silent auction. Friends and strangers came to honor Park Rapids’ bugle player, who has graced many patriotic events, soldiers’ funerals and parades with his cheeks puffed out, horn singing. “I’m just overwhelmed,” Ray Vaadeland said. “It’s self-explanatory when you look around,” Betty Vaadeland said. The couple is living in their RV, which fits nicely when you don’t have any belongings. Eventually they hope to relocate to more permanent quarters. “Everybody respects him for what he does,” said Hubbard County Veterans Services Officer Greg Remus, who was in line with his wife.
Volunteer Trudy Maninga was working in the kitchen, making elephant-sized servings of coleslaw to send out to the serving table that held ham, beans, mashed potatoes, gravy, salads and desserts. St. John’s Lutheran Church helped with trays of bars and salads, 70 trays in all. “Whoever was on the receiving end of my phone calls,” Maninga laughed. Remus said there was some initial panic that Ray Vaadeland had lost his precious bugle in the fire. “The case was damaged,” Remus said, “When he opened it up, the bugle was fine. It just needed a little cleaning up.” “It’s a good community,” Neumann said. Vaadelands can be reached at 218-820-2395.By Sarah Smithssmith@parkrapidsenterprise.comIf love can be measured by long lines, Ray Vaadeland and wife Betty were smothered with affection Sunday.Hundreds of people lined up inside and outside St. Peter the Apostle Church in Park Rapids to help the couple replace what they lost in a fire Sept. 4 when lightning struck their mobile home west of town.They lost everything.The charitable event raised thousands of dollars – $15,683 to be exact. The line stretched through the church parish hall and through the parking lot.Vaadelands went outside early on to greet their guests. No one complained about the wait. It was a beautiful day to stand in line. Many gave the couple hugs and expressions of sorrow and sympathy.“It was awesome,” said volunteer Donna Neumann, a member of Thrivent Financial. “We served over 400 meals.” Of that sum raised $3,175 came from a silent auction.Friends and strangers came to honor Park Rapids’ bugle player, who has graced many patriotic events, soldiers’ funerals and parades with his cheeks puffed out, horn singing.“I’m just overwhelmed,” Ray Vaadeland said.“It’s self-explanatory when you look around,” Betty Vaadeland said.The couple is living in their RV, which fits nicely when you don’t have any belongings. Eventually they hope to relocate to more permanent quarters.“Everybody respects him for what he does,” said Hubbard County Veterans Services Officer Greg Remus, who was in line with his wife.
Volunteer Trudy Maninga was working in the kitchen, making elephant-sized servings of coleslaw to send out to the serving table that held ham, beans, mashed potatoes, gravy, salads and desserts.St. John’s Lutheran Church helped with trays of bars and salads, 70 trays in all.“Whoever was on the receiving end of my phone calls,” Maninga laughed.Remus said there was some initial panic that Ray Vaadeland had lost his precious bugle in the fire.“The case was damaged,” Remus said, “When he opened it up, the bugle was fine. It just needed a little cleaning up.”“It’s a good community,” Neumann said.Vaadelands can be reached at 218-820-2395.