Who would’ve thought that in a Pizza Parlor you would find a Coffee Shop? My cousin, Greg, and his wife have one. It’s a brilliant idea because they have people staying at their motel, Range Country, in Murdo, they have chargers for EV vehicles in the parking lot, a good continental breakfast, a place to get fed delicious pizza later in the day and now early risers can buy delicious crafted Starbee’s style lattes, mochas, coffees and teas plus – get ready – cinnamon rolls! They’re big gooey and sinful. Some have cream cheese frosting and some are just oozing with caramel type filling. They are large and coiled into delectable circles of dough with irresistible sweetness layered inside. The coffee shop is called Sweet Olivia’s and it’s pretty sweet especially with the – did I mention – cinnamon rolls. I need to quit thinking about them. I might choke myself drooling.
I wanted to hang out there all morning on July 16 th and on this particular morning in mid-July, right out on the prairie at Prairie Pizza, I was lucky to meet up with Paul and Ralph Thomas, beautiful good friend Suzanne Brost and meet Jim Anderson who was in Murdo to attend the school festivities.
Jim was a past resident of Murdo in a Sun Devils T-shirt, wearing western jeans, and a decorated belt with a Native American design on the side. He wore wire rim glasses, and had a pleasant smile, and his hair was partially gray but combed to the side in a boyish style. This face was set off with a graying goatee that fit his calm, take- life -easy style. His voice came out calmly and low as he talked.
He talked as we five enjoyed our coffee and cinnamon roll, cut into five easy pieces. Wink wink.
Jim had been in Murdo most of his life. He amazingly seemed to know who I was and talked about the Blog cousin Mary has been writing for over a decade and how I add to it oftentimes. I took rough notes so this is the way I remember our conversation.
Jim said he had gone to Vietnam in 1969 to serve his country. He was northwest of Saigon and on a base with thousands of GI’s. He could have gotten a student deferment but joined up.
He skipped around a bit in his discussion as people around the table asked him questions but I got the gist of his conversation sharing his life experiences with us as a young man.
He was fresh out of the military when he attended a party he actually crashed. Somehow Jim got into a conversation with Dr. Gordon Bork, the local Murdo dentist, who advised him to become a dentist. Dr Bork was Suzanne BROST’s father. He gave Jim good advice and some spark was lit in Jim’s young mind.
Jim taught school for a short time and worked for the Atomic Energy Commission and did other things but his life changed when he got accepted to Loyola for dental school. At 29 years old, he started his career as a dentist which served him well for countless years.
He also spoke about a well loved Uncle Walt Anderson who was killed in WWII at Kwajalein, a decisive victory for the allies from January 31-February 3, 1944. His Uncle Walt is buried at Murdo Cemetery. He was recommended for the Bronze Star but never received it. Jim talked about asking for assistance from South Dakota Senator John Thune to get his deceased uncle the Bronze Star and the senator eventually came through for the family. His Uncle Walt Anderson received the Bronze Star posthumously for his family. This of course was an honor. The medal is engraved on the back: “For Heroic or Meritorious Achievement” and has the recipient’s name.
After listening to Jim speak, I felt glad to have met him and wished we five could’ve met for a longer period of time, but some conversations are gems and mean more no matter how long we are given. What was shared was succinct, enjoyable and meaningful. Thanks, Jim.
Those 70ish Girls 