Pre-Prologue, 1994, Early
Internet: The on-line persona of Durango began with
a website called As the WWWeb Turns. Durango is a brutally
honest, mouthy,
opinionated know-it-all who holds back nothing, saying totally what is
on his mind and suffering no aggravation from anyone.....
Prologue, July 24, 2002:
Durango goes on a mountain bike ride in 100 plus degree heat at trails
on the hills around Lake Grapevine (yes, in mountain-less Texas there
are very good mountain bike trails). After the bike ride Durango decides
to go swimming. While floating along in the ultra-warm water suddenly
Durango is confronted with a giant reptilian head. Panic ensues with a
super-fast swim back to shore. What was feared to be a water moccasin
turned out to be a giant snapping turtle. This incident was relayed via
email back to Whatcom County, to Durango's cousin, Sheryl Slotemaker
Cartwright, who emailed
back, "won't it be nice to be back in Washington where there
are no dangerous animals....?"
Morning July 27, 2002:
Staying overnight in the aforementioned cousin Sheryl Slotemaker
Cartwright's house we are
awakened early by the pre-reunion preparations. The loading of
material into the various vehicles takes place quickly with a few
logistic difficulties. Sheryl Slotemaker Cartwright and her first
husband, Bill, depart, leaving Durango alone
in the house to take his sweet time in getting to Lynden. An hour went
by. Or more. Durango had some slacks he wanted to wear which needed
ironing. This was forgotten the night before. He looked about the
house for an iron. When suddenly out of the dark an animal lunged with
vicious ferocity, hissing, growling, clawing, with a maniac intensity
like something out of a Tarzan movie. Durango was slowly backed into a
corner. Any move in defense was met with greater ferocity by the
attacking beast. Fearing a bloody slicing by pointy paws Durango stood
as still as possible. There was a gap between the couch and the wall.
Maybe this was an escape route. But what if the beast used the couch
as a launching pad to leap for the face? After a long standoff it was
decided to take the risk and slither out behind the couch and make a
run for the door. This worked. A clean escape from the guard cat named
Bonsai, obviously instructed by my cousin to terrorize me that day...
July 27, 2002, The Rest of the
Day: Once the Escape from Bonsai
was made, his victim's nerves were totally on edge. A quick trip to Wal-Mart was
needed to get some Kava Kava for its relaxing effect. Arrival at the Lynden
Fairgrounds happened some time after 10am. Quickly the trainer of Bonsai
was sought and she was told that her plot to have Bonsai hold me prisoner had
failed. Bonsai's trainer advised that Bonsai posed no danger as he had been
declawed...
After a short consult it was decided
it was pointless to do the scheduled welcoming
thing as there were not enough people yet there.
Sheryl Slotemaker
Cartwright had planned
everything to the finest detail but some details are impossible to
control.
Let's right here list as
best as we can what Sheryl Slotemaker Cartwright did in the past year.
On the Slotemaker Website, virtually
everything you have seen typed of any length at all was typed by Sheryl Slotemaker
Cartwright. Sheryl is very adept at typing. If it weren't for Sheryl Slotemaker
Cartwright there would possibly be no Slotemaker Website, as
it was her re-typing of the Slotemaker Story which helped bring it about. If it
weren't for Sheryl Slotemaker Cartwright there possibly may have been no reunion on July 27 as it was Sheryl Slotemaker
Cartwright who first verbalized a desire to have such an event.
Sheryl Slotemaker
Cartwright found and booked the Lynden Fairground site, mailed out various mailings, contacted the local
newspapers, scanned hundreds of photos. Met with various relatives. Booked
the Klompen Dancers after it was suggested that there really needed to be
some entertainment. Of some sort.
In the month before July 27 Sheryl Slotemaker
Cartwright put together
that Family Book which involved typing
that incredibly complex
genealogy list, and at the last minute, when she was given the August
DeVries Story of Alida, Sheryl Slotemaker Cartwright added that as well. And somehow amongst all
that Sheryl Slotemaker Cartwright managed to make 4 incredibly complex word puzzles using the Excel
Spreadsheet to construct the things which so many found to be of such
intense interest. Sheryl Slotemaker Cartwright hand-painted a 20 foot banner
which was hung on a fence somewhere at the Fairgrounds. Sheryl Slotemaker
Cartwright oversaw the set-up
of all the tables and chairs and displays. And the hanging of the banner
she had painted. Sheryl Slotemaker Cartwright arranged for and bought the
majority of the food, even overseeing the cooking of some of it, with
interesting results...and let's not forget, in addition to all of the
above, Sheryl Slotemaker
Cartwright also handled the registration of the attendees at the reunion of
July 27...
The Reunion of July 27 was
the result, without question, to some degree, of the efforts of Sheryl Slotemaker Cartwright. Every once in
awhile others contributed some little thing...but the on-site execution
was totally the work of Sheryl Slotemaker Cartwright.
Sheryl Slotemaker
Cartwright handled the finances for the Reunion of July 27, somehow
managing to cover her own expenses thus giving her the
absolutely awesomely amazing opportunity to proudly give Lynden
Christian Schools $250.00 on behalf of Cornelis and Aagje Slotemaker,
who would likely be so proud of their great-great
granddaughter, Sheryl Slotemaker Cartwright, who managed, somehow, to
give the school, by whatever means, the grand sum of $250.00...
Sheryl Slotemaker
Cartwright's interest in family and family history, or as Sheryl
Slotemaker Cartwright would call it, heritage, was one of
many lessons she learned from her grandma, Sylvia Nieveen Slotemaker,
further distilled by Sheryl Slotemaker Cartwright's mom, Judy. Sheryl
Slotemaker Cartwright has always known names and
relationships that some have only come to learn in the past year. It was this
deep belief in the importance of family which caused Sheryl Slotemaker
Cartwright to do her part, such as it was, in bringing about
the Slotemaker Website and the Reunion of July 27...