Now the 1965 Offerle flood stories will be recorded

During our interviews for the upcoming KHC film project, Navigating Rough Waters, we heard stories about the 1965 flood waters raging south of Offerle towards Kinsley.  Many told of how the farmers worked together to harvest the wheat before the river flooded the fields.  Others credited the cut straw in the fields and the debris dams created by it with spreading out the water and saving Kinsley from a worst disaster.

These stories sparked the interest of Offerle resident Dr. Galen Boehme who encouraged us to find a way to record these memories also.  I contacted Rachel Lightcap Harmon of Sagebrush Production and former Offerle resident.  She met with Dr. Boehme and myself to explore how this could be done.

The results is a gathering has been planned for Saturday, March 29 from 2-4 p.m. at Zion Lutheran Church.  All the local folk are invited to come together as a group to share their stories and memories which Rachel will record on film.  We appreciate the continued support of the Kansas Humanities Council in this companion project for the premiere of Navigating Rough Waters.

If the Offerle folk enjoy this experience, Rachel will be exploring the possibility of creating a video that records that area’s history similar to the South of the Parallel videos that feature the Trousdale, Fellsburg, and Centerview area.  It sure is exciting when local people find ways they can become involved in preserving the heritage of the area.   Hope to see everyone at the Zion Church on March 29th.