Glendo Day celebrates 100 years since town’s incorporation

Lydia Ellefsen
Posted 6/27/22

Glendo Days

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Glendo Day celebrates 100 years since town’s incorporation

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GLENDO – Glendo commemorated 100 years since its incorporation, with Glendo Day, June 18, including a parade and games.  

“If we can keep the history of Wyoming going and the process of Wyoming going and continue, I think she should,” said Susan Juschka, mayor of Glendo and Wyoming native. Her great-grandparents homesteaded south of Wheatland in the 1800s.   

Juschka moved to Glendo in 1997 and was elected mayor in 2000 and in term until 2026. Her interest in politics was inspired by her father, who served in the House of Representatives.

Glendo was incorporated May 20, 1922.

“It’s more a community. Glendo is not just the town. It’s the Glendo community, all the surrounding area, including the marina. It includes the farms and ranches out here,” remarked Juschka.  

Glendo Day’s festivities included a parade, hot dog eating contest, home-cooked barbecue lunch, horseshoe tournament, cornhole tournament for adults and various games for children (including a scavenger hunt, water balloon toss, corn hole, sidewalk chalk contest, tire race and minnow races).

“It started out as just kind of a family picnic, and they had a big family picnic up at the park. We kind of brought it downtown. It’s kind of a thank you back to everybody. There’s no charge. It’s part of the town’s economic development, and the town pays for it. We have a lot of volunteers obviously out there cooking in the hot and smoke and everything else.

“It’s just a good celebration for a town this size to reach 100 years and still be successful,” said Juschka.  

The parade was led by the American Legion, and the floats were judged by three judges. The first-place adult float went to Kim’s Family Restaurant. The first-place children’s float went to Horseshoe Valley Ranchers.

Kim’s Family Restaurant was newly purchased and located where the former Mickes sat.

According to the written float description, Horseshoe Creek Valley Ranchers honors heritage, ranches, and the valley’s history, and those riding on the float included Jim Wilson, John Daly, Jeanette Chambers and Sandra Summers. Also, helping with the float and riding with it was the 4H club, the oldest in the county, according to the float description.

Other floats in the parade included Pedro Tirado and the CVRT Spartan (an armored fighting vehicle from the United Kingdom), the Collins Ranch (which has been around for 114 years), the National Pony Express Association, the Foy Ranch (which has been around for 112 years) and the Baxter Ranch (where Bill and Hattie Baxter moved to Glendo are in 1919).

Sponsors for Glendo Day included Anglers (Glendo), Bank of the West (Douglas and Wheatland), Bellwood Boats (Glendo), Deanna’s Waterhole (Douglas), Double D (Douglas), Douglas Tire (Douglas), Grasslands (Douglas), Kim’s Family Restaurant (Glendo), Liquor Cabinet (Douglas0, Old Western (Glendo), Ranahan’s (Douglas) and Trading Post (Glendo).

“It’s a very family-oriented town, and a lot of people have been here, their families have been here for years, generations, so they continue on, and you have to admire that is kind of the way I look at it,” said Juschka. “It’s an interesting little town. It’s like we say, we’re small in numbers and big in heart. That’s our slogan.”  

“When COVID was on and we couldn’t do it, it was very noticeable. Last year, it was slower and very few people came in. Now, this year they’re coming back, and it’s really good to see and the great participation, and everybody’s visiting, seeing neighbors they haven’t seen in a while. Everybody gets together, and they see family and friends,” said Juschka on the impact of being able to host Glendo Day, contrasting it with the limited social interactions during COVID.  

“I think it really pulls the community together, and a lot of old friends are having a good visit. I think it reminds them of the values of the town and the community.”

Juschka said the values of Glendo are honesty and being a good neighbor, helping other people.

One way to see how the community helps others is that the town has a volunteer fire department and ambulance service, so they provide the town with crucial services without being paid for it.

Additionally, the town hosts many fundraisers to support its citizens who may need help, and in August, Glendo has a golf tournament in Guernsey to fundraise to support their EMTs.

“I’m just proud of the participation and how people help each other and the friendships. It’s very valuable to me just to know that if someone gets in trouble or hurt or needs something, we’re all right there. It’s a phone call away. That’s what I really value with Glendo,” said Juschka.