Georges get a 2nd chance as Mikana parade marshals

The second time may be a charm for Ken and Becki George of Mikana, who have been re-selected as the Grand Marshals of the Biggest Little 4th of July Mikana Parade. Just after the parade began last year, a downpour drenched the parade route and strong winds whipped umbrellas and parade chairs around, prompting the announcer to tell everyone to take shelter.

So much for the George’s moment of fame.

“I was sitting with Ken on the float waiting for the parade to start, and we looked at that iron gray sky and clouds and his comment was ‘this is not going to be good,’” Becki George recalled, adding, “The announcer was just reading our introduction when all of a sudden the sky just opened up.”

The downpour, together with the strong gusts of wind, was enough to send even the hardiest of paradegoers fleeing for cover — to the town hall, store, restaurant, bar or their vehicles.

The Georges, on the parade float, were stuck with entries in front of and behind them.

“We were on the float of course, and it had to continue along the parade route,” she said. “We went back to the garage, and we were both soaked.”

That wasn’t even the end of their day’s excitement.

“Because Ken is the fire chief of Birchwood, his pager started going off because there were trees on power lines because of the storm,” his wife said. “All of the guys responded, and I went to the town hall, where the Birchwood Four Corners Emergency Services District had planned to sell root beer floats both before and after the parade.

“It was packed with people getting out of the rain,” she said.

Once the worst of the storm was over and people sheltered there left the town hall, George said the fundraiser workers packed up and went home.

While it wasn’t much as far as parades go, the 2023 parade will still be one that will long be remembered.

“It was very memorable,” George said of last year’s celebration. She remarked that she hasn’t even looked at the forecast for this Fourth of July, figuring it has to be better weather this time around. “The second time will be a charm.”

The George’s background

The Georges were selected for the honor of parade marshals for their deep roots and acts of service in Mikana. Their parade introduction follows.

Ken George moved to the farm on which he still resides on just north of Mikana with his parents and four other siblings in April of 1962, when he was just 2½ years old. At that time, it was an operating dairy farm. In 1981, he took over the farm from his parents and continued to run it as a dairy farm until the fall of 2016, when he sold the dairy herd. Since that time, it has been turned into a crop farm, and he works part time off the farm.

In the summer of 1983, Ken and Becki (Reinagle) were married and she joined him on the farm. They will be celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary on July 9. In 1988, daughter Amy was born, and in 1992, daughter Sarah was born. Both have grown up, married and left the local area and have families of their own, including grandson, Leif and granddaughter, Nora.

Ken has been serving the Cedar Lake community since the fall of 1989, when he was asked to consider joining the Mikana substation of the Rice Lake Fire Department. At that time, the Rice Lake Fire Department served the Mikana area and most of the west side of Red Cedar Lake. He was a member of the Rice Lake Fire Department until the summer of 2006, when Cedar Lake township contracted with the Birchwood Fire Department to service the whole township. Since 2006, he has worked his way to becoming the Birchwood Four Corners Emergency Services District Fire Chief, a position he has held since 2017. His years of fire service to the community totals 35 years.

Some of Ken’s other service to the community includes being elected to the Board of Directors of the former Rice Lake Farmers Union Co-op, now known as Synergy Co-op, from 1992-2007. In summer 2019, he was hired to be the part-time assistant patrolman by the town of Cedar Lake — a position he currently holds.

In 2021, Becki retired from her 38 years of teaching. She started her career in the Spooner School District, then spent 28 years in the Rice Lake District. In addition to helping on the farm in the summer, during her teaching career she coached volleyball, and middle and high school forensics teams for more than 25 years. In retirement, she is volunteering with the Birchwood Food Pantry, as a Reading Buddy in the Birchwood Schools, and recently became the President of the newly created BFCESD Auxiliary.

The only addition to their story from last year to this is another grandchild on the way and due to arrive in November.