Don Ringwood named as the grand marshal

When I think about my dad I think of Sprague. I think about fishing in Sprague Lake, hunting upland birds, hiking or riding the trails of the Columbia Plateau, wheat farms, ranchers, cows, horses and hay ground. This is my home, my father’s home!

My dad was born in May 1948. He lived north of Sprague on his dad’s farm. He attended St. Joseph’s Academy and then graduated from Sprague High School in 1967. He attended Spokane Community College and then went to serve in Vietnam. Then he went back to Sprague to farm on his own, west of Sprague. He married my mom, Jana in 1977 and started a family. He farmed and was a volunteer firefighter as long as I can remember.

Don Ringwood still farms and raises cows 65 years later. Now he serves as fire commissioner for Lincoln County Fire District No. 1. Don’s latest project is the building of the new Sprague Emergency Response center. He makes daily trips to Sprague to check on the site. He attends meetings all the time and is on the phone constantly. He is one of the men behind the scenes making sure everything is going as it should.

My dad has been a great mentor in my life. “To do right by” is a saying I have heard my dad say many times over the years. I see him use it in day-to-day activities. I have had him tell me “You want to do right by that cow.” Meaning whatever I do it needs to be the best thing for the cow. I see my Dad doing that today for this little town of Sprague. The town we call home. Granted it is not all his doing, but he is making a great effort “to do right by this town,” for all of us that live here. So that we can have working fire trucks, and a fire station where fire fighters and EMTs can work and train. A station that the community can be proud of. It is one of his many, to do right by.

This year, my dad, Don Ringwood has been named grand marshal for the Sprague Hay Days parade. I, Michelle Ringwood Osborne have followed in my dad’s footsteps and am a volunteer firefighter. I will have the honor of driving my father in the parade in one of our oldest fire trucks. I love you dad and thank you for teaching me about honor and respect. Please join our celebration on July 5, 6 and 7.

Michelle Ringwood Osborne, Sprague