This past week, McCook lost yet another member of the community who was passionate about his hometown, who was a tremendous supporter of the arts and music, who was constantly coming with ideas which stemmed from his interests and hobbies.
After putting up a good fight for the past nine months, Tor Olson passed away earlier this week at his home in McCook. With him went a lot of plans, tremendous passion, and expertise in everything from photography to computers, from biking to beer, just to name a few.
But what he left behind is even more important. Tor left behind a model of how to make his community a better place to call home - both for himself and for others.
Tor was always coming up with ideas, of doing things you are passionate about, of making things happen even if it’s not going to be easy.
For example, Tor was instrumental in getting the walking trail system going in McCook, which is used by thousands every year. He garnered support from a variety of different areas and helped make it happen. Now the entire community is a beneficiary of that work. And with the backing of Community Hospital and the city of McCook, hopefully those walking trails will be expanded even more over the next year or two.
When Tor got excited about project, he went full in.
Early last spring, Tor had the idea to expand the walking/hiking/biking trails at Red Willow State Recreation Area, north of McCook. Working with our area’s Nebraska Games and Parks superintendent Aric Riggins, Tor mapped, designed and plotted new trails to make the system in place even better.
Yes, he was doing it because he wanted more bike trails close by, but he also wanted others to enjoy the area as much as he did. He wanted visitors and residents alike to understand what the area had to offer.
Then Covid hit and the world shut down, but not for Tor. He saw it as an opportunity to get things done while we could, with regular texts asking to meet him at the lake to work on the trails. So with weekends and weeknights suddenly open, Tor and his wife, Holly, and a core group of volunteers took to the trails, digging and chopping and mowing additional trails.
While it is unfortunate that Tor wasn’t able to see the trails reach completion, his passion will live on as the trails are connected on both sides of the dam, new signs marking the trails will be installed this upcoming year, and a bike loan program will be put in place at the campground.
All because Tor had an idea.
We will remember Tor for his beautiful photographs, his love of music, his unmatched enthusiasm for craft beers, which he was always willing to share. But the one thing I will take from Tor’s passing is that we need to get out there and do the things which are important to us, to do the things that will bring joy to our friends and family, to do the things which will make our community even better. Because we are not promised tomorrow and you never know when it will be the “last time” you can do something.
On my phone is a video of Tor almost taken exactly one year ago at Potter’s Pasture near Brady, Nebraska. As he maneuverers a deep ravine on his mountain bike, he approaches a rickety bridge with broken boards. At the last second, he says “no big deal,” swerves around the boards onto another path and casually coasts to the bottom of the hill.
The video is bittersweet to watch.
It shows him doing what he loves, both riding his bikes to just being with friends and family. But it was also the last time we went to Potter’s…we just didn’t know it at the time.
Most of the time, we don’t know when it will be the last time: the last time you will see someone you love, the last time you will talk to a friend, the last time you will be able to something to make the world a better place than you found it.
As Tor’s wife Holly has rummaged through paperwork in recent weeks, she has come across many of his projects from over the years, many of them accomplished. Others were not implemented, yet they are still viable such as downtown Christmas lights on all the buildings to additional bicycle racks throughout the community.
We have the opportunity to accomplish some of those unfinished projects which Tor had conceived. And we also have the opportunity to get out there and do things which bring us joy, which will benefit not just ourselves but also our fellow community members, which will make our community an even better place to call home. Because there is no perfect time; there is only now.
Linda Graff named McCook Volunteer of the Month for December 2025
By focusing on what is important, we can make an even better impact in our communities.
After a 10-year hiatus, the McCook Holiday Home Tours return focusing on downtown upstairs apartments.
While many people think volunteering is for older residents, serving your community has no age restrictions. And young people can regularly be found lending a hand or offering their services in their hometown. The November 2025 McCook Volunteer of the Month recognizes one of many young people are working to make their community an even better place to call home: Grady Riemenschneider. Currently a senior at McCook High School, Grady volunteers with a wide variety of organizations and groups. As a four-year member of the McCook Community Foundation Fund’s Youth Change Reaction, Grady serves as the ambassador for the youth group’s “Cars Under Stars,” the outdoor movie theater at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds. At nearly every showing, he can be found operating the projector and setting up the parking lot, as well as passing along his knowledge to the next ambassador. In McCook’s FFA program, Grady has held officer roles the past four years and is currently the chapter vice president, organized the chapter banquet in 2025 and coached for the conduct of chapter meetings. Along with serving as the president of the Driftwood Feeders 4-H Club, he assists with setup, tear down and fundraising for the dog show and helps fellow members train their dogs. Grady steps in to help and lead at local events, including Prairie Plains CASA’s Kick in’ It Up for CASA and the Cajun Broil; the Edward Jones Alzheimer’s Walk; operating sound boards for various groups; and Feed the Farmer. And he has served as a youth leader at McCook Christian Church for elementary youth since approximately 2018 as well as stepping up to ensure the ag program ran smoothly during a teacher’s maternity leave Upon request from his mother about some of Grady’s activities, Sharleen noted that he is the “Chief Household Operations Officer: first responder for Mom’s to-do list, go-to chauffeur and caretaker for his favorite sidekick (a.k.a. his nephew), and the family’s unofficial event planner who somehow keeps everyone together without a clipboard.” The McCook Philanthropy Council recognizes a volunteer every month who is doing good work in McCook and Red Willow County. If there is a volunteer in the community who should be recognized, please contact the McCook Chamber of Commerce at 308-345-3200 or visit McCook Volunteers on the McCook Community Foundation Fund’s website, mccookfoundation.org to complete a nomination form. The only requirement is that the nominee must be a resident of McCook or Red Willow County but please have information about the nominee along with where and how they volunteer in the community. The volunteer honoree is selected monthly by the McCook Philanthropy Council.
With the holiday's nearing, MCFF member and Mayor Linda Taylor reflects on the many things to be thankful in McCook.
The names of those people who have made a generational impact on McCook and Southwest Nebraska is a long list. Many of them are working day-in, day-out right now to make their mark on the community. And then there are those people who no longer call McCook home but still make an impact long after they are gone. Allen Strunk is one of those people. Allen passed away on Nov. 1 at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada but he never lost the love of his hometown. Born and raised in McCook, Allen was a member of an already well-known family, Harry and Arlene Strunk. The Strunks started and published the McCook Daily Gazette, with the motto, “Service is the rent we pay for the space we occupy in this world.” A saying that was so important that Harry had it etched at the top of his downtown newspaper office on Norris Avenue. That sense of service was passed along to Allen, who continued to serve his community as he took over leadership of the Gazette. I didn’t know Allen personally until he came back for visits years later. Even though my first job upon arriving in McCook was at the McCook Daily Gazette and Allen had turned over the publishing reins to Gene Morris many years prior, the Strunk legacy loomed large. He was instrumental in the building of the then-new YMCA, moving the facility from downtown to its current location next to the McCook High School. He was a key player in the new hospital, again moving from one location to a new expanded space. And McCook Community College benefitted his involvement in an expansion. Those projects continue to impact McCook today. And the support didn’t stop just because Allen retired from the Gazette and left McCook. There are programs the Strunks are involved in that benefit McCook and Southwest Nebraska. The Strunks continue to support Santa Claus Lane, which is overseen by the McCook Chamber of Commerce. And which after a few years of decline is seeing a resurgence of enthusiasm and nostalgia for the decorative holiday pieces lining Norris Avenue. Allen funds the annual McCook Area Outstanding Teacher award, which provides a financial prize to several teachers every year. And Allen recognized the work of the McCook Community Foundation Fund, providing a donation several years ago so that he could see its impact while he was still alive. This has led MCFF to consider how they will recognize and remember Allen for years to come. Because of his belief in service to his community, this could mean more recognition for the countless volunteers who keep our community thriving. It could be a day of community service, to see how many people can come together to make something happen. It could be a celebration for all the great things happening in our community. During Allen’s memorial service this past week in McCook, his step-daughter-in-law read the poem, “The Dash" by Linda Ellis, who published it in 1996. It reflects on the meaning of the dash between the birth and death dates on a tombstone. The dash is a reminder of everything that happens between the moment a person is born and the moment a person dies. The dash emphasizes the importance of how one lives their life during that time. The dash prompts a person to think about living, rather than worrying about dying. Ultimately, the dash is where all the good - and the bad - happens. And Allen Strunk made the most of his “dash,” both in his community and within his family. We can’t all run a newspaper. We likely aren’t going to etch our favorite saying into a building. But we all need to consider how we are paying the “rent for the space we occupy in this world.” And we can all make a difference in our hometowns, whether we currently live in them or even if we haven’t stepped foot on the main street in years.
Everyone feels a need to be needed and it is shown through the Big Give and Meal Kit Giveaways
SWNE Big Give reaches new heights thanks to enthusiasm of organizations, individuals and businesses
Food pantries are seeing an increased need, which means the community must step up with donations of food and time to help those who struggle to put food on the table.
