Noldes to be recognized this Saturday in Fleming

Every year crowds gather with excitement in downtown Fleming for the annual Fall Festival event and this year's celebration might be the biggest of them all.

Saturday, Sept. 14 not only marks the date of this year's Fleming Fall Festival, it also features homecoming activities and Fleming High School alumni reunions combining three of the community's biggest events into one big celebration.

Honored Citizens, Mike and Kim Nolde, have a lot of memories of past Fall Festivals and there are specific things they enjoy about the event every year but the theme chosen for the year they are honored citizens is perfectly fitting.

"I love watching the kids and seeing their excitement," Mike said. "I love watching them catch the candy. Just all the smiles and all the waves."

This year's theme, "Sweet Victory" will no doubt have floats decorated with and feature plenty of sweet treats.

Mike grew up in Dailey and attended school in Fleming until halfway through his junior year at which point he and his family moved to Sterling. He graduated from Sterling High School in 1981. He later returned to Fleming and worked in an upholstery shop and then at Schaefer's doing auto body work for almost 30 years. Now he owns his own welding truck and contracts with Dinklage Feedlot. His parents, Richard and Cheryl Nolde, still live in Dailey.

Kim grew up in Fleming and graduated from Fleming High School in 1987. She and Mike met through mutual friends and the two were married in Ash Hallow, Neb. after she graduated.

She worked at the doctor's office in Haxtun until their children were born and then she became a stay at home mom. The Noldes have two sons, Brett and Dylan, both recent graduates of Fleming High School.

Dylan graduated in 2020 and lives in North Carolina where he works as a diesel mechanic. Brett graduated in 2023 and lives in Sterling where he works at Industrial Welding Supply.

Kim's Mom and Dad, Fred and Sharon Finnigsmier, still live in Fleming.

Kim is now in her sixth year serving on the Frenchman Board of Education serving the Fleming School District. She holds the office of Vice President of the Board. As a school board member she serves on the library board and is also an alternate on the local BOCES board.

In addition to her work on the local school board, Kim is also an active member of the Fleming Booster Club and serves as the President.

"We are a small tribe," she said. "We pretty much do it all."

Kim said there are just a handful of members on the booster club who take charge and organize and handle all of the activities hosted throughout the year but she sees it as an important role for the school and students.

"I believe in what we are doing here," Kim said of her desire and drive to serve Fleming Schools. "We have a lot of really neat programs and we are trying to bring in more like the construction program and life skills. It's just really neat. I think the kids benefit from that and I would like to see it continue."

In the community, the Noldes also help out at the Fleming Cemetery by putting flags out on Memorial Day and the two recently just took over the task of recording and keeping records of burial plots.

Mike, as Kim said, is the community go-to guy to get a door unlocked when someone locks their keys in their car and he also helps out friends and family however he can. The couple live on a small five acre farm with dogs and cats.

"It's nice and quiet," they said. "We are the only ones who live on our road, so there isn't a lot of traffic and it is kind of nice."

The two also travel to get their family together when they can now that the boys have graduated and are out on their own. Several years ago they went to see Dylan in North Carolina for Christmas and in a few weeks, they plan to meet him in the middle for vacation.

"We are just glad we live in a small community," Mike said. "A nice, small town community. And we have really good kids here, too. That's what keeps small towns going."

Mike said he and Kim are blessed and feel fortunate to be chosen as this year's Fall Festival Honored Citizens. "We just want to say thank you for the honor of being chosen."

Friday, Sept. 13 features a youth volleyball and football game in addition to a bonfire and movie at the football field. Saturday's events kick off at 7 a.m. with the FFA breakfast followed by the parade at 10 a.m. Kid games will take place after the parade as well the Firemen's lunch and horseshoe tournament. The Wildcats are slated to take on North Park at 1 p.m. and alumni meetings start at 2 p.m. in the cafeteria.

For a complete Fall Festival schedule, see page 2 inside this week's Herald.