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  • By George Bonnema, Luverne Horticulturalist
    March 21, 2023
    I, as well as many of you, am getting weary of winter. The lengthening hours of daylight and warmth of the sun on the days we see it are encouraging. A road trip to Sioux Center yesterday (Sunday) to visit a relative showed lots of open ground, a sharp contrast to our white landscape and the snow-piled road ditches. My therapy this week is to go and cut a few branches of pussy willow, apricot and…
  • By Betty Mann, Rock County Historian
    March 21, 2023
    The following article is part of the Diamond Club Member group that began in the January 7, 1943, issue of the Rock County Star Herald. Members of this group consist of persons of age 75 and older. The following appeared in The Rock County Herald on Sept. 2, 1943. You can’t beat a life of retirement for a good time, according to William Mitchell, Luverne, who after four years of taking life easy…
  • By George Bonnema, Luverne horticulturalist
    March 14, 2023
    In my years of being a gardener, I have had many people ask when the best time is to plant various vegetable crops in the garden. I can’t tell you how often I have been asked if I have my potatoes planted on Good Friday. My simple answer is “No, I plant them when the soil conditions are right,” because the calendar has nothing to do with what day to plant anything … nature does. Considering that…
  • By Betty Mann
    March 14, 2023
    The following article is part of the Diamond Club Member group that began in the January 7, 1943, issue of the Rock County Star Herald. Members of this group consist of persons of age 75 and older. The following appeared in The Rock County Herald on Aug. 26, 1943. (Lars Larson of Hardwick continues his story from last week.) There were no public schools at that time, and the education the…
  • By Lori Sorenson, editor
    March 07, 2023
    I invested in snowshoes this winter after several treks across open fields in a borrowed pair with my neighbor friend, Wendy. In January she purchased two sets, one for herself and one for a snowshoeing partner (lucky me). My only previous experience with snowshoes was 15 years ago in the Blue Mounds State Park with their rented wooden raquettes and rawhide laces. I remembered that it took nearly…
  • By Rick Peterson, general manager
    March 07, 2023
    About this time each year, fishing enthusiasts start to dream about getting out on the lake and hooking the big one. Sure enough, this past week the Bass Pro Shop/Cabela’s Spring Fishing Classic catalog showed up. It’s not really a catalog, but it is 44 pages of all things fishing and fishing-related stuff. To say I am an avid fisherman would be a gross overstatement. I fish maybe a couple times…
  • By Betty Mann, Rock County Historian
    March 07, 2023
    The following article is part of the Diamond Club Member group that began in the January 7, 1943, issue of the Rock County Star Herald. Members of this group consist of persons of age 75 and older. The following appeared in The Rock County Herald on Aug. 26, 1943. Claims made by friends that the United States was the ideal spot on the globe to live tempted Lars Larson, Hardwick, to leave his home…
  • By Betty Mann, Rock County Historian
    February 28, 2023
    The following article is part of the Diamond Club Member group that began in the January 7, 1943, issue of the Rock County Star Herald. Members of this group consist of persons of age 75 and older. The following appeared in The Rock County Herald on Aug. 19, 1943. “When the Kiebach family moved from Iowa to Rock county,” declared Mrs. William Mitchell, Luverne, I thought they were going to clear…
  • By Brenda Winter, columnist
    February 21, 2023
    Many of you may recall elderly goofball sisters of the stage Marlene and Darlene from Leota, Minnesota. Over the years, the pair have attempted to save the Luverne Senior Citizens Center (now Generations) from certain demise. Always the pessimist, Marlene believes the end of the senior center is at hand and it’s her job to keep the doors open. Darlene thinks there are simply not enough single men…
  • By Rick Peterson, general manager
    February 21, 2023
    You probably are aware that the first attempt at the Luverne Leap fundraiser for the Luverne Area Community Foundation was a huge success. With the help of event sponsors, the 29 jumpers were able to raise $23,000 for the Foundation’s general grant fund. As a first-time jumper into the icy waters at The Lake, I have to tell you it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Truth be told, the days…
  • By Betty Mann, president, Rock County Historian
    February 21, 2023
    The following article is part of the Diamond Club Member group that began in the January 7, 1943, issue of the Rock County Star Herald. Members of this group consist of persons of age 75 and older. The following appeared in The Rock County Herald on Aug. 5, 1943. (continuation of the interview with Jacob Wahlert of Luverne) Two of his brothers left home before he did, and came to this country,…
  • By Scott Rall, outdoors columnist
    February 21, 2023
    The 2023 legislative session in Minnesota is underway. They have many items on their plate this session, and the one that will get the most attention is what to do with the many billion-dollar surplus the state has from the Recovering America Act that sent billions to the states. Unfortunately, this multi-billion dollars of federal money was borrowed and was added to the national debt of over 34…
  • By Lori Sorenson, editor
    February 14, 2023
    In addition to journalism and survival skills, college taught me the harsh consequences of a sedentary lifestyle and reckless diet. Late night homework with Cheetos, on-demand cafeteria soft-serve and weekend beer and pizza sent me home in sweatpants after my first spring semester. Fortunately, a 20-something metabolism and occasional three-milers on the gravel road near Kenneth took care of the…
  • By Betty Mann, Rock County Historian
    February 14, 2023
    The following article is part of the Diamond Club Member group that began in the January 7, 1943, issue of the Rock County Star Herald. Members of this group consist of persons of age 75 and older. The following appeared in The Rock County Herald on Aug. 5, 1943. Jacob Wahlert, Luverne, holds two county records and both records are worthy of note. First he is the father of 16 children, all of…
  • By Scott Rall, outdoors columnist
    February 07, 2023
    I just got back from a few days in northeast South Dakota from a pike spearing trip. I had been to the location last year, and the group I was with had probably the best spearing trip they will ever have. There were large numbers of pike, and the average size was very good. I am not the kind of spear anger may other folks are. I think that once you have speared a pike in the 40–42-inch range,…
  • By Mavis Fodness
    February 07, 2023
    The calendar’s turned to February, marking a month into 2023 and those New Year’s resolutions I wrote in pencil. Instead of erasing those words of what I intended to do this year, I’ve embraced those goals. I vowed to be more active and not to say “no” to a physical challenge. With the resolution in mind, I picked up a bowling ball Saturday for the first time in years and competed against my…
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