The Hills Town fast-pitch softball team had their annual Independence Day tournament in Hills starting off on Thursday evening. Eleven teams participated. Taking first place honors was the Hills Town team. Second place winners were the Rock Rapids Merchants. Lester, Iowa, came in third place and the Beaver Creek team was the fourth place winner. The games had a late start Friday morning due to a wet diamond but the tournament was finished that night.The descendants of Theodore and Lucy Larson had their family reunion Saturday at the home of Tedd and Diane Larson. Present were Bob and Milly Larson and family, Armour, S.D; the Dolores Rempel family, Rapid City, S.D., and Oregon; the Paul Larson family and Audrey and Martin Feistner, Madison, S.D.; Ann Larson and family, Luverne; Dennis Roning, Hills, and his daughter, Deneise and Bill Swanson and their four sons and children; and the hosts, Tedd and Diane Larson and their children, Lance, Tricia and Lucy; and Hanna and Matt Harter, Rock Rapids, Iowa. More than 100 were in attendance. On July 3rd, Noreen and Gary Greve, Verona, Wis., and nephew, Art and Marjorie Vander Waal came to spend the day with her sister, Harriet Skattum. Friday all went to South Dakota to visit Harriet’s sisters at Sinai, Volga and Huron. They returned to Hills last Thursday and the visitors returned to their homes in Wisconsin. Tom and Joanne Goehle spent the Fourth in the home of Randy and Sheri Sunne attending a family gathering. Betty and Jerry Ackerman, Erma, S.C., are visiting her mother, Grace Wassenaar and other relatives and friends. Some of their children came up from Iowa to visit them and spent the day in the Wassenaar home. Robert and Twila Kirsch drove to Heron Lake to spend the Fourth with the Luke Mathias family and along with their children attended the celebration at Lake Okabena. Tim and Dana Vink and daughters, Karis, Alaina and Caley, Tulare, Calif., came to Hills to visit in the home of Dana’s parents, John and Carol VanMaanen and to attend Dana’s 20th class reunion. They will also visit his parents, Jim and Janice Vink, in Luverne before returning home on July 17. Gene and Barb Sikkink, Duluth, are spending a few days in the home of Vic and Fran Sandager. Ed and Marllis Fiscella, Green Valley, who are spending some time in Inwood, Iowa, were Sunday guests in the Sandager home. Cliff and Vi VanWyhe visited Sunday afternoon in the home of Tom and Matthew VanWyhe in Sioux Falls.Lee and Betty Sandager, Marine on the St. Croix, and Leona Goehle, Tyler, spent a few days with the Sandagers. They and Vic and Fran were Wednesday evening steak dinner guests of Sheldon and Ellie Sandager. Alicia, daughter of Mark and Karen Sandager, New York, is spending a few days with home folks. Alicia, Ian and Tom, Leona Goehle and Lee and Betty Sandager were Tuesday dinner guests of Vic and Fran Sandager. Coryn Iverson, daughter of John and Peggy Iverson, Charlotte, N.C., is spending a few days in the home of her grandparents, Wilmer and Betty Elbers. Howard and Lois Hoyme spent from Friday until Sunday at the Sandager’s ranch with Sheldon and Ellie at Herrick, S.D.Thursday evening Wilmer and Betty Elbers drove to Hull, Iowa, to have dinner with the Vander Haar relatives at the Pizza Ranch. Ron and Faith Talsma, Bellflower, Calif., are visiting this week with relatives and friends in the area.
