Linda Marie Elbers passed away surrounded by her family on June 6, 2026. She was born July 24,1955, to Vernon and Pearl (Linge) Nelson in S.D. She grew up on a farm near Hartford, S.D., attended Tri-Valley schools before later graduating from Sioux Falls Washington High School in 1973. 

Randy Sprik, age 66, of Edgerton, Minn., died peacefully on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, at the Pipestone County Hospice House in Pipestone, Minn. 

Ellen Cannefax, age 74, of Sioux Falls, S.D., formerly of Luverne, Minn., passed away on Monday, June 8, 2026, at the Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls. 

Memorial service will be Saturday, June 27, at 2 p.m. at the Hartquist Funeral Home in Luverne. 

Northwestern College 

Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, named Ethan Nath of Luverne to the 2026 spring semester Dean’s List. To qualify students must earn a GPA of 3.5 or higher while taking a minimum of 12 credits. 

Racing results for June 12-13 have been posted for area tracks, and following are results for drivers with ties to Rock County.

Rapid Speedway

June 12 -  Rock Rapids, IA

Sportsmen

More than 30 paddlers navigated the Rock River Trail Saturday during the 2026 Ride the Rock event, sponsored by the Luverne Area Chamber. Two groups got in the river several miles north of Luverne and enjoyed a nearly two-hour ride that ended at the Main Street bridge near the Luverne City Park.

Luverne’s Junior Legion baseball teams have been busy this week.

Luverne is again fielding two Junior Legion teams – a “Red” team and a “White” team — primarily made up of players who are 15 and 16 years old.

The community of Hills was filled with food, music and fun with the annual celebration of Friendship Days over the weekend. The event, hosted by the organization Helping Build Communities Stronger, began on Friday, June 12, and ran through Sunday, June 14.