Noah Hellerud, Hills, contemplates what to ask Santa to bring him for Christmas. Santa and his little elves visited Hills on Saturday. Children gathered at the Tuff Village before Santa’s arrival to make Christmas crafts and watch a movie. See pages 10 and 11 of the Crescent for more photos of Santa’s visit and other activities of the day.

Photo by Jolene Farley

I emptied the dishwasher after Thanksgiving and nothing would fit in my Tupperware drawer. I cleaned it out and discovered nearly two-dozen cottage cheese containers, which is odd for a family that rarely eats cottage cheese.

In my quest to organize the Tupperware drawer, it occurred to me what a charmed era I’m living right now with my mothers (my mom and my mother-in-law).

The creatively recycled cottage cheese containers are vehicles for getting the moms’ homemade leftovers from their homes to ours. In the process, the accumulating blue and white plastic has come to represent their undying generosity to their grown (and perhaps free-loading) children.

We have a fully-equipped kitchen and an accommodating dining room, yet, year after year, we put our feet under the tables of our parents’ homes for the holidays.

We bring a meager dish to pass, but for the most part, we eat their food, and they send us home with yummy leftovers — in plastic cottage cheese containers that we don’t have to return.

In a fair and reciprocal exchange, some containers would occasionally leave our home with leftovers in them.

But the arrangement never seems to work that way. They only come in, and never go out.
I should feel guilty, but I don’t.

I just feel really lucky.

I leave the grocery store during the holidays with a bag of hash browns and shredded cheddar for my usual contribution of cheesy potatoes, while others negotiate the aisles with their carts sagging under the weight of groceries for 24 people.

When they share exhausting stories of how many are coming to visit, eat and even stay for the weekend, I just smile and feel … well … lucky.

It’s not that I haven’t offered to host a turkey dinner. That way I could send Mom and everyone else home with a smattering of leftovers in carefully labeled cottage cheese containers.

But as far as I and my sisters are concerned, holiday food just tastes better in Mom’s kitchen.

And the leftovers, even when packaged in the homely cottage cheese containers, taste great the next day or even later that night.

It’s like experiencing a little taste of Mom’s kitchen — and the delicious flavor of the holiday — from underneath an unassuming, white plastic lid.

Alumni hockey tournament set for Dec. 27.
Years ago, the alumni basketball tournament was a hot event during Christmas holiday week.

That event seems to have faded from sight, but John Paquette hopes to start a new tradition this year with what he hopes will become the 1st annual Luverne Hockey Alumni Game.

The tournament will be at 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 27, at the Blue Mound Ice Arena.

Participating players can be any former Luverne High School or Junior Gold player.

Players should bring their old jerseys and arrive at 6 p.m. sharp.

Fans are also encouraged to come and cheer on the old great ones.

If you have any questions about the event, contact John Paquette at 283-9898, or by e-mail at jdpaquette61@hotmail.com.

You can also contact the Blue Mound Ice Arena at 449-9138.

Brandenburg to appear on WCCO radio
Luverne native, Jim Brandenburg, is scheduled to appear on WCCO radio Christmas eve day, Dec. 24.

His appearance will run from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. during the Don Shelby show.

According to Randy Creeger, Brandenburg plans to spend the hour talking about several of his projects, including the Touch the Sky Prairie, northwest of Luverne.

Luverne Fire Apparatus merges with Quality Mfg.
Spartan Motors Inc. recently announced plans to merge its two fire equipment companies into one.

Effective Jan. 6, 2003, Luverne Fire Apparatus, Brandon S. D., will merge with Quality Manufacturing, Talladega, Ala., to form a new company named Crimson Fire.

Both Luverne and Quality make fire trucks for the middle to premium market, but market their products to different regions of the country.

The new Crimson Fire will market products from the combined company including heavy-duty pumpers, tankers, aerials, rescue vehicles and highly customized built- to-order fire trucks.

According to John Sztykiel, CEO of Spartan Motors, the combined new company will only have a 3 percent market share in a business with tremendous potential for growth.

Jeff Lautt, president of Luverne Fire Apparatus for the past four years, will serve as president of the combined new company.

Spartan Motors acquired both Luverne and Quality in Aug 1997.

Quality celebrated its 40th anniversary this year, while Luverne Fire Apparatus was founded in Luverne 90 years ago.

Brandenburg has two new Christmas prints
The Brandenburg Gallery has received two new Christmas prints for the 2002 gift-giving season.

The two new prints are titled "Blue Mound Bison" and "Fresh Ice".

Do you have a special beef cook-off recipe?
Does your family have a favorite beef recipe? If it’s really as good as you think, it could be worth $500.

The beef cook-off, which started 25 years ago, is coordinating with the National Beef Cook-Off.

If you enter your Minnesota recipe in the National contest, you could win $50,000 for the grand prize.

The criteria for entering the contest include:
Preparation and cooking time of 45 minutes or less, including marinating time.
Use of 8 ingredients or less, excluding salt, pepper and water.
Be an original unpublished recipe.
Enter one of three categories: One Dish Meals, Handheld Kid Pleasers, and Quick & Easy Beef.

To get a copy of the complete rules, phone 952-854-6950, or check out their Web site at www.mnbeef.org.

Publisher Roger Tollefson can be contacted by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com

Erling Jensen, 75, Luverne, died Monday, Dec. 16 at the Merrill Pioneer Community Hospital, Rock Rapids. Visitation will be Friday, Dec. 20 from 12 noon to 2 p.m. with the family present at Engebretson Funeral Home, Luverne. Graveside services will be at 2 p.m. at Maplewood Cemetery with Rev. Maurice Hagen officiating.

Sylvia Kortemeyer, 89, Chancellor, S.D., formerly of Hills, died Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2002, at Canton Good Samaritan Center in Canton, S.D.

Services were Monday, Dec. 9, at Chancellor Reformed Church, Chancellor. Burial was in the church cemetery.

Sylvia Theresa Sundem, was born to Nels and Mollie (Pederson) Sundem on April 30, 1913, in Rock County. She graduated from Hills High School in Hills and from South Dakota State College in Brookings, S.D., in 1935 with a home economics degree.

She married Frederick W. Kortemeyer on Aug, 11, 1940, in Hills. She taught at Barnard and Chancellor high schools and also worked for the Farmers’ Security Administration in Vermillion, S.D. She co-managed Kortemeyer Hardware Store in Chancellor until 1971. In 1977, she became a Mary Kay cosmetic consultant.

Mrs. Kortemeyer was active in church, civic and community groups, having served in many leadership roles including the Board of Directors at Dakota Heritage Bank of Chancellor.

Survivors include six children, William (Sadie) Kortemeyer, Canton, Carolyn Roths, Robert Kortemeyer, Phyllis (Larry) Schrag, Kenneth "Sid" Kortemeyer, all of Sioux Falls, S.D., and Ronald (Jo) Kortemeyer, Rapid City, S.D.; 11 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; one brother, Herb Sundem, Hills, and one sister, Helen Barron, Ruthton.

Mrs. Kortemeyer was preceded in death by her parents, her husband in 1981, and one grandchild, Joshua.

Hofmeister-Jones Funeral Home, Parker, S.D., was in charge of arrangements.

Margaret L. Winter, 77, Luverne, died Sunday, Nov. 10, 2002, at Mary Jane Brown Good Samaritan Center in Luverne.

Services were Thursday, Nov. 14, at St. John Lutheran Church in Luverne. Burial was in Maplewood Cemetery, Luverne.

Margaret Michelsen was born to Peter and Christina (Jochimsen) Michelsen on April 3, 1925, in Ellsworth. She was baptized on Aug. 10, 1925, and confirmed into the Christian faith on July 9, 1939, both at St. John Lutheran Church in Luverne. She was educated in the Luverne school system, graduating in 1943. After high school she worked in Minneapolis as a secretary for the PAKO Corp. She also worked as a long distance toll operator for Northwest Bell Telephone Co. in Luverne.

She married Ray Winter on June 6, 1948, at St. John Lutheran Church in Luverne. She worked for the Luverne School system as an attendance secretary, retiring in 1992.

Mrs. Winter was a life long member of St. John Lutheran Church in Luverne. She was the organist from 1940 until 1998. In the course of those years, she furnished the music for Sunday School activities, Christmas programs, weddings and funerals, too numerous to mention. She served as an officer of the LWML, Ladies Aid, Couples Club and church Guild. She also taught Sunday School and led women's Bible class.

Survivors include her husband, Ray, Luverne; three sons, Gregory (Renae) Winter, Daniel Winter, all of Minneapolis, and Timothy (Lynn) Winter, Manassas, Va.; two daughters, Nancy (Steve) Browne, Minneapolis, and Mary Jane (Jim) Greenley, Steamboat Springs, Colo.; seven grandchildren, Aaron, Adam and Amanda Browne, Peter and Sarah Winter, Christina Winter, and Andrea Winter; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and other relatives and friends.

The Luverne Hospice Program will plant a tree in memory of Margaret Winter.

Engebretson Funeral Home, Luverne, was in charge of arrangements.

Eleanor Helen Remme, 88, Sioux Falls, S.D., died Friday, Oct. 25, 2002, in Sioux Falls.

Services were Monday, Oct. 28, at George Boom Funeral Home in Sioux Falls. The Rev Lon Kvanli officiated.

Eleanor Harders was born to Edward and Louvilla (Stevens) Harders on Oct. 9, 1914, at the family farm near Luverne. She attended country school for her early education and then attended Luverne High School.

She married Peter Remme on Aug. 22, 1936, in Hills. They farmed in the area for a short time and then settled in Sioux Falls in the early 1940s. She worked at Fenn's Creamery, Reinhart's Sales, and Lewis Drug Store. She cleaned homes in Sioux Falls for many years. Mr. Remme died on May 18, 1977. In August 2000 she moved to Dow Rummel Village in Sioux Falls.

Mrs. Remme was a member of East Side Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls.

Survivors include one son, Gary (Audrey) Remme, Sioux Falls; one granddaughter, Rhonda (Curt) Weidenbach, Sioux Falls; two great-granddaughters by choice, Chelsea Kroger and Kaitlyn Brooks; one brother, Rollo “Shorty” Harders, Nashville, Tenn.; one sister, Ardis (Marvin) Kannenberg, Sioux Falls; four sisters-in-law, Lillian Smith, Eleanor Kvaas, both of Luverne, Helen (Kenneth) Hellie, Pipestone, and Beverly Chizium, Haley, Idaho; several nieces and nephews; and many other relatives and friends.

Mrs. Remme was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Peter.

George Boom Funeral Home, Sioux Falls, was in charge of arrangements.

Arvin Van Santen, 44, Little Rock, AR, formerly of Luverne, died Saturday, Dec. 7 at Avera McKennan Hospital, Sioux Falls. Visitation will be Monday, Dec. 9 from 6 to 8 p.m. with the family present at Christian Reformed Church, Luverne. Services will be Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 2 p.m. at Christian Reformed Church, Luverne, with Rev. George Koopmans and Rev. Larry Johnson officiating. Burial will be at Maplewood Cemetery. Engebretson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Arvin Jay Van Santen, 44, Little Rock, Ark., formerly of Luverne, died Saturday, Dec. 7, 2002, at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Services were Tuesday, Dec. 10, at Christian Reformed Church in Luverne. The Revs. George Koopmans and Larry Johnson officiated. Burial was in Maplewood Cemetery, Luverne.

Arvin Van Santen was born to Peter and Nellie (Van Hemert) Van Santen on Dec. 18, 1957, in Hawarden, Iowa. As a young boy, he lived in Lake Park, Iowa, and attended Ocheydan Christian Grade School. In 1969, the family moved to Luverne. He was a baptized member of Christian Reformed Church of Luverne. He graduated from Luverne High School in 1978 and attended Canby Vocational Technical School in Canby.

For several years he worked as a hired hand for area farmers. Then he worked for a carnival company and traveled the country on the carnival circuit. In the early ‘90s, he began working for Porocel Adsorbents and Catalysts in Little Rock. He became ill and was hospitalized in Little Rock. On Nov. 8, he was transferred to Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls.

Mr. Van Santen was an avid sports enthusiast, a computer buff, and also enjoyed playing pool.

Survivors include his parents, Peter and Nellie Van Santen, Luverne; four brothers, Jim (Marilyn) Van Santen, Steve (Carla) Van Santen, Rick (Carrie) Van Santen, all of Luverne, and Doug (Kathy) Van Santen Brandon, S.D.; six sisters, Marian (Steve) Schneekloth, Linda Vis, all of Luverne, Marlene (John) Wienstroer, Lenexa, Kan., Marge (Lonnie) Briese, Hartford, SD., Carolyn (Larry) Pap, Hardwick, and Lori (Gary) Serum, Champlin; 17 nephews; 14 nieces; nine great-nieces and nephews; and his mentor, Dave Allinson, Little Rock.

Mr. Van Santen was preceded in death by his maternal and paternal grandparents and an infant sister, Betty Jean.

The family requests memorials be directed to the Children’s Miracle Network.

Engebretson Funeral Home, Luverne, was in charge of arrangements.