Ludwig "Louie" B. Heitman, 86, Luverne, died Monday, Feb. 11, 2002, at the Hospice Cottage in Luverne.

Services were Saturday, Feb. 16, at St. Catherine Catholic Church in Luverne. The Rev. Andrew Beerman officiated. Burial was at St. Catherine Catholic Cemetery in Luverne.

Ludwig Heitman was born to William and Mary (Bruning) Heitman in St. Helena, Neb. As a child his family moved to a farm near Wall, S.D., where he was raised and attended school. Following his education he worked for various farmers in the area and was also a prizewinner in the rodeo. He entered the U.S. Army on June 24, 1941.

He married Phyllis Meagher on Nov. 18, 1941, in Philip, S.D. Following their marriage he was stationed in North Africa and Germany during World War II and was involved in the battle of Normandy. In 1945 he was honorably discharged from the Army and returned to Philip.

While in Philip he worked at Hanson's Hardware and City Plumbing. He also worked as a mechanic. Later they moved to a farm near Quinn, S.D., where he farmed and also worked in construction. In the 1950s they moved to Luverne and in 1956 they moved to Hardwick. He then started his own construction company, Heitman and Son Construction. He continued working in construction until his retirement. He entered Hospice Cottage on Feb. 11.

Mr. Heitman was a past member of Arthur Moeller American Legion Post 478 in Hardwick and also a member of the Luverne VFW. He loved to fish, hunt and garden and was an avid Minnesota Twins fan.
Survivors include his wife, Phyllis Heitman, Hardwick; four children, Bill (Betty) Heitmann, Blaine, Pat (Bob) Gundlach, Lone Rock, Wis., Bob (Jenny) Heitman, Hardwick, and Bruce (Sharon Eining) Heitman, Sioux Falls, S.D.; 11 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; three sisters, Louise DeBates, Sioux Falls, Hildegard Mitchell, Blunt, S.D., and Rose Rademacher, Ellsworth; and many nieces and nephews.

Mr. Heitman was preceded in death by his parents, seven brothers and three sisters.

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

Services for Dries Fikse will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, in Luverne Christian Reformed Church. The Revs. George Koopmans, Bert DenHerder, and LeRoy Christoffels will officiate. Burial will be at Eastside Cemetery in Steen. Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22, with the family present from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Dingmann Funeral Home in Luverne and also one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday.

Dries Fikse, 98, Luverne, died Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2002, in Luverne Community Hospital.

Dries Fikse was born to Evert and Eibertje (Stuivezand) Fikse on March 14, 1903, in the Netherlands.

He married Henrietta Christoffels on Jan. 12, 1927, in Edgerton. After their marriage the couple farmed in the Steen area until 1952 when they moved to the farm north of Luverne. In 1966 they retired and moved to Luverne. He was one of the first residents to move into The Oaks apartments when they opened. He moved to Mary Jane Brown Good Samaritan Center on June 1, 2000.

Mr. Fikse was a member of Luverne Christian Reformed Church where he had taught Sunday School and had served on the Church Board. He loved music and sang with the Steen Male Chorus. He also enjoyed visiting with friends.

Survivors include one son, Gerhard (Bernadine) Fikse, Morgan Hill, Calif.; two daughters, Evelyn (Ferdinand) Tilstra and Elaine (Andy) Steensma, all of Luverne; nine grandchildren, Gary, Allen and Greg Fikse, Arlyn Tilstra and Brenda Ledeboer, Steve and Stan Steensma, Sara Kooiman and Seth Steensma; 13 great-grandchildren; and one sister, Effie Christoffels, Visalia, Calif.

Mr. Fikse was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Henrietta, in November 1994, one daughter, Lucille Boeskol, an infant son, Gerhard Fikse, one great-grandchild, Tyler Fikse, five brothers and six sisters.

Dingmann Funeral Home, Luverne, is in charge of arrangements.

Gladys Erickson, 81, Granite Falls, died Saturday, Feb. 16, 2002, in Granite Falls Hospital.

Services were Wednesday, Feb. 20, at St. Andrew Catholic Church in Granite Falls. The Rev. Jim DeVorak officiated. Burial was in the church cemetery.

Gladys Lucy McFarland was born to Claude and Olive (Rogers) McFarland on March 11, 1920, in Currie. She attended Currie Catholic Grade School and graduated from Valley Springs High School, Valley Springs, S.D.

She married Arvid Erickson on Oct. 21, 1942, in Fort Ord, Calif. She worked in retail clothing and variety stores.

Mrs. Erickson was a member of the St. Andrew Parish Council, VFW Auxiliary and the Hospital Auxiliary. She enjoyed gardening, crocheting afghans and making angel pins, all of which she enjoyed giving to others.

Survivors include her husband, Arvid Erickson, Granite Falls; five children and their spouses, Nancy (Mike) Andre, Kirkland, Wash., Mary (Keith) Bergo, Montevideo, Jeff Erickson (partner, Dan O'Brien), Minneapolis, Jane Erickson, Granite Falls, and Tom (Tammy) Erickson, Plymouth; five grandchildren, Angie, Ben, Eric, Britt and Sam; two sisters, Audrey Jacobson, Mound, and Jean Dubbelde, Pipestone; and many nieces and nephews.

Mrs. Erickson was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, Ernest and Vince, and two sisters, Edith and Marilyn.

Wing-Bain Funeral Home, Granite Falls, was in charge of arrangements.

By John Rittenhouse
The Ellsworth boys' basketball team recorded its fifth consecutive victory when it upended Lincoln HI 77-73 in Ivanhoe Thursday.

Four Panther players reached double figures in scoring for an Ellsworth squad that ended its first year of Camden Conference play with a 13-1 record.

Ellsworth, 18-3 overall, ends the regular season by hosting Flandreau (S.D.) Indian School tomorrow and Hills-Beaver Creek Monday.

The Panthers had to come from behind to best Lincoln HI Thursday.

Playing in front of a big crowd on Parents' Night in Ivanhoe, the Panthers found themselves facing 25-20 and 43-41 deficits at the first two quarter breaks.

Ellsworth played with more defensive intensity in the second half when it outscored the Rebels 36-30 to pull out a four-point victory.

"I think our defense was the key," said Panther coach Ken Kvaale. "They only scored 11 points in the third quarter, and we shut a couple of their key guys down."

The Panthers outscored LH 16-11 in the third quarter to gain a 57-54 advantage. A 20-19 scoring edge in the fourth quarter padded Ellsworth's final margin of victory to four points.

Curt Schilling led the Panthers with 27 points, 15 rebounds and six assists during the game.

Brant Deutsch scored 13 points, snared eight rebounds and distributed five assists, while Travis Jenniges netted 13 points and recorded four assists. Dylan Kvaale added 11 points to the winning cause.

Box score
Schilling 11 0 5-7 27, Jenniges 5 1 0-0 13, Janssen 1 1 0-0 5, Kvaale 5 0 1-2 11, Deutsch 4 1 2-3 13, Brommer 4 0 0-1 8.

Adrian junior guard Jenna Honermann drives to the basket during the first half of Monday's girls' basketball game against Murray County Central in Adrian. Honermann scored 11 points to help the Dragons wrap up the Red Rock Conference championship with a 59-53 win over the Rebels.

By John Rittenhouse
Adrian's girls' basketball team locked up the Red Rock Conference championship when it topped Murray County Central 59-53 in a hard-fought game played in Adrian Monday.

Needing a win, or a Fulda loss, to earn an outright RRC title, the Dragons took matters into their own hands by outplaying the Rebels in the game's fourth quarter.

AHS trailed 38-36 entering the final eight minutes of play, when it outscored MCC 23-15 to win the game by six points.

The win gave Adrian a 15-1 record in league play. Fulda, which beat Hills-Beaver Creek 83-52 the same night, placed second in the RRC with a 14-2 mark.

TuesdayÕs tilt in Adrian was a tight one from beginning to end. Neither team sported more than a four-point lead in the game's first three quarters, and the Dragons had a hard time in putting the Rebels away even though the hosts led by as many as nine points in the fourth quarter.

MCC served notice that it would be in the game for the long run when it scored the first four points of the first quarter.

Adrian's Andrea Burzlaff, who netted a game-high 26 points, hit a pair of field goals to cap a 12-5 run that put the Dragons in front 12-9 as the period progressed. MCC, however, tied the game at 12 before Dragon Kylie Heronimus scored off an offensive rebound with one second remaining to give AHS a 14-12 edge at period's end.

The second period featured a number of ties, including a deadlock at 24 late in the stanza. Burzlaff snapped the tie by draining a pair of free throws with two-tenths of a second remaining to put the Dragons in front 26-24 at halftime.

Adrian scored the first two points of the third quarter to open its biggest lead of the night at 28-24, but the Rebels countered with a 14-6 run that gave them a 38-34 advantage. That lead was cut in half when Becky Knips scored two of her 14 points with 15 seconds remaining in the quarter to make it a 38-36 game.

The Dragons opened the fourth quarter with a 12-2 run that gave them a 48-40 lead. The difference was nine points (53-44) when Knips scored with an offensive rebound at the 2:05 mark of the stanza. MCC did climb within four points of AHS in the final minute before losing by six in the end.

Burzlaff, who netted 14 of her 26 points in the second half, had seven rebounds and three steals for the Dragons. Knips, who scored eight of her 14 counters in the second half, also recorded three steals.

Jenna Honermann scored 11 points and charted six assists for the 19-3 Dragons, who drew the No. 1 seed for the Section 3A South Tournament. Adrian will play the winner of a play-in game between No. 8 Ellsworth and No. 9 Edgerton at 3 p.m. Saturday in Worthington.

Box score
Heronimus 2 0 1-2 5, Bo.Bullerman 0 0 0-0 0, Honermann 4 0 3-6 11, Burzlaff 10 0 6-6 26, Henning 0 0 0-0 0, Kruger 0 0 1-2 1, Cox 0 0 0-0 0, Lonneman 0 0 0-0 0, Gengler 0 0 2-2 2, Strand 0 0 0-0 0, Knips 7 0 0-1 14, Br.Bullerman 0 0 0-0 0.

Team statistics
Adrian: 24 of 43 field goals (56 percent), 13 of 19 free throws (68 percent), 24 rebounds, 13 turnovers.
MCC: 19 of 49 field goals (39 percent), 11 of 16 free throws (69 percent), 17 rebounds, 10 turnovers.

Rock County Commissioners meet Feb. 5
Law Library 9:00 A.M.
Rock County Courthouse
05 February 2002
Commissioner Wildung called the meeting to order with all commissioners present.

Motion by Hoime, seconded by Jarchow, to approve the February 5th County Board agenda, declared carried on a voice vote.

Motion by Erickson, seconded Boyenga, to approve the January 22nd County Board minutes, declared carried on a voice vote.

Mark Sehr, Engineer, presented Resolution No. 04-02, a detour agreement 82828-R, from CSAH 2 to CSAH 7, with MnDOT on SAP 67-605-10, a road project on US Highway 75. Motion by Boyenga, seconded Jarchow, to authorize Resolution No. 04-02, declared carried on a voice vote.

The Engineer requested final payment of $2,063.90 to Henning Construction for an aggregate stockpile; total contract was $41,278.20. Motion by Erickson, seconded by Hoime, to authorize the final payment of $2,063.90 payable to Henning Construction, declared carried on a voice vote.

The Engineer requested approval to advertise for bids on project SAP 67-632-002, Luverne Street; motion by Hoime, seconded by Jarchow, to authorize the advertising for project SAP 67-632-002, declared carried on a voice vote.

Margaret Cook, Auditor/Treasurer, presented the fund balances; motion by Hoime, seconded by Erickson, to accept the fund balance report, declared carried on a voice vote.

The Auditor/Treasurer presented the claims for payment with additional claims payable to Metro Transit for $44.00 and MN Rural Energy Task Force for $2,500.00 for membership dues. Motion by Jarchow, seconded by Erickson, to pay the claims as presented, declared carried on a unanimous vote. A complete listing of claims is available at the Auditor/Treasurer's office at no charge.

General $12,371.15
LEC 733.37
Road & Bridge 7,687.82
Judicial Ditch .00
Welfare 28,024.63
Landfill 909.21
TOTAL $49,726.18

The County Board directed that the County Attorney attend the next County Board meeting to explain the IV-E billing process that takes place within the County Attorney's office.

The Auditor/Treasurer presented Resolution No. 08-02, a rural water split on parcel 10-0029-000 located in the SW 1/4 of 06-104-46 between Kevin and Shelia Matthiesen and Cenex Harvest States Cooperatives. Motion by Boyenga, seconded by Erickson, to approve Resolution No. 08-02, declared carried on a voice vote.

Motion by Jarchow, seconded Boyenga, to approve Resolution No. 09-02, a joint powers resolution by becoming a participant of the Minnesota Association of Governments Investing for Counties (MAGIC Fund) and adopting and entering into the Declaration of Trust, declared carried on a voice vote.

The County Board requested that the Personnel Committee of the County Board schedule meetings with all county elected officials, declared carried on a voice vote.

The County Board was in receipt of the Annual Feedlot report provided by the Land Management Office; this was for informational purposes.

Jay Trusty, Executive Director of the Southwest Regional Development Commission and Ben Vander Kooi, Legal Counsel for the SRDC, requested the County Board to pass a resolution of support of the SRDC to increase their levy authority to address debt situations which have occurred as a result of the Prairie Expo project. Motion by Boyenga, seconded by Jarchow, to not support the SRDC resolution. After considerable discussion, Commissioner Boyenga called the question and a roll call vote was taken with Commissioners Erickson and Wildung voting nay and Commissioners Jarchow, Boyenga, and Hoime voting aye. Motion was declared carried.

The County Board was informed that Jeff Sehr would be doing a one-semester internship in Rock County working in the Law Enforcement Center. Jeff Sehr is a senior at Gustavus Adolphus College.

The Rock County Board received a draft copy of the Operating Rules and Guidelines of the County Board. The County Board directed that it be assigned to the Personnel Committee of the County Board for review.

The County Board was in receipt of information pertaining to the E911 contract, which is a dedicated trunking service for phone calls. The County Board requested an E911 funding history to include past and present monies payable to Rock County and present at the next County Board meeting. Also requested Rick Morrow with Independent Emergency Services, Terri Ebert, Dispatch Supervisor and Ron McClure, Rock County Sheriff to attend the next County Board meeting to discuss the E911 upgrade.

The County Board was in receipt of an activity report from the Rock County Law Enforcement showing statistics of the past three years of violations within Rock County. The County Board requested the Sheriff to further define the numerical analysis of the report.

Motion by Jarchow, seconded by Hoime, to pass Resolution No. 05-02, a request to Minnesota State legislators to support legislation to fully fund Child Care Resource and Referral Programs and Resolution 06-02, a request to Minnesota State legislators to support legislation to fully fund the Family Planning Program's critical services in Southwestern Minnesota; motion was declared carried on a voice vote.

Motion by Hoime, seconded by Boyenga, to pass Resolution No. 07-02, requesting legislators to support and pass the production tax for Rural Minnesota Energy Task Force, declared carried on a voice vote.

The County Board directed the Administrator contact the County AssessorÕs office for information regarding gas line taxes collected within the county; Commissioner Boyenga requested gravel tax update from the County Attorney as well.

Commissioner Hoime provided the County Board with a Rock County Pool & Fitness Center update. Currently, RFP's are being developed and they will be submitted at a later date.

Commissioner Wildung requested that the County Board authorize copies of the current fourteen cemetery plats in Rock County be made by the Rock County Highway Department and be forwarded to the Rock County Historical Society as they are trying to generate a cemetery data base. Motion by Hoime, seconded Jarchow, to authorize the copies of the cemetery plats, declared carried on a 4-1 vote with Commissioner Boyenga voting nay.

Commissioner Erickson informed the County Board that the Environmental Bus closed the year with a positive balance and that this year's fund-raiser would be a fishing contest at Little Spirit Lake on June 23rd.

With no further business to come before the County Board, the meeting was declared adjourned.

Jane Wildung, Chairman of the Board
ATTEST:
Kyle J. Oldre, Clerk to the Board
(2-21)

Mortgage foreclosure sale set for March 12
01-21149
8042047715
NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE
THE RIGHT TO VERFICATION OF THE DEBT AND IDENTITY OF THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY LAW IS NOT AFFECTED BY THIS ACTION.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that default has occurred in the conditions of the following described mortgage:

DATE OF MORTGAGE: November 24, 1999

ORIGINAL PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF MORTGAGE: $57,531.00

MORTGAGOR (S): Danny R. Kephart and Evelyn Kephart, Husband and Wife

MORTGAGEE: EquiCredit Corporation of Mn., n/k/a NationsCredit Financial Services Corporation
DATE AND PLACE OF RECORDING: recorded December 3, 1999, Rock County Recorder, Document No. 146866

LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY: The East 74.4 feet of Lot 2 in Block 1, Auditor's Plat no. 1 to the City of Luverne

COUNTY IN WHICH PROPERTY IS LOCATED: Rock

AMOUNT DUE AND CLAIMED TO BE DUE AS OF DATE OF NOTICE, INCLUDING TAXES, IF ANY, PAID BY MORTGAGEE: $68,858.21

THAT all pre-foreclosure requirements have been complied with; that no action or proceeding has been instituted at law or otherwise to recover the debt secured by said mortgage, or any part thereof;

PURSUANT, to the power of sale contained in said mortgage, the above described property will be sold by the Sheriff of said county as follows:

DATE AND TIME OF SALE: March 12 2002 10:00 A.M.

PLACE OF SALE: Sheriff's Main Office, West Side Sheriff Dept., Front Step, Luverne, MN
to pay the debt secured by said mortgage and taxes, if any, on said premises and the costs and disbursements, including attorneys fees allowed by law, subject to redemption within six months from the date of said sale by the mortgagor(s) their personal representatives or assigns.

"THE TIME ALLOWED BY LAW FOR REDEMPTION BY THE MORTGAGOR, THE MORTGAGOR'S PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES OR ASSIGNS, MAY BE REDUCED TO FIVE WEEKS IF A JUDICIAL ORDER IS ENTERED UNDER MINNESOTA STATUTES SECTION 582.032 DETERMINING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT THE MORTGAGED PREMISES ARE IMPROVED WITH A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING OF LESS THAN 5 UNITS, ARE NOT PROPERTY USED FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, AND ARE ABANDONED.

Dated: January 10, 2002

NATIONSCREDIT FINANCIAL SERVICES
CORPORATION
Mortgagee
SHAPIRO & NORDMEYER, L.L.P.
BY /s/ Nancy A. Nordmeyer
Lawrence P. Zielke
Beth W. Asmussen
Attorneys for Mortgagee
7300 Metro Blvd., Suite 390
Edina, MN 55439-2305
(952) 831-4060
THIS COMMUNICATION IS FROM A DEBT COLLECTOR ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.
(1-17, 1-24, 1-31, 2-7, 2-14, 2-21)

Hills Telephone Co.
STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION
Hills Telephone Company is the recipient of Federal financial assistance from the Rural Utilities Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and is subject to the provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, and the rules and regulations of the U.S. Department of Agriculture which provide that no person in the United States on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, or handicap shall be excluded from participation in, admission or access to, denied the benefits of, organization's programs or activities.

The person responsible for coordinating this organization's nondiscrimination compliance efforts is Dennis Law, Manager. Any individual, or specific class of individuals, who feels that this organization has subjected them to discrimination may obtain further information about the statutes and regulations listed above from and/or file a written complaint with this organization; or the Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250; or the Administrator, Rural Utilities Service, Washington, D.C. 20250. Complaints must be filed within 180 days after the alleged discrimination. Confidentiality will be maintained to the extent possible.
(2-21)

By Lori Ehde
Blue Mounds State Park is under direction of a new park manager, John Voges, who started in December.
He comes to Luverne from the St. Croix State Park where he served as assistant manager. Coming to the prairie from a wooded river park is a change of pace, but it's one this outdoorsman welcomes.

"The tall grass prairie is growing in popularity, but it doesn't get all the attention it deserves," he said, adding that he also looks forward to working with bison.

"The bison are a wonderful resource for prairie management. That's one of the things that drew me to this area."

Voges should have no problem adjusting to his new environment, considering he has park experience in nearly all areas of the state.

He's originally from Bricelyn and earned his degree in park management from Mankato State University. His studies emphasized natural resource management.

His first job was in North Dakota, where he interned and spent five years in different areas of the state.

He went on to spend three years in the Minnesota Conservation Corps training college students in the Minnesota DNR.

Since then he's worked in different parks around the state, gaining experience in a wide variety of park management.

When the opportunity to come to Luverne presented itself, Voges said he didn't hesitate to accept a new challenge.

"There's a good staff here, and I know where they're at as far as their prairie resource management is concerned," he said.

"They were going in a good direction with the prairie and buffalo herd."

Voges has considered some goals of his own for the Blue Mounds, but for now he said there are already some exciting plans under way.

For example, the bison pasture area has more than doubled toward the south, and the Interpretive Center will be remodeled this spring.

Voges lives in the house near the Blue Mounds State Park office. He's getting married next month to Dawn Winkler of Hinckley, who is studying at South Dakota State University.

He replaces former park manager Rick White who took over in February 1996 after Merlin Johnson retired from his 15 years with the Blue Mounds.

By Sara Strong
As the final act of Sally McFadden's life came to a close, the Luverne theater matriarch was honored nationally for her contributions.

The American Association of Community Theaters made her the recipient of the Spotlight Award after she died of cancer in November 2001. The certificate came in time for the celebration in which friends and family honored her life.

In the nomination letter to AACT, Nan Karr-Kaufenberg wrote, "Her dedication to theater impacted Green Earth Players for over 20 years. Sally insisted that Green Earth Players Community Theatre strive for excellence and professionalism in the productions of a variety of shows. She promoted the idea of educating the audience by producing dramas and lesser-known plays, which provided challenges and growth for the directors, actors and stage crew."

AACT gives about a dozen Spotlight Awards a year, and nominations are reviewed by committee members from across the country. AACT leaves the criteria fairly open but stipulates that the Spotlight Award recognizes outstanding dedication, service or contribution to theaters. The award acknowledges that those contributions made significant impacts on the quality of community theater.

On the set
McFadden was active in other aspects of the Luverne community, but theater was her passion.

Carole Achterhof was at her side when they started Green Earth Players in 1978.

Achterhof said she'll miss her as a friend and mentor. "Oh, we had so much fun. ... We competed for a lot of the same roles, which were usually sexually-frustrated middle-aged women. Either she got the part or I did, depending on the director."

Achterhof said, "We prided ourselves on being on the outer peripheries of the community rather than the inner circle, and we had a lot of fun with that."

When Achterhof's life became too busy to include much involvement in theater, McFadden stayed with it.

"She was devoted to it," Achterhof said. "She was married to the Green Earth Players."

Karr-Kaufenberg reiterated that in her nomination letter. "She stayed with it until the very end, attending the Green Earth Players dinner theater production the day before her final hospitalization."

But more than an apt theater leader, those close to her say she was a great person.

McFadden was busy with other aspects of her life, like raising five children, when Achterhof first came to town in the 1960s. That's when the two first became friends before they became partners in community theater.

Achterhof had two children and a husband who was still working in Duluth. She was lonely in a new town when McFadden called one day to offer her a cup of coffee.

"Sally was my best friend in Luverne," Achterhof said. "She was a nice, open, sharing, generous person."

She recalls many times of laughter and bonding within the GEP group. Another friend, Linda Dummer, said she'll remember McFadden as a sweet woman.

Achterhof said McFaddenÕs presence at her home on Spirit Lake will be missed.

For the woman who was so closely tied to the world of drama, the last days of McFadden's life reminded Achterhof of the movie "Beaches."

When she spent a long weekend on Spirit Lake, Achterhof saw her color wasn't good and she feared the end was near. "She was strong for all the people around her," Achterhof said. "I miss her."