Helen Laabs' fourth-grade class is the featured Luverne Elementary class of the week this week. Pictured are (front row, from left): Jordan VonHoltum, Josh Boomgaarden, Kayla Kruger, Callan Sawtelle, Caitlin Miller, Paige Olson, Rachel Saum, Joshua Petersen (middle row) Tabitha Sanderson, Erick Phommaracksa, Nicholas DenHerder, Cody Lape, Krista VanDyk, Ashley Siebenahler, Christine Stassen, Kelsey Wessels, Tanya Tacuban (back) Alyssa Reese, Austin Richters, Eric Kor, Jacob Dressen, Jonathan Kruger, Jordan Huls, Danielle Schilling, Taylor Luke and Mrs. Laabs.

"The pre-holiday season has us all jumping," Laabs said. In social studies the students are finishing work on the southeast region, and in writing they are learning how to put together persuasive paragraphs, "which has them thinking," she said. In math, the students are looking at solids and silhouettes, and science takes them to the Amazon rainforest. In addition, Laabs said, "Accelerated Reading lets us read books we like."

Churches around the county decorated for their very important season, which is winding down now. The decorations are sometimes professional and sometimes done by congregation committees, but either way, aren't seen by many outside of church members.

The First Presbyterian Church's congregation enjoys its white Christmas inside the sanctuary. The Luverne church is decorated in white poinsettia clusters with white lights woven through. The large Christmas tree also holds white lights and ornaments.

Photo by Sara Quam

Lucile Emma Cronberg, 93, Luverne, died Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2001, at Mary Jane Brown Good Samaritan Center in Luverne.

Services were Saturday, Dec. 22, at St. John Lutheran Church in Luverne. The Rev. Mark Mumme officiated. Burial was in Maplewood Cemetery, Luverne.

Lucile Stroh was born to Dave and Dora (Schmidt) Stroh on June 26, 1908, near Reinbeck, Iowa. At the age of 4 she moved to Minnesota with her family and grew up on a farm northwest of Luverne where she attended country school.

She married Frederick Cronberg on April 9, 1936, in Luverne. Following their marriage they lived and farmed near Luverne. Mr. Cronberg preceded her in death on Aug. 3, 1971. She remained on the farm until 1983 when she moved to Luverne. She moved to Mary Jane Brown Good Samaritan Center on Nov. 18, 1997.

Mrs. Cronberg was a member of St. John Lutheran Church in Luverne where she was active in the church circles and WomenÕs Society. She enjoyed crocheting afghans and playing cards.

Survivors include three sons and daughters-in-law, Alvin and Ruth Cronberg, Broomfield, Colo., Richard and Fran Cronberg, Roscoe, Ill., and John and Cheryl Cronberg, Luverne; six grandchildren, Michael, Lisa, Stacie, Heather, Jeffrey and Meghan; and two great-grandchildren, Natalie and Jonnalyn.

Mrs. Cronberg was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, four brothers and five sisters.

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

Erma Braa, 95, Enumclaw, Wash., formerly of Rock County, died Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2001, in Enumclaw.

Services were Monday, Dec. 17, at WeeksÕ Enumclaw Funeral Home in Enumclaw. Burial will be in Jasper Cemetery, Jasper.

Erma Dorothy Schmidt was born to John and Tena Schmidt on March 16, 1906, in Rock County. She grew up and attended grade school near Luverne. The family moved to a farm near Sherman, S.D. She graduated from Sherman High School, Sherman.

She married Clarence Braa on Sept. 1, 1925, in Sioux Falls, S.D. They farmed in the Sherman area. In 1957 they moved to Seattle, Wash. They later moved to Enumclaw. She was a homemaker.

Survivors include one son, Roger (Fran) Braa, Enumclaw; one daughter, Cleo (Gordon Greenwalt) Fellers, Shelton, Wash.; nine grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-granddaughters.

Mrs. Braa was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Clarence, and one son, Ronald, who was killed in a tractor accident in 1950 at the age of 14.

Memorials may be sent to Providence Hospice of Seattle, 425 Pontius Ave. N. #300, Seattle, WA 98109.

Weeks' Enumclaw Funeral Home, Enumclaw, was in charge of arrangements.

Donald Braa, 73, Luverne, died Thursday, Dec. 13 at the Luverne Hospice Cottage. Services will be Monday, Dec. 17 at 10:30 a.m. at St. John Lutheran Church, Luverne, with Rev. Mak Mumme officiating. Burial will be in Maplewood Cemetery. Visitation will be Sunday, Dec. 16 from 2 to 8 p.m. with the family present from 6 to 8 p.m. at Engebretson Funeral Home, Luverne.

Rolland Bell, 65, formerly of Luverne, died Sunday, Dec. 23 in Sioux Falls Services will be Friday, Dec. 28 at 10 a.m. at Miller Funeral Home, Sioux Falls. Interment will follow at Maplewood Cemetery. Visitation will be Thursday, Dec. 27 starting at 12 noon with the family present from 7 to 8 p.m.

Martha Piepgras, 93, died Tuesday, Dec. 25 at Rochester. A memorial service will be held Saturday, Dec. 29 at 2 p.m. at the Madonna Towers, Rochester with a memorial service in Luverne at a later date. Dingmann Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Luverne, is in charge of arrangements.

June
Superintendent Tom Knoll verbally accepted a position in the Hayfield school district. Hayfield, located about 25 miles southwest of Rochester, has 1,005 kindergarten through 12th-grade students.

Friendship Days was celebrated June 8 and 9. Fourteen four-player teams participated in a best-ball golf scrambler at the Rock River County Club near Rock Rapids. A team consisting of Tim Plimpton, Duane Fiala, Claude Van Driel and Tom Arends emerged as champions.

After reviewing statements from six students and two teachers Assistant County Attorney Terry Vajgrt decided not to prosecute Tom Knoll for an alleged assault against student Derek Ehde at Hills-Beaver Creek High School.

In Vajgrt's opinion, there wasn't sufficient evidence of criminal wrongdoing to prosecute. Derek's parents, Rick and Lori Scholten, retained an attorney to pursue the matter civilly.

Superintendent Knoll officially resigned at a board meeting to accept a position in the Hayfield district. Darold Williams, Dell Rapids, was hired as interim superintendent.

July
A head-on collision four miles south of Luverne on Highway 75 claimed the lives of Ralph Edward Kingery, Colorado Springs, and Theresa Elliott, Colorado Springs. Anthony Reese, Steen, was airlifted to Avera McKennan Hospital, Sioux Falls, from the scene.

Steen Reformed Church built a new bell tower to house a historic 1912 bell.

At one of his last School Board meetings, superintendent Tom Knoll informed the H-BC School Board that the anticipated cost of $200,000 for the locker room project would likely not be enough to complete the project.

Jil Vaughn was named district administrator at H-BC elementary, replacing Kim Grengs as elementary principal.

August
Lance Crawford, Beaver Creek, was awarded the first Dennis Schei Memorial Scholarship. The $250 scholarship is given annually to a 4-H livestock project manager.

Joyce (Kitty) Helgeson, Beaver Creek, and Victor Hoeck, Hardwick, were chosen as the Outstanding Senior Citizens to represent Rock County at the state fair.

Two Hills residences were burglarized while the residents were in their homes. Jim Roning awoke to find his wallet missing. Sue Jess awoke to find a burglar crawling on her floor.

H-BC school welcomed new teachers Marie LaRock, Jolene Hannett and Brent Steinert.

September
Three months after the murder of Carrie Nelson investigators continued to follow leads.

Hijackers crashed two commercial planes into the World Trade Center. Within the same hour, another dived into the Pentagon and another crashed outside of Pittsburgh.

Hills-Beaver Creek residents Chris Fagerness and Matt Ebert were on the scene in Washington, D.C. Ebert described the scene as something heÕd seen in the movie, "Independence Day."

Local motorists lined up prematurely at the pumps to stock up on gasoline after reports circulated of shortages and price hikes due to uncertainty after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Six candidates vied for four seats on the H-BC School Board. Matt Larson, Annette Mahone, Robert Wassenaar, Tim Baker, Alan Harnack and Lois Leuthold all filed for the openings.

Construction began on the Beaver Creek Golf Course east of Beaver Creek. Amenities in the banquet facility include a banquet hall seating about 300 people with a built-in stage area and bar and restaurant seating about 70.

October
Steen resident and School Board member Dave Roozenboom was hospitalized for burns from a gas grill accident.

Luverne Middle School Principal Dave Deragisch signed a $79,000 two-and-a-half-year contract with the H-BC School Board for the superintendent position vacated by Tom Knoll. At a later meeting the board unanimously ratified the contract.

School Board chair Roland Crawford announced his intention to retire after 27 years on the School Board.

November
H-BC senior Brad Haak won the section individual cross country championship and earned his third straight berth in the state meet.

School Board ballot totals from the Nov. 6 election were Alan Harnack, 274, Lois Leuthold, 247, Matt Larson, 216, Tim Baker, 202, Annette Mahone, 104 and Robert Wassenaar, 104.

Tuff Village, the first assisted living facility in Rock County, held an open house on Nov. 12. Pastor Lowell Berg dedicated the new facility.

H-BC students made a bench with a stained-glass facing to auction off with proceeds to help the Sept. 11 victims. After the Red Cross quit taking donations, students decided to donate proceeds to the Hills and Beaver Creek fire departments.

December
The Minnesota Genealogical Society plans to publish a directory of Minnesota cemeteries, broken down by county detailing whom to contact for information on who is buried in each plot.

Rock County Land Management Director John Burgers, Hills, pled guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of mail fraud. In doing so, the court dismissed a more serious charge of bribery.

Roland Crawford chaired his final School Board meeting. Crawford was presented with a plaque commemorating his years of service.

By Jolene Farley
For those who think nothing exciting ever happens in small towns, just look over the year in review.

Communities were rocked by local bad news as well as the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, which led the United States into war.

To counter the bad news, however, the weekly Crescent issues are also peppered with happy, heartwarming tales as well.

January
The Mike Jess household, Steen, was destroyed by fire. A passerby reported the blaze, but when firefighters arrived at the scene the structure was engulfed in flames. The Hills, Luverne, Beaver Creek and Rock Rapids fire departments battled the blaze.

Cindy Niessink and Cindy McGowan organized a soup supper benefit for the family that raised $2,300 with a $1,000 match from A.A.L. Branch 9510 and Blue Mound Lutheran Brotherhood Branch 8608.

The first baby in Luverne Community Hospital in 2001 was born to Eric and Lisa Kiers, Luverne. Nicholas Johan Kiers was born Jan. 5 and weighed 6 pounds. Eric Kiers is a teacher at Hills Christian School.

Hills-Beaver Creek School mailed a survey out to residents of the district asking if the school should proceed with plans for new locker rooms and a community fitness center. The board received more than 200 responses from the 700 surveys mailed out.

February
Spencer and Pam Sells and their two children, Lindsy and Lee, Beaver Creek, were selected as 2001 Farm Family of the Year by the Rock County Extension Committee. The annual award honors families for their contributions to agriculture and their communities.

Participants in the 19th Annual Helge's Father and Son Pool Tournaments in Beaver Creek racked up more than $3,512 for Hospice of Luverne. Gordon Helgeson and his son, Gary, won first place in the event.

Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary students collected 12,270 Pepsi notes in the Share the Joy with Music Program sponsored by Pepsi. A goal of 2,000 Pepsi notes was surpassed by far. With the points, the music program was able to purchase more than $1,000 in equipment.

March
The Hills-Beaver Creek Board of Education interviewed architects to design the proposed locker room and fitness center.

At a later meeting, Group II Architects, Sioux Falls, was selected for the project.

Sioux Falls Sky Force player Carlos Daniel came to visit H-BC Elementary School as part of Read Across America Week, an annual event commemorating the birthday of children's author Dr. Seuss, creator of "Cat in the Hat."

Hills-Beaver Creek student Adam Finke was chosen as one of 15 People to People Middle School Student Ambassadors for the Sioux Falls area. As an ambassador he visited Spain, France, Germany and Switzerland over a period of three weeks.

Due to higher-than-normal fuel costs and longer labor hours, Beaver Creek Township spent nearly 40 percent more on snow removal this year than during a normal winter.

Patriot Millworks was awarded a $4,095 Youth Entrepreneurship Grant by the Southwest Minnesota Foundation. Students used the funds to purchase a trailer to deliver finished wood products.

April
Census 2000 tallies showed Rock County with fewer people than 10 years ago. The county's final count was 9,721, down 85 from the 1990 census. Hills ended up with 565 people, down from 607 in 1990; Beaver Creek was up one person. Steen's population increased from 176 in 1990 to 182 in 2000.

Hills-Beaver Creek and Ellsworth combined their track and field programs. The two schools had previously teamed up for baseball and golf.

A storm with strong straight-line winds traveled through several farms northeast of Beaver Creek, damaging buildings and trees. A bin landed on an attached garage at Bob Beyenhof's farm. Delmar DeVries lost part of a cattle shed roof, and a greenhouse was severely damaged. A cattle shed at Orville Bork's farm collapsed. Damage was also reported at the Gary Top, Jim Van Santen and Frank Matus farms.

After a year as elementary principal, Kim Grengs resigned, effective June 30, 2001. Grengs and her family returned to Farmington to the district she taught in before moving to H-BC.

oH-BC students scored among the top 10 schools in Minnesota on the math portion of the eighth-grade Basic Standards Tests.

May
Fire destroyed a calf barn, granary, two garages and a milking barn on a farm east of Valley Springs. Minnie Vis owned the property and her son, Alan, lived on the premises. Norman Vis used the buildings for his farming operation.

The Hills Economic Development Authority accepted a bid of $2,400 for the former American Salvage building from John Schwing, president of Technical Services from Sioux Falls, and Don Packard, president of Northland Precision Machine Inc..

The Rock County Sheriff's department began investigating Superintendent Tom Knoll for an alleged assault at Hills-Beaver Creek High School.

Parents expressed concern about the music programs to the Hills-Beaver Creek School Board at a regular meeting. A spokesperson for the group stated the quality of the music program deteriorated greatly in the last few years. At a later meeting the H-BC School Board accepted the resignation of vocal and instrumental teacher Dawn Griepp.

Former Hills resident 20-year-old Carrie Nelson was murdered while working at Blue Mounds State Park. She died from multi-traumatic injuries to the head due to assault. Investigators are still seeking information on the crime.