(Above) A backhoe stirs a fire intentionally set Monday to burn the remains of Doug and Marci Bork's house north of Beaver Creek. The home was destroyed Tuesday, June 26, by a fire of undetermined cause. On the evening of the blaze, Marci Bork went to bed at around 10 p.m. and slept soundly while flames spread through her home. The family cat, Luna, awakened Marci at around 11:20 p.m. to a smoke-filled house. "It (Luna) actually got in her face and started clawing at her face to wake her up," said Doug Bork. Thanks to Luna, Marci was able to crawl out a window and call for help with her cell phone. Doug arrived home from a meeting at about 11:30 p.m. and the fire department arrived soon after, but the structure could not be saved.

Luckily, the couple's two children, James, 15, and Eric, 13, were away vacationing with their grandparents. The Borks are moving a spec home from Edgerton onto the same site as their old house. They hope to move into their new home within a month.

Old Fashioned Saturday night, sponsored by the Hills Community Club, was an excellent time to visit with friends and neighbors. Diane Greenfield (left), Grace Wassenaar, Carole Lonkey, and Martha Lindrud enjoy the meal served by the Community Club.

Photo by Jolene Farley

Services for Clara Cleppe will be at 1 p.m. Friday, Aug. 31, at St. Catherine Catholic Church in Luverne. The Rev. Andrew Beerman will officiate. Burial will be in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Jasper. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 30, at St. Catherine Catholic Church in Luverne with a rosary service at 6 p.m. and a prayer service at 7 p.m. Visitation is also from 12 to 1 p.m. Friday at the church.

Clara Facile Cleppe, 90, Luverne, died Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2001, at Mary Jane Brown Good Samaritan Center in Luverne.

Timothy John Cashin, 20, Orono, died in a boating accident on Bay Lake, Sunday, Aug. 19, 2001. He was the grandson of Don and Betty Cashin of Luverne.

Services were Wednesday, Aug. 29, at Woodridge Church, Medina. Burial was at German Liberal Cemetery in Hamel.

Tim was an exuberant young man, a lover of life with the unique ability to fill each day beyond its capacity. He especially loved people, golf, Bob Dylan and The Big Wu. He graduated from Orono High School in 1999 where he was a student leader and athlete. He was the student body president during his junior year and the following year was captain of the football and tennis teams. He placed nationally in the 1999 DECA competition. He was a junior at St. Olaf College in Northfield and was about to embark on a five-month term in Asia Study Adventure. He loved his life "on the hill" at St. Olaf where he was a student activities coordinator.

Survivors include his parents, Tim and Holly Cashin; two brothers, Andy and Teddy; grandparents, Don and Betty Cashin; numerous aunts; uncles; cousins; and countless friends.

Tim was preceded in death by maternal grandparents Sam and Shirley Hobbs.

Memorials are preferred to the Orono Alliance for Education, Box 211, Long Lake, MN 55366.

David Lee Funeral Home, Wayzata, was in charge of arrangements.

Harry Jannsen, 89, Luverne, died Sunday, Sept. 2 at Mary Jane Brown Home, Luverne. Services will be Wednesday, Sept. 5 at 1:30 p.m. at St. John Lutheran Church, Luverne, with Rev. Charles Boeder officiating. Burial will be in Maplewood Cemetery. Visitation will be Tuesday, Sept. 4 from 2 to 8 p.m. with the family present from 6 to 8 p.m. at Dingmann Funeral Home, Luverne.

Russell Hoiland, 84, Magnolia, died Thursday, Aug. 30 at Sioux Valley Hospital, Sioux Falls. Services will be Thursday, Sept. 4 at 10:30 a.m. at Bethany Lutheran Church, Luverne, with Rev. Paul Fries officiating. Burial will be in Maplewood Cemetery. Visitation will be Monday, Sept. 3 from 2 to 8 p.m. with the family present from 6 to 8 p.m. at Dingmann Funeral Home, Luverne.

John Wolfswinkel, 97, Albert Lea, formerly of Luverne, died Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2001, at Good Samaritan Center in Albert Lea.

Services were Monday, Aug. 27, at American Reformed Church in Luverne. Burial was in Hope Cemetery, Hull, Iowa.

John Wolfswinkel was born to Albert and Jennie (Bartels) Wolfswinkel on Aug. 21, 1904, in Carmel, Iowa. He was raised on the family farm near Carmel.

He married Agnes DeJongh on June 24, 1927, in Hull. He farmed near Hull for several years after their marriage. He lived in California for 18 years, Edgerton for 12 years and Luverne for four years. His employment varied from farmer to trucker to grinder to car sales. Mrs. Wolfswinkel died on Dec. 31, 1987. Upon retirement he enjoyed helping his family run various businesses.

Mr. Wolfswinkel was a member of American Reformed Church in Luverne.

Survivors include one son and daughter-in-law, Larry and Morene Wolfswinkel, Mesa, Ariz.; two daughters and one son-in-law, Reva Jackson, Luverne, and Lorna and Charles Meister, Albert Lea; 12 grandchildren; 36 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren; four brothers, Ben Wolfswinkel, Joe Wolfswinkel, Jim (Alta) Wolfswinkel, and Elmer (Marge) Wolfswinkel; two sisters, Jennie Brustring and Nellie Bullock; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Mr. Wolfswinkel was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Agnes, one son, Ceaver, one son-in-law, John Jackson, three brothers, Peter, Clarence and Henry, and four sisters, Jennie, Margaret, Grace and Albertha.

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

John August Petersen, 79, Bruce, Wis., formerly of the Luverne area, died Thursday, Aug. 23, 2001, in his home.

Private family services were held.

John Petersen was born to Charles and Eva Petersen on Dec. 4, 1921, in Barron, Wis. He worked for Abbots Dairy in Wisconsin. He was also a farm hand for various farms in Minnesota. He worked for the Beaver Creek School District as a bus driver and also the Beaver Creek Co-op Elevator.

He married Eustacia Sabala.

Mr. Petersen was a member of St. John Lutheran Church in Luverne.

Survivors include three daughters and one son-in-law, Twylla Marie Petersen, Treva Layne Petersen, both of Bruce, and Debbie LaRae and David Fitzgerald, Springfield; one granddaughter, Carly Rose Fitzgerald; one brother and sister-in-law, Fritz and Esther Petersen, Stanger, Calif.; and six sisters, Alice Florke, Edna Florke, both of Sutherland, Iowa, Carol Abiehl, Sheldon, Wis., Mary Titus, Eunice Zeitler, both of Sioux City, Iowa, and Mildred Petersen, Ladysmith, Wis.

Mr. Petersen was preceded in death by his parents and his wife.

Nash-Jackson Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Elmer August Gehrke, 87, Luverne, died Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2001, in Luverne Hospice Cottage.

Services were Saturday, Aug. 25, at Bethany Lutheran Church in Luverne.

Elmer Gehrke was born to Emil and Bertha (Grippentrog) Gehrke on March 4, 1914, in Beaver Creek. He was raised on the family farm near Beaver Creek. He attended country school and high school in Beaver Creek.

He married Mae Ellsworth on June 10, 1936, in Sioux Falls, S.D. He was associated with contractors who built Army bases, prison camps, ammunition dumps and the atomic plant at Hanford, Wash., until 1945. They farmed for 35 years in Beaver Creek Township. He retired from farming in 1974 but continued to do custom work while retired. Mrs. Gehrke died on June 6, 1978.

He married Audrey Schlump on Feb. 7, 1979, in Jasper. They lived in Luverne where he worked at M-M Distributing, was a maintenance man at Mary Jane Brown Good Samaritan Center and as a crossing guard for many years in the Luverne School District.

Mr. Gehrke was a member of Bethany Lutheran Church in Luverne.

Survivors include his wife, Audrey Gehrke, Luverne; one daughter and son-in-law, Sharon and Michael Biggs, Webster City, Iowa; one stepson and his spouse, Dale and Aggie Schlump, Sioux Falls; and three stepdaughters and their spouses, Pearl and Keith Ackerman, Hartley, Iowa, Shirley and Randy Herman and Sharon and Mark Janssen, all of Ellsworth; two grandchildren; 11 stepgrandchildren; two great-grandchildren; six stepgreat-grandchildren; and one brother, Walter Gehrke, Beaver Creek.

Mr. Gehrke, was preceded in death by his first wife, Mae, one brother, Edward Gehrke, an infant brother, and two sisters, Hattie Wiese and Amanda Waege.

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