luverne
January 28, 2026A winter-time tradition at Luverne High School celebrates its 10th year as Snow Week kicks off on Monday, Feb. 2. The Snow Week king and queen will be crowned at 1:50 p.m. Monday, which is also the first of five school-wide dress-up days. Ten Snow Week candidates were nominated by faculty in recognition of their positive leadership in the classroom, in school activities and in the community.…
January 28, 2026Colton Paul Arends was born on May 10, 1996, to Paul and Teresa (Menning) Arends at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He was raised on the family farm east of Luverne, Minnesota. From a young age, his beaming spirit always found a way to light up the room. Colton was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne where he was baptized and confirmed his faith in the Lord. Growing…
January 28, 2026A gathering of friends and family took place from 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 27, at the Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Home in St. Cloud for Virgil VanBatavia, who died on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, at the St. Cloud Hospital. Memorial services also took place on Thursday, Jan. 29, at American Reformed Church in Luverne at 1:30 p.m. with a visitation 1 hour prior to the church. Burial was at…
January 28, 2026Norman "Norm" Ykema, age 95, of Luverne, Minnesota, passed away on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Luverne. Visitation was from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026, at the Hartquist Funeral Home in Luverne. Funeral service was at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, at the Christian Reformed Church in Luverne. Interment with military honors followed at the Maplewood…- By Pastor Sarah Zender, Grace Lutheran Church, LuverneJanuary 28, 2026Sometimes, reading that Bible can seem perplexing with its different cultural traditions and practices. But, at other times, it’s as if it could have been written today with a few names changed and it would align perfectly for what is happening right now. If the apostle Paul were writing to us today, I suspect his letter to the Corinthians might sound uncomfortably familiar. I’m currently…
- By Lori SorensonJanuary 21, 2026Alliance Communications is surveying Luverne residents for interest in fiber-to-the home internet service ahead of a potential expansion into city limits next year. Alliance, headquartered in Garretson, South Dakota, has been serving Rural Rock County residents since 2016 and is now considering expanding its fiber-optic network into Luverne’s city limits. Before moving forward, Alliance is…
By Lori SorensonJanuary 21, 2026Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan was in Luverne Saturday night sharing her vision for Minnesota seeking the DFL endorsement for U.S. Senate. (The seat is currently held by Sen. Tina Smith who is not seeking re-election this fall.) Flanagan spoke to roughly 50 people gathered in the Generations Events Center in Luverne about her Minnesota childhood with a single mom who relied on food stamps…- January 21, 2026Jana R. Wilson, age 79, of Luverne, died Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, at her home. Visitation was from 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, at the Dingmann Funeral Home in Luverne; and was also one hour prior to the service at the church on Wednesday. Funeral was at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Bethany Lutheran Church, in Luverne, officiated by Pastor Andrew Malmquist. Burial was in the Sunset Rest Cemetery in…
January 21, 2026Robert “Bob” Fick, age 88, of Luverne, Minnesota, passed away on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, at the Good Samaritan Society – Mary Jane Brown Home in Luverne. Visitation was Thursday, Jan. 15, from 4-7 p.m. at Hartquist Funeral Home in Luverne. Funeral service was at 11 a.m. Friday, Jan. 16, with visitation at 10 a.m. at Peace Lutheran Church in Rock Rapids, Iowa. Burial followed at Maplewood Cemetery…
January 21, 2026Sally (Vercella) Hemenway, a dedicated educator and lifelong adventurer, passed away peacefully Jan. 12, 2026, leaving behind a legacy of kindness, learning and love. Born in 1938, in Luverne, Minnesota, to Alvin Olson and Thilda Knudtson, Sally’s journey began in the heart of the Midwest. After graduating from Luverne High School, she followed her passion for education to Mankato State…
January 21, 2026Janet Mary (Weis) Gibson, 88, of Luverne, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on Jan. 13, 2026, at Good Samaritan Village in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Born July 23, 1937, in Wilmont, Minnesota, Janet grew up in Adrian, Minnesota, and later made her home in Luverne, Minnesota. She graduated from Adrian High School in 1955 and earned her LPN from St. Mary’s School of Nursing in Rochester, Minnesota…
January 21, 2026Janice Carol Schei, age 86, of Luverne, Minnesota, died on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, at the Luverne Hospice Cottage. Visitation was from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 18, at Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne. Funeral service was at 10:30 a.m. Monday, Jan. 19, at Grace Lutheran Church. Interment followed at Maplewood Cemetery in Luverne. Arrangements were under the care of Hartquist Funeral Home -…
January 21, 2026Wanda Mae Kafka, age 85, of Luverne, died Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, at the Avera-McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She was born April 18, 1940, in Mound Township, rural Rock County, to Hans and Etta (Bruining) Lafrenz. She attended country school District 11 in Mound Township and later graduated from Luverne High School. Wanda married LaVern Kafka on April 5, 1959, at the Bethany…
By Lori SorensonJanuary 14, 2026One way to measure a community’s growth over time is to track the number of building permits issued for construction. The city of Luverne issued fewer building permits in 2025 than in the prior year, but the permitted projects still represented a respectable list. Luverne building official Chad McClure compiled a building report for 2025 that shows he issued 160 permits for projects, with…
January 14, 2026Henry Dale Zwaan, age 84, of Luverne, was called home by the Lord on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. He was born on Sept. 13, 1941, by Doon, Iowa, and was the son of Nick and Bertha Zwaan. Henry grew up on a farm east of Doon, where he spent his life nurturing the land, embodying the spirit of hard work and dedication that is the hallmark of a true farmer. Henry married the love of his life, Carol Ann…- By Rev. Dr. Steven Voris, First Presbyterian Church, LuverneJanuary 14, 2026In their 2023 book, The Great Dechurching, Jim Davis and Michael Graham point out that 40 million adults used to go to church in the United States but no longer do. They list a plethora of reasons people used for quitting church, including bad experiences with church leadership, mingling of faith and politics, loss of faith, simply not looking for a new church after a move, intolerance of…
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