After last week’s wintery blast, it is safe to say David and I are not prepared for winter.Last winter, our first experienced in southwest Minnesota, was cold but manageable. I didn’t have to upgrade my winter coat, and once we discovered the furnace motor was broken, we stayed relatively warm inside our house.This year we thought we were prepared ahead of time. We installed plastic on several windows, hung some heavy duty, (although awfully ugly) curtains and bought a space heater — all in an effort to keep the house nice and toasty at a reasonable cost.However, after surviving last week, I have learned that no amount of preparation can prepare you for the bitter cold and bite of a blizzard. What exactly do people do up here when the temperatures fall below zero before winter even officially arrives.The giant mounds of snow building up around our house had to be shoveled. We watched optimistically as tractors and snow blowers were used on other driveways in the neighborhood. It was our hope that they would take pity on us and clear our driveway as well.No luck.When we moved into the house, we found a metal shovel in the garage. Since last year brought very little snow, we never had a reason to upgrade the shovel or buy a second one. Therefore, we took turns shoveling throughout the week.We were short on gloves. In fact, at the start of the week we didn’t have any real "snow" gloves.The snow on Monday was manageable. It easily lifted off the driveway in a timely manner and didn’t hinder our lives too much.By Wednesday as I sat at my desk in Luverne watching the snow fall in a horizontal direction, I knew it was going to be a long road home.Anyone coming into the office who knew me asked, "When are you going home? … The roads are getting pretty bad out there, that snow is blowing."Finally, around 4 p.m., my husband called to tell me to stay in Luverne. He had just finished a scary commute from Sioux Falls and thought it would be best to stay where I was. Of course, I didn’t like that idea. I enjoy sleeping in my own bed, putting on clean clothes in the morning and having a toothbrush that is my own. Therefore, I left the office and began my journey back to Hills.First, I stopped to get gas. While I stood freezing by the pump, I contemplated which roads I should take home.It was my logic that the interstate would offer less ice and snow, giving me better visibility. The only problem with the interstate was that if something did happen and I was forced to walk for help, I wouldn’t be near farmhouses. If I were to take Highway 75 south, I would be assured to always be within a few miles of a safe haven.Why worry about these things? Because I do not own a cell phone. We buried our cell phones last year after our contract expired and we hadn’t discovered a real need for having them.My final stop in Luverne was at Pizza Hut. I hadn’t eaten all day and figured if I went in the ditch, I could use the pizza to stay warm and to have some nourishment.As I traveled down the interstate, I didn’t have any problems. All of the other cars on the road were staying a nice distance behind me and the right lane had been cleared of all snow and ice.When I took the exit at Beaver Creek, I knew that the remaining six miles were going to be tricky.The highway was packed with snow on top of ice from earlier in the day. The winter storm winds were killing my visibility and had covered any plow work that might have been done earlier in the day.I kept my speed low, put both hands on the wheel and pointed the car south.For four miles, I did beautifully. Then I saw yellow flashing lights up ahead of me. I panicked, not knowing where the lights were positioned on the road. It took only one tap of my breaks and I knew that my fate was about to change.As my car spun the other direction and headed for the ditch on the east side of the road, I began to regret wearing a skirt to work.Fortunately, the lights were those of Erwin’s tow truck. Within minutes, he told me to remain in the car and he would pull me out after he finished another stranded driver.I peered through openings in the white sheet of winter that surrounded my car to see a bus being led by a police car, a UPS truck plowing through the snow and several trucks zooming through the area.Following Erwin’s rescue and another 2.4 miles of intense driving, I returned home to my worried husband. David and I decided that we would get ready for winter over the weekend.We gathered extra winter gear for our cars, started researching cell phones and bought a new shovel.Now … if only we can figure out how to get those men in the tractors to stop at our house, I think we will make it.Story ideas or comments can be emailed to Lexi Moore at lexim@star-herald.com or called in at 962-3561.

10 years ago (1995)"The planners of a proposed $25 million ethanol plant in Luverne kicked off a two week schedule of informational meetings with the first one in Hills Monday morning." 25 years ago (1980)"The Pipestone Arrows put the H-BC girls in deep trouble after the first period of play this week, but the Pate girls fought right back to give the guests all the ball game they wanted.The game will go into the record books as a 57-52 victory for Pipestone over H-BC, but that doesn’t begin to tell the story of a close-fought battle the Pate girls put up before falling to the Arrows."50 years ago (1955)"Hills voters chose to elect a new mayor at the Village Election Tuesday, when Marinus Schouwenburg outpolled incumbent mayor, George Schlueter, 84 to 81. A total of 170 voters showed at the polls about 100 short of a full turnout.In the three-way race for councilman, held by C.B. Sjolseth, Grant Hellie received 82 votes, C.B. Sjolseth 60, and Frank Ver Hey 23." 75 years ago (1930)"We hope that none of the Hills ladies will take offense at this, as it’s too good to keep out of the limelight. Recently, a wealthy bachelor died in Luverne, and just before passing away said: ‘I have left my entire estate to the girls that refused to marry me, as I feel I am indebted to them for the happy life I have led.’ "100 years ago (1905)"Our dray man, Henry Nelson, had a phone placed in his residence last week and is now on talking terms with his fellow business men. The local telephone is constantly growing in number of patrons. With a few more farmer lines added, the business will almost warrant a constant operator both day and night at the local exchange."

Loretta Mae (Kruger) Vanden Bussche, 84, Jasper, died Thursday, Dec. 1, 2005, at Tuff Memorial Nursing Home in Hills.Services were Monday, Dec. 5, at First Baptist Church in Luverne. The Rev. Greg Standafer officiated. Burial was in Luverne Memorial Gardens, rural Luverne. Loretta Mae Kruger was born to John and Jennie (DeBoer) Kruger in Sibley, Iowa. She was raised near Ashton, Iowa, until moving to Edgerton in 1924. Two years later she and her family moved to a farm west of Hardwick in Rose Dell Township. She attended country school through the eighth grade. Following her schooling she worked at Connell’s in Luverne. She then attended Northwestern College in Roseville. In 1943 she became employed at the Morrell Company in Sioux Falls, S.D., working in the sheep department. She married Walter Vanden Bussche on June 27, 1945, at First Baptist Church in Luverne. The couple lived on a farm near Jasper. In 1957 the couple moved to a farm one mile south of their residence and in 1961 they moved to the family farm 10 miles southeast of Jasper where they lived until their retirement in 2003. She moved to Tuff Memorial Nursing Home in Hills in August 2005.Mrs. Vanden Bussche was a member of First Baptist Church in Luverne. She belonged to a snowmobile club and Bible Study. She enjoyed working outside with her husband, playing guitar and gardening. Survivors include her husband, Walter Vanden Bussche; five children, Cynthia (Bill) Reu, Luverne, Veryl (Dwayne) Knigge, Monticello, Earl (Tricia) Vanden Bussche, Jerald (Cheryl) Vanden Bussche, and Lloyd (Naomi) Vanden Bussche, all of Beaver Creek; 16 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; one brother, Gerald Kruger, Sioux Center, Iowa; one sister, Frances Caudle, Healdsburg, Calif.; and other family and friends.Mrs. Vanden Bussche was preceded in death by her parents, one daughter, Loann Peters, two brothers, Alvin and Harvey Kruger, and one sister, Mavis Zetterlund. Hartquist Funeral Home, Engebretson Chapel, Luverne, was in charge of arrangements.

Kathryn Elizabeth McCune, 87, Bell, Calif., formerly of Hills, died Thursday, Nov. 10, 2005, in California. Services were Wednesday, Nov. 16, at Rainbow Chapel in California. The Rev. Sheldon Hess officiated. Burial was in Rose Hills Memorial Park. Kathryn Hoyme was born to Emil and Ella Hoyme on Jan. 31, 1918, on the family farm in Hills. She graduated from Hills High School in May 1936 and the Sioux Valley School of Nursing in Sioux Falls, S.D., on March 18, 1940. She moved to Fresno, Calif., in September 1940 where she worked at a community hospital until she enlisted in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps on June 2, 1941. She served with the 34th General Hospital stationed in the United States and spent 14 months in England during the war where they received patients directly from the front lines in Europe. She returned to Minnesota on V-E Day in May 1945 and was relieved from Active Duty as a 1st Lt. on Jan. 5, 1946. She worked at VA hospitals in Portland, Ore., Sioux Falls and Wichita, Kan. In 1960 she moved to Bell where she worked as an industrial nurse for Alcoa Aluminum until her retirement in 1982. She married Jack McCune on May 2, 1964. They enjoyed traveling and spent time in Europe, Hawaii, Panama Canal, Scandinavia and many locations in the U.S.Mrs. McCune loved flowers and plants. She was involved in many activities at her church and enjoyed playing bridge. Survivors include three brothers, Curtis (Lucille) Hoyme, Pasadena, Calif., Paul Hoyme, Bothell, Wash., and Howard Hoyme, Hills; one sister, MacLynn Larsen, La Crescenta, Calif.; six nephews, Ronald Hoyme, Bruce Hoyme, Neal Hoyme, Eric Hoyme, David Larsen and Thomas Larsen; four nieces, Joyce Packer, Susan Schussler, Holly Willmer and Sandra Wollum; and their respective families. Mrs. McCune was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Jack McCune, and one brother, Neal Hoyme.

Myra Kueter, 66, Hills, died Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2005, at Avera McKennan Hospice Unit in Sioux Falls, S.D.Services were Saturday, Dec. 3, at The Church of St. Mary’s in Larchwood, Iowa. The Rev. Jeff Schleisman officiated. Burial was in Larchwood Cemetery, Larchwood.Myra Schlotfeldt was born to Albert and Martha (Horn) Schlotfeldt on July 11, 1939, at Hills. She grew up on the family farm. She graduated from Hills High School in 1958 and later from Nettleton College in Sioux Falls. She worked at Brown & Saenger in Sioux Falls. She married Charles Keuter on Feb. 13, 1965, at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Sioux Falls. They lived in Sioux Falls until 1971 and then moved to the family farm west of Hills. She helped her family with daycare several years. She was diagnosed with cancer in September and had surgery in October.She was admitted to Avera McKennan Hospital on Sunday, Nov. 27.Mrs. Kueter was a member of The Church of St. Mary in Larchwood. She enjoyed going out for supper on Friday nights in Larchwood. She was an avid Minnesota Vikings and Twins fan. Survivors include her husband, Charles Keuter, Hills; five children, Joyce (Brian) Meffert, Jeanette (Daryl) Spaans, all of Larchwood, Jennifer (Matt) Stephens, Filer, Idaho, Jim (Kari) Kueter, Hills, and Joe Kueter, Sioux Falls; 11 grandchildren, Cheyenne, Zane, Carson, Joshua, Kyle, Casey, Braedyn, Kullyn, Kira, Tristan and Ian; and one honorary grandson, Chris.Mrs. Kueter was preceded in death by her parents, one brother, Robert, and an infant sister, Joyce.Roste Funeral Home, Hills, was in charge of arrangements.

Friday, Nov. 18, found Mary Carter of Hills traveling to Lititz, Pa., to visit her daughter and son-in-law, Jean and Dennis Smith. Mary met up with Dennis’ mother in Lincoln, Neb., and the two traveled on to Lititz together. For Thanksgiving Day they all traveled to Pittsburgh, Pa., and spent the holiday with Mary’s granddaughter and family, the Sandy and David Fergenson family. Mary was also able to meet her great-grandson, Sammy, for the first time since his birth. While in Pittsburgh at Sandy and Dennis’ home, Mary had the chance to attend church and she said she had never seen such a big church and that thousands of people attended the service at the same time. Mary had a great time with all of her family and was surprised to return home to all the snow and cold. Congratulations, Mary, on meeting your great-grandson! It sounds like a very good time was had by all. Mary returned home to Hills on Thursday, Dec. 1.Twila and Bob Kirsch of Hills shared their Thanksgiving holiday with family of Heron Lake, daughter, Deb, Luke, Dylan and Alison Mathias. Also at the get-together was daughter, Cindy and Ted Pohlman and family, Jessica, Riley, Breann, and great-grandson Brenan, all of Lakefield. Todd Runge, fiancé of Breann’s, was also present as was Brian Kirsch of Valley Springs, S.D. They had a very enjoyable holiday together. Friday, Dec. 3, Marvin and June Albers of Hills met long-time friends Loy and Sharon Schildhauer of Sioux Falls for breakfast and conversation. Marv and Loy worked at John Morrell’s together for many years. They enjoyed good company, good friends, good conversation and good food.Lois and Ray Nelson spent Sunday afternoon, Dec. 4, enjoying the "Festival of Men’s Voices" at Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls. This was the seventh annual festival and it hosted six different men’s choirs. The benefit was for the Banquet Building Fund and freewill donations were accepted. The freewill benefit took in more than $9,000 on Sunday. Lois stated it was very entertaining and the turnout for the benefit was huge.Saturday, Dec. 3, found Twila and Bob Kirsch attending the wedding of their granddaughter Breann Pohlman and Todd Runge in Heron Lake. Others attending the wedding were Jane and Barry Kirsch, Riverside, Iowa, and Barb and Ron Koch, Bismarck, N.D. They all had a great time, and congratulations to Breann and Todd.

By Sara QuamThe city of Luverne will continue to be a part of the Lewis and Clark Water System after a vote Tuesday, Nov. 22. Luverne City Council members never really questioned that they’d continue to support the project, but a new agreement took time to review.Red Arndt is the Lewis and Clark representative for Luverne and worked on the new agreement. He told the Luverne City Council, "There’s still a need for the water and it’s still a part of our infrastructure that’s important."He said the project is still 80 percent federally funded, even though Lewis and Clark got less funding than hoped.Arndt said the project requested $35 million, expected to get $20 million, but got $17.5 million from the federal government.Arndt said the federal government hasn’t pulled out on a water project once it started construction."It’s still a moving project," Arndt said. "For 2007 we might ask for as much as $50 million."New agreementThe new agreement is a lot longer and more detailed than the 1993 agreement.Rock County Commissioners already approved the agreement for Rock County Rural Water to remain a part of the project — which will bring treated Missouri River water to Minnesota, South Dakota and Iowa.Three original members of the system have opted not to sign the agreement, leaving 20 members.Some points in the agreement include:
The cost for each member is clearly defined. It will cost $1.15 per thousand gallons for Lewis and Clark water. Luverne is still slated to receive 750,000 gallons a day when it starts receiving water in about 12 years. Cost to the city in today’s dollars is $1.5 million.
The members that left the project left 1.9 million gallons of water, but that is accounted for by other members now.
Sioux Falls pays for its own water, which was increased by 17 million gallons.
There’s potential to expand the system but all 20 members have to approve it. The executive board has little power.
If the project should fold altogether, members will get their money back over time.
If members want to pre-pay their portion of the cost, they may do that to avoid inflation.
Lewis and Clark has to maintain a reserve of $40 million for maintenance and repair expenses.

By Lori EhdeA Hurricane Katrina evacuee and her children arrived in Luverne Wednesday as adopted members of the community.Working through the Rock County Ministerial Association, a small group of local residents applied through the Foundation For Hope to provide temporary housing for a hurricane-displaced family.Kimberly Jones and her three children, Darion, Jordan and India, applied for help through Foundation, which partners with the Red Cross and others to connect evacuees with temporary housing.The Foundation matched them with Luverne’s offer, and members of the local Katrina Relief Group have been busy getting ready."This family belongs to all of us," Rev. Judi Wiley wrote in an e-mail to the group and community members. "Luverne opens its heart and doors very easily and you can be a special part of the welcome for the Jones family. … They are very excited to come here and we will be blessed by the ministry we do for them."The Joneses are staying in a home on Jackson Street owned by First Baptist Church, which has agreed to waive rent for 90 days."Cheryl Thacker has been working endless hours to get the house ready so Kimberly will feel welcome," Wiley continued in the e-mail.Thacker agreed it’s been a busy couple of weeks, but she said many people have donated time, household items and more to the project."It’s kind of like our own fun little game of ‘Extreme Home Makeover,'" Thacker said. "The Christmas tree is up, the lights are on, and the boxes of ornaments are nearby ready for them to hang."The tree and most everything else in the house was donated and moved in by volunteers. Even getting the family here was a group effort. For example, Jim and Frances Veldkamp donated a van to be used for the trip, and Harold and Nancy Ver Steeg drove south to pick up the Jones family.Some donated living essentials were on hand several weeks ago when a different family was poised to come to Luverne through the Foundation, but other last-minute plans developed for those individuals.Meanwhile, the Katrina Relief Group held on to items donated by the community in hopes of still adopting another family.Less than two weeks later, the Foundation matched the Jones family with Luverne’s offer.While the Jackson Street house has been generously furnished, the following items are still needed:oCake pan and cookie sheet and a small mixer oKitchen rugs, preferably in country blue. oSilk or live plants oGroceries for the pantry,oPaper supplies such as Kleenex, toilet paper and paper towels,oCleaning supplies like dishwasher detergent and dish soap. oWinter clothes for Kimberly and the children. Darion wears size 10-12 boys, Jordan 7-8 boys and India size 6x girls. oToys, children's books and movies are needed. (favorites are Star Wars for the boys and Barney, Dora the Explorer and The Wiggles for India)."We also desperately need a vehicle for Kimberley's use," Thacker said. "It doesn’t need to be fancy, just reliable."To donate, call Wiley (227-9258) or Thacker (283-3674).Thacker said above all, cash gifts are urgently needed. "I sometimes panic when I think about three months of utilities that will need to be paid," Thacker said. "But so far everything else has come together, and I believe that will, too."An account has been opened at First Farmers and Merchants Bank, and people can donate to the "Psalm 121 Project." Psalm 121 reads, "Whatever you do for the least of the brothers, so you do it to me."Luverne Katrina Relief Committee members Wiley and LaDonna Van Aartsen are authorized account managers for the donations.The Foundation For Hope has also matched Edgerton with an adopted hurricane-displaced family.The adoptions through the Foundation are intended to be temporary — about three to six months, until the families are able to function on their own in their new towns or return South to rebuild.

By Lexi MooreA Thanksgiving Day fire in Hills destroyed the home of George Reining.A cell phone user reported the fire to the Rock Country Sheriff’s Department at 2:59 p.m. on Thursday. Firefighters from Hills, Beaver Creek, Lester, Iowa, and Luverne responded to the call and battled the blaze until 5:30 p.m.Reining left in the morning to spend the holiday with relatives, so he wasn’t home when the fire started.He lives alone in the house with his pet dog, which was reportedly lost in the blaze.Members of the Hills Fire Department returned to the scene around 7 p.m. following a 6:46 call to the Sheriff’s Department reporting smoke coming from the home.Hills Fire Chief Jeff Bass said the smoke was the result of a small flare up.Bass reports that the fire was caused by an electrical problem in the wall and spread quickly throughout the house.Reining had been remodeling the home during the past two years. Debris and materials in the house from remodeling projects aided in the spread of the fire and caused the smoke to be extremely toxic.The building lost its roof and second floor supports during the fire and is uninhabitable.Opportunities to helpThe Hills Fireman’s Auxiliary and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans are planning fund-raisers and donation drives to help Reining deal with the tragedyThe fire destroyed all of his possessions, furniture, tools and clothing. Family members searched through the remains of the home over the weekend and recovered some family photos, but little else.The Hills Fireman’s Auxiliary has organized a donation drive for Reining. Members of the Auxiliary will be collecting items and cash donations at the Fire Hall in Hills on Dec. 12.His niece said, "He needs everything. You’d be surprised how much a person uses everyday."Lisa Durst of the Fireman’s Auxiliary is encouraging residents in the area to donate items during their donation drive."This is the time when we, as a community, need to come together," Durst said."He needs a bed, robe, shoes — it’s winter and he lost his coat and boots."Personal items and seasonal clothing are at the top of the list of needed items. Reining’s relatives provided the following list of sizes.
Pants size 31"x33"
Shirts medium to large
Dress shirts size 14"
Shoes 10.5-11In addition, the Auxiliary plans to donate money raised at their holiday bake sale during the Hills Community Club Customer Appreciation Night.A benefit pancake and sausage supper at the Hills American Legion on Dec. 8 is being planned with support from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.