Four seniors will form the nucleus of the 2003 Hills-Beaver Creek girls’ volleyball team. They are (from left) Amanda Olson, Erin Boeve and Melissa Sandstede. Alissa Hoyme is not pictured.By John RittenhouseWith an experienced group of girls and one of the area’s most dominating players heading the list, all the pieces appear to be in place for Hills-Beaver Creek to have an outstanding 2003 volleyball season.During his pre-season interview, H-BC second-year coach Curt Doorneweerd revealed a 10-player roster (four seniors and six juniors) that he will use to start the season.The roster is loaded with experience as eight of the players lettered for the Patriots last season, and it includes the name of one of Southwest Minnesota’s best hitters in Erin Boeve.Having a combination of battle-tested athletes and an established go-to player has given Doorneweerd a fresh sense of optimism and no reason to believe the 2003 Patriots will not improve on their 10-12-3 record in 2002."We have a lot of girls who received a lot of court time last year," he said. "Experience, by far and away, is one of our biggest strengths. We also have a proven player in Erin Boeve, who is a very good leader. All of the girls get along with each other well, which is another plus. And they all want to play volleyball. I think we can have a very good year."The Patriots didn’t have a bad campaign in 2002.They struggled in Red Rock Conference play, going 4-7 and finishing eighth in the league, but H-BC won enough games to earn the third seed for the South Section 3A Tournament.Then, in a big upset, No. 6 Edgerton stunned the Patriots by knocking them out of the tournament with a 3-2 setback in the quarterfinals.The loss to Edgerton left Doorneweerd with a bad taste in his mouth, and he took it upon himself to become a better coach."I couldn’t wait for practice to start this year so I could forget about last year," the coach said. "We (Doorneweerd and his assistant coach, Greg Leenderts) learned a lot last season, and one of the things was we didn’t know as much about volleyball as we thought we did. Since then we’ve traveled to watch different teams play and attended coaching clinics to learn more about what’s going on."One of the coaching staff’s first duties in 2003 is to find replacements for five seniors who played key roles for the 2002 squad.Sarah Rozeboom will be the toughest player to replace. An all-around performer, Rozeboom’s play grabbed the attention of the coaches who nominated her to receive honorable mention on the All-RRC roster.Jody Rentschler, Melissa Fagerness, Angie Sjaarda and Angie Bush are the other senior members of the 2002 team. Doorneweerd said they all started matches for H-BC during the season.Although last year’s seniors logged a lot of court time, Doorneweerd found some opportunities to play his underclassmen in matches. By doing so, the coach gave himself the opportunity to lead an experienced team into battle in 2003.Boeve, one of the team’s four seniors, will be one of the area’s most experienced players this fall. The 6-0 hitter has played varsity volleyball since she was in the eighth grade. Boeve, who will play college volleyball at Iowa State University, made the All-RRC team as a junior.Boeve is the lone full-time starter returning to the fold, but two other current players drew starting assignments for H-BC during the course of last season.Senior Melinda Sandstede and junior Brittney Roozenboom shared setting duties for H-BC as the 2002 season progressed. Both 5-6 girls are competing for the starting setter position this fall. The one who doesn’t win the setting job will be asked to play as a hitter.Seniors Amanda Olson and Alissa Hoyme are projected hitters returning to the team with varsity letters from last season.The 5-9 Olson received a lot of playing time last fall, and is expected to play an expanded role for the team in 2003. The 5-8 Hoyme will get the chance to help the Patriots at the net this year as well.Juniors Kelly Mulder, Cassi Tilstra and Melinda Feucht round out the returning letter winners from 2002.The 6-0 Mulder and 5-8 Tilstra played as hitters in a lot of matches as sophomores for H-BC.Feucht, a 5-7 hitter, is expected to emerge as a key player for the Patriots in 2003.Rounding out the pre-season roster are juniors Diedre Vanden Bussche and Ashley Bosch.Vanden Bussche is a 5-4 hitter. Bosch is a 5-5 hitter.Doorneweerd will fill out his varsity roster with some underclassmen as the season progresses, but naming those players is not at the top of his priority list right now.At this point in time, the coach is more concerned with turning his juniors and seniors into a successful team."I think we definitely have the potential to improve on last year’s record," he said. "It all depends on how hard the girls work in practice and how they perform on the court."Doorneweerd lists defending champion Westbrook-Walnut Grove, Fulda and Southwest Christian as the teams to beat in the RRC. The coach said Southwest Star Concept could be a sleeper team to keep an eye on.If things progress as planned, the Patriots could find themselves in the hunt for a RRC title, too."We have the potential to finish in the top four teams in the conference," Doorneweerd said. "That’s my personal goal to reach as a coach. I think we can do that well or exceed that this year."

Seven runners who ran in last year’s Section 3A meet return to the Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth-Edgerton cross country program this fall. They are (from left) Derek Haak, Mya Mann, Kale Wiertzema, Lee Jackson and Tyler Bush. Not pictured are Amanda Tilstra and Todd Alberty.By John RittenhouseAfter experiencing a historic 2002 campaign, the Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth-Edgerton boys’ cross country team is looking to produce an encore performance this fall.With many of the athletes returning to a program that won its first Section 3A championship and competed in its first state meet, the Patriots will open the 2003 season as one of Southwest Minnesota’s top contenders for more postseason glory.Tom Goehle, H-BC-E-E’s head coach, realizes the Patriot boys will be a team other area squads will be trying to knock off this fall. He knows his boys will be a targeted team at every meet they compete in, but the Patriot coach is more concerned with how his athletes accept the challenge rather than worrying about the competition."We definitely have the potential to have a good year, but it will take a lot of hard work, and we’ll have to stay injury free to get back to where we were last year," he said. "The big thing is these guys have tasted success, and they are not afraid to work hard for it."Hard work paid off for the Patriots in 2002, when they won their second consecutive Red Rock Conference championship before nipping Canby-Minneota-Lincoln HI 63-64 to secure the section team title. H-BC-E-E turned in a solid effort at state, placing sixth in a 16-team Class A field to cap a spectacular year.Goehle will have to tap the talent from a 20-athlete roster (two seniors, five juniors, three sophomores, one freshman, one eighth-grader and eight seventh-graders) to bring the program more success in 2003. The roster features seven returning letter winners and five boys who ran in the post-season meets, but the list is missing the names of two runners who made impacts at the varsity level last fall.Zach Hadler, the 2002 team’s lone senior, will leave big shoes to fill. He was the team’s No. 2 runner last year, making the All-RRC team by placing second at the meet. Hadler placed eighth in the section field before placing 60th at state.The Patriots also face the possibility of replacing Greg Van Batavia, who made the All-RRC team (eighth), placed 16th at the section meet and 92nd at state. A junior, Van Batavia is concentrating on football this fall. Only a change of heart on his part would get him back into the cross country program.H-BC-E-E does have its No. 1 runner from 2002 back in the ranks.Junior Tyler Bush, who won the RRC individual title, placed third at the section meet and made the All-State Team with a 15th-place performance in Northfield, will be the leader of the team.Bush will be pushed by seniors Todd Alberty and Lee Jackson and juniors Kale Wiertzema and Derek Haak, the other returning members of last year’s state-qualifying team.Wiertzema and Alberty made the All-RRC team last season, placing fifth and sixth individually at the league meet. Wiertzema placed 17th in the section field and 76th at state. Alberty finished 26th in the section field and 87th at state.Jackson made a contribution to last year’s section title by being the fifth Patriot to finish the race by placing 22nd overall. Jackson placed 108th at state. Haak placed 38th and 150th at the section and state attractions individually.The way things stand right now, five boys are battling for two open positions on the varsity squad.Juniors Jared Drenth and Michael Bos lettered for H-BC-E-E in 2002. They will be challenged by freshmen Kerry Fink, John Sandbulte and Devin DeBoer, three more veterans of the program.Freshman Adam Finke and eighth-grader Grant Hoogendoorn could develop into varsity contenders before the season is complete.Seventh-graders Dustin Verhey, Tyler Larson, Cody Penning, Terrence Reid, Brady Leuthold, B.J. Kruse, Tom Nolte and Derek Denth round out the roster."Our goals are to win the conference, and the kids want to get back to state," Goehle said. "That’s easier said than done. It probably will be harder to get back to state than it was getting there last season. If we do get back, we would like to place higher as a team than we did last year. You always want to do a little better than you did the year before."The H-BC-E-E girls should be an improved team in 2003.After going through a stretch of years being unable to field a complete team, Goehle feels the girls will have a chance to field a varsity squad at the end of this season."We will definitely field a varsity team this season," he said. "Early on, we’ll have the girls compete as junior high and junior varsity teams. As the year progresses, we’ll have kids running as junior varsity and varsity teams."The Patriots will enter the season with an eight-athlete roster consisting of one junior, three freshmen, three eighth-graders and one seventh-grader. Two of the girls lettered for H-BC-E-E last season, and another has lettered for the Patriots in the past.H-BC-E-E lost two athletes (senior exchange student Corinna Braun and Edgerton athlete Erika Fransen, who elected not to compete this year) that ran in the section meet last fall.The Patriots return two runners with section experience from 2002, and six girls who are loaded with potential that could make a big impact on the program this fall.Junior Cassi Tilstra and freshmen Amanda Tilstra and Mya Mann will be key figures in the fold.Amanda Tilstra and Mann finished 58th and 65th respectively during last year’s section meet. Cassi Tilstra, who also plays volleyball, has lettered for Goehle in the past. Scheduling conflicts forced Cassi to miss some big meets last season."In Cassi Tilstra, Amanda Tilstra and Mya Mann, we have a great nucleus," Goehle said. "They are three of the better 800- and 1,600-meter runners I’ve had since I’ve been coaching. With a little training, they will be great cross country runners. They should be some of the toughest runners in the area this year."Four first-year program members with past track and field experience round out the 2003 roster.Freshman Amanda Connors, eighth-graders Jocelyn Bucher, Ashley Bucher and Jill Weitgenant and seventh-grader Rayna Sandoval will be key members of the girls program now and in the future."The younger girls have a lot of potential and they are hardworkers. Mix them in with the three older girls, and we should be in good shape. I would like to see our girls win the RRC title. I think that is a legitimate goal this year," Goehle said.

Opal Swanson accompanied her son, Steve, of Woodbury to Iowa City, Iowa, Friday to attend the rehearsal dinner of Opal’s grandson, Peter Herr and his bride-to-be, Betsy Decker, and their wedding on Saturday afternoon. Others attending were David and Nancy Sandager and Chris; Jenny and Chad Nelson and children; Stuart and Marj Swanson, Greer, S.C.; the Lance Swansons, Sioux City; and Pat Swanson, Woodbury. Erma Schubbe returned home last week after spending a week with her children, the Paul Randall family, Stillwater, and the Tom Schubbe family, Afton. Luella Schlueter attended funeral services Monday afternoon for her cousin, Alvin Heetland, 85, at Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls, S.D.Steve and Marilyn VanWyhe, Steen, and Vi VanWyhe traveled to Denver, Colo., to spend some time with Vi’s sister, Benola Pettingill, and daughter, Bonnie Slothower, while also touring Rocky Mountain State Park and Estes Park. Paul and Bertha Thompson attended the 60th wedding anniversary open house for Bud and Dorothy Larson in Sioux Falls on Sunday. Callie, Curtis and Billy Horsman have been spending the past couple of weeks with their grandmother, Theresa Brandon, at Owatonna. They expect to return on Saturday.Monday evening Betty Elbers attended the Volunteer Hospice picnic in Luverne. Bob and Twila Kirsch attended the 7th year birthday party for Riley Lentz Sunday in Windom. Sheldon and Ellie Sandager and their sons and families attended the wedding over the weekend of a friend, Bob Waterbury, in Herrick, S.D.Wednesday evening, Betty Elbers went to Sioux Center, Iowa, to have dinner with the Vander Haar cousins. Wilmer was at Knoxville, Iowa, to attend the National Races on Thursday. Bob and Twila Kirsch attended the 60th wedding anniversary for Bud and Dorothy Larson in Sioux Falls.Last Tuesday, Eva Cragoe, Beaver Creek, who is 91 years old, entertained at dinner for the following: Jane Schubert, Clare and Isaac; Jim Sandager, West Des Moines, Iowa; and Vic and Fran Sandager. Jane and children left Thursday for their home in Tanzania after spending several weeks here. Tuesday of last week, Mitchell Elbers and Sam Belden, Valley Springs, S.D., spent the night in the Wilmer and Betty Elbers home. Reinard and Gisile Irps of Germany spent Saturday and Sunday in the Vic and Fran Sandager home and then visited with other Sandager family members. Betty Elbers went to Edgerton Saturday to visit her mother, Jessie Boeve, at Edgebrook Care Center. Dick and Audrey Heidensen spent from Monday until Friday at their son, Steve and Bev’s resort at Battle Lake. They also went to Alexandria to see Dick’s aunt who is 91 years old and got to take their granddaughter, Jenne, out to lunch. Two natives from Mongolia visited the farm of Glen and Ann Boeve on Saturday. They wanted to see how the farmers in our country carried on their farm work. We’ll have more on that next week.

Our weather continues to be hot and dry. The lawns have turned brown or are in the process. The field crops are beginning to show signs of stress. All of this adds to our daily chores. Instead of basking in the sun we are watering our plants and special things that we want to survive the summer heat. Even though we think of August as a time of rest and relaxation, a glance back in year’s past there have been many noteworthy things that have been accomplished during this "lazy" month. For example, it was in August 1492 that Columbus set sail on his voyage of discovery which brought him to our shores. It was Aug. 1, 1873, that the first cable streetcar was put into service on Clay Street in San Francisco, Calif. It was in August 1903 that the first coast-to-coast automobile trip, which began in San Francisco in May, ended in New York City. It was in August 1945 World War II ended in the Pacific. This can be a real challenge for us, especially when the thermometer reaches a little over 100 degrees as it did on Saturday. What worthwhile thing will we accomplish this August?The news is very scarce this week as I left for St. Cloud on Sunday for a three-day meeting.I have one correction from last week’s column, however. It was Laurie Van Der Weerd who graduated from the Mayo School of Health and Sciences with a degree in radiology technologist on Aug. 8 instead of her brother, Lance. Sorry about that!I have a personal help wanted request I need help with. About 12 of my white and buff colored pet cats either got lost, strayed or were stolen on Friday evening, Aug. 15. They have never left my yard before and I miss them very much. I would appreciate it if anyone has seen them, dead or alive, please return them to me.I will catch up with the Steen news next week, I hope!Every once in awhile when I am looking through things, something catches my eye. This title that caught my eye was, "What I would do if I were 21 again!" Of course I couldn’t resist reading it. After doing so, I thought that my list would have been quite different. However, I will share this with you and you can do as I did, make your own list. Who knows, perhaps you have already accomplished everything you had intended to do. This was written by Ruth Smeltzer. oI would speak so directly that there would be no danger of my being misunderstood. oI would be extremely careful not to appear to notice physical defects in others. oI would not be a borrower of small things. One can easily forget to return them. oI would remember my creator in the days of my youth. That would bring present pleasure and eternal happiness.oI would cultivate the ability to tell the exact truth.oI would be careful about making promises, but when I did, I would keep them to the letter. oI would use one hour a day for concentrated reading or study, even though it might not all be done at the same time. oIn taking directions from my employer I would be sure of understanding them. I would ask to be allowed to repeat them orally if they were incorrect, so there would be no chance of a mistake. oI would not grieve over lost opportunities but would try to create new ones. I would do more than I was paid for. If I had intentionally or unintentionally offended anyone I would ask for forgiveness, however hard it might be. oI would take success humbly and failure bravely. All of us have had our ups and downs in our lives and no matter how much we might like to go back and remedy them we cannot do it. I did find a few words of advice that might help all of us through whatever problems we face in the future. It is called "The Five Point Plan." Great leaders in every era of man’s history meticulously disciplined themselves in fundamentals like this proven five point plan: 1) Do one thing at a time; 2) know the problem; 3) Learn to listen; 4. learn to ask questions; and 5) learn to tell sense from nonsense

"How much is that doggie," villagers asked. The Tedd Larson family evaded the Village with beautiful little puppies. They were all about the same cream color and alike in size. Good, too, for they didn’t bark, just content to be in Hanna, Lucy, Trisha and Tedd’s arms with Lance watching over the puppies in the basket. The dogs are yellow Labs and up for sale. They’re going to make six families very happy.Our garden has produced well. Deb made beet pickles and salsa, Alice cucumber pickles, and sweet corn has been delicious. The corn is not a product of our garden but of Howard and Heidi VanWyhe. We froze six dozen ears plus we have had corn at most meals the last few weeks. We learned a good trick from Martha that some of us were not aware of. Use your angel food cake pan. Place the ear of corn on middle of the funnel and all corn will fall into the pan. A good idea for Heloise.Music of the concertina was played throughout our dinner hour. Cletus Gabliesch of New Ulm did the honor. We clapped and tapped our toes to the music. He told a few jokes that I fail to remember, ate his dinner, packed up and he was gone to the next nursing home in the area.Our dining room window provides us with a wonderful countryside view. At night we viewed Mars and always the moon rising. Sometimes, big and round and others, just a strip. This time we heard an airplane and all ran to the windows. We could almost see the crop dusting pilot as the plane swooped down right before our windows to take another sweep at the field. There was no wind and it was a beautiful sight to see the spray come from the jets of the low flying plane. One end of the field, then the other end, meeting in the middle. The whole process was a quick one and the field was done and the plane flew away north.Ruby has learned to drive Emil’s electric cart back and forth from Tuff Home to the Village for visits. Caregiver Deb has a birthday. Mary took 300 ears of corn to her sister near Omaha and she didn’t even stay to help her put it in the freezer. There have been visitors from near and far. Children to see Emil, the Richard Sundem’s of Sioux Falls, the Sandager daughter, Jane and family, were here and left for home. Joan Sequendo came and Sequendo dug the potatoes in our garden. The Lester Hymn Singers were here, 35 or so. We do enjoy their concerts. There’s therapy three days a week, bingo two afternoons a week. Caregiver Jennifer’s little brother and sister have done the calling. Lots to do.I’ll keep you posted.

This may not be the best time to scream at ice cream. After all, it’s summer and the living is easy. The Center for Science in the Public Interest, an independent, nonprofit group, evidently dedicated to taking all of the fun out of life, is taking on most of our sacred, cow product companies. Their targets include Ben & Jerry’s, Haagen-Dazs and Baskin-Robbins. According to Reuters, the group is particularly critical of Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey cones (supposedly 820 calories and 10 grams of saturated fat) and Haagen-Dazs’s sundae in a cup, Mint Chip Dazzler, which allegedly contains 1,270 calories and 38 grams of fat. The group fails to see the cultural and healthy aspects of ice cream, which most Americans recognize as a basic food group. My trusty 1965 edition of World Book notes, "Ice cream is one of the most popular and most nourishing foods in our diet." At that time, Americans were happily buying 700 million gallons of ice cream a year. Granted, times were simpler then. "Grams" was your mother’s mother and "saturated" was another way of saying, "very wet." First Lady Dolley Madison served ice cream to her guests in 1809, shortly before the British invasion of the Capital and the burning of the White House. Although no strong link between the introduction of ice cream and the invasion has been established, the ice cream undoubtedly made the events seem more bearable. We may not have the same type of royalty as England, Spain and other countries, but the ice cream study makes a mockery of every royalty member we have dedicated to ice cream and other dairy products. The study minimizes the important roles butter, ice cream, cottage cheese, and dairy princesses play in our lives. Without the presence of beautiful dairy product princesses in our community parades, the processions would be little more than a high school band, a couple of shiny tractors and candy thrown to curbside kids from tire trucks. Ice cream sodas are present in romantic scenes in big screen movies, such as "Our Town." Can we possibly imagine George Gibbs and Emily Webb discussing life in the same way over carrot sticks? Ice cream also plays an important role in "When Harry Met Sally," notably when the Meg Ryan character tells the waitress, "I’d like the pie heated, and I don’t want the ice cream on top, I want it on the side. And I’d like strawberry instead of vanilla if you have it. If not, then no ice cream, just whipped cream, but only if it’s real." What drama! What writing! This particular movie scene, centered around ice cream, serves to make our lives seem meaningful and worthwhile. We can only hope similar screen dialogues will impress archeologists of the distant future and they won’t judge us too harshly. As noted before, the health benefits of ice cream are truly encyclopedic. Cream, like any dairy product, is essential for strong bones and teeth. Eggs, and occasionally chopped nuts, provide protein. Fruits, included in certain flavors, and healthy sounding vegetable gum stabilizers are just what the doctor ordered. It’s time to stop bad-mouthing ice cream, and start mouthing it instead.

10 years ago (1993)"A group of concerned area citizens turned out Tuesday evening at the first of a series of city development meetings. The group, headed by the Hills City Council, has agreed to ask Luverne developer Tom Serie to present ideas for housing."25 years ago (1978)"Beginning with next week’s edition, The Crescent will have a new editor!Ann K. Brehm, co-owner of The Crescent and wife of Crescent publisher John H. Minette, will take over operation of the news department of Crescent Publishing Co. on Monday." 50 years ago (1953)"The second voting on the consolidation of districts 19, 34, 37, 39, 61 and 66, will be at the Legion building in Hills next Tuesday evening, Aug. 18. The issue failed to carry at an election in June, by a comparatively large majority." 75 years ago (1928)"More than 40 girls enrolled in the canning project in Boys and Girls Club are busy canning up fruits and vegetables for winter use.In the planning project each girl is required to can at least 50 jars of produce of the garden and orchard. Girls who have been in the project for more than one year also can meats, jellies, etc."100 years ago (1903)"District school officers should bear in mind that if a first-grade teacher is engaged for at least eight months a state aid of $150 can be secured. Let school officers everywhere awaken and bring about a better condition of things in the public schools of Rock County."

Hermina Pearl Tinklenberg, 88, Luverne, died Sunday, Aug. 17, 2003, at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls, S.D.Services were Thursday, Aug. 21, at American Reformed Church in Luverne. Burial was in Hillside Cemetery, Edgerton. Hermina Prinsen was born to Herman and Jennie (Salie) Prinsen on July 1, 1915, in Fenton Township, Murray County. At an early age, she moved with her family to rural Chandler where she attended country school through the eighth grade.She married Johannes C. Lolkus on Nov. 5, 1935. After two years of marriage, Mr. Lolkus became ill and passed away. She married John J. Tinklenberg on Jan. 13, 1939 and lived in Woodstock. They then moved to a farm home north of Chandler where they lived for a short time. From there, they moved to the farm of Winthrop Warren. Mrs. Tinklenberg candled eggs and worked at the Edgerton Bakery plus other numerous small jobs. In 1965, they moved to Bellflower, Calif., where she helped her husband with janitorial work for a church in Long Beach, Calif., for 14 years. In 1980, they moved back to Edgerton where they lived until moving to Luverne in 1990. Mr. Tinklenberg died July 31, 1997. She moved to Mary Jane Brown Good Samaritan Center in Luverne on Sept. 5, 2000. Mrs. Tinklenberg was a member of American Reformed Church in Luverne. She loved gardening. Survivors include two sons, Harris (Rose) Tinklenberg, Madelia, and Clarence (Sandra) Tinklenberg, Grandville, Mich.; two daughters, Anna Mae (Sidney) Berghorst, Steen, and Joyce Bristow, Luverne; a son-in-law, Gale Remme, Luverne; 12 grandchildren; 32 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild. Mrs. Tinklenberg was preceded in death by her parents, two husbands, Johannes and John, one daughter, Nellie Remme, a son-in-law, Fred Bristow; two grandchildren, Gregory Remme and Kevin Tinklenberg, three brothers, John, Tom and Ray Prinsen, and one sister, Connie Buysman. Colonial Funeral Chapel, Edgerton, was in charge of arrangements.

Evelyn Tilstra, 72, Luverne, died Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2003, in Luverne Community Hospital Hospice unit following a long illness. Services were Friday, Aug. 15, at Steen Reformed Church in Steen. The Rev. Dan Ramaker officiated. Burial was at Eastside Cemetery in Steen. Evelyn Fikse was born to Dries and Henrietta (Christoffels) Fikse on May 24, 1931, in rural Steen. She grew up and attended school in the Steen and Ash Creek areas. She married Ferdinand Tilstra on Feb. 19, 1953, in Steen Reformed Church. Following their marriage they farmed in the Steen area for two years before moving to a farm near Hardwick. In 1960, they relocated to a farm southwest of Luverne where they farmed for 37 years. Mrs. Tilstra was a member of Steen Reformed Church and was active in Bible Study. She was also a Sunday School and Bible School teacher. She made many quilts and which many were given to family members as gifts. She also made desk pockets and other crafts for the elementary students at Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary School where she worked as a volunteer. She loved sports and followed her grandchildren’s games along with the Minnesota Twins and Golden Gophers. Survivors include her husband, Ferdinand Tilstra, Luverne; one son, Arlyn (Melanie) Tilstra, Hills; one daughter, Brenda (Delton) Ledeboer, Colorado Springs, Colo.; four grandchildren, Jeremy Ledeboer, and Shanna, Cassi and Cory Tilstra; one brother, Gerhard (Bernadine) Fikse, Morgan Hill, Calif.; one sister, Elaine (Andrew) Steensma, Luverne; and a sister-in-law, Lois Fikse, Luverne. Mrs. Tilstra was preceded in death by her parents, a brother in infancy, and one sister, Lucille.A tree will be planted by Hospice of Luverne Community Hospital in memory of Evelyn Tilstra. Roste Funeral Home, Hills, was in charge of arrangements.