Dena Korthals, 100, Hills, died Tuesday, July 15, 2003, at Tuff Memorial Home in Hills. Services were Friday, July 18, at Steen Reformed Church in Steen. The Rev. Dan Ramaker officiated. Burial was in Eastside Cemetery, Steen.Dena Zorgdrager was born to John and Christina (Brinkhuis) Zorgdrager on April 18, 1903, in Newkirk, Iowa. She was raised in the Newkirk area and attended rural country school. As a young lady she cleaned homes for several families in the area. She married Fred W.T. Korthals on Sept. 27, 1922, in Hull, Iowa. Following their marriage, they farmed near Worthington and later near Melvin, Iowa, and in Lyon County, Iowa. They retired in 1966 and lived in Steen for 20 years. Mr. Korthals died on June 20, 1993. She was a homemaker. Mrs. Korthals was very active in the church, serving as youth sponsor, teaching Sunday School class and catechism. She was also active in Ladies Aid and other ministries of the church. Her hobbies included gardening, crocheting, fishing, playing cards and bingo.Survivors include eight children, Henrietta Huenink, Steen, Christina Pierce, Sioux City, Iowa, Evelyn Veenker, Lake Park, Iowa, Margaret (Orval) Harberts, George, Iowa, the Rev. Edward (Thelma) Korthals, Buffalo, Fredrick (Bobbie) Korthals, Worthington, Maurice (Ruth) Korthals, Omaha, Neb., and Dorothy Sides, Friendsville, Tenn.; 44 grandchildren; 92 great-grandchildren; and 15 great-great-grandchildren.Mrs. Korthals was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Fred, five brothers and three sisters. Roste Funeral Home, was in charge of arrangements.

Martha Haraldson, 78, Sioux Falls, S.D., formerly of Hills, died Monday, July 14, 2003, at Sioux Valley Hospital, Sioux Falls.Memorial services were Friday, July 18, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls. Burial was at Woodlawn Cemetery in Sioux Falls.Martha Madtson was born to Guy and Martha Madtson on Jan. 22, 1925, in Hills. She graduated from Luverne High School in 1943. She married Vernon Haraldson on Sept. 6, 1944, in Norfolk, Va. She began working at Augustana College at the Huddle in 1966. She then moved to the bookstore as a cashier. She retired in 1977.Mrs. Haraldson was a member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls where she taught Sunday and Bible school, attended church circle, served on the Sunshine committee of Senior Ministries Board and participated in many other activities. She delivered Meals-On- Wheels 26 years and volunteered at Sioux Valley Hospital where she was a member of the auxiliary. Survivors include three sons Ron (Marci) Haraldson, Willmar, Dennis (Carol) Haraldson, Sioux Falls, and Paul (Marisa) Haraldson, Ely; one daughter, Sheila (Terry) Castagnozzi, Martinez, Calif.; six grandchildren, Heidi, Gretchen, Caryn, Haley, Staci and Steve; two brothers, Arnie Madtson, Volga, S.D., and Don Madtson, Red Wing; and one sister, Anne Langum, Sinai, S.D.Mrs. Haraldson was preceded in death by her husband, Vernon, seven brothers and two sisters. Memorials may be directed to Meals-On-Wheels or Our Savior’s Lutheran Church Foundation in Sioux Falls.

By Sara StrongC.J. Wilsey is comfortably back in Luverne after six months at a U.S. Air Force Base in Kuwait.The 2000 Luverne graduate was activated Sept. 11, 2001, and served as a security officer at the base after training in Idaho and time in Qatar."I liked helping out, doing my part," Wilsey said Tuesday.Wilsey is a Senior Airman in the Air National Guard, based out of Sioux Falls, S.D.The experience in active duty was enjoyable to Wilsey, who now thinks he’d like to make the military a full-time career.Since he got home June 27, Wilsey has taken advantage of time off, riding his new motorcycle and catching up with people he’s missed.During his time in Kuwait, Wilsey said he didn’t really miss some of the usual comforts of home — nice bathrooms, good meals, air conditioning."I missed my family the most," Wilsey said. "Life stopped for me when I got there, and I missed so much."His family missed him, too. Wilsey is the son of Jeff and Kathy Wilsey, and he has an 18-year-old brother, Cody.Kathy said the distance was difficult for her, especially during the war in Iraq. Then the security on bases became so important and communication was limited."I didn’t care what I heard, even an e-mail that said, ‘I’m OK’ was fine," Kathy said.Handling the heat was a difficult aspect of serving in the desert during Wilsey’s 14-hour days. One day had a high temperature of 147."It felt like a blow-dryer in your face, except with sand," Wilsey said.Security was heightened because of war in Iraq, and that meant he couldn’t leave the base. To lift the spirits of the personnel, a group was allowed a 45-minute jaunt to a nearby area set aside for military personnel. It had a pool, green grass and some playground equipment, and was called an amusement park. "It was good for morale," Wilsey said. It was the first piece of grass they’d seen in a long time.Wilsey coped with the heat, bonded with co-workers and enjoyed serving the military, but there were also some moments of stress. He said he’s been told he can’t talk about much of what went on at the base, but people there were alerted of missile attacks and had to put on protective gear, like gas masks. Patriot missiles defended the base on several occasions.As a security officer, Wilsey kept people out of the military zone. "Most people were really nice, but sometimes they wouldn’t be happy," he said.This round of service has meant a lot to Wilsey. He realized how much he enjoyed military life and wants to continue with active duty.He’s on leave now until July 22 when he goes back to Sioux Falls to work. From there, he may continue to see parts of the world he otherwise couldn’t through military service.

By John RittenhouseThe Hills Thunder picked up some momentum heading into the Gopher League Playoffs by winning two of their final three games of the regular season.Hills nipped Windom by two runs in a wild game in Windom Wednesday, July 9.The Thunder dropped a nine-run decision to league champion Spencer, Iowa, in Hills Sunday before posting a three-run win in Bancroft, Iowa, Sunday night.Hills, 5-14 overall, opened the playoffs in Luverne Wednesday night. A win against the Redbirds would set up a Hills-Wilmont game in Wilmont Friday. A loss would place the Thunder in the tournament’s loser’s bracket, where they would play a game Sunday against a team at a site to be determined.Hills 4, Bancroft 1A solid pitching performance by Chad Rauk led the Thunder to a three-run victory Sunday in Bancroft.Rauk, who received some early run-support from his teammates, blanked Bancroft through the first six innings.The hosts produced a single run against Rauk in the bottom of the seventh, but it wasn’t enough to spoil his three-strikeout, two-walk effort.Hills plated a pair of runs in the first and second innings of the game to give its pitcher all the runs he needed to become a winner.Eric Harnack slapped an RBI single and Scott Harnack singled and scored on a passed ball to give Hills a 2-0 cushion in the top of the first.Rauk singled home a run and scored on a passed ball in the second to make it 4-0.Box score AB R H BIRauk 3 2 1 1S.Harnack 3 1 1 0E.Harnack 3 0 2 1Van Maanen 3 0 0 0Funke 2 0 0 0C.Harnack 3 0 0 0Top 3 0 0 0Jellema 3 0 0 0Forshey 2 1 0 0Spencer 10, Hills 1Spencer spoiled Hills’ home finale by besting the Thunder by nine runs on its home field Sunday afternoon.The visitors scored four runs in the first five innings and put the game out of reach by scoring a combined six runs in the sixth and seventh frames.Hills’ lone run came in the bottom of the fifth inning.The Thunder loaded the bases with Justin Van Maanen getting hit by a pitch, Wade Jellema slapping a single and David Top reaching base on an error.Scott Harnack drew a walk to force home Van Maanen with a run that made the score 4-1 at the time.George Krenz pitched the first five and two-thirds innings for Hills and took the loss. He fanned five batters and walked four.Rauk pitched one and one-third innings of relief, walking two batters and striking out one.Spencer limited Hills to two hits offensivley. Rauk singled in the fourth inning before Jellema singled in the fifth.Box score AB R H BIS.Harnack 2 0 0 1Rauk 3 0 1 0Funke 3 0 0 0E.Harnack 3 0 0 0Van Maanen 2 1 0 0Jellema 2 0 1 0Top 2 0 0 0Krenz 3 0 0 0Forshey 1 0 0 0Hills 13, Windom 11The Thunder came out on the winning end of a two-run decision in a wild game played in Windom July 9.Neither team could produce a run in the first three innings of play, but the squads scored a combined 24 runs before the ninth inning was complete.Hills opened the scoring by plating seven runs in the top of the fourth inning before adding another counter in the fifth to gain an 8-0 cushion.Jellema and Cade Lang slapped RBI singles to highlight Hills’ seven-run fourth inning. Van Maanen picked up an RBI with a fielder’s choice, and Scott Harnack was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force home a run. The other three runs in the frame were unearned.Lang delivered an RBI single in the fifth to make it 8-0.Windom got back into the game by scoring two runs in the bottom of the fifth and four in the sixth to trail 8-6.Both teams scored two runs in the seventh inning and three runs in the eighth inning to cap the scoring.Lang and Eric Harnack slapped RBI singles in the seventh for Hills.Eric Harnack singled home two runs and another Hills player scored on a wild pitch in the eighth.Top pitched six and one-third innings to record the victory. He allowed eight runs and five walks while fanning six batters. Rauk worked the final two and two-thirds innings to record a save. He recorded four strikeouts while allowing two walks and three runs.Box score AB R H BIJ.Lang 3 3 1 0C.Lang 4 1 3 3S.Harnack 3 1 1 1E.Harnack 4 0 2 3Sammons 5 1 1 0Funke 5 1 3 0Rauk 5 0 0 0Van Maanen 4 2 0 1Jellema 3 4 2 1

By John RittenhouseHills-Beaver Creek High School athlete Zach Wysong played in a championship baseball game Wednesday night.Wysong, the starting shortstop for the Luverne American Legion team, took the field for the Cardinals when they hosted Pipestone for the Area A Playoff title game last night.Luverne earned a berth in the championship game by defeating Adrian 2-1 in Luverne Tuesday.Wysong played a key role in the victory by slapping a pair of hits and scoring the tying run during a late-game rally.Adrian led 1-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.Wysong was Luverne’s leadoff hitter in the seventh, and he responded to the challenge by slapping a single to right field.The Luverne shortstop advanced to third base after an Adrian fielding error and a hit batsman loaded the bases for the Cardinals.Wysong scored when Jesse Kuhlman singled to left field, and Luverne won the game when Adam Reisch delivered a game-winning hit moments later.Wysong doubled earlier in the game before being thrown out at third base trying to stretch the hit into a triple.Be defeating Adrian, Luverne already clinched a berth in Second District American Legion Baseball Tournament that will be played in Truman July 24-Aug. 2. The top three teams in Area A advance to the District event.A win over Pipestone last night would give the 6-8 Cardinals the Area A title. A loss would send Luverne to a game for second and third place at Redbird Field in Luverne 8 p.m. Friday.

By Jolene FarleyThe Hills-Beaver Creek School Board set election dates for three open seats at a Monday meeting.Voters will visit the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 4, to fill the four-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2004 and ending Dec. 31, 2007.Terms for Gary Esselink, Lloyd DeBoer and Ann Boeve expire this year.Esselink has served on the board since 1996, Boeve since 1996 and DeBoer since 1994. Under state law, the district has until Tuesday, Aug. 12, to publish notice of filing dates and until Saturday, Aug. 16, to post the notice of filing dates."We have to post the notices at both the Beaver Creek and Hills schools," Superintendent Dave Deragisch said. Candidates may file from 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 26, to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 9. The Hills-Beaver Creek School Board election will be Nov. 4.In other board business:
Pre-cast walls for the locker room addition are scheduled for delivery next week, according to Deragisch. Construction crews will start the link between the new addition and the gymnasium Wednesday. The building committee will meet with contractors for a progress update Monday, July 21.
The board will advertise for bids on fuel oil and gas for the district. The bids will be opened at the Monday, Aug. 11, board meeting.
After a unanimous vote by the board, The Exchange State Bank was named the district’s official depository and the Hills Crescent was named the official publication.
The board voted to renew membership in the Minnesota School Board Association. "They give us a lot of help and free advice," Deragisch said.
Science teacher Jeanette Vanden Hoek addressed the board about the Spanish and science students’ trip to Costa Rica. She showed the board photos and information about the trip.

By Jolene FarleyTuff Village resident Marie Hensch will celebrate "alotta living" this week. Hensch turned 100 years old on Wednesday, July 16."It’s kind of scary in a way," she said. "I can’t do a lot of things I used to do." Hensch never expected to reach 100-years-old. "Well, people just don’t get that old," she said.But both of Hensch’s parents lived into their 80s, a good age for their generation, so longevity does run in the family, Hensch said. The main lesson Hensch learned in her life was "that things usually work out in the end.""Worrying doesn’t help," she said. "I just took the days as they came."Hensch lived in Iowa until after retirement. She was born in Lyon County, Iowa, and taught school for 15 years before marrying farmer Walter Hensch.The couple farmed near Hartley, Iowa, for two years before moving to the Boyden, Iowa, area.Hensch clearly remembers her days as a rural school teacher in Iowa. She treasures the relationships she built during that time. She taught every grade all subjects and was also required to do the janitorial work at the school. Her first year, she was paid $95 a month. Her second year the depression was in full swing and her wages were reduced to $47 a month.By the end of her 15-year career as a teacher, she earned $650 a year."We had little other help, and not many supplies," she said.The school supplied chalk, erasers and a sawdust mixture to keep the dust down in the school. "If you wanted other supplies, you went to the store and got them out of your own pocket," she said. The school would sponsor fund-raisers to cover school supplies and playground equipment. Hensch said it was frowned on for married women to teach school. A board likely wouldn’t hire a married woman unless it was desperate to fill the position."The reasoning was that you could only do one thing," she said. "By the time you kept your house clean and did canning and gardening, your time was pretty much taken.". Hensch won’t say if she thinks women have it better or worse these days. "Housework is certainly easier than it used to be," she said. Hensch has two daughters, Ardith Tofteland, Luverne, and Ruth Auckland, Des Moines, Washington, and three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

By Jolene FarleyTuff Village resident Marie Hensch will celebrate "alotta living" this week. Hensch turned 100 years old on Wednesday, July 16."It’s kind of scary in a way," she said. "I can’t do a lot of things I used to do." Hensch never expected to reach 100-years-old. "Well, people just don’t get that old," she said.But both of Hensch’s parents lived into their 80s, a good age for their generation, so longevity does run in the family, Hensch said. The main lesson Hensch learned in her life was "that things usually work out in the end.""Worrying doesn’t help," she said. "I just took the days as they came."Hensch lived in Iowa until after retirement. She was born in Lyon County, Iowa, and taught school for 15 years before marrying farmer Walter Hensch.The couple farmed near Hartley, Iowa, for two years before moving to the Boyden, Iowa, area.Hensch clearly remembers her days as a rural school teacher in Iowa. She treasures the relationships she built during that time. She taught every grade all subjects and was also required to do the janitorial work at the school. Her first year, she was paid $95 a month. Her second year the depression was in full swing and her wages were reduced to $47 a month.By the end of her 15-year career as a teacher, she earned $650 a year."We had little other help, and not many supplies," she said.The school supplied chalk, erasers and a sawdust mixture to keep the dust down in the school. "If you wanted other supplies, you went to the store and got them out of your own pocket," she said. The school would sponsor fund-raisers to cover school supplies and playground equipment. Hensch said it was frowned on for married women to teach school. A board likely wouldn’t hire a married woman unless it was desperate to fill the position."The reasoning was that you could only do one thing," she said. "By the time you kept your house clean and did canning and gardening, your time was pretty much taken.". Hensch won’t say if she thinks women have it better or worse these days. "Housework is certainly easier than it used to be," she said. Hensch has two daughters, Ardith Tofteland, Luverne, and Ruth Auckland, Des Moines, Washington, and three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

By Jolene FarleyTuff Village resident Marie Hensch will celebrate "alotta living" this week. Hensch turned 100 years old on Wednesday, July 16."It’s kind of scary in a way," she said. "I can’t do a lot of things I used to do." Hensch never expected to reach 100-years-old. "Well, people just don’t get that old," she said.But both of Hensch’s parents lived into their 80s, a good age for their generation, so longevity does run in the family, Hensch said. The main lesson Hensch learned in her life was "that things usually work out in the end.""Worrying doesn’t help," she said. "I just took the days as they came."Hensch lived in Iowa until after retirement. She was born in Lyon County, Iowa, and taught school for 15 years before marrying farmer Walter Hensch.The couple farmed near Hartley, Iowa, for two years before moving to the Boyden, Iowa, area.Hensch clearly remembers her days as a rural school teacher in Iowa. She treasures the relationships she built during that time. She taught every grade all subjects and was also required to do the janitorial work at the school. Her first year, she was paid $95 a month. Her second year the depression was in full swing and her wages were reduced to $47 a month.By the end of her 15-year career as a teacher, she earned $650 a year."We had little other help, and not many supplies," she said.The school supplied chalk, erasers and a sawdust mixture to keep the dust down in the school. "If you wanted other supplies, you went to the store and got them out of your own pocket," she said. The school would sponsor fund-raisers to cover school supplies and playground equipment. Hensch said it was frowned on for married women to teach school. A board likely wouldn’t hire a married woman unless it was desperate to fill the position."The reasoning was that you could only do one thing," she said. "By the time you kept your house clean and did canning and gardening, your time was pretty much taken.". Hensch won’t say if she thinks women have it better or worse these days. "Housework is certainly easier than it used to be," she said. Hensch has two daughters, Ardith Tofteland, Luverne, and Ruth Auckland, Des Moines, Washington, and three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.