Villagers have news. They have been a very active group, individually. Nothing big, but lots of interesting activities. Wedding cake was shared with the Village people from caregiver Grace’s daughter, Katie and Derrick Wulf. It was a delicious white, decorated, mock angel food. Grace also brought beautiful red and pink roses that had been used on the tables. They have lasted all week. Then, from the wedding of the Bush’s granddaughter, Amber Metzger and Jeff Leuthold, we all ate white cake with dainty little flowers on the top. Bud and Ione were pleased to have been with so many family and friends for the event. Arriving on a motorcycle from Colorado Springs, Colo., was former resident Bob Thompson who came to see Bud. Carolyn C’s two granddaughters from Austin were here. They took grandmother on a merry chase to movies, restaurants and a shopping spree. Carolyn slept after the girls went home. Earl’s daughter-in-law visited also. She loves to garden and when she saw how we needed beans picked, she tackled the job. Not only picking an ice cream bucket full but cleaned and washed them as well. Palma’s sons are here from the Twin Cities. The Dickman’s were here from George, Iowa, to see Marie. Marie was Mr. Dickman’s teacher of three of his school years. A party is being planned for Marie’s 100th birthday. We’ve some puzzles on our tables. A bottle with bird seed and 10 items added for us to find. We’ve done so, not all at once but working at it occasionally. Items were a bolt, bobby pins, safety pin, red and white buttons, etc.We’ve gone away, too. Signe and Alice went to the Larchwood parade. Shorty and Carolyn went to Luverne’s Hot Dog Night. Marcella joined about 80 relatives at a Brookings park for a reunion. And have you seen Bud tooling around in his electric cart? Before Miles left we had a little piano and organ duet with dietitian Rozella. We do miss Miles’ music. Harriet Jordan came, showing us money from Iraq she and Berdella received from a young man stationed there. The bills are called dinars. One bill was for 100 dinars. Harriet explained that it takes 1,000 dinar to make a dime. In 1881, we had the first ice cream sundae. To celebrate we, too, had ice cream sundaes with a variety of toppings. Also, Strawberry Day was observed by having fresh strawberry pie. They have said corn should be knee high by the 4th of July. Vic Sandager once said that with the hybrid seed and fertilizer it should be shoulder high. Well, our farmer to the east came spraying his beautiful cornfield. He stopped, got out of the sprayer and the corn was over his head. We would have lost him from view if it were not that he carried a flag. The corn should tassel this week.I’ll keep you posted.

Goldfish are in the news. It should also be noted that much of the goldfish news isn’t for the squeamish, particularly small children who have just seen "Finding Nemo", card-carrying members of any animal rights group, or any person whose best friend has gills and fins. Until their dramatic splashes in the art world and the recent remarks made about them by a sewage-treatment spokesperson, goldfish seemed destined to lead simple, fairly uneventful lives. They hatched without knowing their parents, they ate, they swam around in endless circles and they were eventually flushed away. According to The Week magazine, "an artwork in which viewers were invited to liquefy live goldfish in a blender did not constitute cruelty to animals, a Danish judge has ruled." The controversial, interactive display at the Trapholt Art Museum in Kolding, Denmark, featured goldfish swimming in 10 blenders and visitors were invited to flip the "on" switches. At least one person did, creating what must have appeared to be goldfish mousse. The artist wanted to make people "do battle with their conscience" and "choose between life and death." Both the blender manufacturer and the judge agreed that the goldfish had met their untimely ends "humanely" and "instantly." Although goldfish lack the slobbering tongues or cuddling abilities of dogs or cats, they have managed to inspire one of our favorite expressions — "I’m tired of living in a fish bowl!" Yet we really don’t know what it’s like to swim nonstop our entire lives. If we truly lived in fish bowls, our greatest excitement would be the possibility of taking a wrong turn and colliding with a tiny castle or a miniature deep-sea diver, both ceramic, on the bottom of an algae-filled aquarium. Some people might argue that their lives are similarly meaningless, but at least they have the opportunities to sleep and blink their eyes whenever they want. It’s not that some goldfish haven’t had rather remarkable endings. College students used to swallow them alive at the same time their classmates were stuffing themselves into small cars and phone booths. On other occasions, fish bowls have been knocked to the floor by rambunctious children Overeating seems to be the most common cause of death for goldfish but we really can’t point our fingers. As a nation, we appear to be following their example. Goldfish owners know the meaning of terror. There’s nothing like standing next to a toilet bowl with a small child, dumping the limp remains of their pet into the water, and suddenly seeing the fish spring back to life. Should we reach into the water with our bare hands and return the fish to its fish bowl or should we tell "the sewer pipe story"? "The sewer pipe story", according to generations of parents, is that the fish will somehow navigate through countless miles of water pipes connecting the bathroom and the ocean, where they will frolic and find true happiness. Not so, a sewage-equipment manufacturer foolishly blurted to the press recently. Contrary to what happens in the movie "Finding Nemo", flushing fish down toilets will not send them to freedom in the ocean. The manufacturer, who obviously doesn’t believe in sugar-coating facts for children, noted that the fish actually pass through sewage-treatment machines that "shred solids into tiny particles." Given that choice, a blender might be nicer.

It’s the Good Old Summer Time!I wish it would make up its mind!One day the thermometer reads 90 degreesThe next night it is 57 degrees and you freeze!The flies and bugs know it is timeTo get in that screen door to findSomething good that is on their mind!The birds and the bees are enjoying the summer pollen filled breezePlease excuse me now, I think I am going to sneeze!Remember, it is the Good Old Summer Time!This coming Sunday morning Betty and Brian Bruxvoort, who have been serving in Soldotna, Alaska, under the auspice of Mission Aviation Repair Center, will share some of their experiences with us at the Sunday morning worship services. Brian flies pastors and others to and from remote Alaskan villages and transports children to Bible Camp. Orrin and Bernice Aukes attended a birthday party for their grandson, Dylan Aukes, for his first birthday at the park in Larchwood Friday evening. His parents are Terry and Christy Aukes. He has one brother. Happy Birthday to him! Those attending camp at Inspiration Hills from Steen Reformed Church this week are: Brandon Bosch, Cory Tilstra and Kyle Harsma. Annie Lynn, infant daughter of Ken and Tammy Bos, was baptized at the Sunday morning worship service in Steen Reformed Church. Evelyn Tilstra entered Sioux Valley Hospital Sunday evening. She was able to return to her home on Friday following surgery on Monday afternoon. JoAnn Paulsen, Laura May Bosch, Henrietta Boeve and Melba Boeve attended the Musical Dinner Theater at the Intermission in Rock Rapids Wednesday evening. It was titled "Sunday in Manhattan" which is the story of the evangelist Billy Sunday’s life. Jo Zomer and daughter from Canton, S.D., were Thursday afternoon callers in the Arnold and Jane Bonnema home. Steen Reformed Church will have their annual picnic beginning at 11:30 a.m. next Sunday, July 20, with a potluck dinner. Games will be played following the dinner. They will have a worship service at 2:30 p.m. in the park. The speaker is Matt Sharpe and the Rock Rapids Praise Team will lead the service.Friday afternoon Mildred Keunen, Bertha Bosch and Jo Aykens visited Anna Wynia who lives at Rock Rapids Health Care Centre in Rock Rapids. Saturday Norma VanWyhe and her mother, Henrietta Huenink, attended the wedding of her grandson, Ben Madson, son of Jon and Glenda Madson, at the park in Fairmont. The reception followed the ceremony at the VFW Club in Fairmont. The Girls’ League of Steen Reformed Church will have their summer campout on July 22 and 23. John and Julie Springman spent last weekend at the home of her mother, Melba Boeve. They were here to attend her 20th class reunion for the Class of 1983 was at the Downtown Holiday Inn in Sioux Falls. Dries and Laura May Bosch attended a Doyle family reunion at the Driver’s Club in Beaver Creek this past week on Wednesday. There were 18 family members present. Laura May is a member of the Doyle family. Bernice Bartels, Luverne, was a Friday afternoon caller in the Arnold and Jane Bonnema home. Dennis and Gracia Schrick, George, Iowa, were Sunday dinner guests in the Arnold and Jane Bonnema home. When the world is supposedly at peace it is very easy for everyone to take all of our freedoms for granted. It seems to me that the last few years patriotism and our freedoms have been downplayed so very often. One of the instances that comes to my mind is the elimination of the Pledge of Allegiance in our schools. In fact we very seldom heard the pledge anywhere. Our freedom and our patriotism have just been taken for granted. In case you are having a problem remembering the Pledge of Allegiance I quote:"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." William Emment Shelton is the author of the following remarks, explaining how and when the Pledge of Allegiance came into being. I quote:"The Pledge of Allegiance to the flag was written by Frances Bellamy, a former Baptist minister and a member of the staff of the defunct The Youth’s Companion of Boston Mass., in 1892. It was adopted by Congress in the summer of 1892 and was first used at the Columbus Day celebration in Boston Oct. 12, 1892. The words ‘under God’ were approved by Congress in 1954. When Pres. Eisenhower signed the act, adding the recognition of God, he said, ‘In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious freedom, faith in America’s heritage and future. In this way we shall constantly strengthen the spiritual weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful response in peace and war.’ Today we are becoming more and more aware of the many different freedoms we all enjoy and take for granted. When we think of man’s fight for freedom we are usually thinking of political freedom, the desire of all men to have a voice in their own government and something to say about their way of life. But freedom from political tyranny is not the only freedom for which man must constantly struggle.For example: There is freedom from selfishness, and that is difficult to achieve because nature, in a way, made us all selfish for our own preservation. There is freedom from prejudice. Nature made us suspicious and antagonistic toward those who differ in looks, our language or beliefs. Man needs to be free from envy. In the working of natural laws some men and some nations will have more material goods than others. Not only do the poor envy the rich, but both the poor and the rich envy one another."There are other freedoms too numerous to mention that everyone has in common. Each one of us have to cope with our own problems but regardless of what they are I hope we will have respect for others regardless of their position in life and if we can’t have respect of the person, respect the office or position they hold.If we could all do this, our freedom would be much more attainable for every person and also nations in the world!

The Hills-Beaver Creek class of 1983 had their class reunion over the weekend. The group had a reception at Beaver Creek Lodge on Friday night. Their banquet was Saturday night at the Downtown Holiday Inn in Sioux Falls. Tom Bosch is the manager of the Inn. Sunday noon they enjoyed a potluck dinner at Jacobson Park in Hills along with their parents and their children. There were 60 in attendance at the park and out of 33 graduates, 25 were present. Coming from the greatest distance were Brad Tatge, San Diego, Calif., Dana VanMaanen Vink, Tulare, Calif., and Tom Loftus from Georgia.Ray Roning, James Roning, Dennis Roning, Herb and Pearl Sundem and Tanya and Zack Johnson, Jasper, attended the outdoor wedding of Kyle Schubert and Brooke Anderson Saturday evening at the Dennis Anderson farm near Valley Springs.Wendell and Kathryn Erickson attended the 50th wedding anniversary party for Kathryn’s brother and wife, Dr. Ernest and Ina Thorsgard, at Thief River Falls on Saturday, June 28. Arnold and June Thorin and Jerry and Diane Thorin, all of Sioux Falls, went to Austin to attend the 50th wedding anniversary of their sister, Mickie (Maxine) and Chuck Hanson, on July 6. All their children were home so they had a good visit with their family.Wednesday, Floyd and Mary Kraetsch, Luverne, were supper guests in the home of Robert and Twila Kirsch. Chuck and Rheta DeBoer joined a group of friends from Sioux Falls at a brunch on Saturday morning. Wendell and Kathryn Erickson were invited to the 50th anniversary of the Vo-Tech Adult Farm Management Program at Breezy Point, north of Brainerd, on July 6. They stayed Sunday and Monday night in the home of Wendell’s sister, Mildred Strang, at Remer, visiting her family. Sunday dinner guests in the home of Bob and Twila Kirsch were Cindy Lentz, Windom, and Ted Pholman, Lakefield. Lexia DeWit, Sioux Falls, hosted a personal family shower Sunday afternoon in her home for Amber VanWyhe, bride-to-be of Travis Arends. The climax of the day was a family picnic at Terrace Park in the evening. Attending were Steve and Marilyn VanWyhe, Amber and Justin, Steen; Travis Arends, Hardwick; Heather VanWyhe, Bloomington; Teri VanWyhe and Matt Mercer, Omaha, Neb.; Trisa Boyenga, Ames, Iowa; Ron, Lexia, Lindsey and Ashley VanWyhe, Sioux Falls; and Cliff and Vi VanWyhe.

Dorothy Mae Wheeler, 80, Hills, formerly of Sioux Falls, S.D., died Wednesday, July 9. 2003, at Tuff Memorial Home in Hills.Services were Tuesday, July 15, at George Boom Funeral Home in Sioux Falls. Burial was at Beaver Valley Lutheran Cemetery, rural Valley Springs, S.D.Dorothy Baker, was born to Neal and Catherine (Dirkson) Baker on July 25, 1922, in Rock Valley, Iowa. As a child, she lived with her family in Volga, S.D. She graduated from Washington High School, Sioux Falls, in 1940. She married Pershing Elofson on June 7, 1942, in Valley Springs. Mr. Elofson died on Dec. 4, 1956. She worked at S&L store in Sioux Falls. She moved to Sioux Falls in 1965. She was the first female to serve as a Constable with Minnehaha County for several years. She married Jay Wheeler on March 4, 1978, in Rapid City, S.D. Following Mr. Wheeler’s death on Dec. 15, 1978, she returned to Sioux Falls. She worked as a hostess for Smitty’s Pancake House and Perkins Restaurant before retiring in 1997 after 27 years of service. Mrs. Wheeler attended First Lutheran Church and was a former member of the VFW Auxiliary. She loved to play cards and enjoyed bowling. Survivors include one daughter, Karen (Stanley) Gehrke, Beaver Creek; three grandchildren, Karmen (Paul) Thompson, Lead, S.D., Michael Gehrke, Beaver Creek, and Ronda (Greg) Skorr, Jasper; six great grandchildren, Amber, Joshua and Mathew Thompson, all of Lead, Emilie Gehrke and Katelyn Skorr, both of Jasper, Lacey Skorr, Owatonna; a sister-in-law, Ethelyn Gulseth, Brandon, S.D.; and seven stepchildren, Judy Lewis, Sacramento, Calif., Carol Molina, Daly City, Calif., Barbara Cuccio, Diamond Bar, Calif., Dan Wheeler, Nancy Wheeler, Mark Wheeler and Gail King, all of Sioux Falls. Mrs. Wheeler was preceded in death by her parents, two husbands, a grandson, Mark Gehrke, one brother, Fred Baker, and two sisters, Marion Hemingson and Lorraine Davis. George Boom Funeral Home, Sioux Falls, was in charge of arrangements.

By Jolene FarleyDave and Dawn Leenderts, Hills, will be welcoming not one baby, but three into their family soon.Dawn, 31, found out during a routine 19-week ultrasound in April that she was the one out of 10,000 women that conceives triplets. The test revealed that Dawn is carrying two boys and a girl.The couple’s son, Dawson, will turn 3 years old in August and they used no fertility drugs to conceive. Although the Leenderts couldn’t find any triplets in the family tree, they have two distant relatives that had twins. Dawn’s grandmother’s sister had twins 70 years ago and Dave’s cousin had twins. Dawn, who was alone when she found out their family was growing much faster than expected, said she cried. "They found two of them," she said. "Then she looked around and they found three.""I was by myself, just shocked," she said. When she called her husband at work to tell him of the findings she warned him he better be sitting down. Dave said he had to calm his wife down. After the ultrasound, Dawn was referred to Perinatologist Dr. William Watson, a specialist in multiple births. Dawn said the only indications she had of a multiple pregnancy was she was larger earlier in the pregnancy and although she had morning sickness with Dawson, it was more severe with this pregnancy."It never went away," she said. "It lasted all day long." She also had urinary tract infection, a common ailment with a multiple pregnancy because the babies press on the bladder.With a due date of Sept. 12, Dawn is now 30 weeks into her pregnancy. Doctor Watson advised the couple that 32 weeks is an important milestone for premature births. Babies born past 32 weeks have better lung development, according to the couple.Earlier in the pregnancy, Dr. Watson prepared the couple for the reality that the babies will be born small and early and they will stay in the neonatal intensive care unit for a while after birth. He told the couple women carrying triplets are usually on bed rest by 20 weeks and sometimes hospitalized.Luckily, Dawn and the babies have done remarkably well and only recently has Dawn been put on semi-bed rest for a couple hours a day. Ideally, Dr. Watson would like to see the babies delivered after 36 weeks, but at the last visit he told the couple it could happen earlier. They have a girl’s name picked out but haven’t chosen names for the two boys. All the names will begin with a "D" like their son, Dawson. Friends and co-workers have given or loaned the couple cribs and other baby items. "The support of the community and family and friends has been wonderful," Dave said.The couple hasn’t developed a definite schedule for help after the babies are born but they say everyone is willing to pitch in. Family members are using vacation time to come and help care for the babies. "The toughest part after the babies are born will be adjusting and figuring out how to manage three infants at one time, three schedules, three feedings," Dawn said. "And trying to find room in our house."The couple was forced to purchase a mini van because their car couldn’t accommodate four car seats.Dave works at New Vision Co-op in Hills and Dawn worked as a Special Education Teacher for the Brandon School District. Dawn was granted 12 weeks of maternity leave, but was turned down when she requested a one-year leave of absence. Dave said his main concern is to make sure that everybody is healthy and things are proceeding well with Dawn and the babies. "I told her we’d just take everything else as it comes," he said. The couple has been trying to prepare soon-to-be big brother, Dawson, for two new brothers and a sister."He likes the sister idea," Dawn said, "But doesn’t say much about brothers." Dawn said she’ll be relieved when her pregnancy is over. "I’m getting very uncomfortable," she said. "They’re in my ribs and they’re all over. There’s not a lot of room for them."The babies will be delivered at Sioux Valley Hospital in Sioux Falls .

By Sara StrongThe house on the southeast corner of Main Street and Highway 75 in Luverne, known as the Britz house, will be sold and removed this summer. High bid for the home at 219 W. Main St. came in at $10 from Darrel Van Aartsen. Vince Gacke submitted a bid for "zero," not meeting the advertised bid requirements, and was the only other bidder.The Luverne Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau has expressed an interest in turning the corner into a point of interest to draw travelers down Main Street.In 2001, the city also went through the bidding process for the Britz house. High bid for the house then came in at $1,500 from Rich Dreckman. The council at that time rejected the bid, saying it would prefer to move the house to the airport and use it as a home for a potential resident airport manager.The house cost the city $56,000 when it was purchased in 1999 for a possible turning lane.Airport plans slowingThe Council approved a capital improvement plan for the airport, including spending $15,000 on snow removal equipment.The Federal Aviation Administration entitlement monies of $150,000 have to be spent by Sept. 30 and can go toward capital purchases and land acquisition. The Airport Board recommended the purchase as the environmental assessment for the new runway is stalled at the federal level. The assessment needs to be completed before the expansion project can move into the land acquisition phase.

By Lori EhdeSeveral storms in the past week have sent Rock County residents to their yards cleaning up fallen branches, and some cases, removing entire damaged trees.The area has been fortunate to escape hail and tornadoes, but middle-of-the-night thunderstorms often came with damaging winds that left messes in their wake.Cleanup has become a daily affair for many people, since four of the past seven nights have been stormy.According to information from the Rock County Sheriff’s Office, storms passed through the area July 3, 4, 6 and 7 in the past week alone. Much of the clean-up work amounted to simple picking up sticks and using simple supplies, like rakes and wheel barrows.But in some locations, heavy equipment was needed to remove downed trees and correct affected power lines.According to Luverne Public Works Employee Darrel Ykema, city crews on Wednesday were finally able to get back to mowing and their other usual duties."We’re two days behind on everything," he said.Most Public Works employees and some city linemen were involved in city cleanup all day Monday and Tuesday.Public Utilities Director Red Arndt said linemen were involved in trimming some wayward branches, but he said there were no damaged lines."Most of ours are underground, so we didn’t have an outage," Arndt said. He said having power lines underground saves the city in repairs and labor in times like these."There were whole cities in South Dakota without power," he said. "This is why we did it."The thunderstorms also dropped about 1 1/2 inches of rain in Rock County during the past week, as of Wednesday noon.

By Sara StrongAfter being on alert for a few weeks, local members of the National Guard got official notice Tuesday that they will leave for Europe in about a month.They will be in European bases for an estimated six months.The 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery — with 46 local members — will go to U.S. bases in Europe as part of security missions for Operation Enduring Freedom.Col. Denny Shields works in public information for the Minnesota National Guard. He said, "They basically need more people power to implement security changes."Since security measures are more strict than in the past, National Guard members are helping bases around the world and across the United States implement the higher security standards. Guard members serve as additional security officers, and could be doing things such as checking IDs and patrolling bases. Shields said the battalion will be mobilized sometime in mid-August, and that exact deployment locations will be known at that time. He said the date could vary by a few days also.The options for guardsmen locations are United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Belgium or Turkey.Maj. Gen. Eugene Andreotti, the Minnesota National Guard’s Adjutant General said, "This mobilization will provide the necessary forces to ensure security for our troops, their dependents and U.S. military installations."