Local history buffs and vintage auto enthusiasts made a long-awaited acquisition last week when an original Luverne Automobile arrived at the Rock County History Center on East Main Street.
The 1911 Luverne Thirty is one of only two known Luverne automobiles in existence, and one now resides — appropriately – in Luverne.
“I haven’t been able to sleep,” said Luverne’s Tanya Light. “I’ve been on a high. We’ve heard about this car. I’ve been trying to keep track of it, because I wanted to get it back in the Leicher family.”
Light is the great-granddaughter of Al Leicher, who with his brother Ed Leicher owned and operated the Luverne Automobile Co. from 1904 to 1917.
“It’s family history, and most of my older cousins and I played in the Luverne Fire Appartus,” she said. “We heard about it and saw pictures of the cars, and we knew there were only two — that we know of.”
She and several other community members have been in touch with Roy Bernick, 92, since he purchased the car several years ago from a Twin Cities collector.
Light was with Historical Society President Betty Mann when Bernick called Mann and said he would be willing to sell the car if Luverne wanted it.
“I just about fell off my chair,” Mann said. “Words can’t describe how very, very excited we were.”
Light asked Mann to let the Leicher great-grandchildren have the honor of bringing the car home. She contacted her cousins who pooled their resources to purchase it.
“They were glad to have the opportunity,” Light said, emphasizing that she and her cousins had the “easy” job.
“There were many, many people involved with this for a very long time. … If the Leicher family hadn’t done it, there were people who would have come forward. But we asked Betty to let the Leicher family do it. We have the connection to the car.”
In talking to her relatives, they decided the car should belong to the community. They would gift their money to the History Center to buy it.
“We knew it should stay in the Leicher family because of our memories, but when we’re gone, who will care?” Light said.
“Let’s just say it stays in the family and ends up with my son. He cares. But on down the line, then what? It might get stuck in a shed and get sold for $50. Who knows?”
She said the timing was right for getting the Luverne Automobile back in Luverne, since the History Center can now accommodate it, show it and keep it preserved.
“It belongs in Luverne,” she said. “It belongs in the History Center, where everyone can enjoy it — including the cousins. This way they can go and take their kids and grandchildren to see it.”
As the community’s historian, Mann said she’s grateful to have the car back in Luverne, and she is working with the Leicher great-grandchildren to plan a dedication next year.
“It came home to rest a block from where it was built,” Mann said.
Light and her cousins, Dan Anderson of Hills and Lynn Herrick of Worthington, were at the History Center when it arrived in Luverne Tuesday, Nov. 30, when Bernick and his mechanic delivered the Luverne Thirty.
“It’s where it belongs. It needed to come home and home is Luverne,” Light said. “Not just with the Leichers.”
Besides the History Center car, at least one complete and original 1915 Big Brown Luverne remains. The seven-passenger luxury touring car now belongs to a collector in Missouri. Light, with a gleam in her eye, hinted that it, too, could come home to Luverne.
“One could only dream for that,” She said.
The History Center and Leicher great-grandchildren will make a public announcement when they schedule the dedication, at which point they will share the complete story of how the Luverne Automobile found its way home.

The familiar evergreen trees on the lawn of the Luverne Middle-High School found a new purpose after the 60-year-old trees were recently taken down.
Tree removal specialist Mike Davis of Luverne took down the 11 evergreen trees, finishing the project on Nov. 17.
“They’ve seen better days,” he said.
The trees were estimated to have been planted by students in 1960, and now 61 years later the majority of the pines had broken limbs, regrown tops and/or dead branches.
School district grounds superintendent Cory Schmuck told board members at the Nov. 23 meeting that removing the trees is part of a long-range plan.
“My vision was to open it up to see the building,” he said.
Both Davis and Schmuck said they received calls and questions from the public about the trees coming down.
Davis said he also removed some bushes and a crab apple tree at the same time as the evergreen trees, but “no one noticed.”
Most callers questioned why the trees were removed, and many didn’t understand the trees had aged and were in poor condition.
While some were disappointed to see the trees gone, the newly cut pine boughs were welcome additions to holiday decorations in the community.
Former greenhouse owner George Bonnema, used the boughs in a Make and Take fundraiser for Generations in which 20 people learned how to make outdoor winter arrangements.
“We made $800 for Generations,” he said.
Pieces of the school pine trees that weren’t picked up by the public from the city of Luverne tree dump were further ground for mulch to be used around the city.
At the school, Schmuck said more trees will be planted — this time to enhance the look of the school buildings and not cover them up.
He will also look to remove a line of more than 50 evergreen trees bordering the football field and the neighborhood to the north. Most of the pine branches of those trees have died and have become unsightly. No timeline has been established for this project
Davis said proper tree management takes time to establish.
“If you do it right, you need to rotate trees out and get into a better habit (of replacing),” he said.

Stories and memories flowed from St. John Lutheran Church in Luverne Saturday as the first Festival of Nativities took place with excellent participation from both nativity owners and the public.
Parishioner Janet Marshall suggested the activity and assembled a committee to help organize and display nativity scenes.
“I saw this at another church and I thought it would be great for our church to have,” she said.
The committee reached out to members to bring nativities to the church. For the past several weeks, people have been dropping off submissions.
Saturday’s event featured 206 displays and 35 ornaments, including several nativities from other countries.
JoAnn Strege shared 37 nativities and ornaments she has collected for more than 70 years, including one ceramic nativity she may have painted as a child.
“The true meaning of Christmas we forget is CHRIST-mas,” she said. “There’s too many Santas and Christmas stuff, which is nice for kids, but we need to get back to the true meaning.”
The committee spent two days setting up the displays in the church’s basement, atrium and sanctuary. Tables were decorated, and each nativity was placed with care and labeled with the owner’s name.
“If there’s something special about the nativity, they included it on the card,” Marshall said.
Some nativity stories were too long to be included on the display card.
As committee member Heather Johnson of Luverne unpacked a hand-crocheted nativity belonging to her father-in-law and former pastor, Gail Johnson, she explained how he received the nativity from a talented parishioner. The 15-piece set has become cherished by the family.
“She gave Mary, Joseph and Jesus for Christmas one year and added a knitted figure every year after that,” Johnson said.
An estimated 250 people toured the nativities Saturday.
That afternoon each nativity was carefully repacked and given back to the owner.
Committee members will discuss the event at a future meeting and its possible return in 2022.
“We are very pleased with the turnout, and those in attendance seemed to thoroughly enjoy all the various nativities,” Marshall said.
“From what people in attendance have said to us, they would like to see it again next year, so it is highly likely we will (offer it again).”

The Luverne Area Community Foundation hosted its annual Friends of the Foundation Celebration of Philanthropy Monday night at Take 16 Brewing Company in Luverne.
The event recognizes and celebrates businesses, nonprofits and individuals who benefit from and support the foundation’s mission of strengthening the community.
In 2021 LACF provided grants to dozens of local causes totaling nearly $76,000.
“This night is to celebrate you,” LACF director Emily Crabtree told the group.
 
George and Corrine Bonnema receive
Spirit of Philanthropy Award
 This award recognizes an outstanding individual or family with a proven record of exceptional financial generosity and volunteer leadership to one or more Rock County nonprofit organizations who has “demonstrated extraordinary civic and charitable responsibility, and whose generosity inspires others to philanthropic action.”
Crabtree said George and Corrine Bonnema received the award for their service in the community. “While they work well as a team, they also have their individual passions that they carry,” she said.
She mentioned Generations, Farmers Market, Big Buddies, American Reformed Church, Mentoring, Healing Garden, Rock the Edge leader as a few.
George said he’s blessed to have a vocation that was his passion and even more so that Corrine made it “their passion” as business owners of Luverne Flowers.
“They have a strong belief that God entrusts every person with time, talents and ability,” Crabtree said Monday night.
“These things bring opportunity to gain wealth, not just for personal wants but also to bless others.”
The Bonnemas said being retired allows them more time to volunteer and serve.
“The opportunity to volunteer in all the venues we serve gives us a great sense of accomplishment and purpose,” George said.
“We appreciate our home, our property, our community, and the people who make our community what it is.  We consider it a privilege to be able to give back.”
The Bonnemas said they hope they can inspire others by carrying on the legacy as community members as others did before them through leadership and generosity.
“We see possibilities as invitations. We encourage retirees to find a place to become involved because the opportunities are there if you want to find them,” George said.
“If anyone wants to find purpose and joy in life, we encourage you to invest yourself for the benefit of others.”   
Pizza Ranch named Outstanding Corporation or Business
This award recognizes a business that has “created a culture of philanthropy with their organization and has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to philanthropy” through financial support of nonprofit organizations, leadership involvement, and volunteer participation and commitment of its workforce in establishing a role model for the business community.
Luverne Pizza Ranch, owned by Randy and Lila Bauer, started in Luverne in 1993 with a “vision to glorify God by positively impacting the world.” 
She said that as a business, Pizza Ranch has been blessed. “We have a great staff that cares about each other and the community they live in,” Lila said. “They are the heart of Pizza Ranch. When we see a need in the community, we try to find a way that we can make an impact. Everyone that works at the ranch knows this is what we do.”
Crabtree said successful local businesses want the community to succeed.  
“Lila and her staff have proven just that,” she said.
Extra food from the end of the night is shared with places and people that give important care to our community such as the Hospice Cottage, the hospital nurses station and the Rock County Sheriff’s office.  
During Covid Pizza Ranch started hosting community pizza drops and donating a portion of those sales to local schools and organizations.  
“Help where they can, glorify God by positively impacting the world – that is what Luverne Pizza Ranch is all about,” Crabtree said. “Thank you for what you do for our communities.”
BMAT receives Nonprofit Spotlight Award 
The award recognizes an outstanding volunteer group that has demonstrated exceptional commitment to the community through direct involvement, financial support and leadership. 
“If it were not for one of the most active volunteer boards in our community, we would not get to experience live theatre experiences such as drama theater, musicals, concerts or children’s productions plus current movies on the weekend,” Crabtree said about the Blue Mound Area Theatre.
The nonprofit group promotes fine arts through funding by ticket sales, concessions, rent of theater, charitable gifts from supporters of them and the city of Luverne. The group also coordinates dozens of volunteers in its work.
“The behind the scenes work of BMAT for the Palace Theatre tries to be the hub of activity for Luverne,” Crabtree said.  
“They work hard to provide space for performance events and bringing in a variety of artists to expose the general public to different genres.”
She said BMAT’s leadership focus is to work hard to bring the fine arts to our small rural community.  
“A variety of theatrical genres and movies and a quality experience is what they aim to do every weekend,” Crabtree said. “Thank you to the working board members of the Blue Mound Area Theatre.”
The Luverne Area Community Foundation can be reached at 507-220-2424 or Emily@luvacf.org.

Fifteen new members were inducted into the Luverne High School National Honor Society Monday, Nov. 22, in a ceremony at the performing arts center.
Inducted during the ceremony were seniors Pierce Cunningham, Elise Ferrell, Trygve Gangestad, Kristin Rud, Madeleine Schmuck and Hope Thorson, and juniors Parker Carbonneau, Ross Bergman, Jacie Graham, Tori Hemme, Averill Sehr, Christina Wagner, Elizabeth Wagner, Anja Jarchow and Logan Ommen.
Each of the new inductees received a membership pin from the one teacher they selected as having made an impact on their educational journey thus far.
The teachers chosen included Gavin Folkestad, Caroline Thorson, Mike Wenninger, Courtney Graanstra, Laura Louwagie, James Jarvie, Lucy Rofshus, Jon Schomacker, April Wallace, Aaron Perkins, Deb Hoogendorn, Jason Berghorst, Katie Mostad and Amy Sahly.
LHS graduate Kathryn “Kat” Dahl, a past inductee into the LHS Honor Society, was chosen to address the group.
She explained how the society’s four pillars, scholarship, service, leadership and character, have influenced her career journey to become a doctor and return to her hometown as a family practitioner.
 “I was worried I didn’t have enough experience under my belt to expound wisdom,” Dahl said. “It seems like yesterday that I was sitting in your chair.”
Since graduating from Luverne High School in 2010, Dahl earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter and is now in medical school at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
She is currently a resident physician at the Center for Family Medicine in Sioux Falls and is finishing a fellowship in C-section training.
Dahl will start her practice in family medicine at the Luverne Sanford Clinic in January.
“I am at an interesting crossroads in my career right now, where the years and years of education are about to come to an end and I will start my forever job,” Dahl said.
“If you would have told me 13 years ago that my forever job would take me back home, I would have thought you were kidding.”
Accompanying Dahl back to her hometown are her husband, Brooks Maurer, a teacher with Luverne, and their one-year-old son, Myles.
Guiding her for more than a decade have been NHS pillars of scholarship, service, leadership and character.
Her experience with each pillar, especially scholarship, is still with her today.
“When you think you’ve learned it all, your path will branch and there will be more to learn,” she said.
“I challenge you to keep an open mind to learning new skills. Never let yourself think you are the smartest one in the room. Stay humble and stay committed to learning more.”
For service Dahl advised students to volunteer for reasons other than listing projects on applications.
“Use that privilege that you’ve been given to help those who are less fortunate than you — put their needs ahead of your own,” she said.
“Don’t wait for good things to happen to you; go out and do good things. The world will be a better place because of it.”
Leadership and character meld together in Dahl’s experience.
She encouraged students to use experiences to lead and take the best learned aspects to be a team member rather than working to better only oneself.
“Be courageous as you go forward and be courteous with your actions,” Dahl said.
“The four pillars of National Honor Society have helped me navigate life outside of Luverne. I hope you will take them wherever your journey takes you.”
Each year Luverne High School inducts 7 percent of seniors and 7 percent of juniors into the National Honor Society.
Students with a grade point average of 3.250 or better receive a written invitation to apply to the society.
Once applications are submitted, a committee of six teachers compile comments from the applicant’s teachers and selects those for induction.
“Membership in the National Honor Society is one of the highest achievements a high school student can attain. It is a reflection of their character, leadership, service and scholastic ability,” said current NHS member senior Olivia Huisman.
“It is also a reflection on their parents, teachers and fellow classmates who have helped and encouraged them.”
In addition to Olivia Huisman, current NHS members include seniors Trista Baustian, Griffen Jarchow, Casey Sehr, Luke Thorson, Brooklynn VerSteeg and Olivia Wieneke.

Students at Luverne Elementary donned their Sunday best and practiced their dinner table manners Friday at the Parents Partners in Education-sponsored Respect Lunch in the school commons. Instead of the regular cafeteria-style service, kitchen staff prepared a sit-down dinner where the students were joined by a parent or adult volunteer. They practiced passing the meal items from one to another and carried on polite conversations with their tablemates. Each table was decorated with a tablecloth, a centerpiece and disposable dinnerware, and diners were serenaded with live piano music.
 
The Respect Lunch did not take place last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Luverne’s annual Winterfest celebration returned over the weekend, live and in person following last year’s pandemic-restricted events.
Many traditional Winterfest offerings returned on deck, including arts and crafts, Santa at school, the nutcracker scavenger hunt, Christmas Cantata, Hinkly House displays and others.
However, several new events and activities joined the lineup.
For example, an open house at St. John Lutheran Church featured more than 200 nativities at the “Festival of Nativities.” Take 16 hosted Vinyl Night and a hotdish cookoff, the Eagles Club added a soup supper to its annual cribbage tournament, and Blue Mound Liquor sponsored a Jack and Jill Beard Contest with its wine and beer tasting.
Luvernechamber.com has information about the contest winners and awards.
Chamber Director Jane Wildung Lanphere said the pandemic prompted the loss of many longtime traditions, but it inspired new ones, and the Winterfest weekend offered opportunities for both.
“It’s wonderful to live in a community where we have everyone rowing the same direction and willing to give their time and talents,” she said ahead of the weekend. “We’re pretty blessed.”

Gevo Inc. hosted an educational tour Monday for stakeholders and policymakers to learn more about clean fuel projects in Minnesota.
Partnering with the Great Plains Institute, Gevo shared the message that biofuels are a lower-carbon alternative to petroleum-based transportation fuels.
“Minnesota is a leader in the ag and energy space and has an opportunity to create a clean fuel program that recognizes and rewards the immense carbon reduction capacity of agriculture,” said Lindsay Fitzgerald, vice president of Gevo’s governmental relations.
“Gevo’s guests represented the entire supply chain, field to the fuel tank, and we greatly appreciate the time and contributions from all participants. We look forward to collaborating to see a clean fuel policy in Minnesota.”
She said the tour at Gevo’s Luverne facility demonstrated commitment to reducing carbon and increasing agriculture sustainability while repowering the state.  
Meanwhile, producers are finding new ways to improve fuel efficiency while reducing the carbon footprint.
For example, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) dramatically reduces carbon intensity of air travel — up to 75 percent lower than that of conventional jet fuel.
Luverne Mayor Pat Baustian joined the tour Monday and said he learned a great deal about sustainable aviation fuels and the local plant’s role in reducing carbon footprints.
“It was very evident in today’s meeting that Gevo has a clear plan with their isobutanol/isooctane production and the low carbon footprint that they have with it,” he said.
“It was also very clear in what Gevo and their industry partners want to do with it in reducing carbon emissions in the airline fuel industry.”
Gevo leaders said that increasingly airlines are looking for ways to source lower-carbon fuels, and SAF plays an important role in meeting this goal.
Monday’s discussion following the tour focused on benefits and opportunities of biofuel production in Minnesota, as well as policy opportunities to support the further development of industry in the state.
Local legislators on the tour were encouraged to promote state policies such as Bioincentive and Future Fuels Act that support economic development and innovation in this sector.
Sen. Bill Weber, Luverne, toured with the group and said he was encouraged by the recent advances at the local plant.
“The production of hydrocarbons for conversion into jet fuel — or a variety of other products — is really the next generation of ethanol production and offers a great opportunity for plants like Gevo and the communities in which they are located,” he said.
However, he said he opposed renewable fuel mandates in developing the market.
“Any program must be based on incentives, not mandates,” he said. “Incentives will allow a program to develop and when it matures, be able to stand on its own. All mandates do is raise everyone’s costs and not achieve meaningful results.”
Baustian said that Monday’s event shows that lawmakers and industry leaders will need to work together to develop the SAF market.
The creation of industry and government long-term carbon reduction policies will be crucially important for this industry going forward,” Baustian said.
“Investors need these types of policies so that further long-term investment into these low carbon technologies and manufacturing of them will continue.”
He said Gevo’s Luverne plant will continue to play a big part in that process to manufacture Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) into the near future.
 
About Gevo Inc.
Gevo uses low-carbon renewable resource-based carbohydrates, such as industrial corn, to produce drop-in transportation fuels such as gasoline and jet fuel.
When burned, these fuels have potential to yield net-zero greenhouse gas emissions when measured across the full life cycle of the products.
Gevo is also in the advanced stage of developing renewable electricity and renewable natural gas for use in production processes, resulting in low-carbon fuels with substantially reduced carbon intensity.
Gevo has roughly $1.6 billion in financeable off-take agreements and more than $20 billion actively being discussed or negotiated.
In 2019 Delta Airlines entered into a partnership with Gevo in order to source millions of gallons of sustainable aviation fuel as part of its commitment to reduce emissions by 50 percent by 2050.