Although the majority of people who have depression do not die by suicide, having major depression does increase suicide risk compared to people without depression. The risk of death by suicide may, in part, be related to the severity of the depression.
Recent data on depression that has followed people over long periods of time suggests that almost 2 percent of those people ever treated for depression in an outpatient setting will die by suicide.
Among those ever treated for depression in an inpatient hospital setting, the rate of death by suicide is twice as high. Those treated for depression as inpatients following suicide ideation or suicide attempts are about three times as likely to die by suicide as those who were only treated as outpatients, whereas about 7 percent of men with a lifetime history of depression will die by suicide. One percent of women with a lifetime history of depression will die by suicide.
Another way of thinking about suicide risk and depression is to examine the lives of people who have died by suicide and see what proportion of them were depressed. From that perspective, it is estimated that about 60 percent of people who committed suicide have had a mood disorder (e.g., major depression, bipolar disorder, dysthymia).
If you, or someone you know is depressed and is seriously considering suicide, stop and call 911 immediately. If you, or someone you know, is struggling with depression and is experiencing suicide ideation or thinking that there is no other way but to commit suicide, find the help you need.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is at 1-800-273-8255 and SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
Both are staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year with trained professionals who have the resources available to get you the help that you need.

Friday night I pinned a large, light blue-colored ribbon on my home office bulletin board. I had won the ribbon hours earlier at the WSCA Championship Show at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds for horsemanship, placing 10th.
Receiving the ribbon marked the end to what I dubbed the “Big Adventure” I embarked in earnest back in January.
The ribbon brings forth a lot of emotions and a lot of people I need to thank for pointing me in the right direction, offering that encouragement to keep going, and dragging that home arena for the millionth time (thanks, Honey).
The adventure has shown me that you’re never too old to have dreams or to achieve them.
Preparation to ride in the biggest horse show of my life began decades earlier when, as an 11-year-old, I joined Rock County 4-H, where I learned how to care for and handle a horse of my own.
Millie, a sorrel quarter horse, began the adventure 12 years ago at my daughter-in-law’s farm in Iowa where she was born.
Millie and I met last year when I borrowed her for the 2020 show season and completed a series of nine local shows affiliated with the Western Saddle Club Association.
At each one of these shows, riders who place first or second in specific classes qualify for the yearend WSCA show in St. Paul. Hundreds of youth and adults and their horses traditionally attend the annual show.
Millie and I qualified for the champ show in our first year together. Covid, however, canceled the 2020 show that occurs in the Lee and Rose Warner Coliseum, a large concrete structure I first experienced in 1982 as a 4-H’er selected for the Rock County horse judging team.
Over the years, I’ve been to the coliseum at least a dozen times, most frequently as a parent of 4-H’ers who qualified for the state horse show. The last few years I was “show mom” to a good friend who said she would hold my hand as I set my sights on actually riding in the coliseum rather than watching from the sidelines.
That moment came last Thursday and Friday during the 2021 event. I had spent countless hours preparing for the three Western classes I competed in with other qualifiers over the age of 50.
For nine months I focused on nothing else.
I took riding lessons, attended a dozen horse shows, worked with a trainer, purchased just the right clothes and, most of all, spent almost every day with Millie grooming, feeding and practicing.
Our goal, just like the ones I challenged my 4-H-aged children with, was to bring home one of those big rosette ribbons.
Last week I tried to savor the moments, showing in the coliseum for the first and more than likely the only time.
Those moments are all a blur.
If it wasn’t for the pictures and video my daughter, Courtney, captured, I wouldn’t remember any of it except for the disappointment that my first two performances, though high scoring, weren’t enough to earn a ribbon.
Before my last class Friday afternoon, I resigned myself to thinking that I didn’t need a ribbon to validate the reward of stepping outside my comfort zone and checking an item off my bucket list. I was proud of Millie, who was calm in the ring as well as in the stall. We were ready for the last class of our big adventure.
That last class, Western horsemanship, is not an event I particularly enjoy, and throughout the show season Millie and I haven’t been all that successful in winning the event.
Fate, however, seemed to be on our side and led to putting an exclamation point on our adventure.
You see, I purchased a long-sleeved T-shirt as a souvenir the day before that last class. My color choices were black or light blue. I chose light blue — the same light blue color as that ribbon Millie and I won the following day.

Pick: Mob Rule Won — we hope
To the Editor:
Well, the mob won the battle with the school board. Some of your actions were uncalled for – example, sending not so nice texts to school board members. You seem to know more than the superintendent of schools, board members health officers, doctors, the science people and even the President. Your information must come from Facebook and Fox News.
A year from now we will know if the mob was right. I hope you and your kids got the shots. I hope your kid doesn’t wind up in the hospital or worse yet, doesn’t get out.
Who will you blame then?
Let’s be safe and not sorry!
Leon Pick,
Luverne
Smith: 'I am glad I did it'
To the Editor:
To some extent I get it. There was a time when I was Anti-vax also. I didn't want the government to tell me that I was required to get a handful of vaccines I knew nothing about.
But ultimately, I did it - and you know what? I am glad I did.
Kindergarten was awesome!
Tom Smith,
Luverne
 

LSS meals at Generations
Monday, Oct. 4: Orange chicken, brown rice, oriental vegetables, mandarin oranges.
Tuesday, Oct. 5: Beef goulash, peas, tropical fruit, garlic breadstick.
Wednesday, Oct. 6: Beef and bean burrito bake with lettuce, tomato and sour cream, pears, dessert.
 Thursday, Oct. 7: Country fried steak with gravy, mashed potatoes with gravy, warm cinnamon apple slices, dessert.
Half-Price Day sponsored by American Reformed Church.
Friday, Oct. 8: Fish patty on a bun with tartar sauce, cheesy hashbrowns, green beans, peaches.
LSS Dining offers well-balanced and affordable meals in a community atmosphere.
Call Lynette Hoiland at 283-9846 to arrange to pick up a dinner or for home-delivered meals.
Gift certificates are available at the meal site or online at www.lssmn.org/nutrition.

Card Shower
Bob and Shelly Reese are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. Greetings may be sent to them at 645 151st Street, Luverne, MN 56156.

The following appeared in The Rock County Herald on Feb. 9, 1923.
 
Public Health Nurse For Luverne Schools
 
Board of Education Votes to Add Trained Nurse to Regular Staff of Luverne Public Schools
 
Action Hastened by Big Epidemic of Bad Colds
 
Mrs. Clara Herm Engaged to Fill Position and Will Enter Upon Duties Early Next Week
 
In order to further safeguard the health and physical welfare of pupils of the Luverne schools, the school board has completed arrangements for the addition of a health nurse to the school corps.
Mrs. Clara Herm, of Lake Mills, Ia., has been engaged to fill the position and is expected to arrive here next week from Tracy, this state, where she is at present engaged. Her office will be at the Central building.
One of the first duties of Mrs. Herm will be to make a physical examination of all the pupils of the schools in order to detect those who show symptoms of the grippe, influenza or severe colds. During the “cold” epidemic which has been sweeping over this city and vicinity the past few weeks, the number of absences at the high school daily averaged from 35 to 45 and at Central school this number is even greater. It is recognized that colds are contagious and spread rapidly, especially among school children.
The contention has been made that the county nurse is to take care of all the schools in the county, and that therefore the services of a school nurse would not be required. The county nurse, as she is often called, is not paid by the county, but receives her salary from the Red Cross funds. With her various duties, she is unable to give the time and attention that are required to protect the health of as many pupils as are enrolled in the Luverne schools.
Donations to the Rock County Historical Society can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, 312 E. Main Street, Luverne, MN 56156.
Mann welcomes correspondence sent to mannmade@iw.net.

10 years ago (2011)
•Sanford Hospital Luverne is addressing a scabies outbreak among its staff and patients.
According to the Center for Disease Control website, scabies is an infestation of the skin by the human itch mite (sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis).
The microscopic scabies mite burrows into the upper layer of the skin where it lives and lays its eggs.
The most common symptoms of scabies are intense itching and a pimple-like skin rash. The scabies mite usually is spread by direct, prolonged, skin-to-skin contact with a person who has scabies.
Hospital CEO Tammy Loosbrock said the outbreak began in early September and was diagnosed last week. She said the hospital environment is currently free of scabies and the clinic was never affected.
 
25 years ago (1996)
•Getting through high school isn’t as easy for some as it is for others. In fact, many students never get their high school diploma. This can lead to fewer job opportunities, lower pay and decreased self-esteem in general.
In an effort to help students earn their high school diplomas, Luverne High School has started an “alternative school” this year for students who need help.
This could mean teen parents, high school drop-outs or students who may have failed a class and need to catch up.
Luverne Curriculum Coordinator Sherry Feinstein is heading up the program. “We saw a need as far as students having difficulty in traditional school and we were sending them to Pipestone and Worthington Schools,” Feinstein said.
So far, 30 students have enrolled in Alternative School classes.
 
50 years ago (1971)
•Months of planning literally went down the drain Saturday and the skies frowned upon the Luverne area cancelling the 21st annual Tri-State Band Festival.
It was the second cancellation of the event since its beginning. In 1968 the festival was cancelled because of the weather also.
 
75 years ago (1946)
•Rock county’s newest restaurant, “The Steak House”, opened at Magnolia last week, is receiving wide acclaim.
A. C. Dispanet, proprietor has spent almost a year in making preparations for the new business, and has now succeeded in obtaining all the necessary equipment to make it one of the outstanding eating places of its kind in the northwest.
 
100 years ago (1921)
•All automobile owners are invited to load their cars with friends and join in a motor trip to Rock Rapids this evening. It is planned to have the party leave Luverne at 6:30 o’clock sharp, and the motorists will be accompanied by the Luverne band.
The purpose of the trip is to bring to the attention of the people of Rock Rapids and the surrounding territory that next Tuesday is going to be play day in Luverne, and that the people from all over the Iowa state line will be as welcome to spend the day here as if they lived in Minnesota.
Incidentally, the Luverne band is going to render a number of selections after the Luverne party arrives at the Rapids.
The start will be made from the bank corners and the larger the turn-out is, the better pleased the pavement celebration committee will be.

Margaret Enger was born in Luverne, MN, in May of 1960. She was the third of four daughters born to Kermit Enger and Luella Funck Enger of Hardwick, MN. Margaret was baptized and confirmed at Blue Mound Lutheran Church.
Prior to Margaret’s 4th birthday the family moved to a farm west of Hardwick where Margaret was the first (and only) family member to see a cow smile. On the farm, Margaret enjoyed having pets, which included dogs, cats, rabbits, and a chicken named Henrietta. Margaret attended Hardwick Grade School and Luverne Junior-Senior High School. While in school, Margaret developed her musical gifts by taking piano and guitar lessons, playing percussion in the band, and singing in the choir.
Margaret attended the University of Wisconsin – LaCrosse and Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD, before completing her studies and receiving a Bachelor’s of Science of Business degree from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities.
After graduating, Margaret worked for the University of Minnesota. She continued to pursue her love of music by taking private voice lessons, performing recitals, and singing at weddings.
Margaret moved to Chicago in 1989 where she spent thirty-two years in the healthcare field working for Total Renal Care and DaVita Kidney Care. Here she also became a faithful Jehovah’s Witness and a beloved member of the community.
To the delight of her family and perhaps others, Margaret had a way with common idioms, transforming “nooks and crannies” to “crooks and nannies” and “wrapped around her little finger” to “twisting and turning her little finger”. While others may have “skeletons in the closet”, Margaret had “ghosts”.
Margaret’s love of animals was lifelong. As an adult, she adopted two pairs of cats. First, she adopted litter mates Desta and Seshi when they were six weeks old. Following their deaths, she adopted adult cats Sydra and Izzie.
Margaret was a lover of nature. She travelled to Alaska and several national parks to enjoy their splendor and beauty.
She became an avid birder and a handy resource for others with questions related to birds. In recent years, Margaret would take two weeks of vacation in the spring to observe the warbler migration over Lake Michigan. Throughout the year, she could be found at Montrose Bird and Butterfly Sanctuary several times a week where she watched, fed, and befriended birds. She made trips to Wisconsin and Nebraska to learn more about cranes and observe the sandhill crane migration.
She was also fascinated by the night sky and shared this interest with her friends and family by sending links about upcoming celestial events. She travelled to Headlands International Dark Sky Park for the specific purpose of watching a meteor shower. This past year, she was learning to set up a telescope so she could better observe planets and stars.
Margaret’s interest in nature was complemented by her interest in photography. She took photography classes and learned to develop film. As technology changed, she switched to the camera on her cell phone and captured many beautiful photos of the things that interested her in nature – birds, butterflies and other insects, snowflakes and raindrops, flowers and plants, fungi and tree bark, and sunrises and sunsets.
Margaret and her aunt Myrna gave their extended family a lasting legacy by spearheading a project to publish the Funck Family Favorites Cookbook – handling communications, collectiing and editing recipes, and working with the publisher.
Margaret enjoyed having her friends over for home cooked meals. She was also a gracious host when her family members came to Chicago either individually or en masse.
Margaret had the misfortune of contending with chronic health conditions throughout most of her adult life. Although she could have become bitter or wallowed in self-pity, she showed great strength of character and graciousness by finding joy in the activities and interests that suited her and sharing these with others. Almost everyone who knew her would agree that her most distinguishing characteristics were her big smile and infectious laugh.
Margaret passed away at the age of 61 succumbing to cancer. Her memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 2, via Zoom.
Margaret is survived by sisters Karoline Enger, San Bruno, CA; Lauri Enger, Edina, MN; sister Joy and brother-in-law John Lindgren, niece Krista and nephew Erik Lindgren, Bloomington, MN; aunts and uncles Myrna Spease, Hills, MN; Gordon & Mary Funck, Asheville, NC; Linda & Stan Halverson, Alexandria, MN, and numerous cousins and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
In lieu of flowers, memorials to the following organizations are suggested: Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, Montrose Bird and Butterfly Sanctuary, The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Chicago.
Arrangements were provided by Caring Cremations, Chicago, IL.

Todd Geertsema
Todd D. Geertsema, 57, Burtrum, passed away on Sept. 20, 2021, from Huntington’s disease.
Todd is survived by his wife, Kimberly Geertsema, children Connor and Morgan Geertsema, and parents Tom and Margaret Geertsema.
There will be a celebration to honor his life on Saturday, Oct. 16, from 1 to 5 p.m. at Todd and Kim’s home located at 4325 Acorn Road in Burtrum, MN 56318.
(0930 F)