More than 125 local youth and adults last week volunteered with “Service Over Self,” sponsored by Rock the Edge youth group.
They completed projects such as siding homes, painting, washing windows and landscaping during the weeklong annual mission project.
“What an amazing week sharing Christ’s love with our neighbors,” said organizer Becky Ossefoort.
On Thursday afternoon, June 24, as a conclusion to the Service Over Self event, the volunteers climbed onto trailers and toured each of the work sites, finishing with a parade on Main Street Luverne.
“Those who were there to wave and cheer were amazing,” Ossefoort said.
Volunteers gave out Cups of Sunshine during the parade and to Service Over Self recipients. Inside the cups were treats and information about the youth group.
“Our little parade wasn’t out of pride, but rather showing students how the community is both behind their work and how much they appreciate what is done,” Ossefoort said.
“We feel it’s as important — if not more important — as showing our love and support when sports teams have send-offs.”
This is the fourth year for the Service Over Self event.

Card showers
Donna Connell will celebrate her 80th birthday on Monday, July 5. Greetings may be sent to 39767 Clearmont Rd., Battle Lake, MN 56515.
 
George and Donna Scholten will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Thursday, July 8. Greetings may be sent to 202 Oak Drive, Luverne, MN 56156.
 
Open house
Judy Ripley will celebrate her 70th birthday with a celebration from 1-3:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 10, at the American Reformed Church in Luverne.

LSS meals at Generations
Monday, July 5: Closed.
Tuesday, July 6: Ham pasta salad, creamy cucumbers, fresh fruit, bar.
Wednesday, July 7: Roast beef, mashed potatoes with gravy, California Normandy, bread, bar.
Half-Price Day sponsored by American Reformed Church.
 Thursday, July 8: Sub sandwich, peas and cheese salad, fruit, cookie.
Friday, July 9— Sugar Cookie Day: Chicken alfredo, fettucine pasta, mixed vegetables, mandarin oranges, sugar cookie.
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.

10 years ago (2011)
•The Rock County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a burglary on Main Street that occurred in the early morning hours of Sunday, June 26.
According to Sheriff Evan Verbrugge, officers were called to the Herb ’N Legend store on East Main Street at 4:40 a.m.
Employee Andrew Van Hoof, who lives in the apartment above the store, told officers he heard a crash around 4:20 a.m.
He went downstairs and noticed the front door was smashed and there were rocks on the floor amid the broken glass. …
Storeowners Terry Gray and Monty Hagedorn are still tallying their losses, but damages are estimated at several thousand dollars.
 
25 years ago (1996)
•New Rock County employee Doug Bos is busy learning the ropes these days.
As the assistant director of the Rock County Land Management Office, he’s handling a triple challenge. Not only is he a new employee, but he’s creating a new position as part of the new Land Management Office team. He is assistant to Director John Burgers.
Bos isn’t new to the agriculture scene in the county. He worked as assistant manager at Hills-Beaver Creek Co-op Elevator for 18 years. He’s a graduate of Hills-Beaver Creek High School and Jackson Vocational Technical College. …
Bos received training that will help him in his new job through work-related courses and seminars while working at the elevator. He received his certified crop adviser accreditation in 1995. His biggest challenge right now, he said, is learning state regulations.
 
50 years ago (1971)
•As of July 1, the United State Post Office Department will fade into the past after serving the country for nearly 200 years, but in its place will be a new organization, the United States Postal Service, an independent establishment of the government formed to meet the changing needs of growing society.
According to Luverne Postmaster Arlo Bierkamp, the need has come into being due to an overwhelming need to move the largest volume of mail in history over great distances more swiftly and more efficiently.
 
75 years ago (1946)
•Opening Laudon Drug Store in the Connell Drug Store location Monday was Curtis M. Laudon, formerly of Slayton. The past two weeks, workmen have been engaged in remodeling the interior with the result that the store now gives the impression of having more light and greater depth. Some of the fixtures have been changed, and new ones will be installed as soon as they arrive.
Mrs. Laudon is associated with her husband in the business.
 
100 years ago (1921)
•A bathing pool in the city park is now an accomplished thing. It is not as large nor as elaborate as the one planned in connection with the enlarging and beautifying of the park, but it answers fairly well for the present and is, in fact, a big improvement.
The pool is located at the south edge of the park, and is particularly well designed for children. However, it is large enough to accommodate grown people also, although the depth is less than most swimmers prefer. But it is deep enough to permit the use of spring boards for diving, and is yet absolutely safe for children whether they can swim or not.

We were blessed with a wonderful rain shower on Monday afternoon, and my gardener’s spirit is revived! It is disheartening to watch the vegetable and flower crops you carefully nurtured succumb to extreme heat and drought.  I am grateful!
I noticed that the slugs have arrived. I was hoping that the dry weather would have curtailed their appearance, but the damaged leaves on some of my hosts are evidence of their chewing activity.  Slug bait pellets are very effective if you apply the product before the beauty of the leaves is destroyed.
I recommend spraying roses with a fungicide to prevent black spot which will be showing up soon at this point in the season. Several chemicals are effective in preventing this disease, which is easy to prevent but hard to control. Applying spray to both upper and lower leaf surfaces is important.
Several perennials have finished their first bloom cycle. Cutting off the old flower heads will encourage a second round of flowers later in the summer. When cutting off the flower heads of roses, make the cut just above a five-leaflet leaf. The first leaves under the flower are usually three-leaflet leaves, and cutting at that point will most often result in a stem of leaves rather than flower buds. Cut back far enough to keep the bush shaped.
This is also the right time to apply an insecticide to vining plants like pumpkins and squash that are susceptible to squash vine borer. Apply the spray at the base of the stem just above ground level. That is where the adult lays eggs and the resulting larvae bore into the stem.  The damage you will notice first is wilted leaves, at which point you have pretty much lost the battle. In a couple of weeks, the entire plant will collapse due to the feeding activity of the borer inside the vine.

Members of the Beaver Creek City Council, community and Luverne Area Chamber celebrated the new splash pad Thursday afternoon, June 24, in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The public splash pad is free to use and is located on the north side of the elementary school. Pictured (front, from left) are Annie Opitz, Cris Oeltjenbruns, Beaver Creek clerk Jane Blank, Beaver Creek Mayor Josh Teune, Beaver Creek maintenance supervisor Travis Helgeson, Vivienne Tatge, Nora Tatge, Betty Mann, Becky Walgrave, (second) Aaron Blank, Anita Blank, City Council members Pat Bender and Al Harnack, Kathy Fick, Lila Tatje, (back) Jim Van Maanen, Lloyd DeBoer, Steve Cattnach, Caleb Ellingson and Tyler Bush.

Donald Spease, 87, Luverne, died Thursday, Oct. 29, 2020, at the Parkview Manor Nursing Home in Ellsworth.
A celebration of his life will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 10, at the First Baptist Church in Luverne.
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Barbara Emery Nelson, 79, New Hope, formerly of Luverne and Sioux Falls, died Jan. 21, 2021, at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park.
A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 10, at Minnehaha Funeral Home in Garretson, South Dakota.
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Faith Lavonne Kruse, 67, Rock Rapids, Iowa, died Sunday, June 13, 2021, at her home in Rock Rapids after an eight-month battle with cancer.
A memorial service was Thursday, June 17, at the Christian Reformed Church in Rock Rapids. Burial was at the Riverview Cemetery in Rock Rapids.
Faith Fikse was born on Feb. 1, 1954, to Everett and Catherine (Proost) Fikse in Rock Rapids, Iowa. She grew up in Hills, where she attended Hills Christian School through the eighth grade and graduated from Hills-Beaver Creek High School in 1972.
Faith married Harlan “Butch” Kruse on April 19, 1975. They lived in Rock Rapids. Faith worked at K-Products from 1973 to 1999. From 1999 to 2004 she worked at the Foreign Candy Company in Hull, Iowa, and from 2004 until 2013 she was employed at Kruse Rendering.
Faith was a member of the Christian Reformed Church in Rock Rapids and was active in the VFW women’s auxiliary, the American Legion Auxiliary and was a hospice volunteer. She was known as a wonderful cook. She and her husband Butch enjoyed traveling for four winters to Texas. They also enjoyed spending time with their grandchildren and attending their events.
Faith is survived by her husband; sons Deric (Erika) Kruse of Larchwood, Iowa, and Lance (Marie) Kruse of Rock Rapids; three grandchildren, Brooklyn, Carter and Mason; her siblings Leroy Fikse of Artesia, California, Judy DeBondt of Bakersfield, California, Rodney (Mac) Fikse of Artesia, Lois (Alan) Leuthold of Hills, and Joni (Steve) Michael of Larchwood; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers Eugene, Donavan and Gary Fikse; nephew Aaron DeBondt; and parents-in-law Harry and Donna Kruse.
Arrangements were provided by Jurrens Funeral Home of Rock Rapids, jurrensfuneralhome.com.
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