LSS meals at Generations
Monday, April 12: Chicken and noodle casserole, mixed vegetables, peaches, cookie.
Tuesday, April 13: Vegetable soup with crackers, meat sandwich, oranges, brownie.
Wednesday, April 14: Chicken a la king, biscuit, carrots, pears.
Thursday, April 15: Tater tot casserole, green beans, bread, peaches.
Friday, April 16: Turkey with gravy, mashed potatoes, corn, dinner roll, frosted cake.
Half Price Day sponsored by Minnwest Bank.
 
LSS Dining offers well-balanced and affordable meals in a community atmosphere.
Call Lynette Hoiland at 283-9846 to make dining reservations or for home-delivered meals.
Gift certificates are available at the meal site or online at www.lssmn.org/nutrition.

Albert Boeve, 97, Luverne, died Saturday, April 3, 2021, at the Sanford Luverne Hospice Cottage.
A funeral service is at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 7, at the American Reformed Church in Luverne. Burial with military honors follows at Maplewood Cemetery in Luverne. Per MN executive order, masks are required and social distancing will be observed.
Albert Boeve was born on the family farm north of Hull, Iowa, on March 30, 1924, to Henry and Ella (Bos) Boeve. He was the fourth of fifteen children. He attended country school through the eighth grade and then worked for area farmers.
Albert was drafted into the United States Army in February 1945. After basic training, he was sent to the Pacific war zone and served his time guarding the ruins of Hiroshima. Later he volunteered to be a military police officer in Tokyo, Japan, and stood guard at the war crime trials. He was honorably discharged as a corporal in December of 1946.
Albert married Cynthia Intveld on Feb. 14, 1947. They made their first home on a farm near Sheldon, Iowa. In March of 1948 they moved to a farm south of Luverne. In 1981, after 34 years on the farm, they moved to Luverne, but Albert continued farming for several more years. Cynthia preceded Albert in death on Nov. 13, 2010.
Albert was a charter member of the American Reformed Church in Luverne in 1955. He served as a deacon on the first consistory and was also a Sunday school superintendent and a member of the men’s brotherhood. In his young years, he played fast-pitch softball. Albert enjoyed going to the sale barn and having daily coffee with friends in his free time.
Albert is survived by his three children, Allen (Elaine) Boeve of Steen, Randall (Becky) Boeve of Slayton, and Myron (Shirley) Boeve of Luverne; seven grandchildren, Lynette (Paul) Schultz, Craig (Nancy) Boeve, Heather (Jim) Hoekman, Melanie (Ross) Behrends, Matthew (Dana) Boeve, Melissa (Nate) Buckland, and Brittany (Cody) Neumiller; 16 great-grandchildren; brothers Arthur Boeve of Hills and C. James Boeve (fiancee Janice Lustfield) of Beaver Creek; sisters Doreen (Arnold) Hulshuf of Sioux Center, Iowa, Eleanor Warntjes of Hull, Iowa, and Helen Overman of Rock Rapids, Iowa; brother-in-law Bill Ostra of Winnconne, Wisconsin; and sisters-in-law Joan Boeve of Hills, Lois (Roger) Baatz of Rock Rapids and Arlene Traber of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Cynthia Boeve; his parents; brothers Henry C. (Joanna and Darlene) Boeve, Case (Elizabeth) Boeve, Donald Boeve, Everett Boeve, Merlin Boeve, Gary Boeve, and Ervin (Sara) Boeve; sisters Gertrude (Gilbert) Leusink and Lois Ostra; brothers-in-law John Warntjes and Tunis Overman; and sisters-in-law Henrietta Boeve and Sharon Boeve.
Memorials are preferred to the American Reformed Church in Luverne or Sanford Luverne Hospice.
Arrangements were provided by Hartquist Funeral Home of Luverne, www.hartquistfuneral.com
(0408 F)

Nelvin Albert Schelhaas, 82, Luverne, died Saturday, April 3, 2021, at Ava’s House in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
A celebration of life service with food and fellowship to follow will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 10, at Grand Prairie Events in Luverne. Burial with military honors will be at Hillside Cemetery in Edgerton at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 11. Per Minnesota Executive order, masks will be required.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred.
Nelvin Schelhaas was born on May 9, 1938, to John and Lena (Van Rockel) Schelhaas in Pipestone County, Minnesota. He was raised on the family farm and attended school in Edgerton. After school, he began working for Harold Nissen on a farm near Woodstock.
He married Geneva Hubers on Nov. 30, 1963, at the American Reformed Church in Woodstock. The couple moved to Gaza, Iowa, for a short time. They then moved back to Pipestone, where Nelvin began working at Sturdevants. In 1975 he bought a shop and began Nelvin’s Radiator and Small Engine Repair until retiring in 2003.
At this time, Geneva accepted a new job and the couple moved to Hawarden, Iowa, for seven years. They then moved to Luverne, to enjoy their retirement. Geneva died on May 17, 2012. Nelvin continued living in their home until 2019, when he moved to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to live with his daughter and son-in-law.
Nelvin was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Luverne. He honorably served his country from 1961-1967 in the United States Army. He and Geneva enjoyed bowling on a couple’s league for many years. He also enjoyed walking, taking bus tours, tinkering with engines and visiting with people.
Nelvin is survived by his children, Duane Schelhaas of Pipestone, and Kay Thomas (Rick Heidelberger) of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; four grandchildren, Darrick Thomas (Danielle), Zachary Thomas, Shania Schelhaas and Derrick Heidelberger; brother Jake (Gladys) Schelhaas of Jasper; and other family.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Geneva; his parents; an infant brother; and three sisters, Janice Posthuma, Caroline DeGrote and Laura Posthuma.
Arrangements were provided by Hartquist Funeral Home of Luverne, hartquistfuneral.com.
(0408F)

Emma Jean Blomgren, age 82, of Ellsworth, Minnesota, died Thursday, April 1, 2021, at her home in Ellsworth.
Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, April 7, 2021, at St. Catherine Catholic Church in Luverne, with Msgr. Gerald Kosse celebrating.  Burial will follow at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Elkton, South Dakota.
     A time of visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. at the church on Wednesday morning.
Sept 7, 1938, on a farm close to Elkton, I was born into the Clarence and Margaret (Houselog) Blomgren family. I joined my sister, Audrey and my big brother, Clarence Jr. When I was old enough to attend school, I went to Elkton Public School, graduating high school in 1956 along with 26 other classmates.
After high school I attended General Beadle State Teachers College in Madison, South Dakota and began my teaching career after receiving a 2-year certificate, in Oldham, South Dakota. Along the way of the teaching career I made stops in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Fort Dodge, Iowa, and on to Ellsworth, Minnesota.
When I finished my 4-year degree GBSTC had changed to Dakota State. I furthered my graduate education receiving an MA from USD. I added another 30 graduate hours from Mankato State.
During my younger years, beginning with my job at Oldham, I joined the Locke Electric Women's fast pitch softball team. We had many successful seasons, playing in the larger cities such as St. Paul, Omaha, Sioux City, Fargo, Rapid City. We also were in the Sioux Falls league and usually won the city championship. We had many State Championship trophies to hand to our sponsors, Lloyd and Gladys Locke. They attended as many of our travels as they could and were wonderful examples for all of us. We also played city league basketball for them in Sioux Falls.
After retiring from teaching in Ellsworth, I worked in two supermarket meat departments, one in Worthington, Minnesota, and the other in Luveme. I met many wonderful people as co-workers and customers at both stores.
I was so fortunate to meet so many wonderful people along my journey friendships formed from childhood lasted until I left this world.
My fiancé, Kenny Anderson Sr., my parents, sister Audrey Lorden, and brother Clarence Jr. all preceded me in death.
I am buried in the cemetery of the church where I was baptized, Our Lady of Good Counsel St. Mary's Cemetery.
My hope is that people who knew me will recall at least one time that I made them laugh out loud.
Arrangements were provided by Jurrens Funeral Home, jurrensfuneralhome.com
 (0408 V)

It seems that garden plants that were showing growth last week survived the 16-degree cold without damage, and I’m appreciating that, especially after one breezy 88-degree day yesterday, I have daffodils blooming this morning … what a glorious morning view!
I do seem to have more than my share of critter problems … both two legs and four legs.
A pair of Canadian honkers seem to think Poplar Creek flowing next to my garden would be the ideal place to raise a family … food and water … what more could a freeloader ask for. They are pretty easy to dissuade.
However, the deer that has decided I am gardening for his benefit is a different threat. Deer will not touch daffodils, but tulips are definitely on their menu.
The deer problem became evident last winter when he would hit against the bird feeder to dump the bird seed out and then eat it off the snow. I strung electric fence around the area but never saw tracks in the snow to indicate that he had come back to check out the fence. Then a week ago, when I uncovered my spinach in another garden, he was most appreciative of that fresh salad.
I purchased 80 pounds of Milorganite fertilizer to spread on my own as well as gardens that I care for, and the odor of that fertilizer is enough to repel them. Milorganite is a fertilizer made from sewage sludge. It is composted so it is totally safe to use. The formulation is a great balance for flower or vegetable gardens so I hope I have convinced the deer that this is not the place for them to live happily ever after.
It rained last night or I would be out planting my potatoes, onions, lettuce, radishes and brassica crops (cabbage, broccoli, kale, etc.). These are all garden vegetables that benefit from early outdoor planting while the soil is cool. A light frost will not hurt them, although I do cover the started brassica plants with milk jugs to prevent the wind from beating them up.
The milk jug cover is what it says … cut three sides along the bottom and fold the fourth back like hinge. Set it over the plant and pile loose soil on the folded-out flap to keep the jug in place. Remove the cap so heat doesn’t build up during the day.
I leave them in place for a couple of weeks until the plant is trying to get out of the hole. Great way to recycle the jug, and I reuse them year after year.

Spring is here. The soil is warming. Frost could impact vegetables and crops, but this is the right time to plant trees.
If you ordered trees from our office this past winter, they will be available for pickup April 9.
In the following weeks, the Rock SWCD will be planting trees around Rock County for conservation and land-improvement projects.
Landowners should be aware that trees are experiencing more stress than usual as a result of weather extremes in the last five years. We have seen historically wet conditions in back-to-back years. In the last six months, we have seen drought conditions.
Weather events stress trees, which then makes them more susceptible to diseases. As a result of recent climate extremes, we have received more calls than usual regarding tree mortality and needle/leaf drop.
The University of Minnesota Extension has a few tips to help trees survive and thrive.
   
Water trees first and second year
The most important time to water trees is in their first and second year to help roots get established. Within 24 hours after planting, the soil around the tree should be thoroughly soaked past the roots. Filling the hole with water and letting it soak in before planting the tree is a good strategy.  
Your new planting should be watered every other day for the first two weeks. Trees should be watered weekly if there is less than 1 inch of rain for the week.
One way to see if you are watering enough is by sticking your finger in the soil a couple of inches.  The soil should at least be moist two inches into the ground.
If water is ponding on the surface and does not soak in within a few hours, the soil could be saturated and may have drainage issues.
 
Mulch around trees
Three to four inches of hardwood mulch under the tree is recommended to help maintain and regulate moisture in the soil. There should be a 2-to-3-inch space between the mulch and the tree trunk, so that the mulch will not hurt the tree. A circle of mulch around the tree should be as wide as the branches reach.
Along with moisture control, mulch also helps prevent diseases found in the soil from splashing up on the lower branches and killing new growth. 
 
 Increase airflow
Thin out evergreen trees so that their branches are not touching. Some tree diseases thrive in humid conditions. Increasing airflow by thinning out trees will decrease humidity in the canopy and thereby decrease disease pressure.
 
Add cover crops
If you don’t want to mulch around your trees, you might want to consider planting a low-growing pollinator mix around the tree. A diversity of plant roots in the soil is good for soil health and tree health.
If the area had been tilled for planting the tree, cover crops can help get your soil structure back in to shape. Good soil structure allows water to infiltrate the soil to the trees roots.
Don’t forget about the critters. Tree tubes seem to be the best defense against rabbits and deer.
    
How to plant more trees
Tree orders for the spring should be placed in the fall of the previous year. We recommend contacting our office in October. Popular trees tend to run out by November.
You can see what our nursery can ship to us by visiting SchumachersNursery.com
We only order 2-to-3-foot bare root ($1.85-each) and 1-gallon potted evergreen trees ($8.50-each).
We do have a few extra trees this year. The bare root trees we still have are American plum, apricot, elderberry, American hazelnut, hackberry, nannyberry, golden willow, blue willow and laurel leaf willow.
Larger trees still available are red oak and American linden, paper birch, black walnut and cottonwood. We also have a few extra evergreens including white spruce.
You can reach me at the Rock County Land Management Office by calling 507-283-8862.

High school spring sports are back in Rock County.
A year after the 2020 spring season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the spring sports teams for Luverne and Hills-Beaver Creek are back practicing in preparation for the upcoming season.
“It’s exciting to have the kids back at it,” Luverne track coach Pete Janiszeski said.
“It feels great to be working with the kids and helping them strive toward their goals and becoming their best.”
The first official day of practice for the spring sports teams was on March 29. The first contests will be Thursday, April 8.
The Luverne softball players will open their season Thursday, April 8, when they hit the road to take on Blue Earth.
The baseball team for Luverne will open the season in Windom on Friday, April 9. 
The track and field team for the Cardinals will open the season with an away meet in Blue Earth on Thursday, April 8. 
The boys’ tennis team for Luverne will open the season on April 8 when they welcome Fairmont to Luverne.
The girls’ golf team will open the season on Saturday, April 10, when they travel to Worthington.
The boys’ and girls’ golf teams will have a home meet on Tuesday, April 13, at the Luverne Country Club.
The Hills-Beaver Creek golf team will open the season on Thursday, April 8, in Westbrook.
The H-BC track athletes will open their season on Friday, April 8, in Slayton.
Janiszeski said the focus for his team is to get better each day.
“Right now we’re just taking things one day at a time and trying to help the kids find their niche,” Janiszeski said.
“We just want the kids to focus on leaving practice each day a little better than they were to start the day.”

The Big South Conference recently announced its All-Conference teams for boys’ and girls’ hockey, wrestling and gymnastics, and multiple Luverne athletes made the list.
The Red Rock Conference released its All-Conference teams for basketball. Several Hills-Beaver Creek athletes were named to the team.
 
Gymnastics
In gymnastics, Amira Cowell and Ella Reisdorfer both earned all-conference honors.
 It’s the second straight year that Reisdorfer earned all-conference honors.
 
Wrestling
In wrestling, Riley Cowell earned all-conference honors. Cowell finished his senior season with a 25-6 record.
 
Girls’ Hockey
Kamryn Van Batavia, Reghan Bork and Rylee Gee were all named to the Big South All-Conference team.
Van Batavia finished the season with 47 goals and 40 assists.
Bork finished the season with 28 goals and 41 assists.
Gee finished her senior season with 20 goals and 16 assists.
 
Boys’ Hockey
Shaid Shearer earned all-conference honors. The senior goalie finished the season with 871 saves.
Cade Wenninger earned all-conference honorable mention. Wenninger finished his senior season with 14 goals and 17 assists.
 
Red Rock Conference
 
Boys’ Basketball
H-BC Patriot Cole Baker earned first-team all-conference honors.
Oliver Deelstra and Zander Wysong both earned honorable mention.
 
Girls’ Basketball
Kenadie Fick, Taryn Rauk, and Abby Knobloch all earned all-conference honors for the Patriots.
Annie Bos earned all-conference honorable mention.

I figured it was time to give you all an update on my newest Labrador puppy, Ghost.  He just reached the 9-month mark and is doing all the things puppies like to do. 
If you give him a free minute, he will run down the hall and hide under my bed and then destroy anything he found there or took with him on his way there. He is so big he can barely fit under there but squeeze he does.
Most of the time his destructions are mild. The biggest loss was a 1-week-old pair of hand-knitted wool socks I had worn only once. I even put them up on the dresser and he found them and had a “Big And Rich” time in puppy terms. He did chew the top off of a pretty good pair of ankle high hunting boots. Good thing my pants still cover the damage.
I have spent the last few winter months working on “here,” “sit” and “heel.” This was done inside my shed. He has graduated to the point where he will walk at “heel” off lead with pretty good success.
What I would like to share today are some other very important things you need to be doing as that dog grows from the puppy stage to an adult dog which happens in about one year’s time.
I have been socializing him at every opportunity.  I have a saying that “… anything a puppy is properly exposed to in the first six months of their life, they will most likely not be scared or timid of for the rest of their life.” This can be loud noises, thunder, train whistles, shop vacuums, gunfire, fireworks and other things that many dogs will freak out from.
There is a proper way and many terrible ways to do these introductions. When it comes to loud noises like those listed earlier, it takes more than one experience to be successful.
I start my shop vacuum in another room. I gather up my puppy in my arms and starting at a long distance, I will slowly walk toward the noise. I am petting him and gently talking to him.
I say, “What is that sound? Should we go check it out?” At the first sign of apprehension, I start backing up and the lesson is over for the day. It might take a few efforts, but in no time he will think the noise is no big deal.
The same method works for introduction to gunfire. I leave the puppy in a kennel in the truck with the windows closed. I walk about 100 yards away and fire a gun in the opposite direction of the truck. If you have a helper, you can sit with the little one and have your helper shoot the gun. If the puppy starts to get nervous, back away; that session is over for that day. 
It took about four exposures to gunfire, each time with the gun a little closer, and soon Ghost would sit right next to the trap thrower while my friends did their best to dust the clays as they were propelled skyward.
When they are no longer afraid of the sound of a gun, I then add in some fun bumper retrieves.  As a helper shoots the gun, I would throw a bumper in a slightly different direction. The excitement of the retrieves is then associated with the sound of the gun, and as a result, all of my dogs get excited when they see a gun.
Intro to gunfire is certainly not the only socialization your puppy needs.  Controlled contact with other people, other dogs and new places is also important. Dog introductions need to be done with both the puppy and the introduction dog on a leash.
You never really know how the new dog might react when an energetic puppy starts wanting to play. I saw the results when the puppy was cut loose with a new dog and ended up with a big dog canine puncture wound right through the top of its nose into the nasal cavity of the little one.
Surgery fixed up the little guy, but there was a serious lesson learned by that new owner that day. Not all of those “gone bad” introductions end up with a good outcome.
With no prior introductions, the puppy had just arrived two days earlier, an associate of mine had the neighbor’s dog bust loose from their back yard, and within 15 seconds her puppy was killed by the neighbor dog.
It is normally not that serious of an outcome, but dog introductions are very important and then need to be done the right way.
In a few weeks I will share Ghost’s first experience in the water. It was a grand affair and more than a few laughs were had. Stay tuned.
 
Scott Rall, Worthington, is a habitat conservationist, avid hunting and fishing enthusiast and is president of Nobles County Pheasants Forever. He can be reached at scottarall@gmail.com. or on Twitter @habitat champion.