Evelyn J. Ykema, age 89, of Luverne, Minnesota, died peacefully on Thursday, February 25, 2021, at the Sanford Luverne Hospital.
Public visitation will be Sunday, February 28, from 2-6 p.m. at Hartquist Funeral Home in Luverne. Per MN Executive order, masks will be required and social distancing and occupancy guidelines to be observed. Private family funeral service will be live-streamed for the public to watch on Monday, March 1, at 10:30 a.m.  at the Christian Reformed Church in Luverne. Burial will follow at Maplewood Cemetery in Luverne. To view Evelyn’s obituary or link for her live-streamed funeral service, please visit www.hartquistfuneral.com
Evelyn Joan Ykema was born June 20, 1931, on a farm in Eagle Township near Inwood, Iowa, to Peter and Jennie (Herman) Van Egdom. When she was eight years old, the family moved to a farm near Hawarden, Iowa, and it was here she attended Pleasant View Country School through the eighth grade. She would have liked to attend high school but was needed to help on the farm with housework and the chores.
On October 19, 1951, Evelyn married Norman Ykema at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. The newlyweds rented a house a couple of miles from Norman’s parents’ home place. A year later, Norman was drafted and Evelyn went and lived with her parents for the two years Norman was away. She worked various jobs and took part-time housecleaning jobs. When Norman returned the couple began farming on their own and Evelyn was a busy homemaker and mother. After eight years of farming, the family moved to Luverne, Minnesota, in 1962. They put their roots in Luverne where the couple celebrated their 69th wedding anniversary this past year.
Evelyn was an active member of the Christian Reformed Church in Luverne, Minnesota. She sang with the church choir in her younger years and was a counselor in Calvinettes which later became known as GEMS. Evelyn was an advocate and volunteer for Friendship group, a faith-based organization serving those with intellectual disabilities. She clocked many enjoyable hours as a volunteer working with the American Cancer Society, especially the annual daffodil fundraiser. Traveling with Norman made for many memories throughout the couple’s years together. In their earlier years, they traveled through much of the United States and explored the national parks. In their later years, the couple appreciated sitting back and letting someone else drive as they took bus trips. Some of her favorite vacations were their Hawaiian cruise, visiting Niagara Falls and taking in the history of New York City and Washington, D.C. Above all else, Evelyn loved spending time with her family. She relished birthdays, holidays and any and all reasons to get together as a family. She liked baking for her crew, especially her “nana” bread, cinnamon rolls and cupcakes. Evelyn also liked to sew and attend small town performing arts programs. She enjoyed spending time bird watching and gardening, particularly flowers.
Evelyn will be lovingly remembered by her husband, Norman Ykema of Luverne; daughter, Brenda and her husband Gary Barrett of St. Joseph, Minnesota; five grandchildren, Jennifer (Shawn) Groen, Sheryl (Kyle) Remme, Brian (Jody) Moss, Micah (Jeanine) Barrett, and Jordan (Morgan) Barrett; nine great-grandchildren, Jonathan and Mya Moss, Emma and Sophie Groen, Blaycie and Emersyn Remme and Roger, Nora and Mara Barrett; brother, Donald (Lois) Van Egdom of Sioux Center, Iowa; and sisters-in-law, Zeanna Van Egdom of Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Anita VanMaanen of Rock Valley, Iowa. She was preceded in death by her parents, Peter and Jennie Van Egdom; infant son, Norwyn; daughter, Noreen Moss; five brothers, John, Edward, Elmer, Peter Jr., and Theodore “Bud” Van Egdom; and two sisters, Nellie Vande Stroet and Elizabeth Vander Esch.
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Ruth Caroline Van Westen, 96, Ellsworth, died Sunday, Feb. 28, 2021, at the Parkview Manor in Ellsworth.
A funeral service will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 5, with visitation beginning at 9:30 a.m., at Hartquist Funeral Home in Luverne. Burial will follow at Memory Gardens Cemetery near Luverne. Masks will be required and social distancing and occupancy guidelines will be observed. The link for her live-streamed funeral service is at www.hartquistfuneral.com
Ruth Klaassen was born on June 6, 1924, to John and Edith (Klaassen) Klaassen in George, Iowa. She was baptized at Zoar Presbyterian Church in George. Ruth attended Little Rock Public High School and graduated in 1942. She then attended Cedar Falls Teaching College, graduating in 1943. Ruth taught country school from 1943 to 1947. She then taught third-fourth grade at Little Rock Public School from 1947 to 1950. She then was secretary at the Iowa Highway Commission in Rock Rapids, Iowa, from 1950 to 1952.
On Dec. 6, 1952, Ruth married Albertus Van Westen at Salem Reformed Church in Little Rock. Ruth and Albertus resided in Rock Rapids after their marriage. In December 1953 they moved to a farm northwest of Luverne where Ruth was a homemaker and housewife. In 2008 Bert and Ruth moved to Luverne, where they lived until 2018 when they moved to Parkview Manor Nursing Home in Ellsworth. There they enjoyed many visits from Bert’s sisters, other relatives and friends.
Ruth was a member of the American Reformed Church in Luverne. She enjoyed collecting cookbooks, spoons and mugs of the individual United States.
Ruth is survived by her two sons, Keith (Caroline Marion) Van Westen of Luverne and Kevin (Kathy) Van Westen of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; three grandchildren, Sarah Van Westen, Justin (Amanda) Van Westen, and Brandon (fiancée Elizabeth Soukup) Van Westen; and two great-grandchildren, Megan and Daniel Van Westen.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Bert, on March 12, 2o20; six brothers, Harmon, Raymond, John, Paul, Ronald and Alfred Klaassen; and five sisters, Esther Klinkenborg, Alma DeBuhr, Lois Snitselaar, Erma Wagenaar and Helena Sprock.
Arrangements are provided by Hartquist Funeral Home of Luverne.
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Harold Dean Hixson, 86, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, died Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021, at Avantara Salem in Salem, South Dakota.
A memorial service was Monday, March 1, at Grace Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls. Interment will take place at a later date.
Harold Hixson was born on July 15, 1934, to Cyrus and Irene (Cozad) Hixson at home in Hills. He attended school in Hills, graduating in 1952. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1953. He attended training at the U.S. Naval Academy of San Diego and was stationed in Key West, Florida, assigned to the USS Quillback submarine, where he served for four years. He is a veteran of the Korean War. Harold studied electronics at Dunwoody College in Minneapolis for two years.
On Aug. 2, 1958, Harold married Dorothy Kindt in Valley Springs, South Dakota. In 1960 Harold started working for IBM in Sioux Falls. While with IBM, he transferred to Rapid City, South Dakota, in 1961 and to Marshall in 1980. In 1988 he retired from IBM and started working for Eastman Kodak in Sioux Falls. He retired at age 63.
Harold enjoyed camping, fishing, wood working, traveling, golfing and attending his grandchildren’s events. He volunteered for many church activities and was a member of the American Legion.
He is survived by his wife, Dorothy Hixson of Sioux Falls; four daughters, Kristi (Mark) St Aubin of Omaha, Nebraska, Kellie (Mark) Brewers of Marshall, Kim (Troy) Barber of Garretson, South Dakota, and Karol (Greg) Koopman of Sioux Falls; and 10 grandchildren, Kayla Queen, Lindsey Collins, Kyle St. Aubin, Luke Brewers, Kody St. Aubin, Taylor Hixson, Kolyn St. Aubin, Blake Barber, Alex Koopman and Mason Barber.
Harold was preceded in death by his parents and two grandchildren, Jennifer St. Aubin and Brock Barber.
Memorials are preferred to the Alzheimer’s Association, South Dakota Chapter.
Arrangements were provided by George Boom Funeral Home of Sioux Falls, www.georgeboom.com.
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James Leroy “Jim” Ebert, 68, Garvin, formerly of Truman, died unexpectedly Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021, at the Tracy Hospital.
A funeral service was Monday, March 1, with military honors following the service at the church.
James Ebert was born on July 11, 1952, to Vance and Doris (Warner) Ebert in Clear Lake, South Dakota. He was raised and educated in Luverne, graduating in 1970. He then attended Winona State University, giving him the “Jim-ism” getting four years done in just one.  He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, hoping to see the world, only seeing the sights of Plattsburgh, New York. He continued to serve for six years before his honorable discharge.
Jim married Mary Wilcox on Nov. 22, 1975, while living in Luverne. This union was blessed with two children. Jim was employed by Teledyne Aerospace Systems in Fairmont for many years, eventually transferring to Bemidji with the company. While in Truman, he was an active EMT with Truman Ambulance. This gave Jim the desire to become a paramedic, mentoring others in the field.
At career’s end, he was able to enjoy his hobbies which included art, hunting, camping, being outdoors and music. He loved being with people, family and friends. Jim was regarded as a mentor and teacher.
Jim is survived by his wife, Mary Ebert of Garvin; daughter Jessica (Ethan) Harvey of Wrenshall; son Jake (Nicole) Ebert of Truman; grandchildren Jordyn Harvey, Peyton Harvey, Riley Harvey, Alex Ebert and Reese Ebert; brother Paul (Dyan) Ebert of Big Lake; sister-in-law Terri Ebert of Luverne; in-laws Ethel (Pete) Nelson of Duluth and Grant (Janice) Wilcox of Bayfield, Wisconsin; and many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Chuck Ebert; and parents-in-law Don and Charlotte Wilcox.
Donations are preferred to the Truman Ambulance.
Arrangements were provided by Zaharia Family Funeral Home in Truman, www.ZahariaFamilyFuneral.com
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It was a good night for the Luverne gymnastics team on Thursday, Feb. 25.
The Cardinals defeated Marshall 131.357-116.050, and Ella Reisdorfer set two school records.
Reisdorfer set the record on the beam with a score of 9.35, and she broke the old record held by Samantha Pierce, who posted a score of 9.15 in 2015.
In the all-around Reisdorfer set a new record with a score of 35.2, just barely topping the old record held by Courtney Fodness (35.1), which was set in 2007.
It’s no surprise that Reisdorfer finished first overall in the all-around.
Amira Cowell finished second in the all-around with a score of 33.750.
Sarah de Cesare finished with a score of 30.125 and finished third overall.
The Cardinals dominated the vault, with four gymnasts finishing in the Top Five.
Cowell finished first in the vault with a score of 9.025.
Reisdorfer finished second in the vault with a score of 8.975.
Tiana Lais took third with a score of 8.725.
Kianna Woods finished fourth with a score of 8.700.
On the bars, it was once again Luverne dominating the leaderboard, with four Cardinals finishing in the Top Five.
Reisdorfer finished first with a score of 7.875.
Cowell finished second with a score of 7.825.
Hailey Como finished third with a score of 7.100.
De Cesare finished in fourth place with a score of 7.000.
Reisdorfer took home first on the beam with her record-setting score of 9.350.
Cowell finished second with a score of 8.575.
Luverne dominated the top of the leaderboard in the floor routine with the Top Five being rounded out by Cardinal gymnasts.
Reisdorfer led the way on the floor with a score of 9.000 to take home first place.
Cowell finished second with a score of 8.325.
Woods finished third with a score of 8.300.
Kendra Thorson finished fourth with a score of 8.050.
De Cesare finished fifth with a score of 7.700.

It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish, and the Luverne Cardinals boys’ hockey team is playing some of their best hockey at the right time.
After losing to Waseca 7-1 on Friday, Feb. 19, the Cardinals responded by defeating the Blue Jays in Waseca on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 5-4 in overtime.
They then took a red-hot New Ulm Eagles team to the brink. The Eagles entered Thursday’s contest against the Cardinals riding a nine-game winning streak.
The Cardinals gave New Ulm everything they had but ultimately lost to the Eagles, 4-3 in overtime.
‘This group has shown that they are resilient,” Luverne head coach Phil Paquette said. “Last week’s effort was outstanding. If we can continue to play the game that way, we will have a lot of success in the final two weeks of the season.
Our hope is that this group starts to believe in what they can do when they play the game the right way and we finish the regular season peaking at the right time.”
 
LHS 5, Waseca 4
The Cardinals picked up their fourth win of the season on Tuesday in Waseca by defeating the Blue Jays 5-4.
Waseca scored the lone goal in the first period to take a 1-0 lead into the locker room.
It was all Luverne in the second period, as the Cardinals scored three goals to take a 3-1 lead into the third period.
Carlton Oftedahl started the scoring to tie the game at 1-1. Cade Wenninger and Brock Behrend both recorded assists on Oftedahl’s goal.
A goal from Zach Kruse put the Cardinals up 2-1. Henry Hartquist recorded the assist on Kruse’s goal.
Behrend wrapped up the scoring in the second period to give the Cardinals a 3-1 lead. Wenninger recorded the assist on the goal.
The Blue Jays struck first in the third period to trim Luverne’s lead to 3-2.
Behrend scored his second goal of the game to put the Cardinals back up by two. Wenninger and Oftedahl both recorded assists on the goal.
The Blue Jays scored the final two goals in regulation to force overtime.
In the overtime period, Behrend scored the game-winning goal to give the Cardinals the 5-4 victory. It was Behrend’s third goal of the game. Oftedahl and Wenninger both recorded assists on the game-winning goal.
Shaid Shearer recorded 44 saves in the winning effort for the Cardinals.
 
New Ulm 4, LHS 3
The Eagles got on the board first by scoring a goal four minutes into the game. That New Ulm goal would be the lone goal in the opening 17 minutes.
Wenninger scored the first goal in the second period to tie the game at 1-1. Behrend recorded an assist on the goal.
Behrend then gave the Cardinals a 2-1 lead when he put one between the pipes. Oftedahl recorded an assist on the goal.
The Eagles answered back by scoring the final goal of the period to make it a 2-2 game heading into the third period.
Hartquist put the Cardinals up 3-2 when he scored a goal two minutes into the final period.
An Eagles goal with less than four minutes to play tied the game at 3-3.
A Keagan Shiro goal 4:30 into the overtime period gave the Eagles the 4-3 victory.
Shearer finished the game with 60 saves.
The Cardinals currently own a 4-8 record and will host New Ulm on Tuesday, March 2.
They’ll then host the Marshall Tigers on Friday, March 5, and Fairmont on Saturday, March 6.

The Luverne Cardinals looked like they were going to get run out of their own gym Thursday, Feb. 25, by the Windom Area Eagles.
The Eagles came out like world beaters, taking an early 13-0 lead. The Cardinals finally got on the scoreboard when Gannon Ahrendt hit a jumper with 13:15 left in the first half.
The Eagles then went on a 7-0 run to take a commanding 19-2 lead.
The battle-tested Cardinals never panicked. They didn’t abandon their gameplan.
Instead, they slowly chipped away at that lead. In the end, the Cardinals came all the way back to defeat the Eagles 72-63.
“We’ve had a ton of games where we’ve gotten down 10 points or whatever it is,” Luverne head coach John Sichmeller said.
“Sometimes you’ll see kids get down on themselves or bad body language. With this team, I haven’t seen that with them. They always think they have a chance.”
He said he coached the players to be patient and take the right shots.
“There is no home run in basketball,” he said. “You have to stay disciplined. They stuck with it and that’s why we keep winning these close games. We haven’t had a lot of blowouts. We’ve had a lot of close games.”
The Eagles knocked down four three-pointers in the early stages of the game to help them take a 19-2 lead over the Cardinals.
Following a three-pointer from Windom, Ahrendt knocked down a three-pointer of his own and then hit another jumper to cut Windom’s lead to 19-7.
Jayson Rops scored a bucket to trim Windom’s lead to 10.
An Ethan Beyer three-pointer cut Windom’s lead back down to single digits at 21-12.
With the Cardinals trailing 23-14, the Eagles hit back-to-back three-pointers to take a 29-14 lead.
An Ahrendt three-pointer made the score 33-23.
With the Cardinals trailing 33-25, the Eagles hit another three-pointer to make it a 36-25 ballgame.
At the half, the Cardinals trailed Windom 40-27.
In the second half the Cardinals outscored the Eagles 45-23. A big reason for the second half success was the team’s effort on the defensive end of the court.
“We knew Windom was going to be tough for us,” Sichmeller said. “They have four shooters on the court all the time.”
He said Luverne usually plays a 2-3 zone, but at the start of the second half the Cardinals went to a 1-3-1 zone.
“That threw them off their rhythm a little bit. Then we ended the game by playing man-to-man defense,” Sichmeller said.
“The kids really focused and stayed disciplined on what they were supposed to do. That was some of the best man-to-man defense we’ve played in a long time. We switched up our defense a little bit and got our offense going off that.”
Ahrendt led the team with 31 points. The sophomore also grabbed six rebounds, recorded four steals and blocked three shots.
Bailey Cowell recorded a double-double for the Cardinals. The senior guard scored 16 points and dished out 11 assists. Cowell also grabbed five rebounds.
Nathaniel Cole-Kraty grabbed 10 rebounds.
Rops reached double figures with 10 points. Rops also grabbed five rebounds.
With the win the Cardinals improved to 10-2 overall. They’ll be back in action on Tuesday for their final regular season home game against the Marshall Tigers.
The Tigers defeated the Cardinals earlier this season 59-42. If the Cardinals are going to upset the seventh ranked team in class AAA, they’ll have to take care of the basketball. 
“The biggest thing when we play Marshall is avoiding turnovers,” Sichmeller said.
“They put a lot of pressure on you. They have so many kids and good athletes that they throw at you. We really have to be disciplined and keep the turnovers down.”
 “We held them to 21 first-half points in the first meeting,” Sichmeller said. “Part of that is because we weren’t turning the ball over. They get a lot of points off their defense. The big key is not turning it over and handling their pressure.”
 
LHS          27  45  72
Windom 40  23  63
 
Points: Ahrendt 31; Cowell 16; Rops 10; Bose 7; Beyer 6
Rebounds: Cole-Kraty 10; Ahrendt 6; Cowell 5; Rops 5
Assists: Cowell 11
Steals: Ahrendt 4
Blocks: Ahrendt 3

The Luverne Cardinals girls’ basketball team put the clamps on Jackson County Central in Jackson on Friday, Feb. 26.
The Cardinals held JCC to 11 points in the second half en route to a 61-37 victory over the Huskies.
“Our defensive execution was the determining factor in the game,” Luverne head coach TJ Newgard said.
The Huskies came into the game averaging 61 points per game and were coming off a game in which they scored 90 points.
“To hold a high-scoring team to 11 second half points is almost unheard of,” Newgard said. “Each and every girl played a part in the victory, from the starters to the players on the bench.”
Elizabeth Wagner posted a double-double for the Cardinals with a team-leading 21 points and 11 rebounds. Wagner also recorded six steals.
Christina Wagner recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. She also blocked four shots.
Elise Ferrell reached double figures with 10 points. Ferrell also dished out nine assists.
With the win over JCC, the Cardinals completed the regular season sweep against the Huskies.
The win improved Luverne’s overall record to 5-7 and snapped a three-game losing streak. They’ll be back in action on Tuesday, March 2, when they hit the road to take on the Marshall Tigers.
 
LHS 61
JCC 37
 
Points: E. Wagner 21; C. Wagner 15; Ferrell 10; Beyer 6
Rebounds: E. Wagner 11; C. Wagner 10;
Assists: Ferrell 9; Sehr 3
Steals: E. Wagner 6;
Blocks: C. Wagner 4; E. Wagner 2

The Southwest Minnesota Christian Eagles entered Thursday’s matchup against Hills-Beaver Creek with a 10-1 record.
They’re one of the best teams in the area, and for the second time this season, the Patriots played a tough game against the Eagles but were unable to come out on top.
In the first meeting, the Eagles topped the Patriots 80-72. In the rematch, the Eagles defeated the Patriots 74-62 in Edgerton on Thursday, Feb. 25.
The Eagles outscored the Patriots in the first half 44-32. That double-digit halftime lead proved to be too much to overcome for the Patriots.
The two Red Rock Conference rivals played an even second half with the two teams both scoring 30 points.
Cole Baker scored a team-leading 20 points for the Patriots. Baker also grabbed five rebounds.
Zander Wysong recorded a double-double for the Patriots. The senior post player scored 15 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Wysong also dished out five assists.
Drew Leenderts chipped in with eight points.
With the loss, the Patriots dropped to 4-7 overall. They’ll be back in action on Tuesday, March 2, when they hit the road to take on Mountain Lake Area-Comfrey.
The Patriots will then play back-to-back home games when they host Adrian-Ellsworth on Thursday, March 4, and then Red Rock Central on Saturday, March 6.
 
H-BC        32  30  62
SWMC     44  30  74
Points: Baker 20; Wysong 15; Leenderts 8; Bundesen 6; Raymon 6; Harris 5
Rebounds: Wysong 12; Baker 5
Assists: Wysong 5
Steals: Bundesen 5; Harris 4