Area firefighters were dispatched to the Keith and Darla Schmuck property two miles north of Luverne at 12:53 p.m. Thursday, March 10. They battled an intense blaze, fanned by 50 mile-per-hour winds and fueled by many combustibles in the shop. Crews stayed on site until after 4 p.m. Here, firefighters spray a side of the home with water as a preventative measure and First Assistant Chief Tim Anderson talks to Keith and Darla.Keith said, "The fire department did what they could. They were great."Darla said, "I have such a respect for what they do. They earn every bit of pay they get." The Schmucks, who were both working at the time of the fire, said they were thankful the wind didn’t blow the flames toward their home and that neighbor Coleen Cragoe was able to call 911 right away. The exact cause is unknown, but arson isn’t suspected.Keith is a car enthusiast and lost a 1954 Ford pickup, an engine and some parts for a 1937 Chevy coupe, and of course, all the tools and equipment stocked in a typical car and woodworking shop. Most of the body of the coupe was out of the shop at the time of the fire, and Keith’s 1970 Chevelle SS was in another garage. Cory Schmuck and Seth Stegenga lost a racecar they had just finished and repainted for the upcoming season. Both also had automotive parts and tools in the shop. Darla had some antique furniture that she was going to refinish. Their grandchildren had things such as a Barbie Jeep and a bicycle in the shop. Son-in-law Brett Miller had floor jacks, a power washer, an air compressor and other tools there. Cory had childhood toys including a wagon and an old pedal tractor stored upstairs. There was a skid loader, a self-contained 42-inch snow blower, a 1960 John Deere tractor, a Kawasaki 4-wheeler with just 60 miles on it — all lost in the fire.Also lost in the fire were small collectibles that had sentimental value. For example, Keith had a wall full of old license plates that his father started collecting, and he continued that collection with registration years 1918 through 1975. Clean-up will be completed this week, and the family will rebuild the shop this spring.

Hills-Beaver Creek Dist. 671Minutes2-14-05The Hills-Beaver Creek School Board met for its semimonthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the library in Hills. Board members present were Larson, DeBoer, Baker, Boeve, Esselink, Leuthold, and Harnack. Superintendent Deragisch and Principal Holthaus were also in attendance. The meeting was called to order by Chairman Harnack. Motion by Esselink, second by DeBoer, and carried to approve the agenda. Visitors to the meeting were recognized by the chairman. The only visitor was Lexi Moore of The Crescent,Patriot Pride: Brittany Boeve FFA Creed Speaker Guest teacher from Japan – Naoka Kelly Mulder Triple A winnerElementary report was given by Mr. Holthaus.High School report was presented by Superintendent Deragisch.The minutes of the last meeting were approved as sent out.Motion by DeBoer, second by Boeve, and carried to approve the bills.Legislative update.Motion by Boeve, second by Leuthold, and carried to cancel the February 28 school board meeting due to the Day at the Capital.Discussion was held on school bus safety procedures and the use of the stage for all basketball games. Dates to Remember: Day at the Capital February 28 Conferences February 17 No School February 18-21Agenda items for next meeting:Meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m. Ann Boeve, Clerk(3-17)

Committal services of the cremains of Sandra (Block) Johnson will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 23, at Maplewood Cemetery. Fellowship with the family will follow at the Coffey Haus on Main Street.Sandra was married to Bill Johnson, formerly of Luverne. She was the daughter of Bill and Merlyn Veenhof, Luverne, and the late Donald Block.

Funeral services for Richard Olson will be at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 17, at Dingmann Funeral Home in Luverne. The Rev. Maurice Hagen will officiate. Burial will be in Maplewood Cemetery in Luverne. Visitation will be from noon to 2 p.m. Thursday at Dingmann Funeral Home.Richard LeRoy Olson, 69, Luverne, died Tuesday, March 15, 2005, at Luverne Community Hospital. Richard Olson was born to Bert and Violet (Cornhel) Olson on Oct. 14, 1935, in Red Wing. He graduated from Red Wing High School in 1951. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1952 and served in Korea for 18 months. After he was honorably discharged he lived in Lake City for a few years. He moved to Luverne where he worked for A.R. Wood Manufacturing for a few years. He worked for Hoganson Construction for many years, building and repairing elevators. He married Betty DenHartog on Jan. 10, 1969, in Sioux Falls, S.D. They later divorced. Survivors include seven children, David (Amy) Olson, Beaver Creek, Charles Olson, Shawn Olson, both of Luverne, Jim Olson, Robert Olson, Peggy Olson and Rick Olson; three grandchildren; two brothers, Clyde Olson and Arnold Olson, both of Rochester; and many nieces and nephews. Mr. Olson was preceded in death by his parents and a son, Chad.

Gerrit Jongerius Jr., 84, Steen, died Tuesday, March 8, 2005, at Luverne Community Hospital in Luverne. Services were Saturday, March 12, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Rock Rapids, Iowa. The Rev. John Wolf officiated. Burial was in Riverview Cemetery at Rock Rapids.Gerrit "Garret — Doc" Jongerius Jr. was born to Gerrit Sr. and Gerritje (Van Putten) Jongerius on Feb. 20, 1921, on the family farm south of Lester, Iowa, the 12th of 13 children. During his childhood the family lived north of Steen, then Sheldon, Iowa, and finally settled in Rock Rapids. He graduated from Rock Rapids High School in 1939. After graduation he went to California to join his two brothers and began learning the carpentry trade. He entered the U.S. Army Air Corps in August 1942. He was shipped to the Pacific Theater in 1943. He served in New Guinea, the East Indies, the Philippines and Australia during his two years overseas. He was awarded five bronze stars, the Distinguished Flying Cross, good conduct ribbon and air medal. He was discharged in October 1945. After the war he returned to construction work in California and later moved back to Rock Rapids.He married Audrey Richters on Feb. 20, 1951, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Rock Rapids. They lived in Rock Rapids until 1957 when they began farming north of Kenneth. In 1960 the family moved to a farm west of Ellsworth where he farmed and did carpentry work. In 1975 they moved to Ash Creek where he lived until his death. Survivors include four children, Gary (Debbie) Jongerius, Lakeville, Mark Jongerius, Ash Creek, Cheryl Jongerius, Oakes, N.D., and Jean (Brad) Jongerius Hoffman, Spencer, Iowa; two grandsons, Alan and Craig Jongerius, both of Belle Plaine; and many nieces and nephews. Mr. Jongerius was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Audrey, in 1998, four brothers and eight sisters. Roste Funeral Home, Rock Rapids, was in charge of arrangements.

By John RittenhouseTiming is important in the game of basketball.Unfortunately for Hills-Beaver Creek, it was a case of bad timing that ended the 2004-05 season for the Patriots at Southwest State University in Marshall Thursday.Playing Russell-Tyler-Ruthton in the Section 3A championship game, the stage seemed to be set for H-BC to earn the school’s first berth in the state tournament. The Patriots, after all, were riding a 19-game winning streak into the title tilt, and one of the wins came against their opponent, the R-T-R Knights.Then it happened, at the worst possible time. A usually potent offensive team lost its ability to score at will, and the result was a stunning 61-42 loss to the Knights.The loss ends an incredible 27-3 H-BC season, which featured a perfect 16-0 run through the Red Rock Conference.R-T-R, the 2004 state champions, will get the chance to defend their title at the 2005 classic. The 24-3 Knights played their first game at Williams Arena last night.When trying to determine what happened to the Patriots in Marshall last Thursday, a quick glance at H-BC’s shot chart yields the answer. The Patriots were limited to three field goals in each of the game’s first three quarters, and H-BC shot 14 of 57 (25 percent) for the night."It was the worst we shot in a game all year. We just couldn’t hit anything," said H-BC senior post Tom LeBoutillier. "We didn’t change anything for this game. Coming in, we just wanted to play our game. They (R-T-R) did take some things away from us, and we didn’t know how to react to that. It just wasn’t our turn."Early indications showed it wasn’t going to be H-BC’s night.R-T-R’s Kyle Minett hit two three-point shots and Brett Newton, who scored a game-high 23 points, added another to give the Knights a 9-0 lead in the first 2:18.H-BC’s Tyler Bush recorded the first field goal for the Patriots at the 5:28 mark of the first quarter to make it 9-2. That, however, proved to be as close as H-BC would come to catching R-T-R the rest of the night.The Knights outscored H-BC 12-4 during the final five minutes of the first quarter and led 21-6 when Newton, who netted 16 points in the first half, converted a field goal with two seconds remaining in the period."R-T-R had a good defensive game," said Patriot coach Steve Wiertzema. "They sat back with their big guy (post Jon Wiering) in the middle, and he blocked our shots. We didn’t react very well to that."After the Knights scored the first two points of the second quarter, H-BC reeled off five straight points with senior Travis Broesder draining a field goal at 5:19 to make it a 23-11 game.R-T-R countered with an 8-0 run capped by a layup from Newton at 1:34 to give the Knights a 20-point lead (31-11) that was trimmed to 18 points (34-16) at the intermission.H-BC played well in spurts in the second half, but the Patriots were unable to sustain any long rallies.Trailing 40-20 at one point in the third quarter, H-BC used an 8-0 run capped by a field goal from Bush with 1:31 remaining to make it a 40-28 game. Minett, who scored 10 points in the second half for R-T-R, drained a shot with one second left to give the Knights a 42-28 cushion at period’s end.Kale Wiertzema, who led H-BC with 18 points and nine rebounds in the game, trimmed R-T-R’s advantage to 12 points (43-31) with one free throw at the 5:36 mark of the fourth quarter. The Patriots trailed by 14 (54-40) when Bush turned a steal into a layup with 1:40 remaining. R-T-R, however, outscored the Patriots 7-2 the rest of the way to win by 19."We made some runs at them in the second half, but they would answer with a couple of baskets," coach Wiertzema said. "Our plan was to be aggressive and go to the basket. They just defended us well, and we didn’t get many open looks."LeBoutillier nabbed eight rebounds for H-BC. Bush charted five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Wiertzema added four assists.The loss was a tough one to digest for H-BC, especially the five seniors who formed the team’s starting lineup.Coach Wiertzema said his seniors shouldn’t let the loss to R-T-R tarnish what was an otherwise successful campaign."We had a great year. This was just one bad night," he concluded.Box scoreWysong 0 2 0-0 6, Rozeboom 0 0 0-0 0, Bush 7 0 2-2 16, Wiertzema 3 1 9-10 18, Baker 0 0 0-0 0, Broesder 1 0 0-0 2, LeBoutillier 0 0 0-2 0.Team statisticsH-BC: 14 of 57 field goals (25 percent), 11 of 14 free throws (79 percent), 27 rebounds, six turnovers.R-T-R: 20 of 47 field goals (42 percent), 14 of 20 free throws (70 percent), 35 rebounds, 14 turnovers.

St. Patrick’s Day honors a very dark part of Irish history. A day now celebrated in countries all over the world was originally set aside for spiritual renewal and prayer in honor of Saint Patrick who brought Christianity to Ireland and converted the Druids by ridding the island of the devil.A peek at the Dining and Entertainment pages of the Luverne Announcer or Rock County Star Herald paints a much different picture of the holiday. Sure, the Irish influence is still there, but I don’t see much about spiritual renewal. In fact, I would be surprised if the folks heading out to Luverne Lanes for colored pin bowling or going to the Ellsworth bar for Irish food have any idea religion is to thank for their cheap green beer.Most of my St. Patrick’s Day celebrations involve lots of planning and thought such as what should I do or how will I celebrate? Unfortunately, with the exception of five years ago, I usually end up celebrating by donning some green attire and heading to work.But five years ago, after attending a wedding in Houston, Texas, during spring break, my future husband and I headed to New Orleans. We were planning to visit its zoo and famous cemeteries.Cemeteries in New Orleans are all built above ground because its soil stays moist throughout the year and residents don’t want the bodies of their loved ones floating out into the Gulf of Mexico. As a result, they bury entire families in large tombs. The names and dates etched into the tombs can span hundreds of years.Upon arrival we had a very difficult time securing a hotel room. Apparently we had overlooked the fact that St. Patrick’s Day would coincide with our visit, and holidays centered around drinking are taken very seriously in New Orleans. I don’t think they know about the spiritual renewal and prayer aspect of the day either.We found a room on the outskirts of town because everything in the city and in the French Quarter was full. The next morning the town was alive, and everything was green. I swear they even dyed part of the Gulf green for the day. It certainly can’t be that color all year round.We had a tip from our hotel manager that several pubs close off the streets near the wharf and have an all-day celebration starting at 7 a.m. We arrived on the scene shortly after 9 a.m., and the street was packed with green beer, green bodies and green beads. Everything was green. The people of New Orleans and the tourists had two ways of celebrating this holiday, by screaming and drinking.There were several parades throughout the day, complete with floats, bands and Shriners. We didn’t get to the cemetery that day or to the zoo, but after returning to our hotel after midnight I must admit I felt a bit renewed. … Perhaps it was just the hops speaking.Today I am traveling to yet another wedding in Texas during Saint Patrick’s holiday week. Hopefully I will stumble on an event as enjoyable and surprising as I did years ago. My years have taught me that this holiday is usually celebrated in bars, so please be smart and use your brain during and following your St. Patrick’s celebrations.

10 years ago (1995)"Lee Jackson was a second place winner in the computer applications contest at Marshall last week. Jackson is the son of Roger and Ruth Jackson, Hills." 25 years ago (1980)"Selections were made last Wednesday for the All Conference girls’ team.Chosen from Hills-Beaver Creek was Peggy Elbers. Jan Huber was named to the Honorable Mention list." 50 years ago (1955)"Pierre Van Ponder, friend of Pieter Rossouw, both of South Africa, was an overnight guest in the Victor Sandager home. Sunday dinner guests of the Sandagers were Mr. and Mrs. S.A. Cragoe of Beaver Creek and the Merle Muckala family of Tyler. Mr. Van Ponder accompanied the Muckalas home and will be employed at their farm this summer."75 years ago (1930)"The thermometer registered 70 degrees in the shade last Saturday noon, but caught a cold and since then the overcoats have been much in evidence." 100 years ago (1905)"Dr. C.L. Sherman, county physician, was down from Luverne Sunday to attend Ole T. Moe who is still helpless in bed from a stroke or paralysis.

Don and Edyth Briggs returned to Hills last Wednesday after spending about a month in California. They visited Don’s brother, Rod Briggs, in Seal Beach, Calif., Joyce Brooks and also Jack Winter in Escondido, Calif., also a cousin, Helen Weitman, in Arizona and Willi Mae and Bob Bance. Ray Nelson has recently received word his niece, Connie Astrup, Howick, South Africa, has resigned her duties as manager of a nursing home due to poor health. Her sister, Evangeline Murphy, Fox River Grove, Ill., has flown there for a visit. Fran Sandager and Beth Sandager enjoyed dinner out Saturday night and then attended the ice show at Blue Mound Ice Arena in Luverne. Friday afternoon guests of Mae Top were Vernon and Annet Wiese, Sioux Falls, S.D. Evening guests were Jerad, Kristen and Tess Top, Valley Springs, S.D.Chuck and Rheta De Boer spent the weekend in the home of David and Bonnie Fagrey in Rapid City, S.D.Tuesday Cliff and Vi Van Wyhe visited her brother, Mervin Warner, at Fellowship Village in Inwood, Iowa, and her uncle and aunt, Elmer and Leona Warner, in Rock Rapids, Iowa. Mae Top attended the baptism for her great-grandson, Dylan James Top, in Sibley, Iowa, on Sunday. He is the son of Kelley and Shannon Top. Sunday night, Ray and Lois Nelson attended the opera, "Carmen," at Washington Pavilion. Lois and Twila Kirsch took in the Quatrocelli performance there on Thursday night.