Alvin John "Tiny" Weir, 81, Luverne, formerly of Graettinger, Iowa, died Thursday, May 2, 2002, at Minnesota Veteran Home in Luverne.

Services were Tuesday, May 7, at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Graettinger, Iowa. Burial was in Crown Hill Cemetery, Ruthven, Iowa.

Alvin "Tiny" Weir was born to Frank and Mary Ann (Smith) Weir on Oct. 3, 1920, in Graettinger. He grew up on a farm south of Graettinger. He attended grade school and graduated from Graettinger High School in 1938. After graduation he owned and operated a Standard Service Station in Graettinger and was a bookkeeper for Quaker Oats Elevator in Graettinger.

He married Maureen Gleason on June 18, 1941, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Ruthven. This was a double wedding with his sister, Alice (Forrest) Purdue. He was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Corps in November 1942. He served in the Signal Corps. He was discharged in June 1946.

After his discharge he returned to Iowa where he purchased a Mobile gas station, Garage & Tank Wagon Service. In March 1954 he purchased a farm near Graettinger. They moved to Sioux Valley, Minn., in 1966. They retired from farming and moved to Harris, Iowa, where they both worked at Sather’s Cookie Co. In 1990 they retired. He was paralyzed from a fall in 1994. They returned to Minnesota where, after lengthy hospitalizations at Mayo Clinic, he became a full-time resident of Minnesota Veterans Home in January 1995.

Mr. Weir was a member of St. Catherine Catholic Church in Luverne, the Knights of Columbus, American Legion and DAV. He enjoyed gardening and other hobbies.

Survivors include his wife, Maureen Weir, Luverne; two sons and daughters-in-law, Donald and Otha Weir, Cooke City, Mont., and Dennis and Paula Weir, Oklahoma City, Okla.; one daughter, Mary Crost, Costa Mesa, Calif.; three granddaughters, Nicole, Kendra and Michele; two great-grandsons, Zach and Alex; one great-granddaughter Carolina; a brother and sister-in-law, Ralph and Helen Weir, Algona, Iowa; and one sister, Alice Perdue, Emmetsburg, Iowa.

Mr. Weir was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Francis Weir.

Dingmann Funeral Home, Luverne, was in charge of arrangements.

Steven H. DeGroot, 58, Luverne, died Tuesday, April 30, 2002, at Hospice Cottage in Luverne.

Memorial services were Friday, May 3, at St. Catherine Catholic Church in Luverne. The Rev. Andrew Beerman officiated. Burial of his cremains was in Maplewood Cemetery.

Steven DeGroot was born to Henry and Edith (Cauwels) DeGroot on Jan. 23, 1944, in Luverne. He grew up on the family farm southwest of Magnolia. He graduated from Magnolia High School in 1962 and later attended Worthington Community College.

He entered the U.S. Air Force in 1965. He served overseas in Okinawa and Japan. He was discharged from the service in 1969. After his discharge he moved to Luverne. He worked for more than 35 years at Hatting’s, which later became Northern Con-Agg.

Mr. DeGroot was a member of St. Catherine Catholic Church in Luverne. He loved the outdoors and enjoyed nature and fishing.

Survivors include his mother, Edith DeGroot, Worthington; one sister and brother-in-law, Carol and Roger Brust, Worthington; two nieces, Melissa and Teresa Brust; and a great-niece, Brookelyn.

Mr. DeGroot was preceded in death by his father.

A tree will be planted in memory of Steve DeGroot by Hospice of Luverne Community Hospital.

Dingmann Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Luverne, was in charge of arrangements.

Mark Hoogendoorn, 40, Steen, died Friday, May 3, 2002, in a farming accident three miles west of Garretson, S.D.

Services were Tuesday, May 7, at Steen Reformed Church, Steen. The Rev. Dan Ramaker officiated. Burial was in Eastside Cemetery, Steen.

Mark Allen Hoogendoorn was born to Jacob and Kathy (Vis) Hoogendoorn on March 28, 1962, in Rock Rapids, Iowa. When he was 6 years old he moved with his family from the Rock Rapids area to a farm near Hills. He graduated from Hills-Beaver Creek High School in 1980. In 1982 he attended Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa, for a short time.

He married Brenda Nyhof, Sioux Center, in September 1985. He later married Tina Thury. He farmed and maintained a large crop operation along with having feeder cattle and stock cows.

Mr. Hoogendoorn was a member of Steen Reformed Church. In his leisure time he enjoyed the outdoors and went trapping, hunting and fishing.

Survivors include his three children, Jarid, Grant and Courtney Hoogendoorn, his parents, and one sister, Peggy (Jim) Zimmer and their children, Tim, A.J. and Emily, Harrisburg, S.D.

Mr. Hoogendoorn was preceded in death by his grandparents.

Roste Funeral Home, Hills, was in charge of arrangements.

Adrian third baseman Brandon Wolf latches on to a bouncing ball for the Dragon baseball team. Wolf and the Dragons will host Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin for an important Red Rock Conference game today.

By John Rittenhouse
The Adrian baseball team set up a key showdown in Red Rock Conference play by beating Sioux Valley-Round Lake-Brewster-Southwest Star Concept by four runs in a league game played in Heron Lake Tuesday.

The win upped Adrian's league record to 7-2, which is good for a first-place tie with Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin. The Dragons host ML-B-O today for an important clash.

Adrian also lost a two-run decision in Pipestone Thursday.

Adrian, 8-7 overall, plays at the Windom Tournament before traveling to Hills Tuesday.

Adrian 9,
SV-RL-B-SSC 5
The Dragons scored four early runs and never lost the lead while posting a five-run victory over SV-RL-B-SSC in Heron Lake Tuesday.

The Dragons scored once in the top of the first and three times in the second to take control of the contest early.

Dusty Henning, who led AHS with three hits, walked and scored the first-inning run on a double steal.

Derek Vastenhout singled home a pair of runs and Henning doubled home another in the second.

SV-RL-B-SSC scored once in the third to make it a 4-1 game, but the Dragons scored twice in the fifth and sixth innings before adding a single run in the seventh to put the game away.

Pete Hohn, who rapped a pair of safeties for AHS, doubled home a run and scored on Brandon Wolf's fielderÕs choice to make it a 6-1 game in the fifth.

Colt Bullerman delivered a two-out, two-run double to make it an 8-1 difference in the sixth.

Hohn capped the scoring for AHS with a solo homer in the seventh.

Tyler Wolf pitched the first six and two-thirds innings to notch a victory. He fanned four batters and walked four while allowing five runs.

Hohn entered the game with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the seventh to earn a save by inducing the only batter he faced to pop out to the AHS shortstop.

P-J 9, Adrian 7
The Dragons came up two runs short when they played a non-conference game in Pipestone Thursday.

Adrian sported 5-0 and 7-4 leads early in the game, but the Arrows scored the game's final five runs (four in the third inning and one in the sixth) to topple the Dragons by two.

Things looked good for Adrian when the team scored four runs in the first inning and one in the second to take a 5-0 advantage.

Joe Kruger, who doubled twice in the contest, chased home three runners with a two-bagger in the first. Colt Bullerman received an RBI for a fielderÕs choice in the same frame.

Tannar Heronimus singled and scored when Dusty Spieker singled to take a five-run lead in the top of the second, but P-J answered with a four-run rally in the bottom half of the inning to trim Adrian's advantage to one run at 5-4.

The Dragons scored twice in the top of the third before being blanked over the final four innings.

Kruger walked and scored on an error in the second. Heronimus added an RBI single in the frame.

Heronimus pitched the first three innings and took the loss. He allowed five hits, two walks and eight runs (six unearned). Bullerman pitched three innings of one-hit, one-run ball in relief.

ISD #2184 School Board meets April 16
APRIL 16, 2002
MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL SCHOOL BOARD MEETING OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2184, ROCK COUNTY, LUVERNE, MINNESOTA.
A special meeting of the Board of Education, ISD #2184, was held in the District Office on Tuesday, April 16, 2002, at 12:00 p.m.

The following members were present: Don Bryan, Colleen Deutsch, Bill Stegemann, Steve Tofteland, and Becky Walgrave. Dan Kopp and Cary Radisewitz were absent. Also present: Superintendent Vincent Schaefer, Marlene Mann, Mary Jacobson, and Lori Ehde, Rock County Star Herald.

The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Don Bryan.

Motion by Stegemann, second by Tofteland, to ratify the Master Agreement between Independent School District 2184 and the Luverne Education Association effective July 1, 2001 Ð June 30, 2003. Marlene Mann presented information about the agreement. There has been one Association leave day added (total 6 days); the curriculum/staff development compensation was increased from $17.00 per hour to $20.00 per hour; the insurance contribution will increase during the 2002-2003 school year to single contribution of $2,106 and family contribution of $6,100; one additional day of personal leave with sick leave deduction and full substitute deduction (total of 3 days); and a memorandum of understanding removing "continuous" from the severance package language for this contract only. The total package is 9.96% for two years - with 4.378% the first year and 5.585% the second year. Motion carried.

Marlene Mann presented the structural balance report. Motion by Tofteland, second by Walgrave, to accept the following:

RESOLUTION FOR STRUCTURAL BALANCE

WHEREAS, School District 2184 has a tentative agreement with the Luverne Education Association on a contract covering July 1, 2001, to June 30, 2003; and,

WHEREAS, Minnesota Statutes, section 123B.749 requires a Board of Education to determine that any collective bargaining agreement does not cause structural imbalance; and,

WHEREAS, the School Board has reviewed the budget impact of this agreement taking into account current state aid formulas and reasonable and comprehensive projections of ongoing revenues and expenditures for the period of agreement, a summary of which is included;

WHEREAS, the attached calculations fulfill the disclosure and reporting requirements of said statute;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the School Board of Independent School District No. 2184, determines that the tentative agreement with the Luverne Education Association does not cause structural imbalance of the School DistrictÕs budget during the period of the agreement.

Motion carried. All members present voted in favor of this motion.

Motion by Walgrave, second by Deutsch, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried.

Dated: April 16, 2002
Rebecca Walgrave, Clerk
(5-9)

By Jolene Farley
Steen resident Mark Hoogendoorn died Friday in a farming accident in a field four miles west of Garretson, S.D.

Hoogendoorn, 40, was working alone between a four-wheel drive tractor and an implement when he was trapped between the two machines and killed early Friday evening.

Hoogendoorn, who farmed several fields in the area, was found Saturday morning by a neighbor.

A call came in at 9 a.m. to the Minnehaha County Sheriff's office, and deputies and Garretson Fire and Rescue responded.

Hoogendoorn had apparently finished planting the field and as he prepared to move his equipment he was pinned and died, according to reports.

The Rev. Dan Ramaker officiated at a service at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at Steen Reformed Church.

"We ask why ... not because we question God, but because we search for purpose and meaning," said Ramaker. "For when life has purpose and meaning, it is easier to accept and to cope with tragedies."

Surviving are two sons, Jarid and Grant, and a daughter, Courtney. Hoogendoorn was the son of Jacob and Kathy (Vis) Hoogendoorn, Hills. He was a 1980 graduate of Hills-Beaver Creek High School.

Ken Broesder, 57, Rock Rapids, Iowa, died Friday, May 3, at his home in Rock Rapids following a short battle with cancer.

Services were Monday, May 6, at First Reformed Church in Rock Rapids. The Rev. Dan Haggar officiated. Burial with full military honors followed at Riverview Cemetery, Rock Rapids.

Kenneth Donald Broesder was born to Joseph and Adeline (Smook) Broesder on Dec. 23, 1944, in Luverne. He grew up on a farm near Rock Raids and graduated from Central Lyon High School in 1961. After high school he attended Northwest Iowa Technical College in Sheldon, Iowa, for two years where he completed the auto mechanics course. Upon his graduation he returned to Rock Rapids where he worked for Samuelson Motors.

In 1968 he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and became a helicopter maintenance crewman. He received training in communications and flew on many helicopter supply and evacuation flights into combat zones as the maintenance/communica-tions operator. After his honorable discharge he returned to work in Rock Rapids.

He married Jeanne Baker on May 31, 1975, in Alexandria. Following their marriage they lived in Alexandria until moving back to Rock Rapids in 1976, when he opened his own business, Ken's Automotive. He retired on Oct. 1, 2001.

Mr. Broesder was a long-time member of First Reformed Church in Rock Rapids and a member of the American Legion. He enjoyed making bird houses and squirrel feeders.

Survivors include his wife, Jeanne Broesder, Rock Rapids,; one son, Jared Broesder, Sioux Falls, S.D.; one sister, Nancy (Ray) Klinkenborg, Rock Rapids, and their children, Joshua Pilcher and his wife, Amy, and Abby Klinkenborg; and one brother, Gary (Patricia) Broesder, and their children, Luke and Laurence, Rock Rapids.

Mr. Broesder was preceded in death by his parents.

Roste Funeral Home, Rock Rapids, was in charge of arrangements.

Adrian third baseman Dusty Spieker leans down to tag out Luverne straying base runner Kyle Kreun during the fifth inning of MondayÕs baseball game in Adrian. Adrian scored five runs in the fifth to force extra innings before posting an 8-7 victory over the Cardinals.

By John Rittenhouse
A late-inning rally by the Adrian Dragons ended in an 8-7 baseball victory for the Dragons in Adrian Monday.

Luverne sported a 6-1 lead after five and one-half innings of play, but Adrian bounced back to tie the game at six by scoring five runs in the bottom of the sixth before winning the contest by outscoring the Cardinals 2-1 in the eighth inning.

Adrian's sixth-inning comeback featured a two-run double by Joe Kruger, a fielder's choice that plated a run by Colt Bullerman and a two-run effort on a ball put in play by Dusty Henning.

After a scoreless seventh inning, Luverne gained a 7-6 edge when Eric Edstrom was hit by a pitch before stealing second base. Luke Iveland then chased Edstrom home with a single.

With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Henning doubled and tied the game when Derek Vastenhout slapped a single. Vastenhout scored the game-winning run when Levi Bullerman singled moments later.

The game's first four innings were a tight battle as the only run came during the home half of the second inning.

Dragon Pete Hohn walked and scored on a single by Joe Kruger to open the scoring.

Luverne moved in front 6-1 by scoring five times in the fifth inning before adding another counter in the sixth.

Edstrom and Ryan Goebel had RBI singles during the fifth-inning rally. Two more runs scored on a throwing error on a ball put in play by Kyle Kreun, and the final counter scored on a wild pitch.

Aaron Schmidt walked and scored Luverne's sixth-inning run on a wild pitch.

Dusty Spieker pitched one run of scoreless relief to pick up the win for Adrian.

Tannar Heronimus blanked the Cardinals while allowing two hits and recording five strikeouts though four innings. Colt Bullerman relieved Heronimus in the fifth and surrendered six runs in one and one-third innings. Kruger pitched one and two-thirds innings of one-run ball for the winners.

Henning and Levi Bullerman led the 7-7 Dragons by slapping three hits each. Vastenhout and Kruger had two safeties each.

Schmidt made his first varsity start for LHS and limited the Dragons to one run and five hits through five innings. Goebel was touched for five runs in one-third of one inning before giving way to Edstrom, who recorded two outs in the bottom of the sixth. Kreun pitched a scoreless seventh inning, but Iveland yielded two eighth-inning runs to take the loss.

Box score AB R H BI
Studer 5 0 0 0
Schmidt 3 1 1 0
Sandbulte 4 1 2 0
Edstrom 1 2 1 1
Goebel 3 1 2 1
Iveland 5 1 1 1
Kuhlman 4 1 1 0
Kreun 4 0 1 0
Crable 2 0 1 0
Pick 0 0 0 0

Local Tooth Fairy pays less than national average

There's a lot of talk about teeth in the Ehde household.

Our six-year-old is losing them and our 11-month-old is growing them. It seems there's almost daily discussion about teeth coming and going, often accompanied by thorough inventories of gums.

Carson has a hard time growing them. A single emerging tooth can cause sleepless nights for weeks at a time, and the teeniest change in health or mood is blamed on "cutting teeth."

Jonathan has much happier reasons to discuss teeth. Each one he loses represents a visit from the Tooth Fairy and more padding for his penny bank.

We're just glad kindergartners haven't learned to count U.S. currency, because I recently learned our Tooth Fairy pays considerably less than the national going rate.

According to a survey of 800 parents, Delta Dental found the average "gift" a young child's tooth receives rose to $1.60 in 2002 from $1.48 last year.

While that represents a rise of more than 8 percent, parents should know that increase is mild, compared with a 20-percent jump last year.

Delta released a very official statement on the findings.

"This was understandable, considering we were just coming out of the longest economic boom in modern times," said Delta research analyst Marty Weiland.

"Frankly, we were quite surprised that it rose at all in 2002, considering the recession we've been experiencing over the past year."

Delta's survey also showed that parents of today's children received approximately 38 cents on average for their own teeth.

I guess the Tooth Fairy at the Kroontje house in Kenneth also paid less than the going rate back then. I remember getting a quarter and being happy with it.

The Delta press release wrapped up with educational information on pediatric dental health.

"The Tooth Fairy is a rite of passage and provides an ideal opportunity for parents to instill good oral health habits for kids," said Dick Hastreiter a Delta dentist.

If that's the case, the Tooth Fairy should exchange teeth for tooth brushes and tooth paste.

My thoughts on all this?

First, who is this Marty Weiland and how much is Delta Dental paying a research analyst to study the Tooth Fairy? No wonder health insurance premiums are on the rise.

Second, Where does the Tooth Fairy live? We in the Midwest can always factor in a lower cost of living when negotiating salaries and, say, gifts from the Tooth Fairy.

Finally, I'm just glad kindergartners are still to young to read survey results. Our Tooth Fairy will continue to leave generous piles of change, which may or may not add up to the going rate of $1.60.

Send Lori an e-mail