In a few weeks, Rev. Keith Davis and his wife, Laura, and their family including Jared, 1, are leaving the Hills United Reformed Church. Davis will give his final sermon this Sunday.

By Jolene Farley
The Rev. Keith Davis will give his farewell sermon at Hills United Reformed Church Sunday.

Davis, who has served at United Reformed since September 1998, accepted an offer from a congregation in Lynwood, Ill.

After speaking at the Hills Christian School graduation ceremony on Thursday, May 23, he and his family will leave for Illinois.

Davis said he felt a strong call to the new congregation after a search committee from Lynwood approached him in January.

The congregation had been without a pastor for more than a year, and after much prayer, Davis and his family decided on Feb. 10 to accept the offer.

"It was easily the most difficult decision we needed to make," he said. "We felt very strongly that the Lord has called us... we weighed the needs of both churches."

He and his wife, Laura, will utilize their gift of relating well to young people and newcomers in their congregation of 60 families.

Another determining factor for the couple was that both have family near the new congregation. Lansing is a suburb of Chicago, Ill., with a population of more than 30,000 people.

Hills United Reformed Church was Davis' first congregation after graduating from the Mid-America Reformed Seminary in Dyer, Ind.

The experience of leading a congregation for the first time is very powerful, according to Davis. He said first congregations always hold a special place in a pastor's heart.

He and Laura and their children, Sarah, 13, Caleb, 11, Joshua, 9, Jordan, 7, Tabitha, 4 and Jared, 1, have all felt very welcome in Hills.

"We felt very well received," he said. "We've gotten to know the people around town very well."

The United Reformed congregation in Hills includes 26 families. It has grown by 10 families under Davis.

"It has grown," he said. "I think spiritually and physically it's grown stronger."

Summer intern Doug Barnes, who attends the same seminary from which Davis graduated, is taking over Davis' duties for the summer. Barnes and his wife, Grace, and their four children arrive at the end of May.

A committee of church elders is searching for a permanent replacement for Davis.

"We will dearly miss the town and the church," said Davis. "This church has become a close family to us."

By John Rittenhouse
The Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth track teams turned in a strong showing at the annual Howard Wood Dakota Relays in Sioux Falls Friday and Saturday.

Competing in the Class B version of the event, the Patriots turned in three top-10 performances while competing in a total of 13 events.

Considering there were more than 150 teams on hand for the meet, H-BC-E made quite an impression.

"All in all, it was a fantastic meet for us," said Patriot coach Tom Goehle.

"We had one disappointment (having a relay team disqualified after turning in an outstanding effort), which is a minor thing because it doesn't take anything away from how well the kids ran and competed in that race."

The event in question is the boys' 3,200-meter relay, a race H-BC-E placed second in on the track with a time of 8:20.7.

Brad Haak, Greg Van Batavia, Tyler Bush and Lee Jackson finished the race just shy of a school record, but their celebration was cut short when meet officials disqualified the team for violation of a uniform code.

All runners are expected to wear exactly the same uniforms in competition. Three of the Patriots wore white biker tights, while another wore royal blue. Meet officials spotted the infraction and disqualified the team.

"The kids were disappointed right away, but they accepted it later on. They ran a fantastic race. It was an unfortunate thing, but I'm glad it happened at this meet and not at the sub-section or section meets later on," Goehle said.

H-BC-E did place second in the boys' sprint medley relay with a time of 3:42.65.

Chris Reid, Jesse Leuthold, Bush and Haak formed the medley squad.

Haak also was in the spotlight when he ran in the meet's Special Event Friday night.

Haak placed third in the 400-meter dash with a time of 50.47.

The H-BC-E girls produced a 10th-place finish in the sprint medley relay.

LaDonna Sandstede, Bev Wurpts, Erin Boeve and Cassi Tilstra completed the race in 4:33.98.

Here is a look at the rest of H-BC-EÕs performances during last weekend's meet.

H-BC-E boys
12th place: Reid, long jump, 20-11 1/4.
18th place: 1,600 relay (Bush, Jackson, Lee Walraven and Reid), 3:41.45.
28th place: 400 relay (Tyson Metzger, Walraven, Jackson and Leuthold), 48.24.
32nd place: 800 relay (Metzger, Van Batavia, Cody Scholten and Leuthold), 1:40.95.

H-BC-E girls
13th place: 3,200 relay (Brittney Rozeboom, Mya Mann, Tilstra and Wurpts), 10:39.99.
15th place: 1,600 relay (Wurpts, Mann, Boeve and Tilstra), 4:20.59.
22nd place: 400 relay (Melinda Feucht, Danielle Fransman, Sandstede and Boeve), 54.68.
30th place: 800 relay (Sandstede, Feucht, Rozeboom and Kelly Mulder), 2:00.2.
Other performances: Boeve, long jump, 15-9 1/2.

Alan and Maxine Savage, Valley Springs, S.D., shop for their garden Monday at Wally's Nursery west of Hills. Temperatures near 80 Sunday gave local green thumbs the urge to start planting.

Photo by Jolene Farley

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.