Congratulations go out to the Hills Community Club for organizing the Hills Friendship Days 2005. And thanks to the FFA, the Lions Club, the Hills Christian School for their participation; also to the nurses and helpers at the Health Fair, and the merchants and folks who sponsored the various events. The sports events were well attended and the food was great, so the day went off as planned and except for a few sprinkles of rain now and then and a bit of wind, I’m sure everyone enjoyed themselves. The big news in Hills is that Tyler Bush took first place in the state track meet at Blaine as he captured the Class A 800-meter run in the time of 1:58.77.Sig and Jo Jacobson and Orv and Bonnie Sundem attended the 80th birthday celebration last Sunday for Gert Karli at Bethany Meadows, Brandon, S.D. Gert is a sister of Jo Jacobson and an aunt of Bonnie Sundem. Deneise Swanson of Big Fork came Friday to spend Friendship Day here and visited her father until Sunday. Friday noon dinner guests of Marie and Delwyn Walraven were Marie’s nephew and his wife, Gary and Molly Walraven, of Colorado Springs, Colo. Also with them were their daughter, Lisa and two children, Nia and Joshua, of Pueblo, Colo. Saturday morning Charles Harding, Mankato, visited Eva Cragoe and Fran Sandager. He is a distant cousin of Fran. Spending the weekend visiting Rich and Henrietta Leenderts in Hills were their children and families. Present were Connie and Wally Hagedoorn and Ali, Pine Island, Kelly and Amber Hagedoorn Hastings, Arlen and Lois Leenderts and family, Hills, Darrell and Melanie and Lauri Leenderts, Brookings, S.D., and Brenda and Scott Smith, Prior Lake. The DeBoer family had an early Father’s Day when Jeremy and Rachel Van Beek, Doon, Iowa, Seth and Susan Hofman, David and Grace, Melvin, Iowa, and Chuck and Rheta DeBoer gathered for supper Thursday evening at Doon.Marianne and Arie Drooger, Edgerton, Grace Van Maanen of Rock Valley, Iowa, and Margaret Bakker went to Mitchell, S.D., on Wednesday to visit cousins. Fran and Karen Sandager attended the Norse Sangerfest in Canton, S.D. A group of the ladies toured the historic Kennedy building. Mark, Karen and Fran also attended the evening concert. Mitchell and Madison Elbers, Valley Springs, S.D., spent Saturday and Sunday in the home of their grandparents, Wilmer and Betty Elbers. Willard Gropel, Luverne, died Sunday morning at Sioux Valley Hospital. He was 92 and Luella Schleuter’s brother. Funeral services were Thursday morning at United Methodist Church in Luverne, with burial at Marion, S.D. Gerry Schleuter, Lake Park, Bonnie Olson, St. Paul, Laurie Hynes, St. Louis Park, and Luella attended the services.