Remember When Aug. 10, 2023

10 years ago (2013)
•Bob Collins of Minnesota Public Radio paid a visit to members of Luverne’s Last Man’s Club for their Wednesday afternoon coffee at Glen’s Deli on July 31.
The result of his casual conversation with the group will be a write-up in Collins’ MPR blog, “Newscut,” which can be found at www.mpr.org/newscut. …
Luverne’s Last Man’s Club organized in the summer of 2010 as an offshoot of the Glen’s Coffee Clique. Of the original 24 Word War II veterans, the group is now down to nine.
The group of World War II veterans meets every afternoon for coffee — often sharing war stories and enjoying the freedoms they had fought for. …
Surviving Last Man’s Club members are Warren Herreid, Robert Aanenson, Raymond Anderson, Earl Glaser, Helmer Haakenson, LeRoy Luitjens, Jake Boomgaarden, Russ Swenson and Casey Van Engelenhoven.
 
25 years ago (1998)
•With only a couple weeks remaining until school starts, city, school and county officials have arrived at a plan for parking and traffic patterns at the school campus.
Construction on the new elementary school won’t be completed until later this fall, but when elementary students, staff and parents begin coming and going from the new school, a plan is now in place to alleviate some safety and traffic flow concerns.
A committee of city, school and county officials has met four times to come up with a workable plan.
 
50 years ago (1973)
•Nelson’s, a landmark at the corner of Main and McKenzie streets since 1892, will become a Ben Franklin department store about May 1. The second floor of the corner building will be razed and the ground floor will be completely remodeled. The Ben Franklin store and Our Own Hardware also will be remodeled, making them into one store building with a modern 50-foot front.
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Nelson Bros., Inc., a Luverne retail establishment for 97 years, will go out of business within the next few months.
In its place will be a new Ben Franklin department store, a new Jack and Jill food store, and a third business still to be announced.
Nelson Bros., Inc., will own the buildings and will lease them to the three firms. Jack and Jill and Ben Franklin will sublet the buildings to private operators.
 
75 years ago (1948)
•Mr. and Mrs. V. A. Long, announced this week that they had leased Long’s Service Station and Café, to Gordon Ahrendt, of Luverne. He will take possession of the business on September 1.
Mr. and Mrs. Long said that they will leave later this fall for Florida to spend the winter.
Ahrendt, son of Mr. and Mrs. I A. Ahrendt, is a World War II veteran. Since his discharge, he has operated a bulk truck for the Standard Oil Company. His successor for the oil company has not yet been announced.
 
100 years ago (1923)
•With the exception of superintendent, a new corps of teachers will take up their duties with the beginning of the new year at Magnolia’s consolidated schools.
S. L. Johnson, of Hallock, returns as superintendent. Marguerite Koch, of Minneapolis, as principal, will have charge of domestic science, general science and dramatics. Agnes Mac-Eachron, of St. Paul, will teach music, English A and history; Martin Peterson, of Warren, will have charge of manual training and the upper grades. The other grade vacancies have been filled as follows: Sylvia Bremer, of Waverly, fifth and sixth grades; Margaret Schneider, of Anandale, third and fourth grades; and Marie Gile, of Mason City, Ia., primary grades.