Remember When July 20, 2023

10 years ago (2013)
•It takes dozens of involved staff and volunteers to run a county fair smoothly, but this year in Rock County, one loyal organizer will be absent.
Floral Hall superintendent Ida Reverts passed away last fall, so this year, her co-workers are learning to manage without her.
“I think anyone who has spent time at the fair in the past 50 years realizes that Ida was always there,” said Lynette Jauert, who is Open Class co-superintendent this year with Twila Walker.
“She was the first person to arrive in the morning and the last to leave at night.”
To recognize those contributions and Ida’s contributions to the fair through the years, the Rock County Fair Board renamed the Floral Hall the “Ida Reverts Memorial Hall.”
 
25 years ago (1998)
•Bill Nath, Luverne, will be 80 years old in February, and after more than 50 years of working with the Rock County Fair, he has decided to retire.
Nath began working with the Fair Board as groundskeeper back when ice cream cones were a nickel apiece and midway rides cost a dime. Of course, back then the main attractions were the Ferris wheel and merry-go-round, rather than the Zipper or the scrambler.
I used to come to the fair every year, even before I started working there,” he said. “It was a thrill when the fair was here and we’d get to go.”
 
50 years ago (1973)
•Brent Ross and Bob Vrtacnik added a new experience to their list of summer time involvements this month.
Sponsored by the Rock Soil and Water Conservation District, the boys spent two weeks studying environmental education at the Long Lake Conservation Center.
In addition to study with plants and work with visual projects, the boys participated in contour mapping, watershed, forestry, and wildlife management, aquatic biology, population dynamics, recreational skills and soils.
 
75 years ago (1948)
•John Reimer announced this week that his new laundry, to be known as the Luverne Laundry, will be open for business next Monday.
Installation of all the equipment has now been completed, and the plant is ready for operation. The laundry is located on the corner of Main and Oakley streets, across the street west from the Spease Tire Shop.
“Luverne has long felt the need of having its own modern laundry, and it is our aim to provide one,” Reimer said this week. “We will be using modern equipment and modern laundry methods to insure quick, reliable service at an economical price. We invite the public to try our service. We will call for and deliver all laundry, and we will endeavor in every way to make out business one which will answer a long felt need in Luverne.”
 
100 years ago (1923)
•Another big dance, of the kind for which Dell-Hogan Post, of the American Legion, of this city, has become noted during the past year, will be held at the Armory, in this city, Monday night, July 22.
The committee in charge has planned a big carnival dance on this date and it is a safe bet that the evening will be as entertaining and enjoyable as at any dance ever held in this city. Arrangements have been made to provide every dancer, both gentlemen and ladies, with carnival hats and caps. The hall will be attractively decorated in Legion colors. All carnival accessories will be supplied by the committee. Notice has been given out that there will be no confetti used at the hall, owing to numerous complaints against this practice.
Following the custom of the past year, the Legion will make a free distribution of prizes at the dance. Various assortments of staple and fancy groceries will be given away including fifty pounds of sugar, two baskets of assorted fancy groceries, a sack of flour, coffee and a box of fancy biscuits.