10 years ago (1995)
So far, there’s no perfect piece of ground for a new Luverne elementary school. By the end of a meeting last week, board members seemed to concentrate on expanding the existing high school-middle school to include space for all of the district’s elementary students.
The annual Christmas concert, Christmas at the Palace, took in 26 boxes of food and $854.75 in cash donations.25 years ago (1980)
Rock County has opted to join the Minnesota Counties Self-Insurance Trust, administered by a Mankato firm. It is a workman’s compensation insurance program that returns a percentage of the money paid by counties.
Rock County Commissioners increased the county attorneys’ salaries from $9,000 a year to $10,500 after hearing that Rock County’s attorneys are among the lowest paid in the state.
Magnolia could save $30,000 next year by pairing with Luverne if projected figures hold true. 50 years ago (1955)
The familiar clang of bells and flashing lights of the free game pinball machine will soon be something of the past in Rock County. Following a decision by the state Attorney General Miles Lord, county officials indicated that a crackdown on pinball machines in this area will get into motion within a few days.Attorney General Lord said machines that give free games disguise payoff and violate the state’s anti-gambling laws.
The coldest day of the year was last week with a –20 degrees.
The Milwaukee Railway company has made the announcement that beginning Jan. 1, passenger fare on its lines in Minnesota will be 2 cents per mile, this being a cut of better than one-third of the rates which have been in effect for several years.
A double program, "Roaring Ranch," a Hoot Gibson Western, and "Rough Waters," a Rin-Tin-Tin picture, will be presented tonight and tomorrow at the Palace Theatre, and "Love in the Rough," a clever comedy feature in a golf atmosphere, will have the Sunday-Monday run.100 years ago (1905)
Seven shooters from Luverne attended the shoot at Fritz Herrmann’s place last Tuesday and brought home 32 geese. In all, 73 were disposed of.
The amount of taxes the people will be required to pay for the year 1905 is $120,129.03, according to the abstract completed last week.
Contractor P.N. Gillham on Saturday completed the construction of the new steel bridge for the village of Hardwick, which is located just northeast of that village.

DISTRICT COURTPROBATE DIVISIONFIFTH JUDICIAL DISTRICTNOTICE AND ORDER OF HEARING ON PETITION FOR PROBATE OF WILL AND APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORSSTATE OF MINNESOTACOUNTY OF ROCKESTATE OFWALTER JOHN VAN MEETEREN DECEDENTIt is Ordered and Notice is given that on Monday, January 9, 2006, at 3:30 p.m. a hearing will be held in this Court at Rock County Courthouse Luverne, Minnesota, for the formal probate of an instrument purporting to be the will of Decedent, dated March 17, 2003, and codicil (N/A) to the will dated N/A, and separate writing (N/A) under Minn. Stat. 524.2-513 ("Will"), and for the appointment of Harlan D. Van Meeteren whose address is: 47894 Drew St., Harrisburg, SD 57032 as personal representative of the Estate of the Decedent in a SUPERVISED administration. Any objections to the petition must be filed with the Court prior to or raised at the hearing. If proper and if no objections are filed or raised, the personal representative will be appointed with full power to administer the Estate, including the power to collect all assets, pay all legal debts, claims, taxes and expenses, to sell real and personal property, and do all necessary acts for the Estate.Notice is also given that (subject to Minn. Stat. 524.3-801) all creditors having claims against the Estate are required to present the claims to the personal representative or to the Court Administrator within four months after the date of this Notice or the claims will be barred. /s/ TIMOTHY K. CONNELLTIMOTHY K. CONNELLJudge Date/s/SANDRA L. VRTACNIKSANDRA L. /VRTACNIKCourt Administrator DateAttorney For Personal RepresentativeBENJAMIN VANDER KOOI, JR.VANDER KOOI LAW OFFICES, P.A.127 E. MainP.O. Box 746Luverne, MN 56156-0746507-283-9546Attorney I.D. No. 112124(12-22, 12-29, 05)

DISTRICT COURTPROBATE DIVISIONFIFTH JUDICIAL DISTRICTNOTICE AND ORDER OF HEARING ON PETITION FOR PROBATE OF WILL AND APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORSSTATE OF MINNESOTACOUNTY OF ROCKESTATE OFMATHILDA MAE VAN MEETEREN DECEDENTIt is Ordered and Notice is given that on Monday, January 9, 2006, at 3:30 p.m. a hearing will be held in this Court at Rock County Courthouse Luverne, Minnesota, for the formal probate of an instrument purporting to be the will of Decedent, dated March 17, 2003, and codicil (N/A) to the will dated N/A, and separate writing (N/A) under Minn. Stat. 524.2-513 ("Will"), and for the appointment of Harlan D. Van Meeteren whose address is: 47894 Drew St., Harrisburg, SD 57032 as personal representative of the Estate of the Decedent in a SUPERVISED administration. Any objections to the petition must be filed with the Court prior to or raised at the hearing. If proper and if no objections are filed or raised, the personal representative will be appointed with full power to administer the Estate, including the power to collect all assets, pay all legal debts, claims, taxes and expenses, to sell real and personal property, and do all necessary acts for the Estate.Notice is also given that (subject to Minn. Stat. 524.3-801) all creditors having claims against the Estate are required to present the claims to the personal representative or to the Court Administrator within four months after the date of this Notice or the claims will be barred. /s/ TIMOTHY K. CONNELLTIMOTHY K. CONNELLJudge Date/s/SANDRA L. VRTACNIKSANDRA L. /VRTACNIKCourt Administrator DateAttorney For Personal RepresentativeBENJAMIN VANDER KOOI, JR.VANDER KOOI LAW OFFICES, P.A.127 E. MainP.O. Box 746Luverne, MN 56156-0746507-283-9546Attorney I.D. No. 112124(12-22, 12-29, 05)

Minnesota still the healthiest in the nationMinnesota has hung onto its ranking of No. 1 as the healthiest state in the nation for the third straight year.In fact, we are so healthy we have been either No. 1 or No. 2 every year since 1990.According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Minnesota also has the lowest number of uninsured residents and the third-lowest rate of children living in poverty, at 9 percent. Those numbers were from the United Health Foundation, based in Minnetonka.Vermont was the second healthiest state.Louisiana and Mississippi were the two states at the bottom of the listHow can we get healthier? Two problem areas the report sited include too many people smoking and a lack of prenatal care.About a fifth of the state’s residents smoke and a quarter of the state’s pregnant women don’t get enough medical attention before they give birth.The census saysI remember when I was in high school some news people were facetiously suggesting that the birth of President Johnson’s most recent grandchild might have been the birth that put the United States over the 200 million mark.Today we’re getting close to the 300 million number.According to the U.S. Census, there are 297,862.466 people in the United States as of Monday.The U.S. Census Bureau POPClock Projection estimates:
One birth every 7 seconds
One death every 13 seconds
One net immigrant every 25 secondsThe net result is the addition of one new person every 10 seconds.That should convert to 3,153,600 people per year being added to the United States melting pot.RSVP’s service to the communityRSVP recently sent out their newsletters with some statistics about their service to the community, and the number is quite amazing.The group, which has 410 registered senior volunteers in Rock County, recorded 6,200 hours of volunteer service in August alone, a new record according to the director.From January through Sept. 30, a total of 42,000 hours of volunteer service have been recorded.If they concluded that their time is worth roughly $8.50 an hour, that would make their contributions to various Rock County organizations a total of $52,770 in August alone.The activities the group can volunteer for are varied, with 52 registered sites. Members volunteered at 42 of the 52 sites in August alone.Although the majority of the volunteers are women, men are also needed in the organization.In schools, some RSVP members serve as greeters on Wednesday mornings at both the high school and elementary, as well as helping students improve their reading skills.In various senior residential facilities around the county, RSVP volunteers help with fishing and shopping outings, craft projects, lawn mowing, popcorn popping, mail delivery, bingo, serving coffee, or just visiting someone who would enjoy having someone to talk to.If you would like to volunteer your time to the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program, contact Greta Van Der Brink, Rock County RSVP coordinator at 283-5064.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com

I received a Christmas letter from my friends, Kathie and Mark, who live in Seward, Neb. I went to school with Kathie at Concordia College back in the dark ages of the ‘70s. Mark was Kathie’s boyfriend at the time and they got married and had five little sweetpeas. They raised their children in the Christian faith. The kids have all grown up and gone to college. Some are married and starting families of their own. Kathie worked as a nurse for many years and assisted Mark with a successful career in the insurance business. They participated in the foster care program because they felt they had so many blessings that they wanted to "give something back." They are smart, successful, and caring individuals who are attentive to each other’s needs and the needs of their children ... and they have fun. In my eyes, they lived an exemplary life. OK, I’ll admit it. I have harbored an envious thought on occasion. Back to that Christmas letter. It started out with a quote from Charles Dickens: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." You’re probably saying to yourself, "What worst of times?" I left out one monumental detail from their lives and that is, Kathie has multiple sclerosis (MS). Each year it gets worse and the basics of daily existence become more and more difficult. If you’ve ever known anyone with MS or read anything about the symptoms, you’ll know that it is a nightmare. Still, they say in the letter, "We try to find the positives while we cope with the negatives." Most of the time we are unaware of the burdens people carry. And I believe that each one of us, at one time or another, can say, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Our challenge is to focus on the best and help each other get through the worst. And, during this Christmas season we can turn our hearts to the ultimate "best of times," the birth of the Christ child. Christmas Alert: The library will be closed Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, Dec. 24-26. You don’t want to be left out in the cold with no reading material, so stop in today (Thursday) or tomorrow (Friday) to stock up on some good books. Also, register to win one of the books in the Friends of the Library Christmas drawing. New Year Alert: The Annual Adult Reading Program will begin Jan. 1, 2006. Read 12 books in three months and you get a fabulous prize and give the library a chance to win some extra cash for new books. Registration will begin after Christmas. One last thing, a new book on the new book shelf, "The Constant Princess," by Philippa Gregory. Katherine of Aragon, daughter of Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Spain, has been fated her whole life to marry Prince Arthur of England. When they meet and are married, the match becomes as passionate as it is politically expedient. The young lovers revel in each other's company and plan the England they will make together. But tragically, at age 15, Arthur falls ill and extracts from his 16-year-old bride a deathbed promise to marry his brother, Henry, become Queen, and fulfill their dreams and her destiny. Widowed and alone in the avaricious world of the Tudor court, Katherine has to sidestep her father-in-law's desire for her and convince him that her marriage to Arthur was never consummated, that there is no obstacle to marriage with Henry. For seven years, she endures the treachery of spies, the humiliation of poverty, and intense loneliness while she waits for the inevitable moment when she will step into the role she has prepared for all her life. Then, like her warrior mother, Katherine must take to the battlefield and save England when its old enemies, the Scots, come over the border and there is no one to stand against them but the new Queen.

Christmas happened ‘to you’ and ‘for you’"For there is born to you this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11). Merry Christmas! In the name of Jesus. Amen. There is born to you a Savior. He comes to save you. He comes to bring peace to His people on earth. He comes to reconcile God and sinners. He comes to us and we are saved!Everything depends on that Baby in the manger coming to you. Your salvation, your forgiveness, your life, your reconciliation, your resurrection, your redemption — your everything. For without that little Baby, we are totally lost and condemned, eternally separated from God by our sins, and are never at peace. Without Baby Jesus, we cannot be saved.But Jesus has come. The Virgin conceived and bore forth her first-born Son. She wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in the manger, because there was no room in the inn.That's not a story, it's what actually happened. Yet, it's not enough that it actually happened. No, what saves us from the terrible things we do and say both to God and to one another is that all of this happened "to you" and "for you."So, the angel points the way. "You'll find Him where I announce to you He is." He announced, the choir of heavenly hosts sang, and they went and found Him exactly where they said He'd be — right down to the manger.But Baby Jesus doesn't come "to you" anymore in the manger, does He? He isn't on the Cross, where He won your salvation, either. No, He comes to you today in His Word and in His Supper.As you hear and sing His Word today and eat His Body and Blood, Baby Jesus comes "to you." He came in the manger and He delivers Himself to you this Christmas in His gifts of Word and Sacrament. "To you" is for you! Merry Christmas "to you!" In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Christmas in 1921The following appeared in the Rock County Herald on Friday, December 16, 1921:CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL FOR KIDS TOMORROWArrangements for Community Christmas Tree Celebration in Luverne Completed3,000 BAGS OF CANDY TO BE GIVEN KIDDIESMoving Picture Shows Will be Free for Children 13 years and Under During AfternoonTomorrow afternoon is the time, and Luverne is the place, when and where the kids of Rock county will be entertained, and in carrying out this laudable undertaking the committees in charge of the arrangements are to be assisted by both Santa Claus and Uncle Sam.There will be no stringent demarcation as to at what age a person ceases to be a kid, either — anyone may qualify under this classification without regard to age — for all that is needed is the proper juvenile spirit.While "everybody is cordially invited," special efforts will be expended in seeing that the kids, and particularly those under twelve years old, experience a delightful time.To this end three thousand bags of candy will be given away, and all children under thirteen years will be admitted to the theatres free of charge during the afternoon. Special features designed to appeal especially to the kid mind are to be shown, and if necessary, two shows will be given at each play house.Christmas trees have been erected on Main street and these will be suitably decorated and illuminated for the occasion, and will be left mounted until after Christmas.The main interest of everyone, will, of course, be focused on the arrival of the two distinguished gentlemen of the day — Santa Claus and Uncle Sam.Coming down from the north at 1:26 o’clock on the Rock Island, they will be met at the station by the Luverne band and a crowd of young and old kids, and the festivities are to start immediately after.Owing to the amount of baggage that Santa Claus and Uncle Sam find it necessary to carry, special conveyances will be provided for them in parade lines on the trip up town.A large committee of citizens will meet at the First National bank at 1 o’clock and march to the Rock Island station to assist in handling the kids that congregate there and aid in keeping them out of harm’s way when the train pulls in.But the main point is that Luverne will endeavor to entertain every kid — small and big, young and old — in Rock county tomorrow afternoon.Will you be there?Donations to the Rock County Historical Endowment Fund can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, P.O. Box 741, Luverne, MN 56156.Mann welcomes correspondence sent to mannmade@iw.net.

Dear Santa,I hope you’re staying cozy at the North Pole and resting up for your big night of special deliveries. There is even enough snow way down here in Minnesota for us to enjoy a white Christmas.One of the first things I should say in this rare letter is that I’m sorry I haven’t written for so many years. I think I forgot how to make wishes — or at least stopped believing they’d come true.I always knew that Santa was more than a portly man in a snowsuit (no offense). I knew you existed in "love and generosity and devotion." That’s how New York Sun editor Francis Pharcellus explained your existence to Virginia in an 1887 editorial, anyway.He wrote, "Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. … Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world."My own Santa letter has been difficult to write because the things I want for Christmas aren’t anything your elves can make: I want to have time to read good books, shop with my sisters, hang out with my Mom and laugh with my friends. I want to taste my grandma’s caramel rolls again. I want to learn half of what my Dad knows. I want to feel comfortable in my own skin and stop finding gray hairs. I want to be pleased with my work. I want enough challenges to make me strong but not so many that I am burdened … and one day have a dishwasher.I’ll just have to remember that even if all my Christmas wishes don’t come true, that you’re still at the top of the world listening to them and accepting my lists."How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus!" Francis Pharcellus said. "There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight."So, Santa, I’ll still believe in you if I don’t find a dishwasher in my kitchen and if I wake up Dec. 25 and see that you haven’t eaten the cookies I put out for you.I still believe the best things are the unseen.Until next year,

Yesterday was the first day of winter, and because yesterday was Wednesday, it is also sometimes referred to as hump day in reference to being the middle day of the week. I look at yesterday as a sort of hump day in reference to the length of daylight hours. While yesterday was the shortest day of the year, that means that today the daylight hours start to reclaim some time from the nighttime side of the ledger. While it’s not yet a noticeable increase, we are over the hump.You can also tell we are getting close to a holiday and, of course, in this case that means Christmas will be here in a few more days, thus the rise in gas prices. On the subject of raising prices because of a holiday, I’ll share this story with you. My wife, Mary, and I were going to go to Redwood Falls for New Year’s Eve. I called the casino hotel to make a reservation and they were understandably booked for the night. I called the Redwood Valley Lodge, a nice hotel that we have stayed at a number of times this past year. I was happy to hear they had rooms left and proceeded to book a room. That is, until the reservation clerk quoted me the rate at nearly double the regular rate that I have paid several times the past year. When I asked her how come so much, she replied, "Because it’s New Year’s Eve." I told her they would have to gouge someone else and declined the reservation.Anyway, back to the task at hand. With just three days before Christmas and tonight set as men’s night for shopping in Luverne, I’d better start making a list. Oh, and one more thing: Merry Christmas.