Remember When July 25, 2019

10 years ago (2009)
•Luverne School District celebrated the new completion of its tennis courts with an open house and ribbon-cutting on Highway 75 Thursday morning, July 23.
Luverne School Foundation chairman Mike Cox performed the official ribbon-cutting, and Luverne High School tennis coach Greg Antoine addressed the crowd.
“Thank you to all who made this possible,” Antoine said. “It is a gorgeous facility … one of the finest in the area.”
He recognized the Luverne School District, the City of Luverne, Rock County and Luverne School Foundation, as well as area businesses and individuals. Their combined generosity contributed $54,000.
 
25 years ago (1994)
•When Alice Kriehn bought an acreage near Magnolia for her horses to graze on, she had no idea she had also become the not-so-proud owner of a cemetery.
She discovered the problem when neighboring farmer, Gene Ashby, complained that her newly erected fence blocked access to his field in wet years.
When Kriehn examined the abstract more closely, she learned the cemetery was indeed included in the 5.7-acre tract of land she bought last year. She also learned that the 50-foot driveway and part of her kitchen are in fact on cemetery ground.
Mark DeBoer purchased the acreage from his family’s estate in 1986 not knowing the cemetery was included in the acreage, and not knowing they also paid taxes on the 1.5 approximate acreage of cemetery land all of this time.
But since the fence was erected, the problem has been discovered, and Kriehn quickly realized the problem is hers to solve. “They told me an individual can’t own a cemetery,” she said after bringing her problem to the Nobles County Commissioners. “But I do. I bought it, I paid cash for it, and now I’m paying taxes on it.”
 
50 years ago (1969)
•The reason LeRoy Miller’s plane went out of control and crashed in Springwater Township last Wednesday night is still unknown but one reason that has been ruled out is “lack of experience.”
Miller is one of only a few pilots who can give his age at 39 years and give his age experience at 23 years. The Pipestone pilot soloed for the first time on his 16th birthday.
Miller crashed his L-16 Champion single engine plane in Springwater Township about five miles north and six and a half miles west of Luverne at 8 p.m. Wednesday. He suffered multiple breaks to his left ankle, a broken wrist, severe cuts over his right eye and several minor cuts and bruises. …
Miller was spraying crops for Norman Bakke with Clarence Taylor, manager of the Pipestone Airport, who was flying a second spray plane in the same field.
According to the Rock County sheriff’s report, Miller made a pass across the field, pulled up, made his turn, and was just starting a second pass when the plane went out of control and crashed in a pasture owned by Mrs. Ed Sehr.
 
75 years ago (1944)
•Fire of undetermined origin destroyed the dwelling and all its contents on the Fritz de Groot farm about two and one-half miles northwest of Kanaranzi Thursday evening. According to one member of the local fire department, everything combustible was reduced to ashes, and even the bedsprings were melted by the heat of the blaze.
The fire started while the men on the farm were at the barn doing chores, and while the women were outside, a short distance from the house, dressing some chickens for their next day’s dinner. It was noticed by the men as they came from the barn and by that time, flames had gained such a headway that it was impossible for them to enter the building.
 
100 years ago (1919)
•Emil, age 17 years, and Henry, age 15, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ludvig Ricker, who live three miles from Lismore, both had their arms fractured within two days, and were brought to the Luverne hospital the fore part of the week to have the injured members reset.
On Saturday Henry fell from a five-foot scaffold and broke both arms just above the wrist joints, and also sustained severe bruises on his face. On Sunday, while the father and son were here, Emil, at home, suffered a fracture of his right arm, just above the wrist joint, while endeavoring to crank the motor of a Ford car.