Functional Nutrition received a trophy Tuesday, March 31, for the Battle of the Beverages 2026 in Luverne. Pictured are (from left) Chamber Director Kenzi Klein, Functional Nutrition owner Kathy Thomas and Chamber Board members Jenny Jorgenson and Amanda McDonald.

A flight instructor and training pilot walked away from a plane crash Friday morning at the Luverne Municipal Airport. 

Their single-engine Cessna came to rest upside-down near the south end of the runway around 10:20 a.m. Friday when a passerby reported the crash landing. 

Rita Mae (Kafka) Robinson of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, passed away March 30, 2026, following a lengthy cancer battle. 

She was born Aug. 31, 1949, in Luverne to Joe and Rose (Musil) Kafka. Her mother died when she was seven, and Rita contracted polio at a young age. 

Joe Olsrud, age 88, of Luverne, Minnesota, passed away on Sunday, March 29, 2026, at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Luverne. 

A celebration of life gathering will be held at a later date. 

Dorothy Rosenberg, age 97, of Luverne, Minnesota, died on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at the Good Samaritan Society - Mary Jane Brown Home in Luverne. 

Sharon Kay Hoffman, age 89, of Luverne, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on March 10, 2026. 

Sharon was born on January 2, 1937, in Avoca, Minnesota, to Carl and Julia Hagen. She grew up in the Avoca area and graduated from Slayton High School in 1955. 

Sara Jane Van Nieuwenhuizen, age 68, of Luverne, Minnesota, died on Saturday, April 4, 2026, at Parkview Manor Nursing Home in Ellsworth, Minnesota. 

Just a few days ago, we celebrated one of the biggest holidays of the year, Easter. It’s a day to focus on the miraculous resurrection of Jesus from the dead. It’s a day of joy and happiness, a time when life is celebrated. 

St. Catherine Catholic Church 

203 E. Brown St., Luverne; Ph. 507-283-8502; www.stscl.org 

Father Joshua Miller, Pastor