10 years ago (2011)
•On Wednesday, Feb. 3, Raymond Vogt turned 100 years old. To celebrate, Vogt’s six children and other relatives enjoyed a birthday party on Saturday, Jan. 29, at the Mary Jane Brown Home where he lives.
“There were a lot of people,” Vogt said.
The many attendees represent vast memories, most of which open the door to life in turn-of-the-century Nobles and Rock counties.
Along with Vogt, his sister, Ruth Ashby, son Alan, and daughters, Valoyce Sommers and Jolene Wessels, met to offer a window back to the early 1900s.
25 years ago (1996)
•A hospice cottage in Luverne may provide another possible care option for terminally ill patients in southwest Minnesota.
Because of cancer and other terminal illnesses suffered by local residents, Hospice of Luverne and Adrian Community Hospitals has become an important part of many people’s lives.
Since hospice began operating three years ago, nearly 100 patients have benefited from its services. According to program director Barb Glad this response is overwhelming.
“We had only anticipated about 10 a year when we started the program,” she said. “But there are still a lot of patients not aware of the resources hospice offers.”
Hospice is a special kind of care for the terminally ill that also provides support for caregivers and family members. A registered nurse is on call 24 hours a day for the patient and family, and home health aides, volunteers and social workers visit the patient intermittently.
When patients are no longer able to be cared for at home, hospice staff assist them and their families in moving them to either a nursing home or hospital or hiring a full-time caregiver.
50 years ago (1971)
•The legislative Building commission has recommended an appropriation of $122,000 for Blue Mounds State Park for the next biennium, Sen. John L. Olson announced Monday.
Their recommendation was made on the basis of needs outlined by the Division of State Parks, and their own appraisal of the park, made during a visit here by the committee last summer.
Biggest expenditure would be for improvements on the lower dam and to the swimming beach area. Sen. Olson said. The recommended appropriation for this phase of the program was $50,000.
Because of the steady growth in camping, and to prevent water pollution, a $33,000 appropriation has been recommended for a sewage disposal system for the park.
Another improvement brought about by the park’s popularity as a camping area is that of another campground toilet and shower facility. The recommended amount for this is $30,000.
Other proposed improvements include more picnic area parking at a cost of $2,000; completing the basement beneath the manager’s residence, $5,000 and $2,000 for extending the fence around the buffalo pasture.
75 years ago (1946)
•Herman Jochims this week purchased the 56 by 300 foot lot owned by Ray Martin, where the Luverne Monument Works is now located. The property is located on South Freeman avenue, directly south of the Palace theatre in the same block.
Mr. Martin said that the Luverne Monument Works business would be continued in another location which he will announce in the near future. He emphasized that it was occupied by the business, which had been sold. He will continue in that location until June 1.
Mr. Jochims previously owned the lot north of it, and the property south of it, the old contractor’s building, used as a storage place for a number of years. Purchase of the Martin property gives Mr. Jochims an area 112 by 135 feet, south of the theatre. He said he has no definite plans as to how he will utilize it.
100 years ago (1921)
•Teacher and pupils at school district No. 4, Luverne township, are having a week’s enforced vacation because of a fire at the schoolhouse Friday morning which damaged the building quite badly and destroyed the library books and a considerable amount of other material and supplies. The blaze was due to spontaneous combustion caused by an over heated stove. The fire had been started in the stove at about 7:30 by Edmund Tofteland, who had been caring for the fires this winter, and everything was apparently as safe as usual when he left the building shortly afterwards. When the teacher, Miss Effie Olson, arrived at the school house about an hour later, and opened the doors, the walls and bookcase in the corner where the stove stood alone.
The prompt assistance of Mr. Jensen, who lives near the school house, and the fact that about eight or ten other patrons were able to reach the scene quickly, some having just arrived bringing their children to school, saved the building from being completely destroyed. By quick work in throwing water on the blaze the greater part of the damage was confined to the one side of the schoolhouse.
All the library books in the case near the stove, and quite an amount of material for primary work and other school supplies were entirely destroyed. The loss was covered by insurance. The damage to the building, which will be estimated when the work of painting, papering and repairing the walls and woodwork are completed this week, is also fully covered insurance.
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