Remember When Oct. 13, 2022

10 years ago (2012)
•Patrick Swyter brought his insulation business from Iowa to Luverne for reasons completely unrelated to business — family and schools. …
In 2008 Swyter purchased the insulation portion of Four Way Roofing and Insulation.
The business specializes in applying spray polyurethane foam, stabilized cellulose and installing fiberglass in homes and businesses.
Though the company has been working in the area for a few years, Swyter is building a shop for his trucks and tools on Walnut Avenue in Luverne (between Papik Motors and Gevo).
 
25 years ago (1997)
•Twenty-five scare-crows line the driveway at the Minnesota Veterans Home, Luverne. The scarecrows, which will be displayed through the month of October, are part of a festival at the Veterans Home to celebrate fall as a community, according to activities director Shirley Connor.
“Some of the residents don’t always feel part of this community because they’re not from here,” she said. “This is just a nice way to celebrate fall and involve different community groups.”
The festival will end with a Harvest Moon Ball on Oct. 26 with a formal dinner served by the Peer Helpers and a dance led by the Country Time Fiddlers from Estelline, S.D.
Groups who made the scarecrows include St. Catherine Church, Zion Lutheran Church in Hardwick, Luverne ECFE, two 4-H clubs, Luverne High School Peer Helpers, the Middle School council, Family Drug, a Luverne special education class, the Fulda VFW Post, the Tuesday Morning Coffee Group, some grandchildren of residents, a local day care and various Veterans Home departments.
 
50 years ago (1972)
•Jim Herman of Herman Motors in Luverne last week announced the winners of the local Punt, Pass and Kick competition which was held recently.
First place winners were scheduled to compete in one competition on Oct. 7, at 9 a.m. at the Mankato High School football field. Trophies for the local competition were distributed during halftime of the Luverne-Windom game Friday.
Age groups and the top three contestants in each group in the local contest were as follows:
Eight-year olds: 1st — Brad Franz, 2nd — Daniel Stepp, 3rd —Troy Claussen of Pipestone.
Nine-year olds: 1st —Randy Ehlers, 2nd — Michael Haakenson, 3rd — Steven Foss, Pipestone.
10-year olds: 1st —Mike Kraetsch, 2nd — Mark Spease, 3rd — Peter McCormick.
11-year olds: 1st — Todd Wandersee, 2nd —Alan Boisen, 3rd — Kevin Brandenburg.
12-year olds: 1st — Geoff Fitzer, 2nd — Tim Mann, 3rd — Scott Suprenant.
13-year olds: 1st — Paul Gits, 2nd — Bruce Woodley, 3rd — Tom McCormick.
 
75 years ago (1947)
•Rock county farmers were informed this week by Leonard A. Arp, chairman of the county Agricultural Conservation committee, that the basic loan rate and  purchase price for 1947 crop soybeans grading number 2 or better by U. S. Grain Standards, and containing no more than 14 percent moisture is $2.04 a bushel.
To be eligible for government loan, soybeans  must be stored in approved from storage, while to comply with purchase program requirements, soybeans may either be stored in approved farm storage, or in approved warehouses, Arp said.
 
100 years ago (1922)
•What seems to have been the preliminaries to a bank robbery or other burglary at Ashcreek was staged Sunday, when all the toll and farmers’ telephone lines out of that village were cut and disconnected in several places. That nothing further developed was likely due to the discovery of the severed lines at about 8 o’clock in the evening.
The toll lines had been cut at the fourth pole from the bank building, and again about one-fourth mile farther out, on the edge of town. The farmers’ lines had also been severed right in town and a short distance in the country; and both the toll and farmers’ lines had been disconnected at the railroad crossing. The telegraph wires were left unmolested.
So far as is known, the last time that a toll line was used on Sunday was at about seven in the morning, which signifies that all work had been done sometime during the day.
Reports from a lady residing at Ashcreek are to the effect that she had seen two large cars, driven and occupied by strangers, riding around the town from 12:00 to 12:30, and that the men seemed to be closely observing the village.
After the damage had been discovered, Chas. Carter came to Luverne to notify Manager H. Edgar, of the Luverne exchange, who with a company of repairmen set out for Ashcreek. Although it was about 10:30 p.m. when they arrived at the place, the men succeeded in putting the toll lines into working order that night.