Grace Lutheran Church of Albert Lea and F.R.O.G. of Central Freeborn Lutheran Church Rural Albert Lea sponsored a bus for Lutheran Night at the Twins both Monday and Tuesday night.
Both games were exciting, as the Twins won by one run on Monday night and lost by one run on Tuesday night against the division-leading Chicago White Sox.
A total of 112 Twins tickets were purchased, with 111 sold. The Monday night bus was full while the Tuesday night bus had one vacancy.
The Twins bus fans were from Ellendale, Geneva, Waseca, Rochester, Alden, Hartland, New Richland, Emmons, Clarks Grove, Otisco, Glenville, Albert Lea, Northwood, Clear Lake, and Blooming Prairie, plus other area towns. Surprisingly, neither the town of Lemond nor the town of Steele Center was represented.
Nieces, nephews, uncles, aunts, grandkids, sons, daughters, cousins, spouses, brothers, sisters – only area dignitaries were allowed on the buses.
A sister from the Hartland area brought a sister from Waseca. A sister from the Otisco area brought a sister and her children from Lake Mills. Two families had their adult children meet them at the ball park.
Darin Passer of Albert Lea celebrated his birthday by going to the game Tuesday night. His name and a “Happy Birthday” was on the Twins scoreboard (Yes, he got a picture of it!). The bus people also sang “Happy Birthday” to Darin.
Three generations of the Shultz family were on the bus. It was decided that fourth generation Kayla Lou, born May 7, 2012, was a bit too young to enjoy the Twins (those attending on the bus ranged in age from four to 84).
All Lutheran Church bodies were represented by dignitaries. The opening pitch at each game was thrown out by the hefty lady from the Church Basement Ladies (The baseball was thrown about halfway to Home Plate). The ladies also helped lead in singing the National Anthem.
There were even people from the bus who had their names drawn. Nathan Rork of Clear Lake, Iowa was drawn to be part of the group in Center Field leading in singing the National Anthem on Monday night. Genie Hanson, with her “Circle Me, Bert, I’m Almost 70,” was drawn to lead Tuesday night.
The other ten prizes on each bus were Twins-related items, for example: 2012 Yearbook, fishing lure, Rubber Duck baseball cap, 1987 and 1991 World Series ice cream bucket, coke can, etc.
Thanks to Dairy Queen in Waseca and Dairy Queen North in Albert Lea for giving coupons as prizes on each Twins bus. Stop in at Waseca or Albert Lea, mention this article to Katie or Pat in Waseca or Le Ann or Genesis in Albert Lea, and you will be given a coupon for your next purchase. This is in addition to a Senior Discount if you qualify. Katie, Pat, Le Ann, Genesis, you’re great!
The next F.R.O.G. bus trip will be leaving Albert Lea at 3 p.m. Saturday, December 1 to Clear Lake, Iowa for Christmas by the Lake. This includes the lit Christmas parade, fireworks over the lake, KFC buffet, drive through a live Nativity scene, and back to Albert Lea by 9 p.m. Details and cost later.
The Historical Society meeting at the Old Boat House Saturday morning, August 4, was most interesting. See Chuck Crabtree for the info on the twitching of cows’ tails in Beaver Lake. See Barb Mrotz for the proper apparel when you went to Beaver Lake in the Old Days.
A reminder to Beaver Lake cabin occupants of the Annual Association Meeting Sunday, August 26 at 1 p.m. in the Beaver Lake Park Pavilion. Be sure to have lunch before attending, as these will be “No Free Lunch.”
If you were a teacher and your wife was a homemaker, and you had sons Chris and Erik with a doggie named Meeko – would you like to spend part of your summer vacation at a cabin on a lake? Even if it meant driving 2,000 miles one way? The answer was a definitive “yes” to the Todd and Renee Olson family of California staying in their cabin on Beaver Lake.
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Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent. His wife, Genie, is a retired RN, currently working on her doctor’s degree in volunteering. They have two children, Deb in North Carolina, and Dan in Vermont. This is the Hanson’s 37th summer at Beaver Lake. They leave the lake in mid-October to go south — to Albert Lea — and return in April. Bob says if you enjoy his article, let him know. If you don’t enjoy it, keep on reading, it can get worse. Words of Wisdom: There is always room for God.