Who are:
Pat Ahern, Duane Aitchison, Paul Arnfelt, Arlen Brekke, David Broskoff, Dom Buckingham, David Christensen, Jim Cornelius, Chuck Crabtree, Clair Dahl, Gene DenHerder, Carroll Evans, Terry Fogel, Paul Groth, Dennis Grunwald, Whitey Hagen, Paul Hanson, Elvern Holland, Don Ingram, Ed Jensen, Jim Johnson, Lloyd Kaplan, Ralph Keyes, Bill Kottke, Lonny Klemmensen, Jim Korman, Joe LaFrance, Gene Larson, Jerome Lee, Andy Lerberg, Andy Mucha, Marty Nelson, Russ Nelson, Bill Newell, Max Pecht, LeRoy Sommers, Wayne Sommers, Mark Sorenson, Robert Swearingen, Roger Swearingen, Jerry Thompson, Warren Torgerson, Greg Wayne, Roger Wayne, Rodney White, Jim Worrell, and Roger Worrell?
They are part of the 50 sophisticated, sad, AARP qualified men with ties to the Ellendale-Geneva area. If you noticed you are qualified but not mentioned, it’s because you are one of the two names to add to the 48 names mentioned, making 50 in total.
Why are all 50 sad? See the answer at the end of this column.
On May 2, 2013 an S.O.S. flag was flying on the flagpole at the Ellendale Post Office. The three-day snowfall was almost 18 inches. It most certainly qualified for the nautical “Mayday” per the U.S. Navy. (The snowfall total was the most ever recorded for this area in the month of May.)
May 14, 2013 (10 days after the S.O.S. flag) was the earliest date ever of triple-digit temperature, the high being 102. Was the S.O.S. flag flown on the flagpole at the Ellendale Post Office? Nope, the pole was too hot to touch! (At the end of the day, there was still a snow bank by the Post Office from the May 2 snowfall!) The Weather Bureau has decided it was our one day of summer, as it was the warmest day of 2013. The snowfall total of May 2 was thus part of the winter of 2013 as it occurred before the one day of summer in 2013.
“There’s hope in butter sales, cause butter sales are up in Hope,” per the Minneapolis Star Tribune front page, April 14, 2014. The article contained pictures of Jay Logan, plant manager, Cody Blouin, and owner Victor Mrotz along with statistics of increased sales and why. For example, Hope Creamery went from 30,000 lbs. of butter in 2001 to 300,000 lbs. per the year currently. Wow!
The Hope newspaper article brought back memories. As a young boy (many moons ago) I would ride along with Grandpa McFarland when he took milk from his Guernsey cows into the creamery at Hope to sell and then buy groceries at the grocery store next to the hardware store in Hope. It was fun, plus I usually got a treat. Sometimes he would get frozen far animal meat out of the locker at the creamery where for a fee you could leave meat from a critter after butchering it yourself.
The Star Tribune article also mentioned that Victor Mrotz farmed. That also brought back memories, as Grandpa McFarland’s seven brothers farmed and one brother was the gun-toting cop in Ellendale. One of the brothers owned the farm where Victor now farms. Rural area history is so interesting.
And now, the answer as to why 50 sophisticated, AARP qualified men are sad. None of them received a May basket! Maybe you could ease the sadness of at least one of them with a belated May basket.
By the way, I qualify, but I’m not sad, as Genie gave me a May basket! Thanks, Genie.
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Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent, currently working on his master’s degree in Volunteering. 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. Bob says if you enjoy his column, 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.