NRHEG Star Eagle

137 Years Serving the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva Area
Newspaper of Record for NRHEG School District
Newspaper of Record for Waseca County, MN
PO Box 248 • New Richland, MN 56072

507-463-8112
email: steagle@hickorytech.net
Published every Thursday
Yearly Subscription: Waseca, Steele, and Freeborn counties: $52
Minnesota $57 • Out of state $64

Tis time for another “running of the words” column. Some will be fact, some will be fiction—you decide. Hint: almost all of this column is fact.

Black bears are being reported all across Southern Minnesota (even a mother with a cub). Rumor has it a billboard on I-90 is being put up. It reads, “Coming soon: a hungry black bear to your neighborhood.” 

Have you ever wondered why a tire only goes flat on the bottom?

Sad to say, more people die from suicide than car accidents.

Travis Simon, formerly of the Geneva area, has gone south. Due to construction, he has only gone as far south as Albert Lea.

Sign seen on a lawn in front of a house on Marie Avenue in Albert Lea, “Grage sale.” The spelling told me an old Norwegian lived there (I was right, as his last name is Johnson).

Genie received a renewal notice for the Guideposts magazine. In fine print it read, “This is an offer from an independent company, not a bill.” Of course, the price was about twice as high as her normal billing. 

As a new member of Freeborn Mower Electric Cooperative (due to merging) I went on the bus tour of the administration building in La Crosse, Wisconsin, plus a tour of the power plant in Genoa, Wisconsin. If you are eligible to go as part of the Dairyland Power Company, I strongly urge you to do so.

It is interesting how so many people are related or know each other real well living in this area of Minnesota. For example: I go on the Honor Guard flight to D. C. with Ken Skogheim of Albert Lea. I board the bus to Wisconsin as part of the Freeborn Mower Cooperative tour. We have two cooperative guides on the bus, Mary Nelson and Bryan Skogheim. Small world—Ken and Bryan are grandpa and grandson!

Congratulations to the NRHEG High School clay target team. They were the conference champs. An interesting thing is not all the team members are students at NRHEG.

What are you doing this Saturday, June 23? Boogie on down to the Village Park in Ellendale and enjoy hot dogs and a root beer float while learning about businesses in Ellendale—both past and current. The action starts at 12:30 p.m.

If you follow the history of the town cop in Ellendale, you will see the last name of McFarland. The town cop was one of nine Irish brothers that if you had any problem with one of the brothers, you had a problem with all of the brothers. In those days the town cop wore a loaded six-gun on each hip. In case of too much Irish whisky, one or two of the brothers replaced their brother (including the guns and badge) while he slept it off. How do I know this is fact? Because my grandpa Henry McFarland (one of the brothers) told me. 

 

———

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.

You have no rights to post comments