As I sit here getting ready to write this column, I look at the March calendar. March came in like a small lion. I wonder if it will go out like a small lamb.

Did all of you correct your clocks on March 13? Did anybody change the hour the wrong way?

St. Patrick’s Day is March 17, the same date as the publish date of this newspaper this year. “Erin go braugh” translates to “Ireland go on forever.” My Irish grandfather maintained there were two kinds of people, “Those that were Irish, and those that wished they were Irish.”

Sunday, March 20 is Palm Sunday, the first day of spring and also equinox — equal length in day and night, each 12 hours long.

Friday, March 25 is Good Friday, followed by Easter Sunday, March 27. “He is risen, yes, He is risen indeed.”

March 31 is on a Thursday. Most of the annual migration is completed by then, including the two-legged Minnesota snowbirds.

Only an April fool knows what happens the first day in April.

I was very fortunate to have a Norwegian grandfather and an Irish grandfather. I was the first grandchild for each and each one did his best to spoil me. Seeing as how this month honors the Irish, I will do the same.

Grandpa Henry (and Grandma) McFarland had a farm by Hope, Minnesota. In the summertime I would ride my bicycle from our farm just north of St. Olaf Lake to their farm (about 15 miles). I would stay at their place three or four times each summer for at least a week each time.

Grandma was quite musical, as she taught me piano and guitar. Although she tried to get me to take lessons, I never did, as it was more fun to tag along with Grandpa.

The Straight River went through the middle of their farm, so Grandpa would take me fishing or let me go alone (the Northern fishing was always good). They had a flat field with two mounds in the middle. Grandpa said they were Indian burial grounds. We would search the ground by the mounds and found a few arrowheads. 

Grandpa would let me go along to Hope when taking the milk to the creamer after we milked the Guernsey cows. On one trip we stopped at the Hope Tavern on the way back to the farm. Grandpa knew the owner/bartender as he ordered two glasses of tap beer each costing a dime. T’was then I learned how to put salt between your thumb and first finger as you drank tap beer. Grandpa told me it was about time I learned this, so I did at the old age of fourteen.

Grandpa was not much of a church-going person. He told me that when it was time, the man upstairs would take you—maybe you would know, and maybe you wouldn’t know. I was serving in the US Navy during the Korean Conflict when I got the message that Grandpa had been in a serious tractor accident on the farm. I tried to get an emergency leave to go home, but was turned down.

Shortly after the accident, Grandpa told my mother to get the preacher man, as it was time. She did, he arrived and a short time after arriving, Grandpa died. 

One of the first things I did after being discharged and getting home was to go see Grandpa in the cemetery. We had a long conversation as I talked and heard his familiar voice reply.

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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.

Recently I was at a local establishment to participate in the weekly poker tournament. We had a small crowd, so the noise level was low in the back room, making it easier to hear other customers in the main lounge.

I was heartened to overhear a conversation among a group of ladies, most of whom still have children in our school district, talking about the horrible grammar they see on texts and social media. (I wasn’t eavesdropping; if you knew these ladies, you’d realize that it was hard NOT to hear them, since it was a regular “hurricane” of activity.) They kept listing words that people use incorrectly, many of them homonyms. You remember homonyms, right? They’re those fun words that sound alike but are spelled differently and have different meanings. Let’s review, shall we? After all, those ladies were pretty accurate in the most egregious errors that we all see.

Your/You’re: Anything with a contraction is really pretty simple, if you take the time to think for a moment. You know that the apostrophe is a substitute for some letters, so just read it with those letters to see if your sentence makes sense. In this case, if you can say “you are,” you use the contraction. Without that apostrophe, you are showing possession, such as, “Your dog is dirty.” If you used the contraction there, you would be saying, “You are dog is dirty.”

It’s/Its: And of course there’s an exception to every rule. This one confuses many people. For so many words in the English language, using an apostrophe can show possession. “The house’s windows” is one example. However, if you are showing possession with the very vague word “it,” you do not use an apostrophe: “Its windows.” That is done in order to differentiate it from the contraction. “It’s a great movie,” is the same as saying, “It is a great movie.”  

There/Their/They’re: You’ve got to love when there are three choices, right? Again, start with the contraction. If you can say “they are,” you use the form with an apostrophe. “They’re going to the game,” can also be, “They are going to the game.” If you are showing possession, you would say, “Their tickets are in the front row.” Everything else leads to the default version, the one most often used. “There are your seats.” It often shows location.

Then/Than: This one is so tough because, even though the words should be pronounced differently, most people don’t. “Than” is a comparative word. “She is smarter than her boss,” compares the intelligence level of one person to another. “Then” can show order or something in addition. “We went to the mall. Then we came home.”

Affect/Effect: Here is another set of words which are pronounced the same, but shouldn’t be. “Affect” is a verb; “effect” is a noun. “His parents had a big effect on his attitude by grounding him,” shows the word as a thing. “His parents were able to affect his attitude through grounding,” shows the word as an action.

Loose/Lose: These words don’t sound alike and don’t even have similar meanings, but are so often mixed up. “Loose” shows that something is too large, while “lose” means that you didn’t gain a victory or that you no longer have something. “If your pants are too loose, you might lose them!”

Could’ve/Should’ve/Would’ve: Here’s how I too often see these: could of, should of, would of. The issue here is that when we pronounce the contractions of could have, should have, and would have, we say them like the way they’re usually written incorrectly.

Here/Hear: Another homonym here! “Here” is a location: “Here is the buried treasure!” On the other hand, if you are listening, “You will hear the directions clearly.”

Borrow/Loan: A line that makes me grate my teeth is, “I borrowed him my fill in the blank.” No, you didn’t. You loaned him that item. He borrowed it from you. Always remember: borrow from, loan to.

I know, I know, I’m a grammar freak. However, as we stray more and more from proper usage of our language, we lose our place in this world. English is a difficult language because it has so many instances like the above examples. Many other languages are much more clear. We have always had a fluid language, but these rapid changes in misuse scare me.

There are some things that have changed in our lifetimes. It’s more acceptable to end a sentence in a preposition. Many people lean toward using “their” as a possessive word if you’re not sure if the person possessing something is male or female. However, to simply not know which word to use is laziness. We’re all in such a hurry to send our messages that, many times, that extra second to think about which version of a word to use is not in the plans.

Many people tell me they are frightened to post on my Facebook page or send me an email because they think I’ll judge them based on their mistakes. I can’t help but notice the grievous errors I’ve written about, but I try to reserve judgement! However, it wouldn’t hurt any of us to take a few spare seconds to make sure we’ve got the right word.

Thanks to those ladies for the inspiration this week. Perhaps I should’ve paid more attention to my cards though; I was the first player out!

Word of the Week: This week’s word is brio, which means vigor or vivacity, as in, “He corrected papers with such brio that the red pen sliced through the words that were wrong.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!

The scurs and the Weather Eye continue to make weekend weather lovers happy. Temps over the weekend and early week were well above normal as advertised. Will satisfaction continue or will March be March again? Starting Wednesday, partly sunny with a moderate chance of changing to a rain-snow mix by evening. Highs in the upper 40’s with lows in the low 30’s. Thursday, mostly cloudy with a moderate chance of a rain-snow mix. Highs in the low 40’s with lows in the low 30’s. Partly sunny Friday with a slight chance of a rain-snow mix. Highs in the low 40’s with lows in the low 30’s. Saturday, mostly cloudy with a modest chance of rain and snow showers. Highs in the low 40’s with lows in the upper 20’s. Mostly cloudy Sunday with highs in the low 40’s and lows in the upper 20’s. Monday, partly sunny and warmer with a slight chance of a morning shower. Highs in the mid-40’s with lows in the mid-30’s. Mostly sunny skies for Tuesday with highs in the upper 40’s and lows in the mid-30’s. We will see over 12 hours of daylight on St. Patrick’s Day, the first time since September 25th. The vernal equinox will occur on Saturday March 19th. The normal high for March 19th is 41 and the normal low is 24. The scurs still will be wearing the green from St. Patty’s Day while fielding the calls from chicken farmers due to their chickens being angry about their eggs standing on end. 

Spring will officially arrive on the 19th, although as most of us are aware, it’s been here for a while. The ice went out on St. Olaf Lake on Sunday and on Beaver Lake on Monday. It’s getting tougher to find those last remaining patches on snow on the north sides of fencelines and groves. Yards and lawns have firmed up nicely and it appears the frost is out in most area fields. The rainfall Saturday night and early Sunday didn’t amount to much, so those who were counting on it to even out any remaining frost were probably disappointed. Overall our March precipitation has been lagging. Normal for the month at the SROC in Waseca is 2.49”. As of Monday night at the ranch, we had recorded only .24”. This is not a bad thing as the soils remain wet underneath in many areas. Wetter conditions are forecast in the near term, so we’ll likely make some headway towards the averages soon.

At the ranch the ewes continue to deliver more lambs in a gradual pattern. We’re nearing the three-quarter done mark, so it won’t be long and they should all be on the ground. The creep feeder was set up in the main barn and the area expanded so all the ewes with lambs should eventually fit. Managed to get the electric fence up and charged on Saturday the 12th, marking another early date for that. Of course the lambs enjoy having more freedom to run and move about without their mothers on their case, not unlike most humans I suspect. They certainly put on a show for anyone happening by or watching on Saturday. We were able to dock tails and move more ewes with lambs on Sunday so not a moment too soon. Sure makes chores go more smoothly.

The wildlife has also been responding to the early spring-like conditions. Grilling on Sunday night, I was entertained by the sounds of Canada geese on the pond and Hungarian partridge creeping around in the plum and sumac thicket about dark. Also heard from the pond area was the faint sound of the western chorus frogs. It apparently hasn’t been quite warm enough for them to crank it up full volume just yet. Give them time and am sure they’ll be shrieking once it warms up for good. 

Have been picking at the tree pruning as the month continues to roll on. Got the pear trees done and did some surgery on some of the wild plums that seemed to be in attack mode much of the lawn mowing season. Of course mowing as frequently as we did last year didn’t help matters. The Fireside tree is all that remains. Oddly enough, looking back at last year’s column about the same time, it was the last tree then too. With good reason: It has enough out-of-control sapwood growing on it so it almost looks like hair. After pruning the Haralson as I did, it should make it easier to get at the Fireside this time. More wood for grilling.

March 16th, 1966 marks a watershed date in the history of US transportation: Studebaker officially ceased manufacture of automobiles. As mentioned a few weeks ago, the announcement had come on March 5th, although the last car rolled off the line on the 16th. What brought this very old transportation company to its knees? After all, Studebaker had been a major wagon and carriage builder in the 1800s. Many of the wagons used by the Union Army in the Civil War were manufactured by Studebaker, not to mention countless wagons associated with the westward expansion by the settlers. Studebaker had also been a pioneer in electric cars at one time and a styling leader; with many of the trends it started being copied and implemented by the Big Three. In “More Than They Promised: The Studebaker Story” Thomas E. Bonsall devotes a chapter on his thoughts of what caused Studebaker to cease auto production. While they are opinion, they tend to be backed up with facts and data. 

Coming out of WWII, Studebaker was a hot brand. After building thousands of military trucks, amphibious vehicles and B-17 aircraft engines for the war effort, they were the first company to come with new automobile styling postwar. Tired of the war, people were ready for something fresh and new. They bought them like hotcakes. Studebaker’s low level of productivity relative to the Big Three was to become their Achilles heel. While avoiding strikes, the company had been lax on labor, allowing low productivity in favor of high volume. This would later cost them dearly. The redesign of the ’53 product line also came into play. The coupes were beautiful and exciting, selling well. The overall market for coupes was limited, however. The Baby Boom was on and the demand for larger family cars was part of it. Studebaker’s sedans and wagons were dumpy looking and unpopular. In some cases they were on a shorter wheelbase than the coupes.

Overall sales and profits plummeted. The Ford-General Motors sales war in the ‘50’s caused companies like Nash-Rambler and Studebaker to become caught in the crossfire. This robbed Studebaker of the high volume they’d relied upon. Their dealer network was also weak, making matters worse. From 1953–1955, Studebaker lost two-thirds of its market share. Low volume and high cost of production are not an equation for success. Aside from the blip on the radar with the introduction of the Lark in 1959, it was mostly downhill after that. While Studebaker manufactured some classic automobiles in the ‘50s and ‘60s such as the Starlight Coupe, the Hawk series and the Avanti, the public was convinced that if they purchased one, they’d be left with an orphan automobile. When the lights finally went out in Hamilton, Ontario, the end had been coming for some time.

See you next week…real good then.

Benefit Sunday in Geneva

By KATHY PAULSEN

Staff Writer

Connor Weckwerth, a first-grader at Blooming Prairie Elementary School and son of Milo Weckwerth of New Richland, became seriously ill in June of last year and was not able to keep food down for seven days; it got to the point where he could no longer walk, so his mother of course took him to the doctor.

At first, doctors thought Connor might have diabetes. Then they thought he might be suffering with an appendicitis. After those conditions were ruled out his parents made the decision to take him to St. Marys’ in Rochester. After spending two hours in Rochester, a CT scan diagnosed Conner with medulloblastoma, a type of brain cancer common in boys under 10.

He’s been battling it ever since — with the help of family, friends and others who care.

A benefit for 7-year-old Connor will be held Sunday, March 20 from 1-5 p.m. at the Geneva Community Center.

Remembering the life of Ella E. Yanke Nelson…

Funeral services for Ella Yanke Nelson will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 19, 2016 at Ascension Lutheran Church, Albert Lea. The Reverend Mark Boorsma will officiate. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Interment will take place at First Lutheran Cemetery in Ellendale.

Ella passed away on Monday, March 14, 2016 in Plymouth, MN. She was 91 years old.

Ella Emma (Ribbe) was born September 19, 1924 in Berlin Township to Louis and Josephine (Fischer) Ribbe. She was baptized at Zion Lutheran Church in Ellendale and confirmed at First Lutheran Church in Ellendale. In 1942, she graduated from Ellendale High School. She received her degree from the Minnesota School of Business in 1943.

The Nortonna Lodge 1-638 of the Sons of Norway will meet on Monday, March 21. Supper will be served at 6 p.m. for a cost of $7 and the meeting will follow at 7 p.m. at the Owatonna Elks Lodge, 126 East Vine Street.

The guest speaker is Dr. Lawrence Moe who will share the story of Carl Ben Eielson, the famous pilot and explorer who was born in North Dakota to Norwegian immigrant parents. Dr. Moe is an English professor at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul.  

If you would like more information on the Nortonna Lodge of the Sons of Norway, contact Nina Zak at 507-451-5841 or Cindy Hokanson at 507-451-9301.

Local Cub Scouts will pick up Scouting for Food bags Saturday, March 19 in Ellendale and New Richland. Bags were left at residences on March 12.

Funeral services for Marvin R. (Pat) Goette of New Richland, MN, will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, March 18, 2016 at the St Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Richland. Pastor Scott Williams will officiate. Visitation will be held Thursday evening from 4-7 p.m. at Friedrich Funeral Home and one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will be in the St. Peter Lutheran Cemetery.

Marvin died Monday, March 14, 2016 at his home in New Richland. He was 86 years of age.

Marvin was born October 29, 1929 in Kiester, MN, the son of Albert and Laura (Schewe) Goette. He attended country school in Kiester and moved to the Hartland area in 1946. On December 3, 1950 he was united in marriage to Marcella Hansen in Bricelyn, MN. Together they moved to New Richland in 1957 where they farmed.

A celebration of life service for Garry M. Roeker, 72, of rural Sherburn, will be 10 a.m. Friday, March 18, 2016, at Grace Lutheran Church in Fairmont. Burial will be in Welcome City Cemetery in Welcome, Minnesota.

Garry died unexpectedly at his home in rural Sherburn. Visitation and a time of sharing memories with the Roeker family will be held from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, March 17, 2016, at Kramer Family Funeral Home in Welcome and one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday. The Kramer Family Funeral Home is assisting the family where memories may be shared at www.kramerfuneralhome.com.