By JIM LUTGENS

Staff Writer

When it comes to the New Richland American Legion, the old guard might be getting a little too old.

Norm Eckart, Adjuctant for Post 75, said it’s time for some younger people — like it or not — to join and be active with the post and Color Guard for funerals and parades.

“We’ve got guys 90 years old actually with the Color Guard,” said Eckart, who at 69 is the second-youngest member of the group. “And, one by one, we’ve been burying them. We had five or six funerals in July. We’ve got to get some younger blood in there. I’m just not sure how to do it.”

As Adjuctant the last four years, Eckart has handled all paperwork for the post and he’s seen a decline in membership,

There is one thing about covering events for the Star Eagle. You learn a lot, things you might otherwise take for granted or maybe just not think about.

Such was the case when I covered the South Central Sustainable Farming Association gathering recently at Hope.

It made me wonder if I was really so dumb, or was I so smart? I'd been to Hope before but I learned so much more. I had toured the creamery butter industry in the old creamery, but there is so much I didn't know. Great butter doesn't just happen. There is a lot more to it than just putting cream in a churn. The churn is stopped several times so samples of the product can be removed, tested, tasted and checked for moisture, butterfat and things that go over my head. 

It takes patience to know how to make a good product, as well as the touch of the master’s hand.  There is nothing left to chance. That is why this butter is as good as it is.

Victor Mrotz has given many tours to groups as small as two, to bus loads. Children from schools and 4-H organizations, mystery tours, holidays, elderly and "city folk" — anyone interested in the ag industry and curious about different aspects of the business. There has been a lot of change!

The sign out front says, "SunOpta Grains and Food Incorporated.  Bringing well being to life."

In meeting with some of the staff it was apparent they knew their business. There was total dedication shown to their products. There were no shortcuts and no exceptions. It was almost unbelievable what every kernel of corn or bean must go through to deserve the name SunOpta.

There are strict standards to follow. It takes a lot of knowledge, paper work and technology, especially if it is to be used for food supply. Tracking seeds is expensive and time comsuming.

Experience shows in viewing the seed, noting color, smelling for odor and exposing the color content of beans by cutting to expose the inside. Nothing is left to chance and there are no exceptions. At SunOpta if the product says Organic or non-GMO, it is!  Somebody’s life may depend on it. 

It doesn't mean it is rejected or unused; it just goes to a different bin for other uses.

Even the trucks are under scrutiny as to where they were cleaned, power washed or whatever. They also keep track of what the truck hauled previously. It is all a part of keeping allergies in check.

After a load of corn or beans are tested and dumped, the driver has to again do paper work before leaving. It is that important.

Hope may not be a very big spot on the map, but it has big things going for it. There are people who seem to be interested in health concerns that have come into being as a result of technology and labor saving methods, GMOs and chemical advancement.

Area residents may remember the Hope facility began in August of 1981 when a group of area farmers who raised waxy corn (many still do) started the business. Waxy corn has a different starch makeup. If you see modified corn starch on the label it is probably from waxy corn. Waxy corn is also used for industrial uses like paper and cardboard.

"Waxy Corn" went to "Sun Rich" and then became a part of the SunOpta Industry which buys and sells to other large companies. They also sell to 35-40 countries around the world. Sunflowers, though not grown in this area, go to Europe.

It is interesting to note that Hope purchases over half of the certified organic soybeans from 18 states.

Just this morning I opened my computer to Natural News that says: "We have just completed an investigation showing that many common vitamins and multi-vitamins are contaminted with GMOs.”  This is also true of many "health food" items and even some superfood powders. Scary!

The GMO ingredients to watch out for usually come from corn. I have included a partial list of all the GMO corn-derived ingredients used in many vitamins and health products: maltodextrin, sucrose, ascorbic acid (synthetic vitamin C), citric acid (used in many drink powders) and corn syrup, plus there is aspartame, which is also genetically modified from a bacteria source.

To read the full report, including proof of these ingredients being used in many vitamin products, including children’s vitamins, visit: www.naturalnews.com.

Hope seems to be ahead of the game where it comes to supplying products that can be depended upon for our world today. Did you think that Hope was a small town? It is a very big and important city to me!

This week’s birthdays and anniversaries:

• Thursday, August 8th: Ian Matthew Wayne, Luke Wangsness, John Vander Stoep, Jamie Walworth, Kathy Born, Scott Crabtree, Jessica Marcus, Sharon Miller Jensen, Barb O'Conner, Gary Peterson, Emily Jensen, Marc Collins, Matthew Swift, Don Gould, Mya Glienke

• Friday, August 9th: Warren & Solveig Sorenson, Aaron & Mickki Heimer, Linda Wayne, Mavis Knudtson, Steven LeRoy Christensen, Cherie Halla, Karen Holmes, Amber Nordland, Angie Reichl, Dustin Jepson, Sierra Ellen Misgen, Josiah Jeffrey Schei, Christopher Quentin Haberman

• Saturday, August 10th: Lynn Arends, Linda Weckwerth, Teresa Wright, Jeff Olson, Vernon Cornelius, Michelle Brandt, Richelle Butler Chapman, Melisssa Cornelius Large, Dustin Dobberstein, Thayne Nordland, Cheyenne Bergerson, Ross & Kathie Lein, Steve & Kathy Nelson, Darrin & Linda Stadheim

• Sunday, August 11th: Nicole & Daniel Burns, 2012; Nicole & Dallas Loken, Brian Broulik, Vicki Humburg, Jeremy Kaiser, Mike Plunkett, Kris Simon Freitas, Sharon Sorenson, Kim Anderson Schneider, Brian Thostenson, Irvin Jensen Jr., Kevin Avery, Luke Clark Wangsness, Pagie Sophia Kromminga

• Monday, August 12th: Linda & LaVerne Stieglbauer, Shawna Robertson, Tessa Christensen, Kristine Schroeder, Cindy Oswald, Cindy Nelson, Cynthia Crabtree, Thomas Smith, Ross Swearingen, Genie Hanson, Amy Tasker

• Tuesday, August 13th: Dennis Deml, Tim Enzenauer, David Haddy, Bob Brandt, Lisa Dummer, Megan Dummer, Janet Hope, Kellie Petranek, Sylvia Jepson, Saxton Chad Ritz

• Wednesday, August 14th: David & Carrie Paulson, Mark Sorenson, Lucille Nechanicky, Gretchen Oswald Thompson, Peter Kasper, Leah Berg, Wes Neidermeier, Alison & Chad Muilenburg

Wishing you much happiness on your special day!

I believe that it is a “fair” assumption to say that a lot of folks have attended this year’s Freeborn County Fair. It was almost my favorite summer event, taking a close second to fishing. My favorite part of the fair was the stock car races that were held for many years during the fair. The fair meant that instead of racing on the 5th-mile track in front of the grandstand the cars, for a few years, raced on the half-mile track that circled the outside of the infield. This ended shortly after a car had gone through the fence, rolled and ended up on Richway Drive. I believe they still had modified stock car and 3⁄4 midget car races for a few years after, but that too eventually stopped. I sure did miss those Friday night races at the fairgrounds after they were discontinued. As kids we all had our racing heroes and I’m sure that it’s still that way today for those who follow NASCAR or the races at area speedways.

I can also remember when harness racing was a big event at the fair, but it is something that you just don’t hear much about anymore. There are still some fairs in Minnesota that have harness racing and the Running Aces track north of the cities also has them. Iowa seems to be one of the more popular Midwestern states for harness racing.

The other day as I was on my morning walk by the channel near Frank Hall Park I caught a whiff of the water and it reminded me of late summer days spent at the “crick” on Bridge Avenue. As kids, whenever our parents asked where we were going, we would simply say “the bridge” and nothing more needed to be said. In the spring we couldn’t wait for the first open water and we’d be there at “the bridge” waiting for the first sign of life to appear. Most of the time we’d spot minnows and tadpoles before any larger fish appeared. That little “crick” held many mysteries that nature must have put there purposely for us kids to enjoy. As we moved farther into summer the visits to our favorite haunt grew less frequent because as the water level got lower it seemed like there was less and less activity in the form of wildlife.

I always enjoyed hearing the red winged blackbirds calling to each other and thought it was exciting when a yellow winged one would appear. One year in mid-August I spotted two bright green water snakes swimming near the bridge. I have never been a big snake person so after that day I don’t think I spent a lot of time at the bridge for the rest of that particular summer.

There were also certain smells of that “crick” that were like no other; the smell of stagnant water that I experienced on my walk by the channel had reminded me of the many late summer days spent at the bridge. There was a time when of the kids that he had been told that it was the smell of a neighbor’s sewage that was being dumped into the “crick.” I don’t know if there was any truth to that, but it was our story and we were sticking to it. There was also no mistaking the smell you could experience at sunset when the dew of the evening seemed to overtake the slough and cool everything down. As night crept in, the sound of birds chirping was replaced by that of the bullfrogs and crickets showing up for the night shift. That old bridge was our main hangout for most of the summer and it sure has left me with a lot of good memories.

As a kid I always associated August with hot weather when in all reality, temperature-wise, it is probably one of the best months. The days are usually warm and sunny while the nights cool off nicely, making for great sleeping weather. August can also be good fishing weather. Early morning can produce some nice bass if you can find some open pockets in weed beds or underwater weed lines. You can usually find them close to shore, under docks or around fallen trees most any time of year. I’ve found that August has always been pretty good to me when it comes to bass fishing.

Now that we are into the “dog days” of summer our thoughts may turn to other things like the early goose season or the deer hunting archery season, both of which are just around the corner. The following seasons open in the beginning of September:

• Sept. 1-12 — Early Canada Goose season

• Sept. 1 to Nov. 4 — Snipe and Rail Hunting season

• Sept. 7 — Youth Waterfowl Day

• Sept. 14 to Feb. 28, 2014 — Small Game - Rabbits, Squirrels season

• Sept. 14 to Nov. 30 — Sharptailed Grouse season

• Sept. 14 to Jan. 1, 2014 — Ruffed and Spruce Grouse, Hungarian Partridge season

• Sept. 14 to Dec. 31 — Deer Hunt Archery season

Until next time, enjoy the outdoors and maybe even take a little time to hang out by a lake, do a little fishing or find that bridge of your own.

Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers because they are the reason we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting

"What do you do?"

"I help people make money."

"Like who?"

"Like my doctor, my cellphone provider, my cable company guy, my mechanic, my..."

Driving by the Bruces

I have two wonderful neighbors — both named Bruce — who live across the road from each other. Whenever I pass their driveways, thoughts occur to me, such as: if it could happen to anyone, why doesn’t it?

Ask Al

• "What can you tell me about picking edible fungi?" I will warn you that there’s not mushroom for error.

• "What was the most ostentatious wedding you’ve ever attended?" That would have been the Snooty/Persnickety nuptials. Former NFL great Jerry Rice was thrown at the couple.

• "I looked at an old history book and was impressed with the colors shown in it. Do you know what they are called?" Those are past tell colors.

North Dakota notions

I’d been working in North Dakota. It’s a well-oiled state. The mosquitoes are trained to drill for oil. One fellow claimed to have found happiness right in his own backyard — with an oil well. A friend who lives in North Dakota wishes that he had an oil well. I sent him a get-well card.

That’s why they sell earplugs

I admit it, I don’t enjoy loud music. I try not to gripe about it, but I growl occasionally. When I do that, I recall a Robert Frost poem, titled, "A Minor Bird." "I have wished a bird would fly away, And not sing by my house all day. Have clapped my hands at him from the door, When it seemed as if I could bear no more. The fault must partly have been in me. The bird was not to blame for his key. And of course there must be something wrong, In wanting to silence any song."

Cafe chronicles

The sign read, "Sorry, were open." Four friends and six opinions sat at a table. It was a favored place because nothing there was hard to swallow. The waitress said that she was using the backup coffeepot. She didn’t say why, so I assumed that the regular coffeepot had the day off. One diner asked what he should give his wife on their 55th anniversary and was told that was the fiber anniversary. Bran cereals were suggested as appropriate gifts.

Did you know?

• Canada has a population of 35 million. California’s population is 37 million.

• Ford sold its first car in 1903, a red, two-cylinder Model A with no roof. It was sold to a Chicago dentist named Ernst Pfenning, who paid $850 for it. The car’s top speed was 28 mph.

• Popular folklore says that when a cat stares out a window, it will rain. If that is true, it should rain 365 days a year. It wasn’t long ago when drought was a big worry. Shortly thereafter, I heard people saying, "We’ve only had rain twice this year — once for 30 days and once for 45 days." Maybe too many people prayed for rain.

Customer comments

Bob Hargis of Riverton, Wyo., wrote, "Have not gone to any of Washington Union High School in Fremont, California class of '61 reunions yet. Bill Walsh was my PE coach my freshman year. I eagerly asked young football guru 'Coach, should I go out for football, huh?' He responded with a long stare — the kind you get when you are trying to see a 3-D image out of a 2-D page — looking almost through and behind the image in front of you. 'Hargis,' he said, 'SWIM!' Sage advice from this man who went on to coach legendary teams and reinvent conventional football of the era. Come to think of it, school is supposed to promote lifetime learning and skills. Swimming is for life and football certainly ain't."

Nature notes

Gail Savick of Freeborn wrote, "I want to know if there is some meaning behind the blackbirds dropping their babies' poop in the bird waterer after taking it out of the nest?" The toilet habits of the grackle irritate many folks. Baby grackles produce fecal material that looks like miniature sandwich bags filled with poop. The parents grab these little bird diapers and fly away with them. They want to dump them away from the nest so that predators wouldn’t be aware of the location of the baby birds. The grackle considers water the perfect place to dump its cargo, as it washes away all evidence. A swimming pool or birdbath is ideal, but a car with a nice polish does in the pinch, as does my garage door.

Meeting adjourned

Kind words cost little, but are priceless to the beneficiary.

Guess where you can find Genie and me away from home at least twice between August 13 and August 18? If you guessed the Steele County Fair in Owatonna, you’re right.

You know we’ll be chowing down on all that good-to-the-taste (but not necessarily good for the body) fair food. We’ll try to reduce the potential harm to the body by exercising (dancing) to the entertainment in the Square on the Fairgrounds, Yes, dancing on the grass is do-able!!

You haven’t lived until you’ve gotten a surprise when you opened your mailbox. How about he surprise when you realized you weren’t showering alone? Have you looked real close to what is inside a drawer when you open it? Or worse yet, what’s inside your socks and underwear jut as you’re going to put them on?

The aforementioned are places where we have found a scary looking critter with pinchers known as an earwig. According to folklore they like to enter the human ear – thus the name earwig.

Even a Lutheran church can think outside the box. Moscow Lutheran Church needs roof repairs, and of course that costs money. The church members held an informal get-together a few years ago on how to handle such cash shortages. Long-time members Jack and Anita mentioned: “Feed them and they will come with money in hand.” Thus, once a year the church has a drive-in restaurant, with food brought to your car, or you can eat at outside tables or in the church basement. Genie and I attended the packed-house, leave-your-money event Sunday evening, June 21.

I had to have blood drawn at the Albert Lea Medical Center before any breakfast. We decided to go to Diana’s Cafe on South Broadway for breakfast afterwards.

Diana is way ahead of the emphasis on “Save a Tree By Recycling.” She takes your order with nothing written down. The great tasting food is delivered just as you ordered. No guest check – you go to the cash register and pay by cash or check. (No credit cards accepted.) With a big smile Diana thanks you. The only paper she wants to see is in payment plus tip on the table. When all is said and done, Diana has shown you how to save part of a tree!

According to the Albert Lea Tribune newspaper’s 2013 Reader’s Choice voting, Genie and I agreed with our peers on two of the businesses. What is really a tribute to the businesses is that they are not in Albert Lea where most of the readers live. That means the voter has to go out of their way to use the service of the business. Congratulations to Floors 4-U in Ellendale and Sorenson’s Appliance and TV in Geneva. (Yes, Genie and I agreed on most of the “Best of the Best” as voted by our peers.)

Move over, “Corn Palace” in Mitchell, South Dakota. You have competition. “Corn Palace” in New Richland, Minnesota specializes in the use of corn also – I guess you might say the above is rather corny!

As of this writing, there are a few seats left on the Twins bus August 12. Call 383-8655 if interested. The great Twins prognosticator, Bert Blyleven, has predicted the score of the game even before it starts!

———

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.

During the Litomysl church festival, I did something I haven’t done in about 15 years: play the trumpet in public, at the polka mass. Let me back up in time first.

I played trumpet all through school in New Ulm. I was above average, which qualified me for first chair at tiny CHS. In middle school, a group of parents decided that some of us who were both friends and musicians should form a polka band. Thus, the Southsiders was formed!

We had fun with a couple of trumpets, a concertina, a sax, and some drums. We played at local festivals, nursing homes, in parades, and even outside the Metrodome before a couple of Twins games.

When I headed to Winona for college, I helped re-found the pep band that had been defunct. It was a very relaxed atmosphere, but we rocked the house for basketball games in my last three years there, and it continues to this day.

As I arrived at NRHEG, I was loath to give up this instrument that I enjoyed so much. I would sometimes step in and play with the pep band before games. However, as I started announcing more, that fell by the wayside, as did any playing at all.

Fast forward to this past year: Jayna has taken up the trumpet, to my eternal delight. Her godfather, Galen, plays with a group called Litomyslaneous for the polka mass and asked if Jayna might join them for a few pieces. I got the music, and Jayna practiced the songs. However, as we got closer, I listened and realized she wasn’t advanced enough to play at the pace needed for polka.

I talked to Galen, and he said that perhaps I should join them. I panicked a bit; I hadn’t played regularly since those early years at NRHEG, but decided to give it a shot.

If you’ve never played an instrument in front of a large group, you have no idea of the fear that goes into hitting that first note. If you can just get it right, the rest will be fine. Rest assured, especially with a trumpet, if you are off, EVERYONE will know, even the least musically-conscious.

I made it through the songs I had, but my lip was shot. Brass players know of what I speak. Go ahead, if you used to play an instrument; take it out again and try it. This is not quite like riding a bicycle. I could still remember all the fingerings as if it had been 15 years ago, but playing an instrument takes practice and getting in shape, just like a sport.

I need to play trumpet more often. It was such a kick to play with that group and play polka music again that I wouldn’t mind doing it more in the future, but I will be better prepared.

One of the things Michelle and I agreed we would force our kids to do was learn music and take piano lessons. Music brings so much happiness in life that we felt it was one of those things our kids should have in their lives. We were lucky to find a great piano teacher in Courtney Klocek, who has done a fabulous job of guiding the kids toward that same love of music.

Once more, if you used to play an instrument, try it again. You don’t need to go in front of a group, but you might rediscover that joy or even find that something you might not have liked years ago isn’t such a bad thing.

There are so many people I talk to who say they wish they had learned to play an instrument. It’s never too late! Learn piano, pick up a guitar, do something to enhance that musical element in your life. Encourage your children to play something.

Think about all the great music on the radio or on your iPod. Those people might have bucked against learning an instrument at one time, but what would you do without Aerosmith or Carrie Underwood? Being able to play music is a lifetime gift that you can give to yourself and many others.

Word of the Week: This week’s word is dauntless, which means fearless, as in, “The dauntless musician dusted off his trumpet after many years and played before hundreds of people.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!

The scurs were able to sneak a little dribble of rain in last week’s forecast, but it stayed dry until Monday. Will we see some showers this week or will our trend of being dry-cleaned in August continue? Starting Wednesday, partly cloudy with highs in the low 70s and lows in the mid 50s. Partly cloudy on Thursday with a slight chance of an evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the mid 70s and lows in the upper 50s. Friday, partly cloudy with highs in the mid 70s and lows in the mid 50s. Mostly sunny on Saturday with highs again in the mid 70s and lows in the mid 50s. Sunday, partly cloudy with a slight chance of an evening shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the mid 70s with lows near 60. Mostly cloudy for Monday with highs in the upper 70’s and lows in the upper 50s. Mostly cloudy for Tuesday with a chance of rain. Highs near 70 and lows in the mid 50s. The normal high for August 11th is 81 and the normal low is 60. Already upon us, the Perseid meteor showers should peak in the pre-dawn hours of August 10–13th. The scurs will be laying on their blanket under the stars in anticipation.

Another cool week with little rainfall occurring in most of greater Bugtussle and environs. Some of the hand wringers and worry warts are already convinced that we should get out the plow to save some time on this crop. Obviously haven’t heard of global warming. Seriously, corn continues to develop, although perhaps not at a rate we’d like to see, and ditto with the soybeans. Corn planted before the snow was milk stage on Monday and most soybeans are R4 with a few early planted early maturing soybeans approaching R5. Some things we can keep an eye on in the meantime are the soybean aphids that have become more numerous in the past week. This type of weather is exactly what they like and since it hasn’t froze yet, we at least need to pretend the soybeans might actually amount to something.

At the ranch, garden and beds are coming along, producing blooms and biomass anyway. Recent rains have perked everything up, at least giving one the impression that we are having a summer of sorts anyway. Tiger lilies are a vivid orange and nothing messes with them in their space. The blue salvia has especially enjoyed this stretch of weather, their blue flowers reminding me of the blue flax fields I once traversed in North Dakota. The winter radishes have exploded from their cotyledon stage to several true leaves. In particular, the Japanese daikon-type radishes grow rapidly and develop a deep tap root. They are essentially the same thing as the tillage radishes planted on the prevent plant acreages so it’s no surprise that these plants are being used for this purpose.  

It has been some beautiful sleeping weather. Even the mosquitoes are losing ground as it has dried out. They still come looking for you, but not squadrons at a time as they did a month ago. There have been some questions about what all the little powder blue butterflies are. Most of what we are seeing are eastern tailed blues. If you look closely at their wings there is a little tail on each hindwing. The adults feed on nectar, especially from plants such as low growing legumes like the white clover in lawns. The females lay eggs on buds of some of the same plants and the larvae feed on the flowers. Adults, primarily males, tend to show up around puddles, wet spots or damp manure piles prior to mating. It is thought that they are looking for protein which may increase their fertility, possibly improving the odds that their genes will be passed to the next generation. Gals, if you find guys face down around mud puddles or manure piles, that may be a clue.

There are actually two partially functioning mechanical lawnmowers at the ranch! Doing some carburetor cleaning on Whitey Jr., the float valve was stuck, hence the reason for very little gas getting through to run the 12-horse behemoth. It made Fudgie and Ruby’s day as they had a big afternoon circling it while we made the rounds in the ditch. Emptying two wasps, a spider and some unidentified bug from Howard’s gas tank, I was convinced I’d solved the engine stalling problem. Starting off on Saturday with confidence we rolled through the main lawn in record time. Moving over across the driveway, the mower suddenly died, again. It died once more and after giving me one last gasoline bath, made it the rest of the way. Took it back into the garage and got out the light to look in the tank. Sure enough, there was a small beetle on the bottom. It must’ve clung to the wall of the tank when I rinsed it. A more thorough rinse job is on tap as well as using the recently purchased funnel with strainer when filling it up. Taking the gas tank off gets old after the first couple times.

Fudgie turned 10 on Tuesday and continues to settle into her new home at the ranch. Actually it’s her birthplace as she was part of the litter that included Jet and Gus. It was when caring for them that Mom fell in love with the wriggling little red and white female Border Collie. Fudgie’s found a favorite spot to lie any time she wants to be in the shade with a breeze. The small porch on our patio fills the bill and must seem like a smaller version of the deck she enjoyed at Mom’s. From our porch she can keep an eye on the sheep grazing on the hillside below the house. It’s also a perfect spot to see what the neighbors might be up to. Fudgie has definitely taken a shine to it as it’s become the first place we look when we can’t find her. Now that the bugs have let up some, can’t say as I blame her. As the little fat buddies all know, it’s always good to have a place to hide. 

See you next week…real good then.

Edna Mae Korman, age 88, of Waseca, died on Saturday, August 3, 2013 at the Owatonna Care Center.

Born on April 23, 1925 in Waseca County, Minnesota she was the daughter of Arthur and Emilie (Behr) Gehring. Edna attended school in rural Waseca County before graduating from New Richland High School. She married Melvin Korman on June 30, 1947 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Wilton. Together they lived and farmed in Waseca County. Edna had also worked for the E.F. Johnson Co. in Waseca. She enjoyed gardening, quilting, and sewing. She was a member of First Lutheran Church in Waldorf and the Ladies Aid.

Funeral service for Esther M. “Essie” Edman, 92, of Fairmont, MN will be 2 p.m. Monday, August 5, at Grace Lutheran Church in Fairmont with Rev. Neil Christopherson officiating. Burial will follow at Lakeside Cemetery in Fairmont. Visitation will be 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, August 4, at the Lakeview Funeral Home in Fairmont and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church on Monday.

Esther Marie (Essie) Edman died peacefully Wednesday night, July 31, 2013 from complications of pneumonia and ALS at Ingleside Assisted Living Facility with her four children at her side.