Mae Viola Thompson O'Neal

May 2nd, 1920 to November 28th, 2012

A beautiful tiny baby girl, Mae Viola Thompson was born to George Arthur and Caroline Thompson on May 2, 1920, on their farm in Hartland Township.

Mae was confirmed and baptized at the Hartland Lutheran Church in Hartland, MN, attended country schools in both Hartland & Manchester townships & also Freeborn High School. Her Norwegian ancestors were of the people that built the churches of N. Freeborn County.

Mae shared fond memories of her childhood & cold wintry sleigh rides home from Grandparents, Bertram & Betsy Sybilrud's farm, located N. of Hartland, and also of picking raspberries and gooseberries as she walked through the woods of her Grandmother Arslog Thompson Lee's farm, located on the N. shore of Mule Lake.

By RACHEL RIETSEMA

Staff Writer

“One afternoon while I in our dining room in Hartland, I got this knowing feeling that I wanted to write,” said acclaimed author Sandra Esch. “I never knew what, just that I wanted to write.”

Esch trusted that gut feeling, and when the time was right, she started work on her first novel, Tracks in the Snow, and eventually won the San Diego Christian Writers Guild’s Best Fiction Book Published in 2011 for its compelling and well-rounded quality.

“Receiving the award meant the world to me,” she said. “Did I expect to win? No. I feared being disappointed if I held out hope and lost. There are too many good writers out there.”

By DALE KUGATH

Sportswriter

HOPKINS – Things started out so well for the NRHEG girls’ basketball team in its clash against AAA Chaska at the Hopkins Lindberg Center Saturday afternoon. 

However, a cold shooting second half and some uncharacteristic mistakes sent the Panther girls to their first loss of the year. 

Chaska, the third-ranked team in Class 3A, used a strong second half to nip NRHEG 57-56.

The Hawks improved to 3-0, while NRHEG suffered its first loss in three games. 

“Our kids battled the entire game,” said NRHEG coach John Schultz. “I was proud of our first-half performance and the way we came back at the end. We came out flat to start the second half and that was the difference.”

By DALE KUGATH

Sportswriter

NEW RICHLAND – The New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva girls’ basketball team continued to score points at will as it raced to its second consecutive win of the season Thursday.

The Panthers overpowered Belle Plaine 80-37 in its home opener. NRHEG won 71-41 last season. 

“We were much more physical than they were,” said NRHEG coach John Schultz. “It was not the best shooting night for us, but we made up for it with things we can control like hustle on defense and on the boards.”

NRHEG led the entire game. Carlie Wagner scored 21 first-half points and Jade Schultz added 10 as the Panthers raced to a 41-22 lead at the break. 

By DALE KUGATH

Sportswriter

HENDERSON – The New Richland-Ellendale-Geneva girls’ basketball season scored at will in its opening game. 

Despite nine minutes of running time and coach John Schultz ordering his team not to shoot at the end of the game, the Panthers romped to a 98-29 victory over Le Sueur-Henderson in Henderson Nov. 27.

The Panthers, coming off a 32-1 season last winter, had defeated LSH 82-25 in 2011. 

“Our kids really pushed the ball and cashed in on a lot of transition points,” said Schultz. “I was very happy with our effort tonight.”

By DALE KUGATH

Sportswriter

FARIBAULT – New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva coach Paul Cyr knew that his team’s opening action at Faribault would be a stern test. He was right. 

The Panthers had to compete against such teams as Apple Valley, Kasson-Mantorville and Owatonna at Saturday’s Dick Shiels Invitational in Faribault. 

“We may have been in over our heads this early in the season,” said Cyr. “But, that’s the way we like it. We can find out a lot about our kids when you compete against good teams. 

Nicole Johnson benefit planned for Friday

A pulled pork fundraising supper and silent auction benefit will be held for Nicole Johnson on Friday, December 14.

Nicole was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer on May 17, 2012. She underwent chemotherapy followed by surgery. The cancer spread to her lymph nodes and she is now under going radiation treatments. Nicole is the daughter of Cindy (Kasper) originally from Ellendale, and Dave Johnson originally from Hope. She is the granddaughter of Theresa Kasper from Ellendale.

The benefit will be held at Owatonna VFW, 135 Oakdale St. It will be held from 5 until 9 p.m.

H anson Horde Annual Gathering

A dish to pass

N ew/old family and friends

S aturday noon

O n

N ovember 24, 2012

It didn't start out as a great Thanksgiving for my mother this year. Every miserable hurt and problem that could keep my mother awake until the wee hours of the morning occurred. 

Thank goodness she realized the dough she had prepared for dinner rolls wasn't rising the way it should. So, at three in the morning, she  busily hacked away at the dough, trying to make some resemblance of buns that she planned to take to our family dinner.

Despite her efforts, they ended up being small, unbelievably ugly buns. 

Saturday morning was also the time for her to make the traditional chicken and noodles our family has come to expect each year. This dates back to many years ago, when my grandmother first started making them.

Mom wanted them to be especially good this year because one never knows when it will be the last time they are made. Mom did admit to me that she cheated a little bit. 

Instead of cooking up a chicken, along with celery and onions, to make a tasty broth, she used a store bought broth, some cream of chicken soup, along with some chicken soup starters.

And wouldn't you know, it was tasteless, so she dug out her chopper and minced some celery and onion and cooked it a little bit in the microwave before she added it to the mixture, hoping it would do the trick. Meanwhile, she had forgotten to take the eggs that she would need to make the noodles out of the refrigerator so they could warm up a bit, and as a result, they didn't want to "beat up" like they should. She did decide to go ahead with the process, and added the flour but forgot to add the baking powder.

She kneaded the dough a little, maybe too little, and when she rolled out the dough on her kitchen counter it looked like a map of the United States instead of the nice square, which would have been easier to cut. She cut it anyway, adding a little bit of flour here and there so that it wouldn't stick to the counter top.

My grandmother Hanson always rolled her dough like a jelly roll and cut "slices" off, so to speak. The grandkids that happened to be at her house when she was making her "family favorite" chicken and noodles liked to unroll the noodles for her, which were then tossed in a little bit of flour before they were added to the hot, bubbling broth on the stove.

My mother says that she cheats, as she doesn't have to roll the dough up like Grandma used to do. She has found a "cutter" which cuts about five or six strips at a time, which makes it quicker and easier.

As my mother was making the noodles, memories of her mother flowed through her head and she so wished that her mother were here to be with us for Thanksgiving this year.

Once the noodles had cooked for a bit, mom transferred them to crock pots. We then found cardboard boxes that would hold the crock pots, so that they could be transported to Jim and Maryalice’s, where they were plugged in to electricity so that they would be nice and hot when we were ready to eat.

Though lacking many of the younger members of the family to celebrate the day this year, due to work or because they where celebrating the holiday with the other side of the family, it was nonetheless a great day.

Jim, as always, had a wonderful selection of wines to pick from to enjoy with the meal.

Our Pilgrim fathers and Indian friends would be astonished at the array of foods that covered the serving counter at the Hanson home. Jim had deep-fried the turkey this year, but nothing compares to his now famous "porketta," both health wise and delicious.

No one knows for sure what other family members will bring to share for dinner but there were really no duplicates. Each year, the family expects me to bring baked corn, and no one makes homemade turkey dressing like Teri McDonald’s husband, Keith. "Snookie" always has a new "something or other" and this year it was a refreshing salad. And, she was willing to share the recipe with all of us.

Yes, we had potatoes and gravy, as well as some delicious cheesy potatoes that Kelly made. Jim once again had made some Danish cooked red cabbage that many have come to enjoy.

Someone brought a tray of hors d'oeuvres, and Bob brought some smoked salmon along with crackers. Barbara brought her famous lefse, along with Hope butter of course, that could be enjoyed with either white or brown sugar. 

The Hope butter was also great for the homemade buns, too. Maryalice had made pecan pie and a "little bit will do you," especially if topped with whipped cream. Which reminds me, there was a whipped cream salad (turtle, I believe) that was delicious and seemed more like dessert.

Maryalice always has a great variety of teas. Especially good was the green tea with pomegranate, that many enjoyed with their dessert.

There may not have been 75 of us this year, as we usually are, but everyone that was there was important and each of the "Hanson" families were represented. A day that started as a mental disaster for my mother became a historical memory for many of us.

What else can one say about Thanksgiving day? Wrap a prayer shawl around your shoulders and think of all the things God has given us and thank him for it.

Thanksgiving has always been a day to remember things that we are thankful for and each one seems more so. Yes, we miss those we cannot be with personally, but we can still find room in our hearts for them just the same.

At Thanksgiving, we tend to focus so much on the food, instead of what is really important to us — giving thanks for all of the blessings we have received. There is much to be thankful for in this bounteous land.

The thing I’m most thankful for is the interchange with family and friends. When we have annual family get-togethers, we are reminded of the blessings of being with extended family and friends, something we should be far more thankful for than a big meal, parades on TV, or an excuse to go shopping the next day. 

A great meal consumed all by ourselves is just that — a great meal — but even a simple meal shared with family and friends is a banquet. I’m so thankful that in this part of the country, people tend to remain fairly close together, and we can see our family and friends. 

It makes me wonder, why don’t we do this more often? Perhaps we should do this two or three times a year! Enjoy the meal, but take the time to enjoy family and friends more.

Some of our Star Eagle readers have commented they like to read about events such as family and school reunions, birthdays and anniversaries, and birth and wedding announcements. In order to read about these important things, we need our faithful readers to pass along the information to us.  

If you have news, please contact me via e-mail, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; by postal mail, P. O. Box 192, Geneva, MN 56035 or telephone, 507-256-4405.

Birthdays and Anniversaries:

• Thursday, December 6th: Sharon Johnson, Rodger Hill, Katie Marlin, Tony Jackovitch, John Lerum, John Kaplan, Sue Klemmensen, Chris & Marie Wallace,  Emily & Jeffrey O'Brien, their second.

• Friday, December 7th: Katie Olson, Tracy Holland, Sam Peterson, Angela Hensrud, Wanda Schwartz, Helen Schmidt, Kara & Eric Grant, Ron & Theresa Langlie, Dawn & Eric Degan.

• Saturday, December 8th: Kathy Glynn, Teri McDonald, Jeff Schei, Tracy Haddy, James Olsen, Mike Flugum, Meghan Baumann.

• Sunday, December 9th: Carrisa Christensen, Paitan Janis Glynn, Al Paulson, Robert Robertson, Rusty Besco, Mark Ribbe, Tony Phillips, Courtney Thompson,Brian Strand, Chuck & Cynthia Crabtree, Steve & Terri Engel.

• Monday,  December 10th: Cody Dobberstein, Steve Lee, Valarie Otterson, Karla Osmundson, Art DeNeui, Philip Olsen, Scott & Melonie Crabtree.

• Tuesday, December 11th: Jane Nordhorn Allen, Justin Hove, Geoffrey Ramaker, Marty Shultz, Rick Johnson, Janice Paulsen, Beth Scripture Klucksen, Jake Thompson, Theresa Van Ravenhorst, Larry & Emily Otto.

• Wednesday, December 12th: Torie Richards, Jean Groth, Addison Gayle Lyman, Bernard Falksen, Allen Paulson, Matthew Butler, Barbara Lageson, Judith Johnson Tetzloff, Kim Seath, Christopher Nelson, Mark & Cheryl Johnson.

May you find joy and pleasure all around you on your special day.

One of the things I appreciate about our area of the state is the number of outdoors recreational opportunities we have available to us. As a kid, I always felt that I could pretty much roam freely on any land that I wished without raising the ire of a landowner. 

As my choice of weapon was my trusty Red Ryder BB gun, most land owners and critters felt pretty secure with me in the area. Today, most of the private land is posted.

So unless you know someone, wildlife management areas are crucial for continuing the sport of hunting. In Freeborn County alone, we are lucky enough to have 11 such areas scattered throughout the county.

Small game hunting is a great way to make use of this land and introduce our youth to the sport. Hunting for rabbits and squirrels can be both fun and challenging to a youth. It is also important to stress the idea of not wasting the meat by killing an animal just for the sake of killing.

My mother-in-law was not one to waste anything edible. She would fix squirrel whenever someone would shoot one, and as far as I know, it was pretty good eating. (I’m sure it must have tasted just like chicken.)

On the other hand, my brother-in-law Mike had shot a rabbit and decided to fry it up.  It might look like a good idea when you watch “Survivor Man” roasting it on a stick over an open fire but, needless to say, if you don’t know what you’re doing it can be pretty nasty. 

I do believe that boiling it first before frying would have made it tender enough to chew. I guess you could compare it to what my mother would call “an old stewing hen,” which she would boil before baking or frying.

Trial and error is part of the deal when it comes to preparing wild game. Some folks can make anything taste good and others, well not so much. 

My mother-in-law would fix the best pheasant by slow frying it first and then simmering it in that creamy white gravy she would make. Yummmm… it’s making me hungry just thinking about it. 

But, of course, you need to come up with the main ingredient first; a pheasant. I have spotted a few in the Bricelyn/Frost area but most of them were hens. I’ll take that as a sign that there are better days ahead for bird hunters.

With another deer hunting firearms season behind us, we still have the archery and muzzleloader seasons to look forward to. With that in mind the Minnesota DNR has issued the following news release that may be of interest to those hunters that didn’t tag a deer during the firearms season:

DNR reminds hunters to not throw away unused either-sex deer permits

Hunters who failed to tag a deer or use their either-sex permit during the firearms season may still have a chance to put some venison in the freezer.

“An either-sex permit from the firearms season remains valid for the muzzleloader season if you have the appropriate license,” said Leslie McInenly, DNR big game program leader. “The either-sex permit is valid for either season, in the same area, provided you have a license for that season.”

The provision applies only to the lottery areas.

McInenly reminds hunters in the lottery areas that they are only allowed to tag one deer during the 2012 hunting season. They may not use bonus tags. They may be able to harvest additional deer in managed, intensive or special hunt areas.

Hunters who wish to take advantage of this change must have a license for the muzzleloader season. Licenses can be purchased at any of the 1,500 license agent locations in the state, via telephone at 888-665-4236 or online. A convenience fee is added to telephone and Internet license purchases.

The Minnesota muzzleloader season runs Saturday, Nov. 24 until Sunday, Dec. 9. Minnesota hunters harvested 151,400 deer so far during the 2012 early firearm season, according to preliminary numbers announced by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Overall, antlered buck harvest increased 9 percent and antlerless deer harvest decreased 21 percent compared to 2011. In total, firearm harvest was off 7 percent, which was expected given the conservative allocation of antlerless deer permits.

Until next time, take a little time to enjoy the outdoors experience and always be safety conscious while hunting.

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.