Sophomore guard suffers sprained ankle in 59-43 victory at Blue Earth Area

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

The NRHEG girls’ basketball team won a key game, but suffered a big loss.

During the second half of the Panthers’ 59-43 nonconference victory at Blue Earth Area Monday night, starting guard Jade Schultz went down with a severe ankle injury.

The good news is that Schultz has some time to heal before tournament play begins and the Panthers, rated No. 2 in the state in Class AA, won handily to improve to 24-0 overall.

“We were cold beyond the arc, shooting 1-17, but made up with it on the boards outrebounding BEA 40-19,” said NRHEG coach John Schultz. “We had troubles with Hassing roaming through our defense but kept their perimeter shooters in check. This was a great test for us playing a very athletic good defensive team like BEA. Anna Schlaak also had a good scoring night for us. She really helped carry us the first half with 11 of her points.”

BIG WIN — NRHEG sophomore Jarek Schendel goes up for a shot during the Panthers’ 62-29 victory over St. Clair last week. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

The NRHEG boys’ basketball team experienced both ends of the scoreboard spectrum last week.

On Monday, they faced a shorthanded St. Clair squad and rolled to a 62-29 triumph.

Three nights later they traveled to Waterville and were brought to earth by the powerful Buccaneers, 78-48.

The Panthers’ record stands at 7-16 overall and 4-10 in the Gopher Conference. Several of the losses have been very close.

That wasn’t the case against St. Clair as the Panthers bolted to a 34-12 halftime lead and never looked back. The Cyclones were without three starters.

As there were recent events at school, my mother and I started to talk about how education has changed through the years. For the better of course. We are in more advanced times.

My mother remembers starting school right after her fifth birthday, which is the 31st of August, because there were so few children in their little country school and nobody in 1st grade. It was a one-room school house with a big heater that “ate” wood or coal like it was ice cream. 

The windows were long, and of course nothing was insulated. The library of mostly old books and maps was the size of a small closet. The spaces between the windows were blackboards of slate and the windows offered opportunities for cleaning erasers of excess chalk. It was a two-way job. Sometimes given as a task for bad behavior or as a favorite activity for being good. 

Water was brought either by the teacher or one of the older students who lived close by and put in a "Red Wing" water jar with a little spigot on the bottom. That was modern in those days. There was a common dipper or the children used cups. 

The entry was where they hung their coats and put their lunches, most often packed in empty three pound lard containers. A few were fortunate to have a store-bought lunch pail. The school seats were joined in lengths so that they could be pushed aside for easier cleaning. They also featured a place to put a pencil and an ink well. 

There was an attached coal shed out in back of the school which held the supply of coal, wood, kindling and whatever the teacher needed to keep the children warm during the long winter months. It is hard to believe teachers had time to do all the things necessary to educate the children when they had so many other things to do as well. But they did. 

They even had the advantage of working with children from 1st through 8th grade. Back then, the teacher didn't just teach one grade, they taught them all, which provided the students opportunities to learn from each other. Often other students looked after and helped the younger students. 

And because toilet facilities were located outside, it involved a winter process of dressing for the occasion and equipment like a broom to sweep the snow or frost off the wooden board seats. When the winter snow arrived, the older students were delegated to take the little ones over the snowdrifts when they had to visit the outhouse. Also note: an up-to-date toliet would have holes with one low enough for tiny tots.

Yes, there were really Dick and Jane books. Imagine the thrill of just being able to read. Reading was wonderful. Maybe because there were no TVs, probably a radio. But, there were none of the electronics that children take to like glue on fly paper now.

Remember I said the library was small — so many books were read and reread and contained things of interest we might bypass today as interesting.

Physical education was the noon hour and recess times when games were played like “pump, pump pull away,” “stealing sticks,” tag, “anie I over” and most schools had a teeter totter and swings.

Adventure was sometimes traveling to and from school in the sled behind a team of horses. In times such as these, the children were wrapped in a blanket, homemade quilt or horsehair robes to help keep them warm. The dad driving the horses had a heavy long coat of sheep skin, and often he stayed long enough to help the teacher get the fire going. Teachers most often stayed at the home of some of the parents of the children who attended school, as the teachers were not married, most were very young women. 

The school my mother attended, District 133 and 96 was on the county line and had two counties to supervise it. The county superintendent would come quietly in and take a seat, observing the activity in the room. He made a report to the teacher for things that needed to be changed.

If attendance was small, every child had one on one attention from the teacher. Big events were the Christmas program and practicing the part to be played.

There is a school house right beside where I live — only it isn’t a school house any more — it is the Geneva Community Center. But, the camera in my head still shows me in my little blue dress the first day I started school. Pony tail neatly pulled back and pencil and paper in hand.

It brings back thoughts of “Fork in the Road.” If I hadn’t settled here where would I be. How would my life be different? 

Back in my mother’s day there were basket socials for the community often times for Valentines Day. Young men could bid on baskets of choice hoping to get the one made by the gal he was most interested in. The baskets or containers were decorated with crepe paper and construction paper and contained a delicious lunch inside to be eaten by two people. 

Crisp friend chicken, sandwiches, cakes, cookies, etc.. Everyone tried to out do the other. The big event at the end of the school year was a potluck picnic when everyone brought a picnic lunch to share. The picnic often featured ice cream packed in a metal container inside a well-wrapped canvas housing. What a thrill! Ice cream was a special treat back in those “good old days” as it was not as available as it is today.

In my grandparent’s day, school attendance was secondary to things that had to be done at home, which sometimes resulted in some upper class students that were larger than your average grade school pupil. A favorite family story was always telling how Grandpa Richard was placed under the teacher’s desk for disciplinary reasons. His size, or being cramped, or whatever — he raised up enough to tilt the teacher’s desk, causing an opened quart of ink to be deposited in the teachers lap. 

They were also at an age where there were tricks to be played. Grandpa attended school at Bath, which featured a waterway on the west side of the school house. A favorite trick was to see which one of the boys could manage to get his friends bike submerged in the creek first. 

Good old days? You might not think so but the memories linger on. The children learned to read and write “cursive” and find countries on the outdated globe, looked up words in a huge dictionary and had spelling bees. It was all part of the times.

If you run out of ideas to talk about, reminisce about what school was like when you were young. The things we forget. The things you remember now are bound to bring shades of laughter and joy. Unbelievable! Was it really that long ago? It is hard to believe things could have changed that much.

— — —

Birthdays and anniversaries:

• Thursday, February 16th: Delores Hemingway, Marian Horan, Jesse Lund, Wayne Jensen, David Peterson, Sara Miller, Sarah Nelson, Ian Oolman, Tanya Callahan, LeAnn Hanson, Donald & Dory Hunt.

• Friday, February 17th: Toni Wayne Smith, Nancy Johnson Erickson, Thomas Farr, Keith Wayne, Dave Von Gorkom, Dawn Pence Gross, Brian Dobberstein, Joan Richards, Joan Kaphers, Michelle Cortinas, Carolyn LaFave, Shannon Weckwerth Pacholl, Alvin & Cheryl Cooper.

• Saturday, February 18th: Kris Munson McDonald, Janice Waage, Zola Wayne, Jamie Kunkel Riley, Brad & Rachel Lerum.

• Sunday, February 19th: Abraham Peterson, Allison Schmidt, Eleanor Schember, Maklela Larkin, Deedee Hunt, Jason Jensen, Teri Ravenhorst, Marcia Halvorson, Marjorie Solberg.

• Monday, February 20th: Derek Flesche, Amy Shaunce, David Swearingen, Joyce Lageson Hoddick, LuAnn Sommer Granholdt, David & LeAnn Hanson, Jim & Nancy Cornelius.

• Tuesday, February 21st: Jeannie Worrell, Andy Butler, Phillip Ingvaldson, Bryan Dirkson, Leanna Peterson, Chris & Kim Jensen, Darrell & Cynthia Farr, Max & Marlene Jensen.

• Wednesday, February 22nd: Cheri Bergland, Shelia Nelson White, Carlie Thompson, Dalys Waltz, Joan & Marian Mast 

Sending you heartfelt wishes for a wonderful birthday!

Three months off gave me time to think about how sports have changed during my lifetime, particularly the big three, football, baseball and basketball. They’ve all changed. Some changes occurred because of rule changes and others because of the evolution of the game.

Of the three, baseball has changed the least. The playing rules have remained pretty much the same. No additional runs are scored if you hit the ball 400 feet instead of 300. The only big changes are the playoffs and the designated hitter in the American League. The National League refuses to allow designated hitters. It’s unusual in big time sports for two leagues to split on a major rule. 

There are some differences in high school, college and pro football and basketball, but no one is allowed to take a free throw other than the player that was fouled, (he doesn’t have a designated free thrower), or play 12 men in football at times. Baseball has also changed its playoff formula, and as a traditionalist, I think Commissioner Bud Selig should concentrate more on bringing the two leagues together on the designated hitter rule rather than adding another playoff game.

The game of baseball on the whole has been static and what scored a run 50 years ago would probably score the same run today. That is part of the charm of baseball and also part of its lack of growth with the viewing public in comparison with football.

Football pretty much follows the same rules it did 75 years ago. Although, you see very few dropkicks today. In any case, there really hasn’t been a game-changing innovation since the T formation.

Basketball has been made into a much different game than the one I played 60 years ago. There have been many, many rule changes beginning by cutting the bottom out of the peach baskets that were hung at each end of the gym long ago.

Hall of Fame high school coach Burt Munson of Mountain Lake was blessed with good players, but perhaps more importantly, his style of play was suited to the rules of the time. His theory was to pound the ball into the center. In the ‘50s, the lane was only six feet wide and the center stood only three feet from the basket. It was almost impossible to stop a big agile man. And he didn’t have to be all that agile.

George Mikan of the Minneapolis Lakers and his hook shot was very difficult to stop. His hook shot was not so much of a hook shot, but a wide angle layup. Mikan and the Lakers dominated pro basketball. 

The NBA then enacted what some called the Mikan Rule. They expanded the lane from six feet to 12 feet which started the movement toward wide open basketball and today’s game. For a while, the big agile centers still dominated the game. Centers such as Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell were necessary if you wanted to win a championship. During this time, there were fine basketball teams such as the Lakers with Jerry West and Elgin Baylor, but they were still vulnerable to the team with the superb center.

Then, pro basketball reacted to the rule changes and had champions without a dominating center. The Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls with mediocre pivot men won six out of nine years.

There has been a tremendous change in basketball and relatively not so much in football and baseball. To give you a comparison; How would George Mikan fare in today’s basketball? Not so well when compared with how Ted Williams would do in baseball and Sammy Baugh or Johnny Unitas in football.

With the weather we have been experiencing, the ice conditions may not be ideal in our part of the state, but there is still fishing to be done before the February 26th deadline for game fish. Crappies, sunnies and perch are continuous.

Locally, the walleye bite has slowed down but there are still perch, crappie and sunnies to be had. The City Beach area seems to be best for sunnies. Crappies have been biting on some areas of Fountain and also in the channel. The ice on Fountain is 7-10 inches in most areas and the channel is reportedly quite a bit thicker.

I find it amazing we have so many fishermen in the area who enjoy the sport of ice fishing. I guess amazing is a pretty strong statement considering we are Minnesotans and most of us do love our outdoors, but just counting the number of houses on the channel, permanent or temporary, it is pretty impressive. 

The thing about ice fishing is that you can sit on the water in a portable shelter or just on a bucket and still not have a lot of money invested. This is a great way to take advantage of another one of the things that our great outdoors has to offer the sportsman in Minnesota.

This is the time of year when I usually start to get the dreaded “cabin fever.” However, this year’s mild winter almost makes me feel guilty about wishing for spring. If you want to do a little “damage control” and make waiting for spring a little easier, there are numerous sports shows coming up in the next couple months. Although I haven’t attended one for quite a few years, I have always found them to be a great way to get the adrenaline flowing and the blood pumping in anticipation of the open water fishing that lies ahead. 

Another great pacifier for open water fishing is watching fishing shows. Although I don’t see myself fishing for peacock bass in South America or marlin off the coast of Florida, there are numerous shows that concentrate on fishing in the Midwest. In fact, a variety of shows concentrate on Minnesota and Wisconsin in particular.

Looking back at past winters that were indeed a lot more seasonal, I can recall spending many a Saturday afternoon in the basement cleaning out and rearranging my tackle boxes while listening to Ray Christensen broadcasting Gopher basketball games or Al Shaver calling a North Stars hockey game. To me, Ray Christensen was the voice of Gopher sports and Al Shaver could call a hockey game like no other. As for the cleaning of tackle boxes, just listening to those two guys made it that much more enjoyable.

Until next time, play safe, watch out for thin ice, good fishin’ and enjoy the Minnesota outdoors experience.

Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers during the holidays and the coming year. They are the reason we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting

“I’d like a hamburger, please.”

“What would you like on it?”

“I’d like $100 bills, but I’d take pickles, ketchup, and mustard.”

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: Monday is far from Friday, but Friday is close to Monday.

I’ve learned

1. People who eat lutefisk live longer than people who eat nothing.

2. We have duct tape to remind us that not everything needs to be fixed.

3. To not spend time polishing the underside of a car.

Once a farmer always a farmer

My father was a farmer. He attended both Farm Bureau and Farmers Union meetings. He didn’t agree with either organization. My mother explained it by saying that farmers were an independent lot.

When Dad was forced to retire, it wasn’t easy for him. He advised me that a man should never retire from something. He should retire to something. A friend, C.E. Vollum of Albert Lea, is fond of telling me that he is like morning breath. He never goes away completely. The urge to do a job you enjoyed is the same way. It is easier to finish one day before starting the next when you are busy. Because an illness left my father moving about like a tick in tar, his job was reduced to little more than walking to the end of the drive to pick up his mailbox money. He wished he could do more, but added, “If wishes were horses, we’d all be riding one.”

Cafe chronicles

“What’s this stain on the menu?” I wondered silently.

I tried to wipe it away. It turned out to be a speck on my eyeglasses.

There is a reason I was awarded an honorary doctorate in doofiness from my now defunct grade school.

The friendly waitress came by while I was visiting with a tablemate. She freshened my cup of coffee. That was nice of her. Unfortunately, I was drinking tea.

I didn’t see her deed, so I took a sip of the mixture. It surprised me. It wasn’t good. The face I made would have made milk come out of John Mickelson’s nose. That would be true only if John had had been seated at my table and had been drinking milk, of course. John — a classmate, a good friend, and a swell guy — was the target of every class clown because he not only laughed well, he blushed. My class consisted nearly entirely of class clowns who worried that the chemistry lab was so close to the lunchroom. Fortunately, the nurse’s office wasn’t far from either. We waited until John had taken a drink of milk at lunch. Then we’d do something stupid, which was funnier than doing something funny. John laughed and this caused milk to come out of his nose. It was worth seeing.

Milk has never come from my nose. I guess that I'm laugh-nose intolerant.

It was morning either way

I was speaking at gatherings in Gulf Shores, Alabama. I went birding each morning while I was there. The white sand, warm weather, and birds made for delightful walks.

One dawn, I walked by a table situated outside a large hotel and encountered a man enjoying an adult beverage. I hoped it was his first of the day. He asked me what I was doing. I told him that I was looking at birds. He grimaced and said, “Awfully early in the morning for that kind of thing, isn’t it?”

Nature notes

“A birdie with a yellow bill, hopped upon my window sill, cocked his shining eye and said, ‘Ain't you 'shamed, you sleepyhead!’”

Robert Louis Stevenson wrote those words and he could have been describing the European starling. The dark bill that the starling sports in the winter turns yellow in the spring.

Snow fleas

On a sunny winter day, look at the base of a tree where the snow has melted enough to expose fallen leaves. If you see something that looks like pepper sprinkled upon the snow, those specks are tiny insects called snow fleas. They appear on warm, sunny days to feed upon decayed plant material or sap. They jump like fleas, but aren’t fleas. They are springtails. Two tails on its rear are tucked underneath the belly and held in place by hooks. To move, the springtail releases its spring-loaded tails, which slap the snow, and send the snow flea flying into the air.

Thanks for stopping by

It’s Be Kind to Everyone Week. Every week is.

The scurs missed the Monday snow but nailed just about everything else to a “T.” This past weekend served as a reminder that it’s still winter and will be until it decides to be spring. What’s in store this week? Starting on Wednesday, partly cloudy becoming mostly cloudy with a chance of snow in the evening. Highs near 40 and lows around 20. Partly cloudy on Thursday with a slight chance of snow and/or light freezing drizzle. Highs of 35 and lows of 20. Partly cloudy Friday and Saturday with highs both days of 35 – 40 with lows Friday of 20 and lows on Saturday night of 25. Partly cloudy becoming mostly clear on Sunday with highs of 35 and lows of 25. Washington’s Birthday (observed), mostly cloudy with a chance of a rain/snow mix. Highs near 40 and lows around 25. Continued cloudy on Tuesday with a chance of icy drizzle. Highs near 35 and lows near 25. On the 15th we will be at 10 hours and 30 minutes of daylight, about the same amount of daylight we see on October 26th. The normal high for February 19th is 29 and the normal low is 11. The scurs will be cleaning the pool soon and setting out the beach umbrellas.

The trend of sparse precipitation with above normal temps followed by cold snaps of short duration continues. However, anecdotal information coming from the fields indicates there has been some recharge in the top foot of soil. Monday’s snowfall was the first measureable precip recorded at the ranch for the month. It added about 1.7” of snow and another .16” of liquid equivalent to the seasonal total. Personally, not having to move snow around every day is still not breaking my heart and having livestock to tend morning and evening in the dark has been a treat after last winter. There was an interesting note in Mark Seeley’s weekly WeatherTalk in regard to planting in February. In 1878, temperatures were in the 40s and 50s for half the month. With soils thawed and dry enough for tillage, much of the barley, oats and wheat were sowed. He goes on to say that this was the only time in history that a large portion of the state was planted in February. There was one instance of wheat being planted in late February locally back in 1987 although the ground re-froze after it had germinated. While this caused some concern, prying the layer of frozen soil off the top of the wheat with a screwdriver, one could see it was still alive and well. It went on to produce a decent crop. 

In the heavens there have been some evenings recently that have been good for stargazing. At about 7 p.m. the Big Dipper is in the lower part of the northeast sky pointed almost straight up with its handle down. Some nights there have been enough thin clouds to make finding the North Star (Polaris) a little difficult. When skies are clear, one can draw an imaginary line from the front lip of the Big Dipper across the sky to Polaris, which is also the star at the end of the handle on the Little Dipper. Mars has also become a more predominant feature in the eastern sky, having risen high in the eastern sky by 10 p.m. during lamb check. Look for the Red Planet along the same general track as you would for the moon or the other planets. As long as the sky is clear, it’s probably there even if you aren’t out checking for lambs. 

The goldfinches were absent at the birdfeeders during the cold end to last week. There was however usually some activity at our birdfeeders. The suet was popular with the nuthatches, downies and hairies while the chickadees were delighted that they could pluck sunflower seeds from any hole in the feeders after they were filled. Even the squirrel decided it was time to venture down out of his nest and consume some corn. Tormenting Ruby was also part of his grand scheme to be sure but there wasn’t much time for her to give him some exercise. Shearing on Saturday took precedence over everything.

Shearing day was cold although with the crew we had, it was one of the most no-nonsense shearing’s we’ve ever had. The shearer brought a super catcher from the Nicollet area who in turn had his girlfriend along to help. There were also some folks from near Austin who graded and tagged the fleeces on a table as we were going along, bagging those that fit their specifications separately and putting the rest in the main wool bag. One of our 4-H kids stopped by to assist us with the shots, the delousing procedure and re-tagging some ewes as well as helping get dinner ready when we got closer to that. Add to that the most professional shearer I’ve ever seen who also happens to be a neighbor and friend doing his usual exceptionally smooth job and a dreaded task suddenly doesn’t seem so bad anymore.

We didn’t get started until almost 9 a.m. and had to set up again down in the big barn once we had the brood ewes shorn. By 1 p.m. though we were done, had everything put away and 45 sheep were shorn for the season. It was interesting to hear the comments as they were grading the fleeces because there were some obvious differences in them. These fleeces were likely to be made into socks so we’ll be curious to see how they turn out. Even though everyone kept moving and busy, it was time to get inside the warm house where hot food and coffee awaited us. As usual the warmth and aroma of the house were in stark contrast to being out in the barn. We got cleaned up and sat down to the feast Mrs. Cheviot had put together. It consisted of barbecue sandwiches, cheesy potatoes, cherry salad and dessert baked by my Mom. Little did she know when she’d given them to me earlier in the week that the bars would be the hit at dinnertime. They of course were especially delicious as they were made with black walnuts supplied by none other than a local Bandwagon star. The meal was just as special as some of those I recall from nearly a half-century ago. Why? It was enjoyed by folks who’d shared in the hard work and the homespun humor only sheep people can appreciate.

See you next week…real good then.  

Kenneth Lee Sundve, 61, of Gilbert, Ariz., passed away Feb. 4, 2012. He was born in New Richland on Feb. 27, 1950. He moved to Mesa, AZ in 1988. Ken was a loving grandfather who was deeply devoted to his family. 

Ken is survived by his wife Debra (Motschenbacher) Sundve, of 38 years; son, Jason Sundve, and his wife, Nonie Elliott Sundve; grandchildren Jaxon and Aiva Sundve; two brothers Steve (Diana) of Albert Lea and Bob (Pat) of Mount Ida, AR; and sister Judy (Hans) Jensen of Freeborn, MN.

Ken was preceded in death by his brother Ron, and his parents, Casper and Darlene Sundve.

A mass will be held at 7 p.m. Feb. 17 at St. Mary Magdalene, 2654 E. Williams Field Road, Gilbert, AZ.

Richard “Dick” Amos Hendrickson of Virginia, MN, and formerly long-time resident of Rochester, MN. passed away February 1, 2011 at St. Mary’s Essential Health in Duluth, MN at the age of 73 due to complications of a fall.

Dick was born October 2, 1938 to Amos and Alvira (Paulson) Hendrickson in New Richland. He was baptized and confirmed at the Hartland Lutheran church, now known as Cross of Glory. He attended school in New Richland, MN.

Dick’s real estate career in the Rochester, MN area covered almost 35 years, working for various firms.

ln his younger years, he enjoyed playing softball, and snow skied until recently. He loved to travel, especially to ski in Europe, and taking many trips with Joan.

He is survived by his special friend Joan Horton of Virginia, MN and by his children Lisa, Richard ll (Rich) Hendrickson, and grandson Joshua Christianson.

He is also survived by a sister Ruth Ann (Ross) Severtson of Hayward, MN, and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Patricia Janzen and Linda Lewis; grandparents Oscar and Anna Hendrickson, Peter and Pauline Paulson; and great niece Cara Jape.

A final “Open House” for Dick will be held in Rochester, MN on February 17, 2011.

Dick will truly be missed by Joan, family and friends.

Valeria Jane (Humburg) Cunningham died January 26, 2012, at the Hospice House on Midway Road, Ft Pierce, FL lovingly surrounded by her family. She slipped away peacefully to the tunes of one of her favorite musical groups, Peter, Paul and Mary.

She was born on January 21, 1935 on her grandparent’s farm in Blue Earth, MN and grew up on her father’s farm in Ellendale, MN. She was the third of Fred and Tina Humburg’s seven children: JoAnn, Robert, Valeria, Lowell, Verdel, Carole, and Steve. She graduated from high school in 1953 from Ellendale Consolidated School. Sometime later Valeria left for Washington, D.C. where she secured a job in the secretary pool at the Federal Reserve System. 

While in the D.C. area she met her husband of 20 years Walter Cunningham, married and started a family. Her first son David was born in 1957. Later she moved to Eau Gallie, FL where she gave birth to Sandra in 1959, Stuart in 1960 and Jeanne in 1962. 

Valeria transitioned from being a homemaker to working mother of four at various jobs in the area and settled at Tropicana, Fort Pierce where she worked for 15 years as a blend deck operator and tanker loader. She retired in 2001. 

She was predeceased by her parents, Fred and Clementine “Tina” (Renkley) Humburg; her sister JoAnn Ramsey and her brothers Robert Humburg and Steve Humburg.

Survivors include her sons David (Josephine) Cunningham of Ft. Pierce; Stuart (Louise) Cunningham of Ft. Pierce; daughters Sandra (Barry) Love of Vero Beach; Jeanne (James) Moretti of Vero Beach. She was the proud grandmother of 10: Kristine, Lisa, Sarah, Jason, Samantha, Nicholas, Jessica, Andrea, Angela and Michael. And equally proud great-grandmother of seven: Hailey, Daniel W., Hayden, Tristan, Anthony, Daniel M. and Mia.

Val was well loved by her family and friends who will find comfort in the many wonderful and humorous memories she leaves behind. She will be missed by all.