The memorial service for Eva Annette Bure Hulburt will be at the Round Prairie Lutheran Church, rural Glenville, Minnesota on November 5th at 11 a.m. Interment will be at Graceland Cemetery, Albert Lea, Minnesota at 3 p.m.

Eva, 97, passed away Sunday morning, October 9, 2011 at San Antonio, Hospital in Upland, California.

Eva was born August 28th, 1914 to Carl and Christine Bure in Pequot Lakes, Minnesota. Her family moved to a farm in Freeman Township where she also attended school.

She was united in marriage to Floyd Hulburt on March 9th, 1933, and resided on a farm at Norcross, Minnesota where they raised turkeys.

NRHEG School Board

By REED WALLER

Staff Writer

A big check from First National Bank, a stack of iPads, and a good prospect from State Bank of New Richland all brought an air of guarded excitement to the October meeting of the NRHEG school board last Monday, Oct. 17.

First National Bank President Bernie Gaytko and marketing representative Megan Lynch were on hand to present a check for $7,500, representing the latest return to NRHEG from the Panther Debit Card. This is the third year for the Panther card, from which First National Bank donates a percentage of the interchange fee to NRHEG schools and programs.

iPads

Junior High Science teacher Anne Feist brought a stack of iPads for a demonstration of their capabilities, and what use they have been put to in NRHEG science classes.

There are currently 30 iPads and an iPad cart for each building. Response from their use so far from teachers, students and administrators has been enthusiastic.

By KATHY PAULSEN

Staff Writer

At one point in his life, Dan Richards of Geneva planned to be a history teacher.

The plan changed when he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1969.

Following basic training, Richards was trained as a medic and later sent to Vietnam. While serving his country, Richards received specialty training as a combat medic and learned battlefield surgery under some of the most difficult circumstances.

Richards could probably tell you a lot about his tour of duty in Vietnam. But we won’t.

As his tour of duty in Vietnam was coming to a close in 1971, Richards was encouraged to continue to work in the medical field by Dr. Blumer from Albert Lea.  Blumer, a learned and family practice doctor, learned about Richards and his military medical experiences from Geneva resident Harold Wayne. Blumer felt Richards was just the kind of fellow he needed at Naeve. Richards was once again "recruited."

New Richland City Council

By JODY WYNNEMER

Staff Writer

There weren’t many items on the evening’s agenda as the New Richland City Council assembled for their second meeting of October Monday evening. All members were present as Mayor Tom McShane called the meeting to order. The council approved the evening’s agenda.

The approved consent agenda consisted of only two items, the accounts payable and a pay request for $1,500 from the Minnesota Valley Action Council for senior citizen transportation.

The council next adopted three resolutions, notably:

• 11-24 — $750 cash from the New Richland United Fund for the ambulance service and another $150 cash from the NRUF for the fire department to be split equally between the general and rural fire funds. 

• 11-25 — Transferring $4,710 from the General Fund to the EDA Fund and $3,000 from the General Fund to the Historic Preservation Fund.

• 11-26 — Certifies delinquent property charges to be collected with 2012 real estate taxes. The amount is $3,036.79.

BIG NIGHT — NRHEG's Geoff Ramaker (1) ran for 321 yards Tuesday night in a Section 2AA football playoff game against Kenyon-Wanamingo. The yardage ranks third best in school history. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)

SIDELINE GRAB — NRHEG's Sam Grothem (80) awaits a pass along the sideline from quarterback Sam Lundberg. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)

OPEN FIELD RUNNING — NRHEG's Brandon LeBlanc (18) takes off after catching a pass from Sam Lundberg. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)

Ramaker rushes for 321 yards

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

How much did the NRHEG Panthers miss Geoff Ramaker?

Maybe more than he missed them.

Ramaker, a senior who returned to the lineup three games ago after recovering from a broken foot, topped the 100-yard barrier in his first two games back — and the Panthers won both.

On Tuesday, he bettered that by a bit as the Panthers made it three in a row.

Ramaker ran for 321 yards as the NRHEG football team crushed Kenyon-Wanamingo 42-6 in an opening round Section 2AA quarterfinal game at New Richland.

Halloween has never really been my holiday of choice. I could never see any real significance, except that it filled a gap on the calendar between the 4th of July and Thanksgiving; but the kids love it, and storekeepers love it too as it fills the gaps in their displays before Thanksgiving, which is kind of a quiet, somber holiday best known for "going home."

Halloween, like everything else, has changed, maybe grown up. Tricks of years ago would land you in jail now. These were mostly adult shenanigans.

Like I said, kids love Halloween. Maybe it is because they can dress up and be somebody else for a little while. Today, many of our youngsters have mom and pop succumb to the many tailor-made costumes made to mimic heroes, beauties or heroic looking vampires and witches. What is it that seems to attract kids to the evil and dark characters even though they may be afraid of them? 

Sorry, I got sidetracked. I was talking costumes. In my day and age, few people bought costumes. They were more inclined to use their imagination and Mom’s sewing machine to create a character of their own. Often times they took a pair of bib overalls and paired it with a flannel-shirted scarecrow with a corncob pipe. Forget the patches on the pants, old sheets were often used and made good ghosts, if the wearer didn't trip over the excess material and could see through holes. 

You wouldn't think so from the time and attention paid to commercial displays, but I think trick or treating, at least by little folks, has diminished somewhat. I do remember one year having 175 little guests come to our front door. When we ran out of the goodies we had purchased, we gave pencils or nickels and anything we could lay our hands on quick. Once I think I caught Daryl giving away the dog (just kidding).

The costume parties at the New Richland school were so much fun. It’s hard to tell who loved them most, those little dressed up masters or their parents and grandparents in the bleachers. It was a big occasion, and I don't know if they still do it or not. It kept the kids off the streets, out of danger and made for a fun evening for everyone.

Speaking of pencils, I am probably the witch who stole Halloween as I started giving pencils instead of candy. I thought the kids probably needed them more than candy. Some kids were glad, saying, "Oh boy, I needed that," while others weren't so happy because some thought I was being a party pooper or cheapskate.

Often times, kids made their rounds of the towns in search of more loot. I think that stopped as older kids decided it wasn't cool to beg for candy, sugar got to be "fat food," and gas prices went higher.

Remember cleaning pumpkins? I hated the feel of the inside. Then of course, it was washed. The seeds we baked, though I thought they tasted more like hard burnt seeds than something good to eat. 

It was always a test of ingenuity to see whose pumpkin was the worst. Cutting the hole in the bottom always made the task easier. Some years, we just creatively painted them. It was more creative and fun to light our paper mache pumpkins with electricity.

My friend Clarice lived on a very steep hill in Owatonna. She gave up setting out pumpkins for the holiday because kids made her hill into a bowling alley or a ski jump. They sent the pumpkins down the hill Olympic style.

Ray Christensen worked for my Grandpa Richard years and years ago. While Christensen was serving on the school board, a four-wheeled lumber wagon appeared on top of the school. Grandpa knew just who to contact to take it down. Ray knew too; he put it there!

My dad use to say the favorite thing to do in New Richland for Halloween was to move the outside plumbing (outhouse) forward enough to cause some stinky disaster to happen to anyone who came from behind to push it over. An event one year wasn't so much funny but laughable. An old gentleman, in the excitement of moving his toilet forward, misjudged and fell in himself. Can't say that was a trick or a treat.

When my sister and I reached the "age of destruction," our mean, old mother laid down the law and we were no longer babes with buckets. We were delegated to pass out candy inside instead of receiving outside. The morning after, when authorities came knocking on our door advising us to clean up windows, yards, etc., at the school, we were glad our "mean, old mother" could truthfully say, "Not my kids. They weren't out of the house all night."

My dad thought of lots of things to do at Halloween time. He wired music into the vent spaces in the overhang of our house. We just happened to have this really spooky Halloween record with ghoulish glee and horrifying laughter. As a result, we didn't have very many tricksters that year. The little kids cried and others stayed out on the road. He honestly didn't intend it to be intimidating. He thought they'd be amused.

Luella and Norris Thompson, who lived in Ellendale, bless their hearts, were champions of having Halloween shenanigans that made you want to be a kid again. They had ghostly, gorgeous treats, bubbling apple cider, bloody (tomato) cocktails, chunks of "tombstone" and the like in a bright Halloween setting.

They were nice people to always remember, but Halloween stands out as a favorite time to remember them.

Whatever became of bobbing for apples in a wash tub of water? No longer wash tubs? There's still apples. Or how about catching a popcorn ball string from a string in the ceiling. Maybe we didn't pull taffy so often (that was a Christmas thing), but there were some exciting scavenger hunts!

Perhaps the ultimate trick of all was when Eddie Anderson’s (and Rose Mangskau’s and Harriet Harnes') parents were married on Halloween. They thought it was the best trick they could do and the many happy years they were wed proved it. But who would get married on Halloween? My sister, Kaye, and Mike Cady! At least you won't forget your anniversary that way.

Some of our Star Eagle readers have commented that they like to read about the local happenings and family events such as family and school reunions, birthday and anniversary celebrations, 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, so we can then pass along the news to you. If you have news to share, please contact me.

Also, if our NRHEG Star Eagle readers would like to share birthdays and anniversaries of your family and friends, or you know of some that should be deleted, or names have changed, 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.

• Thursday, October 27th: Jason Born, David Anderson, Bruce Yanke, James Bremer Jr., Mitchell & Amy Edwards, Donly & Joanne Cromwell.

• Friday, October 28th: David Thompson, Jan Sorenson, Lisa Morin, Rick Horan, Randy Horan, Todd Brotizman, Rich Weckwerth, Sue Westrum, Tanner Jorge Wilson, Lyle & Darlyne Paulson, Jane & Jeff Allen, Amanda & Paul Rovnak.

• Saturday, October 29th: Ann Anderson, Scott Klocek, Mark Motl, Bob Haried, Kayli Rose Johnson, Bailey Ann Davis, Warren & Mary Torgerson, Craig & Jennifer Torgerson.

• Sunday, October 30th: Lilly Jane Wacek, Gordon Goette, Angie Broskoff Klemmensen, Allen & Barb Dobberstein.

• Monday, October 31st: Happy Halloween! Kyra Barbara Kotsmith, Brooke Hanson Berg, Heather Wayne, Emily Smith, Bill Klemmensen, Carrie Thompson, Roseann Kasper, Jerry Neitzel, Lorraine Lent, Kaye & Mike Cady, Vonda & Andrew Komba.

• Tuesday, November 1st: Dakota Wangsness, Garrett Wangsness, Troy Hagen, Mike Reistad, Jamie & Sergio Hernandez.

• Wednesday, November 2nd: Gary Dummer, Karen Osmundson, Tracy Farr Simon, Janis Klinger, Troy Sommers, Dan Nord, Sylvia Janet Baker.

Hoping that your special day puts a song in your heart to last the whole year long!

As we inch our way farther into the fall season, the weather has now turned more seasonal and the leaves are fast disappearing from the trees. One good thing that has happened is the recent rainfall, which lowered the fire danger and caused the burning ban to be lifted.

Area fisherman report that the run of “jumbo” perch on Geneva Lake is not over, and there are also some fairly nice sized northern being caught. This is an encouraging sign and also should be a good indicator of what we have to look forward to on Pickerel Lake in a couple of more years. It’s always good to see a lake reclamation project be successful.

Any time that I see a lake with a tree-filled shoreline, I get that old feeling that I used to get as a youth. It is hard to describe, but when I am privileged enough to take in such a sight, I immediately think fishing and wonder what species I’d find lurking just below the surface.

I will be spending the rest of the week in the north woods once again. But as all good things do, I’m afraid the weather will have changed from the last time I was there. I am hoping to get in a little last of the season open water fishing on one of the many lakes in the area. I really can’t remember the last time I spent any time on a lake when the temperature was hovering around the freezing mark.

As I grow older, I seem to be getting a little more selective on when I spend time in a boat in cold weather. There have been quite a few openers where the weather has been less than ideal, but I’ve managed to survive those with only faint memories of the cold. I will, however, never forget the many times I’ve tried to bait a hook only to look at my hands and wonder why they weren’t listening to my brain tell them what to do. If you’ve ever been in that situation, you might relate to what it feels like. I sometimes think it feels like I stuffed two frozen turkey legs into my gloves and tried to bait my hook with them.

I will try to fish at least one lake and possibly two depending what the weather does. I am always up for heading to Spider Lake and trying to entice a musky to hit my favorite bucktail. I still haven’t been able to bring myself to pay the price that they charge for the latest “killer baits.” 

My old standbys that seemed to work in the past will have to do for now. I am going to try fishing with a large spoon this time up. I don’t think that the fish really know whether or not a lure is fashionable. I did have some pretty good luck with nice sized pike in late summer using a big spoon, so I will once again give that a try if I get the chance.

When I first started fishing Spider back in the ‘70s, there were a couple of different fellows that I met who always fished late fall for musky. The one guy in particular always fascinated me by his technique. He would rent a 14-ft. boat from the resort and put a lawn chair in the back where he’d sit and run the motor. 

He spent hours trolling the shoreline and by shoreline, I mean right next to shore. His dad, whom I met a couple of years later, said he trolled so close to shore that he could almost reach out and touch the rocks. This particular guy always fished a big Red-Eyed Wiggler, and I witnessed first hand, more than one time, the luck he had with that technique.

Muskie fishing takes a lot of time and can sometimes be frustrating, but when you tie into one, it makes all that seem worth it. Fall is a great time for personal trophies, not only for musky but for other species as well. 

I don’t remember when it was, but it had to be in the ‘80s when I was watching Al Linder fish walleye on a northern Minnesota lake in November wearing a snowmobile suit and cutting through the thin layer of lake ice with his boat. He was vertical jigging for them with 5-inch suckers on a jig. He pulled in at least three in the 9 lb. plus range (I don’t think it was the same fish). Watching this made me want to brave the cold and give this a try. I have never actually tried November fishing in northern Minnesota, but it sure looked good at the time.

This is what fishing shows are meant to do – get you pumped up for the next outdoors fishing adventure. It usually works on me, especially in about late February when open water has become something that I can only faintly remember.

We still have open water for now, so the next time you’re out duck hunting, take along the old rod and reel and you might be surprised at what happens.

Rare whooping cranes sighted in Rice and LeSueur counties:

Whooping cranes, one of America’s most endangered birds, have recently been sighted in Rice and Le Sueur counties in south central Minnesota.

“These are exciting reports since so few whooping cranes exist in the wild,” according to Lisa Gelvin-Innvaer, regional nongame wildlife specialist for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). “However, it is vital to give the birds the respect and distance they need.”

Gelvin-Innvaer said that the whooping crane is a critically imperiled North American species with fewer than 250 birds in a single wild population. In 1940, there were only 16 whooping cranes left in the world. The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP) started a new flock at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in central Wisconsin and trained them to migrate along their normal route between Wisconsin and coastal Florida. The pair recently sighted could be part of that flock.

“When you’re lucky enough to spot a whooping crane, please do not approach it,” Gelvin-Innvaer said. The WCEP suggests that anyone viewing a whooping crane not approach within 600 feet, even in a vehicle. If not in a vehicle, stay concealed and do not speak loudly enough so that birds can hear you. “The whooping cranes’ natural fear of humans is an important survival mechanism. One of the greatest perils that whooping cranes face is desensitizing them to human presence,” Gelvin-Innvaer said. “Each exposure puts them at a greater risk from vehicle collisions, predation and illegal shooting.”

Hunters also are asked to be especially watchful this fall, so that they do not mistake a whooping crane for other migratory waterfowl.

Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers during 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 gave up shingling.”

“When did you do that?”

“About halfway to the ground.”

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: there is no rest for the wary.

I’ve learned

1. I remember commercials better than I remember the product they are advertising.   

2. If you want to be a leader with a large following, drive the speed limit on a two-lane road.

3. If I am critical, people learn more about me than about the one I’m criticizing.

ABC (Already Been Chewed)

I was leading a bus tour. The good folks in the seats were from California. They were so nice that I was determined to make them happy.

One traveler said, “Boy, I wish I had some gum.”

I had no gum. I don’t chew the stuff. It makes my jaws tired. What could I do? I did the best that I could. I had everyone check under his or her seat bottoms for gum.

Car stories

It happened again. Someone stole my car and then returned it to the same parking lot but in a different spot. He doesn’t damage it or remove anything from inside; he just moves my car from one parking place to another. He even sets the odometer back so it appears not to have been driven. What kind of sick person gets a kick out of doing something like that?

I took my car in for service the other day. The oil has to be changed whether it wants to be or not. As I backed out of the garage, I noticed a multi-colored Asian lady beetle on the windshield. I drove 20 miles from my home to the garage. I hit 55 miles per hour. When I got to the garage, the lady beetle was still hanging onto the glass. I parked my car and the insect flew away.

What language does your dog speak?

I was once owned by a Chihuahua named Sancho, named after Sancho Panza, a character in the novel Don Quixote by Cervantes. I tried to train Sancho, but he learned what he taught himself. I couldn’t teach a new dog old tricks. He was a fine auxiliary canine, but Sancho didn’t do what I asked. He appeared to want to, but he just didn’t understand. Aunt Ingeborg stopped by. Ingeborg tended to be talkative. She overwhelmed little Sancho and he peed on a chair leg. What else could he do? In exasperation, Ingeborg uttered something in Norwegian. Sancho perked up and listened intently. It dawned on me. Sancho was a Norwegian Chihuahua.

Attempted speeding

I was motoring down Highway 13. I might have been going up Highway 13. I’m never sure. The car ahead of me was driving exactly 55 miles per hour, at least when measured by my speedometer. And why shouldn’t he have been driving 55 mph? That’s the speed limit. He stayed right at 55 and I was proud of him. He was so good at driving 55 that he did it when we hit a 50-mile per hour zone and when we hit a stretch of 40-mile-per-hour limit. He found a speed that worked for him and he stuck with it.

Nature notes

Why doesn’t a woodpecker’s bill wear down from the pounding it takes? It does, but it has a horny sheath that grows rapidly with wear. This keeps the bill sharp, strong, and resilient. It is sharpened with every blow. The woodpecker’s bill is reinforced to withstand repeated impacts as the bird hammers on tree trunks. To help withstand the bill strikes, woodpeckers have larger neck and shoulder muscles than most other birds. The brain of the woodpecker is small compared to body size, which distributes the impact over a larger area. The brain case is reinforced and the muscles at the base of the bill contract just before impact and absorb the hammering. The woodpecker is built to do what it does.

Soups and pies supper

Accompany your appetite to Cross of Glory in Hartland on November 2 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Slurpers are welcome.

Hartland photos

If you have photos of Hartland’s past or future — people, businesses, etc., please let me know at 507-845-2836 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Talking to the Holstein

I was talking to the Holstein the other day. The Holstein is a retired milk cow, so she has time to talk. I asked her opinion on peer pressure.

The Holstein chewed her cud thoughtfully and said, “I worried about herd pressure until I took the herd’s advice and stopped listening to it.”

Meeting adjourned

Stevie Ray Vaughan said, “You see, we are here, as far as I can tell, to help each other; our brothers, our sisters, our friends, our enemies. That is to help each other and not hurt each other.”