ACTION AT THE NET — The Panthers’ Carlie Wagner (4) and Harlee Vokoun (11) go up for a block during Saturday’s Mankato West Invitational. The Panthers won their first two Gopher Conference matches last week. No results were available from the tournament. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

The NRHEG volleyball team opened the Gopher Conference schedule the same way it opened the regular season — victorious.

The Panthers improved to 3-0 overall and started the conference schedule 2-0 by beating WEM 3-1 and Blooming Prairie 3-2 last week.

On Tuesday, the Panthers traveled to Waterville and won 22-25, 25-23, 25-14, 28-26. 

Senior Anna Schlaak had a huge night with 28 kills, 10 digs, five ace blocks and four ace serves.

"Anna did it all for us tonight,” said Panthers coach Joe Kuechenmeister.

Noelle Bartness dished out 45 set assists.

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

The NRHEG cross country teams traveled to the Montgomery-Lonsdale Invitational last week for their second outing of the season.

Out of 30 teams, the girls finished 25th with 660 points and the boys were seventh with 743.

Katherine Lewer, an eighth-grader, led the Panther girls with a 95th-place finish, clocking 18:37.8. Following for NRHEG were Melissa Malakowsky, 119th, 19:32.7; Crystal Olson, 146th, 21:14.5; Shantaya Olson, 148th, 21:36.5; Destinee Meyer, 152nd, 22:17.4; and Megan Conley, 161st, 24:46.

Prior Lake won the girls’ meet with 66 points. The Blake School was second at 109.

Did you go to “country school?”

Remember your first grade teacher? 

How about your fifth grade teacher?

How many teachers who you had during your grade and high school years do you remember?

Why do you suppose you remember some and not others? Was it the class they taught? How they taught it or something that brings it to mind?

Remember your first day of school? 

Did you go to kindergarten? What was your favorite class?

When did you learn to tie your shoes? Zip or button your own coat? Put your boots on the right feet?

Who was your first very best friend in school?

What did you carry in your school lunch box? What was your favorite “hot lunch” at school?

What time did school start and what time was it over?

Did you walk to school, ride or take the bus? Who was your bus driver?

What games did you play during recess and phy-ed time?

What was your favorite thing about school?

How many were in your class? How many were in your graduating class?

It is hard to believe that summer is over and that is was time for school to start again. Were your children and grandchildren ready for school to start again? Were you ready for school to start again?

The days seem to tick away faster and faster all the time. Before we know it, fall will be here. In fact, the first day of Fall is the 23rd of September.

 Fall....

The apples fall. Leaves fall. Nuts fall. Branches fall. People fall. Temperatures are falling and before we know it, snow will fall.

We’re seeing the gathering of the turkeys and geese.

Things are changing. The color of the tree leaves, soybeans, and corn ears are changing. We will soon be seeing harvesting in the fields — be it sweet corn, soybeans, field corn.

The sporting season has changed too. Then there’s the adventure of games —school competition and the “big boys” speculating, trading and thinking ahead for victories. The Vikings and football teams are already playing and the Twins will soon be done with another season.

The length of daylight seems to have changed a great deal, almost overnight, so to speak. 

Cheerleaders — kids seem to congregate and you see kids out riding bikes and doing things knowing their days will be getting shorter.

I watched the butterflies this morning hanging in clumps in the maple trees like beautiful bouquets of flowers. Evidently, they are starting to prepare for their long trip south for the winter. I watched the butterflies flying from tree to tree and wondered how long before I would no longer see them. 

Before long, we will also see folks in their motor homes as they start their journey south in hopes of missing the winter weather and enjoy the sunshine and warmth in the southern states.

Fall is such a beautiful time of year. Flowers are never prettier or brighter. It is as if they are making a last stand performance. The gardens are producing too, as if it were their last days.

The squirrels are scurrying here and there, collecting acorns for the long winter days ahead.

The store clerks are scurring too, as they are also beginning their preparations for fall. The stores are showing effects of summer supply and equipment sales and instead displaying those items needed for winter. School stock has been out for ages, but Halloween goodies and fall decorations are beginning to fill up the empty shelves where school supplies had once been displayed. The clerks are unpacking the containers of sweats and sweaters and displaying them next to the summer clothes which are now on sale.

As the world turns, seasons change. We must adapt with it. Cherish the moment...such is life.

Love every leaf, every ray of light. Loving all, you will perceive the mystery of God in all.

Some of our Star Eagle readers have commented that they like to read about events such as family or school reunions, birthdays, anniversaries, and birth or 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 it along to you. If you have news, 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.

Birthdays and anniversaries:

• Thursday, September 15th: Korbin Wayne, Aiden McClasky, Daniel Hemingway, Ryan Johnson, Nancy Nelson, Tyrel Peterson, Wendy Schultz, Eric Nelson, Jarred Hanson, Dorothy Reichl.

• Friday, September 16th: Evon Damon Lucas, David L. Christenson, Carmen Fetterly, Emily Laudon, Howard & Carrie Peterson, Shane & Kelly Christensen.

• Saturday, September 17th: Duane Edwardson, Karen Hemingway Core, Al Routh, Kara Ladlie, Allen Brandt, Sue Tasker, Brock David Routh, Terry & Marlys Van Kampen.

• Sunday, September 18th: Torsten Wayne, Laura Groth, Carla Scripture, Kevin Christenson, Ron Farr, Chris Larson, Becky Axmann, Laura Davis, Julia Spande, Randy & Cindy Horan, Andrea & Nick Miller, Todd & Mary Wayne, David & Malinda Hanson, Jill & Brian Wolff, Nicholas & Katie Wayne.

• Monday, September 19th: Vicki Hill Kress, Carol Anderson, David Deml, Ben Cerney, Dan Underland, Kristine Sorenson, Bill Hatch, Jennifer Johnson, Gerald Trandem, Cindy Morris Erickson, Scott & Tracy Tracy, Kelly & David Wacek, Jill & Dustin Johannsen.

• Tuesday, September 20th: Trinity Starr Wocelka, her first; Jade Hill, Tricia Wayne, Jade Hill, Tammy Beenken, Alice Simonson, Sarah Mills, Cheryl Lonning, Bruce Born, Mardelyn Thompson, Jennifer Thorn, Jason & Michelle Gordon, Irvin & Kathy Jensen.

• Wednesday, September 21st: Addie Haugen, Tiffany Shelton, Tim Sorenson, Dan Richards, Ann Hamilton, Margaret Deml, Thomas O'Conner, Pastor Richard Spande, Richard Axmann, Sherri & Chad Fritz, Jodi & Brandon Wayne, Marty & Karen Johnson.

• Thursday, September 22nd: Noah Rasmussen, Lee Nelson, Gary Jenkins, Kaleb Christensen, Diane Stollard, Kathy Underland, Doris DeNeui, Mark & Rachel Lee.

• Friday, September 23rd: Aiden James Manges, Allison Groth Muilenburg, Melissa Lonning, Sara Corenlius Routh, Kristin Hamburg, Lance Jepson, Theresa Langlie, Debra Harding, James Robertson, Doreen Jensen, Galen Montanye, Elizabeth Lageson, Mark Kasper, Robin Christensen, Leo Simonson, Judy & Tad Lunning, Dan & Lori Bell.

May your special day be filled with sunshine and smiles.

Here we are stepping into the month of September and so far, the weather has been almost ideal. I know there are some that want to hang on to those toasty summer days as long as possible but, as for me, fall has always been my favorite season. The change of colors that occurs in the fall has always been special to me.

There is the unmistakable smell that only fall can produce. If I close my eyes and use my imagination, I can still smell the vegetables that were stored in the breezeway of the house that I grew up in on north Bridge Street. My Mother used to pick the vegetables out of the garden and store them there until they could be canned or were ready to eat. Each fall, the dying vegetation has a smell all its own, which to this day, still gives me goose bumps whenever I smell that smell. It’s almost like taking a step back in time to those backyard football games we played as youth on those cool, crisp autumn afternoons.

My uncle Lloyd had a special fondness for the fall, especially Halloween. Maybe it could have been the fall colors or even the ghosts and goblins associated with the day that was his favorite, but that’s another story for a later column.

There are already some early hunting seasons underway. Early goose season is now open along with mourning dove and bear season. The early season goes until September 22nd and re-opens with the rest of the waterfowl season on September 24th. The deer hunting archery season opens on September 17th and goes until the last day of December. Pheasant season opens October 15th. The special youth deer hunt is October 20-23. The Deer hunting firearms season opens on November 5th and the muzzleloader season opens on November 26th and goes until December 11th.

When the people of the state of Minnesota voted in favor of the Lessard-Sams bill to improve our outdoors habitat and preserve our heritage and the arts, it was a very positive thing. Each year, the politicians try to “tinker” with it, but for the most part, it is unchanged and is doing much good for the state of our outdoors heritage. Wildlife Management Areas (AMA’s) are crucial to ensuring that hunting and fishing will be there for generations to come.

Each year, there are fewer and fewer hunting and fishing licenses being sold in Minnesota. Preserving land and giving the public accessibility to it is important to promoting and preserving these sports for future generations. I know that there is less and less private land being made available because there are fewer landowners that own more of the land. The days of a farmer having 180 acres to raise some crops for selling and a few cattle, hogs and chickens for food has pretty much gone by the wayside.

This scenario has made it harder for the average hunter to gain access to private land. This is also why WMAs are so vital to preserving the sport. In Freeborn County alone, there are 11 such areas ranging in size from 14 acres in the Upper Twin Lakes WMA north of Twin Lakes to 855 acres in the Pancium Prairie (Grass Lake) WMA southwest of Gordonsville.  Being able to hunt or even visit one of these areas is a good thing. If you are not a hunter but enjoy being out in nature and just enjoying a little outdoors adventure, there is plenty of public land right in our area. I probably wouldn’t advise going for a nature walk in one of these areas on opening day of firearms deer season, but at other times, it can be a great outdoors experience.

Not only Freeborn County but every county in the state has WMAs set aside for public use. If the Lessard-Sams bill is allowed to function the way it was intended, there will be more land added in years to come. There is an 86 acre plot of land with 140 ft. of lakeshore on Big Too Much Lake in northern Minnesota. This land is actually right across the highway from our cabins driveway and has been donated to the DNR for a Scientific and Natural Area, which is similar to a State Park or an AMA provided for public use. Donations are just another way that the state acquires land for public use and with this particular piece of land being a natural area, I would assume that it would require little maintenance after the initial trail and parking areas are installed.

There’s still plenty of fishing to do so don’t put away those fishing poles just yet. Actually, some of the best fishing is yet to come and I’m getting anxious to wet a line soon.

Muskie Talk

The September meeting of Crossroads Chapter 54, Muskies Inc. will be Wednesday September 14th at Eagles Club, 7 p.m., in Owatonna, Mn. Our guest Speaker will be DNR,  D. J. Debates, from the Waterville, Hatchery.

Coming events: Our October 12th meeting speaker is Ken Bachman from Bubba Tail Lures.  Our Chapter 54, fall outing will be on French Lake, October 16th. Winner takes traveling trophy. Watch for details.

Our meetings are always second Wednesday of every month, and include guest speakers, updates, door prizes and raffle. We center our programs around guides, lure makers and helping our members catch more fish with musky talk tips. Our goal is to improve musky fishing in Southern Minnesota. Check our Web site at www.michapter. Anyone interested in muskie fishing is always welcome and need not be a member to attend. Bring a friend and check us out.

Until next time, do a little fishing, take some time to relax and get out and explore our great Minnesota outdoors.

Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers during the coming year.

Losses seem to be a common theme for our Minnesota teams. The Twins seem to be content with winning one out of four from their division rivals and the Minnesota Gophers and Vikings have yet to win. I’m really looking forward to leaf peeping as a way to get away from the television set. Although I read that the height of the season is likely to be mid-October in Southeastern Minnesota. I hope the Gopher and Viking seasons, unlike the Twins, won’t be decided by then. I think not; both show promise. They do need their quarterbacks to play well. McNabb will be OK. If you remember, Brett Favre started out the same way until Coach Childress gave him his head during his very good 2009 season.

I read recently that Joe Mauer is leading the Twins in hitting and we all know what kind of season Mauer has had. I think that statistic epitomizes the Twins’ lousy year. If you don’t hit well, or pitch well, plus play terrible defense, you’re going to have a bad year. And you couldn’t ask for a better example than our Twins. If things continue as they are, the Twins will wind up with the worst record in the American League. I don’t think they can catch Houston for the worst record in the Majors, but they are trying.

The Twins are a good example of the quick-changing nature of Major League Baseball. A year ago this spring I was watching them stomp on the Baltimore Orioles. It was a beautiful night in Fort Myers. We were seated high up over first base in a 7,500-seat stadium. Not a bad seat in the house; surrounded by Minnesota fans. The lady next to me took a paper that my column appeared in. However, she didn’t normally read it and between innings I tried to encourage her to venture into new ground and look at it. She didn’t seem real positive, but I refused to bribe her with a hot dog. A man has his pride.

Gardenhire had decided to play his starting lineup with J.J. Hardy and Orlando Hudson middle infielders and Justin Morneau at first. Interestingly, Chris Parmalee relieved Morneau at first, booted a ground ball and we all thought, low minor leagues for him. Now of course he’s playing first base in the Majors and Morneau is sitting on the bench.

Baseball teams are short lived. None more so than the team I was watching that Florida night. The pitching staff included Jesse Crain, Brian Fuentes, Pat Neshak, Matt Guerrier and Jon Rauch. The catching staff had Jose Morales and Wilson Ramos. Orlando Hudson, J.J. Hardy and Nick Punto were among the infielders. Delmon Young was a starting outfielder. Designated hitter was Jim Thome. The team coming off a very successful 2010 has had a 40 percent turnover. They no longer have 10 of the 25 players they had on last year’s roster.

Looking at the lineup that night, one wonders what in the world happened and if our Twins will ever again put a starting lineup like that together again. You can’t help but question the front office over this year’s debacle. General manager Bill Smith must work miracles or Target Field will not be full and Stub Hub will be very busy next year.

Although Smith will shoulder the blame if our Twins do not perform well next year, the success of the team will depend more on the present players. Can our two MVPs come back and have good years? There are other problems, but successful seasons by the M and M boys can cover up a lot of flaws.

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting

“Normally, I don’t like liver and onions.”

“Really?”

“But after eating your liver and onions, I like it just as much as I ever did.”

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 no one is perfect, why practice?

I’ve learned

1. Not to go to a theme park named after a landfill.

2. Not to say this to a waitress, “In case they ask at the hospital, what is this?”

3. There is nothing so inane that it cannot be made into a reality TV show.

My neighbor

My neighbor Mopey told me that he has an adult beverage before retiring each night. He called it a “good, stiff drink.” I asked if it helped him sleep.

“No,” he replied, “but it gives me a reason for feeling lousy when I wake up.”

The fishing will stink

A friend, let’s call him Hugo First, told me that a skunk got into his shed. Something irritated the skunk enough that it sprayed a boat that Hugo had stored for his son-in-law. For Hugo, there was good news and there was bad news. The bad news was that the skunk sprayed the boat. The good news was that it wasn’t Hugo’s boat.

I’ve been told

Dale Turner of Albert Lea told me that he has had both knees replaced, a hip replaced, and his heart repaired. He claims that the funeral home is suing the hospital for loss of business.

Gus Courrier of Emmons is quite a singer. Gus told me that he is such a talented vocalist that it isn’t uncommon for him to get a sitting ovation.

Jim Fisher of Zim said that he never heard the word “trillions” when he was in school. The biggest numbers were “billions.”

John Anderson lives in North Dakota. His hometown has a celebration each winter. John said that he appreciates it because it makes winter seem 10 minutes shorter.

The evolution of a marriage

From this: “Honey, are you going to wear that? It’s fine if you are. I’m just checking.”

To this: “You are not wearing that!”

School days

Back in the days when I received warnings about running in the halls and going steady involved either a boy/girl relationship or chewing the noodles in the lunchroom, I sat in a class. It was one of those days when I felt dumb at one end and dumber at the other. I had my feet in the aisle and I was chewing gum. Both were classroom sins. My teacher looked at me and said, “Take that gum out of your mouth and put your feet in.”

And it wasn’t a yoga class.

Watch it

People don’t wear wristwatches much anymore. A neighborhood watch program means that there is a watch in the neighborhood and people are taking turns wearing it.

Life is a bumpy road

I spoke at a gathering in Washington, DC. I had asked the guest services at the hotel to provide me with a 7 a.m. wake-up call.

I was jarred from a deep sleep by a ringing telephone. I answered it with a groggy, “Hello.” A pleasant voice on the other end said, “Good morning, Allen in room 636. It’s 4 a.m.”

I had no response, so I ended the call.

At 4:05 a.m., the phone rang again. I answered it again. It was the same pleasant voice. She asked me to please ignore her first call and that she would call back at the correct time of 7 a.m. I suspect that she did call back at 7, but I can’t be sure. I wasn’t there. I had arisen at 4.  

Nature notes

When migrating, ruby-throated hummingbirds generally don’t fly high. They tend to cruise just above treetop level or slightly above waterways. Adult males are the first to migrate. Hummingbirds do not flock. Migration is an individual endeavor for a hummingbird although a bird may travel the same route as others. They migrate to Central America—from Mexico to Panama. Keep your nectar feeders (four parts water to one part sugar) employed until you see no hummingbirds. They will not stay because you’re feeding them. They migrate according to day length. Hummingbirds generally fly during the day and sleep at night. They travel at night when flying over the Gulf of Mexico because there is no place to land, so they must keep flying. The spotted jewelweed (touch-me-not) is an important plant in sustaining a hummingbird’s journey south.

Meeting adjourned

Kindness is within your power.

Once again, it is time for one of the two “must attend” social events of the year. There will be hand shaking, back patting, a friendly “How are you?” along with “It’s good to see you.” All this will accompany a pleasant smile at the same time. There will be old and young and in-between ages of males and females. All those attending are in the VIP classification — including “you.” Wayne Indrelie and I will be the greeters. If we know you, you will be allowed a special side door entrance!!

This is an eating event, so get those taste buds ready. Wild rice soup, potato soup, chicken noodle soup, chili, lime Kool-Aid pie, vanilla ice cream plus other goodies will be available, all for your presence, so come on down. Put on your eating shoes and boogie on over — we will be waiting at the side door to greet you.

Many of you know what I’m referring to, you just don’t know when. This year, the soup and pie supper at Central Freeborn Lutheran Church (just north of Albert Lea) will be from 4-7 p.m. on Monday, September 26, 2011. Be one of the first 700 and and you won’t have to worry about running out of food, as we’re planning on 700 plus.

The net proceeds of the soup and pie supper will benefit “Beyond the Yellow Ribbon.” (This supports the families of military men and women serving you and I.) Please bring a non-perishable food item or two to help support the local food shelves.

As you drive down South Beaver Lake Road going downhill towards cabin #91, pay special attention to the man in black sitting on the deck. Rumor has it that the man is Johnny Cash. Could it be that he is remembering the good times with June Carter and her sobering effect on his life?

Steele County needs your wallet as money is tight. You can do your financial part in easing the money crunch by speeding on the blacktop going by Beaver Lake. If you don’t get stopped the first time you speed, don’t give up, keep on speeding and you’ll eventually succeed. Even natives of the area apple family eventually succeeded. (I can’t remember the right name, but using word association, apple is close.)

When you come back from looking at the man in black, look at the slim girlish figure in the off-shade pink outfit on the west side of cabin #89. Could this be June Carter? The residents of cabin #90 claim to have heard a him and her duo with a guitar as backup singing a song about a prison. They think it is a couple practicing for next year’s karaoke.

For those of you that like to hunt deer or just look at them, the following is for you. Drive past Beaver Lake going south as you approach the boat landing. Look up at the hill on the side of the house to the left. There stands a big buck with beautiful antlers. He is a creature of habit as every time I’ve seen him, he is standing in the same spot. What is really neat is when his significant other and their triplets visit him. This I have not seen. Noreen Jensen tells me she has seen the doe and triplets admiring the male of the family. Per Noreen, this story is most certainly true.

— — —

Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent. 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. This is the Hanson’s 36th summer at Beaver Lake. They leave the lake in mid-October to go south — to Albert Lea — and return in April. Bob says if you enjoy his article, 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. 

The scurs have been on easy street as it’s real been real easy to predict rain: there isn’t any. Will there be any chances of precip any time soon? Starting with Wednesday, partly cloudy with highs of 55- 60 and lows falling to 35 giving us a chance of scattered frost, especially in low lying areas. Clear on Thursday with highs around 60 and lows again of 35 – 40 with yet again another chance of scattered frost in low lying areas. Mostly clear on Friday and slightly warmer with highs of 60 – 65 and lows of 50 – 55. Partly cloudy Saturday and Sunday with highs of 70 – 75 and lows of 50 – 55 both days. A slight chance of rain for Sunday night. Mostly cloudy on Monday with a chance of showers and highs around 70, lows of 50 – 55. Cloudy again on Tuesday with a chance of showers. Highs 60 – 65 and lows of 50 – 55. The normal high for September 15th is 72 and the normal low is 48. The scurs will keep predicting precipitation on the premise that one of these days they’ll be right.

Precipitation or lack thereof has been on the mind of everyone as this crop closes in on maturity. Fortunately, moderate daytime and cool evening temps the past two weeks have helped us to make the most of the stored soil moisture and precipitation we have had. We have gone a long time without a substantial rainfall event. To put things in perspective, the last time we measured an inch or more of rain on a widespread basis was back on July 16th. Since that time we have measured only 2.23” and at the Mall for Men the amount is a tad less than that. It doesn’t help matters that the rainfall we have had has come in measured amounts, needing several cracks at it to add up to a half inch. Much of the corn is approaching maturity and the frost predicted for Wednesday night should have little impact on most fields. The soybeans, however, are a different ballgame. Fields have been slow to turn, which is a good thing from a potential yield standpoint. When it comes to a frost though, damage could be devastating if it’s cold enough and of long enough duration.

About a week after the last rain fell and greened up the pasture, it turned back to brown again. Many livestock producers are in the same boat. If this drought persists and pastures don’t re-grow soon, there will need to be a lot of hay fed that’s already in short supply. The easy way out would be to liquidate the livestock enterprise, which somehow doesn’t sound too bad come about January. Everyone knows that won’t happen however. There wouldn’t be anything left to complain about once a person managed to dig out of the snow banks and got to town.

The birds and insects don’t seem to mind and go about their business the same as ever. Cicadas were buzzing like mid-summer with the recent heat and there were still some fireflies yet on the 10th. There are still a few orioles yet; a male Baltimore was eating at the nectar feeder on the 11th and there was a female orchard oriole eating jelly yet on the evening of the 12th. Goldfinches are numerous and can empty the feeder that holds just over a gallon of sunflower seed in about a day. With the price that sunflower seed commands these days, I make them clean it up before more is offered at least in that feeder anyway. Hummingbirds are busy during the daytime at the nectar feeders as well as on some of the flowers in the pots, the names of which sound more like diseases than a posies. The night shift is occupied by the white-lined sphinx moths. Around dusk when the hummingbirds hang it up for the day, typically we’ll see four or five of these relatively large moths working over the 4 o’clocks.

Insects in the corn fields right now are just about enough to make your skin crawl. There are still a few bird cherry oat aphids that make a mess on your shirt and the goo they contain makes you itch. That and all the black stuff from the molds on the corn plants sticks to your skin better. There are some insects that will taste test you as well. The main things that bite are the ladybug and lacewing larvae. They’re shaped almost like little alligators and the bite sometimes burns a little or stings until one wipes them off. No biggy, you just keep on truckin’. Doesn’t even leave a welt anymore. 

The hot summer has necessitated that I keep a pair of shorts in the truck for days when the heat gets to be unbearable. Usually I start out with a pair of jeans on and after looking at a few fields, it’s time to change. The recent hot spell was a prime example. By 11 a.m., it was getting too warm. I’ve perfected changing to an art where step one after pulling into a field approach is to take off one boot, stand on one leg, quick slide out of one leg of the pants and put on one leg of the shorts, then slip my foot back into the boot so as not to get my sock all full of crud. Repeat step one with the other side and voila! All changed. Some have asked if I’m afraid someone is going to see me in my underwear. Nah, I find one can fool ‘em every once in awhile by going commando.

See you next week…real good then.    

Margaret B. Possin, age 87 of New Richland, died on Sunday, September 11, 2011 at the New Richland Care Center.

Born at her family’s home in St. Mary Township, Waseca County, MN on March 17, 1924, Margaret was the daughter of Charles and Lillian (Wobschall) Ross.  Growing up she attended country school in Waseca County.  On June 24, 1942, Margaret was united in marriage to Vern Carl Possin at the Wilton Trinity Lutheran Church.  She lived and farmed in Wilton and Byron Townships for most of her life, and moved into the New Richland Care Center in October of 2008.  She liked to play bingo and roll dice, and enjoyed gardening, canning, and cooking.  She loved to spend time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, playing games and working puzzles.  Margaret was a member of the Busy Bee Home Extension Club, and was quite active with her First Lutheran Church congregation in Waldorf.

Margaret is survived by three children, Richard (Sharon) Possin of New Richland, Mary (Erland) Karlstad of Rochester, and Barbara (Richard) Myhre also of Rochester.  She is also survived by seven grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; and one step-great-grandchild; three siblings, Helen Roe of Waseca, Norma Seifert of Elysian, and Dale Ross of Walker; and two sisters-in-law, Bonnie Ross and Ruth Ross both of Waseca.  She was preceded in death by two brothers, Orville and Edward Ross; and three sisters, Hazel Schoenfeld, Ethel Krueger, and Lorraine Halverson.

Visitation will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 13, 2011 at the Kinder-Dennis Home for Funerals in Waseca.

Funeral services, officiated by Rev. Michael Mathews will be held on Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at 3 p.m. at the First Lutheran Church in Waldorf.  One hour of visitation will be held before the service at the church on Wednesday.  Interment will follow at First Lutheran Cemetery in Waldorf. 

Violet Howser died peacefully on September 6, 2011, following a severe stroke on June 10, 2011. She was 89 years old.

Violet was born January 2, 1922 in Hartland, Minnesota. She grew up on the family farm east of Hartland and attended the Hartland Elementary School, Freeborn High School and was Valedictorian of her graduating class. There she met Dale Howser and they were married on March 19, 1941. After Dale returned for the Army they purchased the John Deere shop in Hartland where Violet was a business partner and accountant for many years. In the early 1970s they sold the business and moved to Dallas, TX, area. There Violet worked at the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA) in their foreclosure department for 17 years. Upon retirement Violet started oil painting classes and produced many fine paintings. In early 2008 she moved to Monterey, CA, to be close to her daughter.

Survivors include her daughter Marcia (Kent) Wall of Carmel, CA, and her son Joel (Susan) Howser of Dacula, GA; grandchildren Maureen (Bryan) Tucker, Nicole (Jason) Lennig, Danielle (Seth) Hosmer, Matthew (Lauren) Wall, and seven great grandchildren.

Violet was loved and appreciated by all she met and she will be missed by all her family and friends. 

At a future date a memorial service will be held at the Cross of Glory Lutheran Church in Hartland.