Area couple celebrates extraordinary anniversary

Summer is upon us and many families take this opportunity, when their children are not in school, to take family vacations.  any families spend time camping or at their summer cabins on the lake, where they can go swimming, and enjoying trips around the lake in their boats. Others travel to visit relatives who are not in the immediate area, while others plan vacations to see many of the great historic sites that this great country of ours provides.

Our family recently traveled to Park Rapids to attend the graduation of one of our relatives, and while we were in the area we decided to take advantage of where we were and visited Itasca Park, the site of the source of the Mississippi River.

The Ojibwe Indians referred to the Mississippi River as Gichiziibi  - "great river." Romanticists translated this to mean "Father of Waters."

In the late 19th century, the thought of creating a park to preserve a natural wilderness at the Mississippi's headwaters was not a popular idea. Such land seemed plentiful at the time and many people judged land solely for its material wealth.

Following the establishment of the Niagara Falls State Park in New York State, several prominent Minnesotans voiced the need for a similar park surrounding the Mississippi's source. A bill that had been prepared in part by Jacob V. Brower was put before the Minnesota legislature. It later passed by a margin of one vote, and as a result Itasca State Park was established and continues to exist today.

People from all corners of the world continue to visit Itasca State Park and marvel at the serene birthplace of the mighty Mississippi. I am sure many of the park visitors pose next to the large pine log, that has been carved with yellow letters and marks the site of the humble beginning of this great river that travels to the Gulf of Mexico.

Our family, especially the two older grandchildren, were excited to think that they could cross the river by walking on rocks, one after another, until they reached the other side. During one of Morgan’s trips across the great Mississippi River she slipped on one of the rocks and got a bit wet, but her dad was right there to catch her.  During our visit the water was still a bit on the cool side but I am sure that during the hot summer days, many of the children, and others hiking in the area, enjoy walking along the river’s edge. It was also interesting seeing all the great pine trees that have towered for hundreds of years in the park.

Upon our return home I shared the story of our trip with my mother and she quickly said, "I walked across the headwaters too, probably 70 some years ago when I was honored to attended a camp there," and I am sure that many of you have visited it too. Needless to say, I am sure our family will long remember our visit and can proudly say they have walked across the Mississippi River.

The Itasca Park, established in 1891, is Minnesota's oldest state park. The park, which is also one of the largest with 32,000 acres, is 1,475 feet above the ocean.

The mighty Mississippi begins its flow from the Itasca Park on its winding way 2,552 miles. A scientific debate continues as to what river should be known as the great river that drains half a continent, but tradition tells us it is the Mississippi River that begins right here in Minnesota.

The term Mississippi, originates from the Algonquin word Misiziibi - "a river spread over a large area."

Many people have studied the northern bend of this great river over the years, comparing it with its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico.

During our visit we learned the average temperature at the Mississippi headwaters is 40 - 50 F.  while at the Gulf of Mexico it is 70 - 80 F.

The average annual precipitation at the Mississippi headwaters is 20 to 40 inches a year while at the Gulf of Mexico they receive 60 to 70 inches of precipitation.

The average flow of this great river at the headwaters is 30 - 60 gallons per second, while at the Gulf of Mexico it is 4.5 - 5.5 million gallons per second.

The average width of the mighty Mississippi headwaters is 18 inches while the average width at the Gulf of Mexico is 1,000 feet - quite a difference.

The same goes for the average depth. Once again the average depth at the Mississippi headwaters is 18 inches while the depth at the Gulf of Mexico is 100-200 feet.

During our visit we learned that Mary Gibbs Logan, who lived from 1879 to 1983, was the first woman park manager in North America.  Mary served as Superintendent of the Itasca State Park in 1903.  Though Mary's tenure at Itasca was brief, her memory lives on, inspiring others through her courage and dedication in preserving Itasca's pines and waters.

The Mississippi Headwaters Center was dedicated on September 10, 2005. One doesn't have to travel far when there is so many interesting things to visit and learn about right here in Minnesota.

— — —

Birthdays and anniversaries:

• Thursday, June 11th: Angie & Thad Aaseth, Rick & Becky Johnson, Andy Lerberg, Zoie Marie Jensen, Diana Ritz, Matthew Horan, John Xavier, Mary Simon, and Karen Carlsen

• Friday, June 12th: Nancy Ver Hey, Hanna Gail Crabtree, John Wallace, Charlotte Hill, Grant Pavek, Keith & Teresa McDonald, Ryan & Amanda (Reese) Beavens and Ron & Julie Peterson

• Saturday, June 13th: Steve & Rhonda Christensen, Fran & Fred Kenady, Marilyn & Gary Ulland, Keith & Kristin Hamberg, Kaden Jon Homuth, Cory Donald Haberman, Brent Reese, Ray Otteson, Tira Vangen, Corey Haberman, Tristan Richards, and Gary Jepson

• Sunday, June 14th: Camille Marjean Dunlap, Summer Stieglbauer, Herb Moon, Kelly Wacek, David Broskoff, James Deml, Obert Osmundson Jr., Richard Peterson, Mitchell Kubat and Michael & Stacy Keith  

• Monday, June 15th: Dale & Nadine Strenge, Dale & Marlene Peterson, DeWayne Hagen, James Bremer, Dale Anderson, Jennifer Robertson, Kathy Jensen, Kim Nelson, Logan Vietze and Ovanna Haried

• Tuesday, June 16th: Andren Richard Aaseth, Aven Leo Aaseth, Emily Otto, Bethany Otto Mikesell, Doug Smith, Lorraine Wallace, Vonda Humburg, Kenny Evenson, Kari Ingvaldson, Chase  Boehme, Heather (Crabtree) & Keith Krenke, Rochelle (Butler) & Brent Chapman, Tracy & Paul Marcus, Richard & Becky Axmann, Kim (Anderson) & Rich Schneider and Dale & Marlene Peterson

• Wednesday, June 17th: Kimberly & Mike Luhring, Jim & Jeanne Worrell, Tiffany (Moon) & Josh Krueger, Natalie Jean Aaseth, Jim Hohansee, Eric Tobiason, Joshua Churchill, Aaron Casterton, Matthew Xavier, Tim Butler, Chase Hanson, and Anna Kay Hardyman.

Wishing you a very special day blooming with warm and happy memories!

Now that school is out and we are proceeding into summer, it is a great time to think about spending time in the outdoors. I can’t think of a better way to enjoy the outdoors with family than camping. Whether it is in a cabin, camper or a tent, this is truly a great way for family time spent in the outdoors. If you don’t want to spend the money for a cabin, the other two options will do the trick very nicely.

The thing I really liked about tenting was it made me feel closer to nature. On the other hand, tenting in the rain over a three-day weekend can sometimes bring you closer to nature than you would like. We did have a backup plan for rainy days because we had a pickup with a topper. It was big enough for us to sleep in, but that was about all I can say for that. Looking back on those times of tenting they weren’t that bad, in fact, there are actually times when I miss the simple pleasures of those days.

Tenting is actually the most economical way to find out if camping is for you. Camping in a tent is not without a few challenges; the biggest one is the weather. I can recall a few occasions where the weather made tenting very difficult. One such time was when I had gone to Spider Lake alone for some late September fishing and had borrowed my son Brian’s S10 Chevy pickup which had a topper on it. The second night there it rained and my tent could have been used to name that movie “A River Runs Through It” because that is exactly what it felt like. I ended up sleeping in the back of the pickup on this trip. Another time was on a July trip with Brian and his brother-in-law Jeremy. Each day was rainy and cold, which lasted pretty much the whole week. We had taken a screen tent along and ended up using it to house our portable grill which we converted into a wood stove to get dry and warm up. Another time I was camping with my brother-in-law Mike and it rained every night, but the days were fishable; thank goodness we had cots to sleep on.

Even with a few hiccups, the good times spent tenting definitely outweighed the bad. Our family tented for a few years before we invested in a pickup camper which we enjoyed all the way until the boys were grown up. It’s kind of ironic that as the boys grew older the camper seemed to be getting smaller and smaller, but it still worked for us. We chose the pickup camper because we liked to fish and it only made sense to not only have something to tow the boat, but also comfortable living conditions. I wouldn’t recommend buying a camper without first testing the waters.

One of the more economical places to camp is a state park campground where prices will range from $15-$23 a night with mutual bathrooms with showers, and campgrounds with primitive toilets and no showers can go from $15-$19 a night. Campsites with electricity go for an extra $8 per night with water and sewer hookups costing an extra $6. Obviously; the more rustic the campsite, the cheaper the rate will be and a State Park permit is required and can be purchased for $25. This permit is for one year and is good for all 75 Minnesota State Parks.

State Forest campgrounds are another option and these campsites are available for $14 per night with no bathroom facilities and a vault toilet.

Voyagers National Park in Northern Minnesota has no admittance fee and tent camping fees can range from $16-$20 per night. The park is open year round. Operating hours for the park's three visitor centers change with the seasons. See: www.nps.gov/voya/planyourvisit/visitorcenters.

Guided boat tours are offered during the summer. See:  www.www.nps.gov/voya/planyourvisit/guided-tours.

Snowshoe hikes are offered during the winter. See: www.nps.gov/voya/planyourvisit/winterprograms.

The two national forests in Minnesota, Chippewa and Superior, include campgrounds that cater to campers who want a wilderness, solitary experience, as well as those who don't mind camping around groups of other people. Chippewa National Forest in Central Northern Minnesota spans nearly 1.6 million acres and includes 21 campgrounds. The Superior National Forest in Northeast Minnesota covers 3 million acres and includes 27 campgrounds. It includes the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Camping rate: $15 per day with the maximum stay permitted of 14 days.

There are also some campsites in the Chippewa National Forest located on lakes that are free to use and are on a first come-first-serve basis. I know of at least two lakes in the Marcell area that have these campsites. There are three on Spider Lake that can only be accessed by boat.

If you like a little adventure and enjoy the outdoors, Minnesota has many great options for you.

Musky Talk News

Our June meeting will be an outing on Fox Lake, Saturday June 13th. Morning fishing and quit at 3 pm and meet at Northeast public landing.

Our meetings will take a summer break and begin 1st Thursday of every month starting in October at 7 pm, at the Eagles Club in Owatonna. (NOTE, no more Wednesday meetings.) Our meetings include; informative speakers, updates, door prizes, raffles and lots of musky talk! Good fishing. 

Until next time, it’s time to think camping and fishing and get ready to enjoy the great Minnesota outdoors.

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

Echoes from the Loafers’ Club Meeting

I see you have a couple of trees down in your yard.    

It’s sad. They were tall and lovely.

When did we have enough wind to blow them down?

It wasn't the wind. My brother used the hammock. Maybe now he'll stay on his diet.

Driving by the Bruces

I have two wonderful neighbor — both named Bruce — who live across the road from each other. Whenever I pass their driveways, thoughts occur to me, such as: What did parents step on before Lego bricks were invented? Jacks, that’s what. They were sinister implements of torture. Does anyone in a funeral procession ever think that their car isn’t as nice as others? I hope not. Interesting is an interesting word.

The cafe chronicles

I’d driven through one cone zone after another. Roadwork begets roadwork. I groused a bit until I saw a helicopter fly from a Mayo hospital. I’d just attended a Friends of Library book sale where I’d obtained a bag of books for a few dollars to treat myself for completing 12 hours of filming. I was tired. Having to admit he is human is a hard thing for a man to do. I was hungry, too.

The cafe’s owner was thinking of having the ceiling painted. He didn't want to lose any money by closing the business, so he planned on covering the customers with a tarp.

I ordered the beef dinner special. The waitress high-fived another, saying, "I finally sold that last piece of beef." The special came with three sides — a carrot and two peas.

It was a cafe that believed in customer service. That’s why it had a dentist come in once a day to remove a diner’s teeth from a steak.

No loafers there

I was in a tall hotel. I’ve always wanted to carry a "The end is near" sign onto a crowded elevator, but my inner adult has stopped me. Everyone was looking at cellphone screens. I looked down at shoes. Everyone wore slip-on shoes. Some might have been loafers. These people weren’t loafers. My theory is that with the ubiquitous cellphones, we don't look down at our shoes as we once did when we rode elevators. We don’t notice if shoes are untied because we're mesmerized by tiny, lighted screens. That's why we wear shoes without laces. They prevent us from tripping over unnoticed and untied shoelaces. I might call them slip-on shoes, but they are safety shoes.

I visited a friend. His shoes were held in place by Velcro.

His new residence was warm and humid enough to grow tomatoes commercially. He wasn’t born and raised locally. He was a social climber who’d moved here from Seattle. He hated having to specify that he was from Washington state and not from D.C.

He welcomed me and told me to keep talking until I thought of something worth saying.

His wife had died. He missed her. They’d been married over 60 years. He was fond of saying that she never wasn't effervescent.

Waving at strangers

The auditorium was packed. There had been special doings.

Have you noticed that in the midst of many applauding people, there is always one person clapping after everyone else has stopped? That’s usually me. I don’t want to be the first to stop, so I turn it into a clapping marathon.

Someone in the crowded hall waved. I waved back. A person near me walked to the waver. The wave hadn’t been intended for me.

I always never do that.

The trail of a birding grandpa

I saw trumpeter swans at the Straight River Marsh. There were recently hatched members of the family. These youngsters are called cygnets. A sandhill crane flew over the marsh, being hurried along by angry blackbirds.

Eurasian collared-doves enjoyed the town of Meriden. This dove looks like a mourning dove with a black collar and a tail that had been cut short. Not to be ignored, a mourning dove sang, "Hula, hoop, hoop, hoop."

Dame’s rocket bloomed on roadsides. It resembles phlox, but the flowers have four petals compared to the five of phlox.

I watched a white-eyed vireo at Flandreau State Park as monarch butterflies fluttered about me and an indigo bunting male sang, "Fire, fire. Where, where? Here, here. See it, see it?" The bird my father called a blue canary sings from dawn to dusk. I traipsed around the park and then headed off to watch granddaughters play softball and basketball. That was multitasking for a birding grandpa.

Meeting adjourned

Be kind and be the reason someone smiles.

As I write this column, I’m sitting at the top of part of the Green Mountain chain in Vermont. I’m looking at Camel’s Hump, a tough hike to the top, which I accomplished after the third try. Genie and I are staying at Dan and Laurie’s, house-sitting while they are vacationing. I will write about our trip, by car, to Vermont when we get home.

I have a favor to ask of all my fellow veterans to do on Sunday, June 15. Put on your shined-up black shoes, click your heels with a snappy salute to Old Glory, as it is Flag Day. A “Thank You, Lord” as you bring your right arm down would be most appropriate.

To anyone reading this column, pay tribute to Old Glory as you remember “This Land Is Your Land, This Land Is My Land,” that our flag flies over.

Sunday, June 21, 2015 is the official first day of summer. I’m ready for summer. Are you ready?

Sunday, June 21 is also an important day for you to show recognition to your father, whether living or deceased. Just remember, he was one of the main characters in your creation.

The women of Central Freeborn Lutheran Church are sponsoring a coach bus trip to Church Basement Ladies on Sunday, June 28. The bus leaves at 11 a.m. from behind Slumberland in Albert Lea. Center section reserved seats, with a CD for all attending. The cost is $53 per person including buffet supper at KFC in Owatonna on the way home. For reservations with payment in advance to hold a seat call Bob or Genie at 507-373-8655.

How about those Twins? F.R.O.G. (Fully Rely On God) of Central Freeborn Lutheran church isI sponsoring a coach bus trip to the Twins vs. Pittsburgh on Tuesday, July 28, leaving at 4 p.m. from behind Slumberland in Albert Lea with reserved seating behind home plate in the Home Plate View section. Your name will be on the scoreboard if your birthday is July 28. Four people from the bus will be selected to be on the field and help lead in singing the National Anthem. The cost is $45 per person with payment in advance. To hold a seat, call Bob or Genie Hanson at 507-373-8655 or Wayne or Bev Indrelie at 507-826-3267. Go Twins!

A sign we saw on the outside of an old hand-changed church read-a-board: “Our Lifeguard Walks On Water.”

On a blacktop road by a dairy farm in Wisconsin we saw a huge pile of round hay bales with each bale covered in white plastic. The flat side of the bales faced the road with huge dark colored lettering that read, “On the Eighth Day, God made John Deere.” What was parked next to the bales? A John Deere tractor, of course!

(Editor’s note: Though the flag of the United States has many names, some of them have particular historical significance.)

The “Star Spangled Banner” which had 15 stars and 15 stripes (for the 13 colonies and newly annexed Vermont and Kentucky), was created during the War of 1812, and flew over Fort McHenry while the British attacked, and Francis Scott Key was on a ship nearby. 

“Old Glory” was the name for the 24-star flag given in 1831 to Salem shipmaster Captain William Driver, who was on his way to rescue the mutineers of the Bounty. It was hidden away for protection when the Civil War broke out, but was taken from its hiding place (in the lining of Capt. Driver’s bed) to be flown in 1862 when Union forces took Nashville.

“The Stars and Stripes” is the proper name for the United States flag as it exists today. The design, a field of regularly spaced (in rows or staggered) stars against a backdrop of 13 stripes for the original colonies, has been maintained since 1818. — RW

———

Bob is a retired AAL (Aid Association for Lutherans) agent, currently working on his master’s degree in Volunteering. His wife, Genie, is a retired RN, currently working on her doctor’s degree in Volunteering. They have two children, Deb in North Carolina, and Dan in Vermont. Bob says if you enjoy his column, let him know. If you don’t enjoy it, keep on reading, it can get worse. Words of wisdom: There is always room for God.

I recently stepped down as the chairman of the secondary school’s Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) team. This was the culmination of many things, mostly the need for something to come off my overflowing plate. I was part of this team for three years and saw some tremendous strides in how we deal with problems in school and how we can recognize those who are consistently positive, respectful, responsible, and safe.

However, the number of complaints has gone up recently. I heard a number of them, being the face (and voice) of our team, and I know there were plenty that were muttered out of my earshot. You can never please everyone. Our team put together a survey to see how staff felt about different things we were trying in order to promote that positive atmosphere at school. I was amazed when I saw some responses that basically said to get rid of everything we were trying (tie-cutting for positive traits, red slips for random acts of Panther Pride, postcards home to spotlight good things, etc.).

That’s fine if you don’t like some things. However, come up with some ideas of your own. Don’t just sit back and complain; join the team and let your voice be heard. What I’ve come to discover though, is that it’s much easier to sit in the stands and throw rotten fruit than it is to get up on stage and perform.

I originally joined this Panther Pride team because I wanted to see change in our school atmosphere. I joined the calendar committee because I didn’t like how snow days were handled. I became a negotiator for our union because I was displeased with the constant antagonistic relationship with the administration and board and wanted to try and promote a positive working relationship instead. Simply put, I was sick of sitting back and waiting for change to happen; I had to try and work toward that myself.

It sure would have been easier to sit in my classroom and just teach English. I wrote a column recently regarding stress and even heard a complaint about that. However, the stress really got to me, and that’s the main reason I needed to step back from one area which was causing it.

Saturday Night Live had a character named Debbie Downer (played by Rachel Dratch) who was constantly finding the worst in every situation. “Speaking of sad things…” was often how she would start a line. This is too easy a trap to fall into. Hey, I do my share of complaining about some things, but I’m usually trying to at least make some effort to change them. Things you read about in this space are not just talk from me, but there are often things I’m doing behind the scenes as well.

Roxane Gay wrote an intriguing column recently that I read in Reader’s Digest called “Why I Stopped Whining.” She also noted our tendency to complain and said it “allows us to acknowledge the imperfect without having to take action – it lets us luxuriate in inertia.” She mentioned how seductive it is, when most of us really don’t have any intention to change these things anyway.

Ms. Gay comes up with a good conclusion. “Complaining may offer relief, but so does acceptance… There will always be something to moan about. By focusing on grievances, I risk missing out on precious, startling moments of appreciation.” That stuck with me when I read it over a month ago.

If there’s something I’m going to complain about, I’d better be prepared to take action to work toward a better solution. Otherwise, I need to step back and let it go. I need to find the positive things around me and appreciate them. After all, to bring things around full circle, that’s what the PBIS program has been about. There are things we can try to change, but even more so, we need to start to see all the good our students and staff have to offer. I may no longer be head of the team, but that will simply give me more time to put my own words into effect.

Word of the Week: This week’s word is sinecure, which means a position in which one is paid for little or no work, as in, “The new boss looked over complaints and decided to reduce the number of sinecures in his employ.” Impress your friends and confuse your enemies!

The scurs got some of the moisture out of the equation and finally got the Weather Eye to warm things up a tad. Have they found the formula for success or will they need to look in the Gremlin parts books some more? Starting Wednesday, sunny, becoming cloudy in the late afternoon with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs near 80 with lows around 60. Mostly cloudy on Thursday with a good chance for showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid-70’s with lows in the low 60’s. Friday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of a morning shower or thunderstorm. Highs in the low 70s with lows around 60. Partly sunny on Saturday with a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70s with lows in the low 60s. Sunday, partly sunny with a modest chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70s with lows in the mid-60s. Mostly cloudy on Monday with a moderate chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70s with lows in the mid-60s. Tuesday, mostly cloudy with a good chance of showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 70s with lows in the mid-60s. The normal high for June 15th is 79 and the normal low is 58. We will only gain approximately one more minute of daylight by the summer solstice. The scurs are making sure their hammock is not tied to the bumper on the Gremlin. 

Amazing what a difference a few hours of sunshine and warmer temperatures can make on a corn crop. Conditions cooperated this past week long enough to allow many to finish their corn herbicide applications. Some rain fell, but it was spotty in nature with some fields being too muddy while down the road a mile or less conditions were dry. Corn responded favorably to the weather change, improving in color and starting to stretch. Much of the corn was V4–V6 with the nodal root system starting to take over the seminal root system the plant survives on to this point. This caused concern as there were fields and hybrids that displayed many colors other than green. There was one field protected on three sides that already exhibited corn knee-high by the 4th, of June. It’s been a while since that happened in this area anyway.

There have been some questions about ants on peonies and rightfully so. What are they doing there and are they necessary for the flower buds to open? The answer most commonly accepted as to their reason for being there is that the buds exude a sweet substance and ants, having the sweet tooth they do, are attracted to it. The ants, however, are not necessary for peonies to bloom. When removed, the buds will still open normally. This is not a reason to apply pesticides however. Pesticides can eliminate beneficial insects along with the ants so the best idea is to just leave them alone.

Have been assessing the performance of a Roller Feeder bird feeder purchased this past winter. So far it’s been good for keeping seed waste down and squirrels at bay. Squirrels have tried in vain to get at it, but as of this writing, they’re been unsuccessful. Even the three pint-sized squirrels from this year’s hatch are unable to outsmart it. That didn’t stop me the other day from wondering what kind of bird was getting inside the thing and was shucking out sunflower seeds on top of the seed bin. Watching closely, I determined the culprit was not feathered but four-legged. While we don’t see them often, it was apparent the feeder is not chipmunk-proof.

The garden planting continues. About the only thing left to plant in the vegetable garden is the second planting of sweet corn. Watermelons, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers were all planted ahead of some timely rain. Mrs. Cheviot has worked her magic on the pots around the house and the hummingbirds have been checking them out. For their later season enjoyment, salvia has been planted as well as the 4 O’clocks and nasturtiums. Nasturtiums are also tasty additions to salads among other things. The peppery flavor and crunchy texture is a well-kept secret. The leaves and flowers from this Peruvian native plant are edible and can make an interesting addition to many gourmet recipes.

The last two straggler lambs have been weaned off the ewes, making the lambing season officially over with. They’ve done well for April lambs. Being in a separate pen with access to their own private creep feeder made access to solid feed easy early on for them. Overall the lamb crop has grown rapidly. The type of spring we’ve had has been ideal. You know it’s a good sign when you have to look twice in the lot to make sure one of the yearling ewes hasn’t jumped a panel.

Ellendale natives have got to be excited about the addition of the new Casey’s on the east side of town. It is progressing rapidly and was surprised how far along they are. For those readers on the coasts and overseas friends, Casey’s is a little like a Midwestern 7-11, only better. They make a mean donut and their subs are usually among my favorites when I’m on a mission without a chance to pack my lunch. I have not tried their pizza. However, I am told it is good stuff so am waiting with bated breath for the store to open so I can see if that’s true. Of course, as the saying goes, bad pizza is like some other bad things, not all that bad.

See you next week…real good then.

Funeral services for Betty Marie Eastvold, of Northwood, ND, were held on Friday, June 12 at Ebenezer Lutheran Church in Northwood. 

Betty passed away at home on Tuesday, June 9, 2015, surrounded by her loving family.

Betty was born on January 11, 1951, in Northwood, ND, to Enoch and Madeline (Wasness) Thorsgard. After high school she attended Golden Valley Lutheran College, where she met Lonney Eastvold. They were married on August 9, 1969. They farmed near Hartland, MN and Spring Grove, MN until the fall of 2010, when they moved to a farm near Northwood, ND.

The Freeborn County Historical Society is presenting Eddie Cochran Weekend June 12 and 13. Come and join them all day for the 29th Annual Car Show in downtown Albert Lea on North Broadway. On Friday, June 12 there will be a Cruise-In Social that starts at 6 p.m. sponsored by The Green Mill, Country Inn and Suites, and Motor Inn, Co. Join them at The Green Mill on East Main in Albert Lea. The Freeborn County Museum will be open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The Museum’s “World Famous” root beer floats will be available at the Cruise-In.

The NRHEG School District’s $14.5 millon bond referedum failed in a district-wide vote Tuesday, June 9.

With a little more than 1,000 votes cast, 34 percent voted yes and 66 percent voted no.