Donald Wayne Zellweger passed away on Sunday, May 3, 2015 in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was 92 years old.

He was born on August 14, 1922 to Samuel Lawrence Zellweger and Nellie Theresa (Proctor) Zellweger in Wilton Township Sec #34, Waseca County, Minnesota. He was delivered at home on the farm by a midwife, Jenny Nelson, a daughter of Asa Sutlief, the first settler in Waseca County.

Donald attended Country School District #49 through eighth grade and graduated from New Richland High School in 1940. 

After high school, Donald attended trade school from 1940-41 with United Aircraft in Wichita, Kansas and subsequently worked for Bell Aircraft in Buffalo, New York on the landing gear for the first experimental jet airplanes built in the United States.

Vlasta Johnson, 87 formerly of Austin, MN, died Monday, May 18, 2015 at the Good Samaritan Care Center in Albert Lea.

Vlasta Hrabak was born August 7, 1927 in London Township of Freeborn County, Minnesota the daughter of Josef and Wilhelmina (Kopp) Hrabak. She graduated from Austin High School. Vlasta worked as a secretary for the Charles Fox Candy Company in Austin.  She was married to Dale Alden Johnson on June 22, 1947 at London, MN.

Vlasta was a long time member of St. Olaf Lutheran Church. After starting her family, she was a “stay at home” wife and mother. She enjoyed sewing, knitting and playing cards with the neighbors. Vlasta loved spending time with the grandchildren and the great grandchildren, enjoying their many sleepovers at “Grandma V’s.”

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Dale, sister MaryAnn Rezac and brother Joseph Hrabak.

Memorial services for Earl L. Klinger will be held at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 22, 2015 at St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Richland, MN. Reverend Scott Williams will officiate. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at church. Interment will be in St. Peter's Cemetery in rural New Richland.

Earl L. Klinger, of Ellendale, MN, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 13, 2015 at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He was 81 years old. Earl was born on October 11, 1933 to Elsie (Kroeger) and Lorenz Klinger in Otisco, MN. He attended a rural elementary school and went to high school in New Richland. Earl has lived in the New Richland and Ellendale area his whole life.

On November 13, 1953, Earl married the love of his life, Janis Nesdahl, at Pontoppidan Lutheran Church in rural Ellendale. They have been longtime members at St. Peter Lutheran Church in New Richland and briefly belonged to First Lutheran Church in Ellendale as well.

Earl has held jobs at Owatonna Scrap Iron, Blount, Trails Travel Center, Geneva Liquor, and owned a restaurant in Ellendale. He was a member of the church council as well as the Lions Club and Eagles Club.

A Celebration of Life service for Eleanor V. Schember will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19, 2015 at Salem Lutheran Church, Albert Lea. The Reverend Mark Niethammer will officiate. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at the church.

Eleanor passed away on May 16, 2015 at Hidden Creek Estates, Albert Lea. She was 87 years old.

Eleanor V. (Fischer) Schember was born on February 19, 1928 to Jacob and Rose (Nagel) Fischer on the Standing Rock Reservation in McLaughlin, SD. Eleanor was baptized and confirmed into the Christian faith. The family moved to the New Richland area, where she graduated high school.

Lecturer makes appearance at NR Library

AUTHOR — Bill Jamerson, right, holds a copy of his book he signed for Margaret Ann Chicos at the New Richland Public Library Thursday, April 23. (Star Eagle photo by Nicole Billing)

By NICOLE BILLING

Editorial Assistant

New Richland Public Library hosted Bill Jamerson on Thursday, April 23.

Jamerson goes around the country giving presentations on the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The CCC camps were all military run with long bunkhouses and mess halls. There were libraries and blacksmith shops. The camps were basically self-sufficient and were most 5 to 15 miles from the nearest town.

Jamerson started the presentation by telling a story he heard from one of the CC boys. One day in April 1937 a sergeant walked into one of the bunkhouses and held up a CCC pillowcase. He said to the boys that each one of them was going to spend 25 cents on a pillowcase to send to their mother for Mother’s Day. The men then instantly began grumbling because 25 cents was a lot back then.

The winning ways continued for the NRHEG softball team, which completed a 4-1 week by taking down three opponents for the championship in Saturday’s Hayfield Invitational.

The Panthers ran their record to 10-3 for the spring under first-year head coach Coy Hupfeld. They’re 6-2 in the conference.

WEM 8, NRHEG 7

NRHEG got five runs in the first inning, all with two outs, but struggled to get the bats going afterward at Waterville Tuesday, May 5.

“WEM did a great job in battling back and taking the lead,” said Hupfeld.

Grace Johns did a terrific job of getting on base throughout the game. Alyssa Esplan got a key double that drove in two. Anna Lundberg also drove in two on a base hit late in the game, but WEM was able to hold on.

Esplan was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored, Torrie Stencel 2-for-3 with a triple. Contributing one hit each were Rachel Collins, Kaylie Camerer, Jade Peterson, Johns and Lundberg. Camerer doubled.

The NRHEG High School clay target squad improved over its first week and were rewarded by moving up in the standings from fourth to second. The team now only trails the group from McGregor-Aitkin-Cromwell High school.

The Panthers did it with very impressive performances from their top shooters and a surprise round from one of the team's rookies.  Kyle Bartz (Waseca), an individual qualifier in the MSHSL State Individual Tournament last year, turned in a total 49/50 round. This brings his average over the first two weeks of the season to 24/25 which has him leading the conference and in the top 100 in the state. But, not to be outdone, newcomer Brett Kubiatowitcz (NRHEG) also turned in a 49/50 which included his first perfect round of 25 for the season. 

The struggles continued for the NRHEG baseball team, which lost three games in recent play.

First-year head coach Drew Paukert’s Panthers ran their record to 5-9 overall and 4-6 in the Gopher Conference as section tournament play nears.

WEM 9, NRHEG 0

The Panthers had trouble putting anything together against Bucs pitcher Dallas McBroom, who allowed only three hits in six innings at Waterville Monday, May 4.

The home team took control early, scoring twice in the bottom of the first and never looking back. The Panthers’ hits went to Trevor Tracy, John Hubly and Grant Kyllo.

Matt Jensen was the losing pitcher. He allowed seven earned runs on eight hits, with five strikeouts and three walks.