First blizzard interrupts idyllic fall weather

Dec. 12, 1963 – William Merrill, a prominent Pope County resident, died in Starbuck at the age of 78. He had been a newspaper publisher, county attorney and state legislator.

The almost idyllic fall weather was interrupted by 5 inches of snow which fell during the season’s first blizzard. Area residents had been used to going with light jackets for weeks when temperatures plummeted and high winds whipped the falling snow, making visibility almost nothing.

The Glenwood Chamber of Commerce elected new members to its board. They were James Stradtman, Myrl Johnson, Harry Haldorson, Merlin Berglin, Clem Stumpf, Jim Kinney and Ralph Cheeseman. Already serving on the board were Dwayne O. Peterson, Art Olson, Peter Meyer, Arleigh Lund, Dr. Bert Kolp, Marvin T.  Larson and Donald Callen.

Named to the A Honor Roll at Glenwood High School were 11th-graders, LaVerne Anderson, David Hoplin, Allan Kickertz, Gary Knutson, Gloria Schaub and Adele Swenson, and 12th-graders, Lynn Bennett, Daniel Gades, Jacquiline Hanson, Donald Larson, Lynda Reil and Susan Sherlin.

Dec. 13, 1973 – Wintry weather roared into the Glenwood area. The county had been avoiding a snowfall, but lower temperatures and gale-like winds also brought snow.

A plan of the Pope County Board of Commissioners to redistrict the county was rejected by a district court judge who called the plan arbitrary. Judge Thomas Stahler also ordered the county to come up with another plan within 90 days. The city of Glenwood had brought the original action in court to force the redistricting. The county board’s plan had hoped to keep the present board intact until new elections could be held. Stahler said the plan did not properly consider the county’s population, and a new one would have to be developed or the board must show cause for not replying to the court’s order. 

Glenwood’s doctor shortage took another bad turn when one of the doctors scheduled to move to town was accidentally killed in a shooting accident at his home in California. 

The Glenwood Lakers topped Sauk Centre in the first mat meeting of the year. Laker participants included Dave Serrin, Dick Lee, Brian Jergenson, Omer West, Brad Erlandson, Dean Logan, Mark Hirschey and Lance Peltier as well as other younger wrestlers.

Dec. 15, 1983 – Rick Davidson, of Rolling Forks Township, was named the Conservation Farmer of the Year by the Pope Soil and Water District. Davidson and his wife Jody farmed south of Glenwood on the Chippewa River and had implemented ridge-till and ridge-planting practices on their 615 acres.

State resorters honored Tuddy and Norena Kaldahl for their 50 years in the resort business in Minnesota. Kaldahl’s Resort was started in 1907 when Tuddy’s father brought the Lake Minnewaska shoreline. The resort had seven units in 1925 when Tuddy and Norena took over. 

Lake Minnewaska claimed its first vehicle of the season when a pickup went through the ice and settled in 12 feet of water. The driver was not injured. 

Dec. 13, 1993 – John Caskey of the Glenwood Development Corporation had informed the Glenwood City Commission during its Dec. 7 meeting of a possible new housing project which would allow a free lot to any family who could arrange financing and build a house within one year of a land-ownership agreement. He cited benefits and noted two areas where city land would be available. The most feasible area at the time was eight lots one block north of the old athletic field between First and Second streets Northeast and Seventh and Eighth avenues.

In response to the public’s concern to the proposed property tax increase in 1994, the Glenwood City Commission had taken the tax to its proposed 1994 budget by cutting $71,127. The levy increase fell from 17.8 percent to 3.4 percent.

Members of the Glenwood Area Chamber of Commerce were pictured in the Tribune bagging candy which was handed out for Santa Claus day in Glenwood, which ran in conjunction with the Christmas with Mickey performance by the Minnewaska Showstoppers at E.N. Nordgaard Elementary School.

Dec. 8, 2003 – A completed informal census of children in School District 2149 showed that there were 38 more preschool children living in the district than there were last year.

A total of 11 of them were old enough to enter kindergarten next year, which would generate about $28,000 in new revenue for the district in the 2004-05 school year.

The Pope County Pheasant Restoration club presented a check for $1,000 to help rebuild Lakeside Ballroom. The check was presented by a member of group, Dick Oeltjen, to Barb Marquardt, head of the Lakeside fundraising group. 

Dec. 9, 2013 – There are more than  13,000 American Legion Posts in locations all over the world. One of them, Post 187, sits atop the hill in Glenwood. The post is located just off Hwy. 55 between Kingdom Kids Child Care Center and Oak Tree Inn. 

Julie Masteller-Lillis, American Legion Post 187 gambling manager and acting adjutant, said she’s excited about the progress that’s been made at Glenwood’s American Legion, and about what the future holds for the local organization.

Gustave Mellgren, M.D., a family doctor at Glacial Ridge Health System – Glenwood Medical Center, has been nominated for the 2014 Minnesota Family Physician of the Year Award. This award is presented annually to a family physician who represents the highest ideals of the specialty of family medicine, including caring, comprehensive medical service, community involvement and serving as a role model.