100 YEARS AGO

From Dec. 14, 1923

A three day poultry and crop show was held at Starbuck this last week and was very well attended. That 10¢ admission charge brought in $52.40, more than four times as much as was taken in at Glenwood at their poultry shows. A total of 259 birds were displayed, including 34 white leghorns, 17 black minorcas, 6 langshans, 17 anconas, 10 hamburgs, 12 light brahmas, 22 white wyandottes, 10 silver laved wyandottes, 35 barred rocks, 2 white orpingtons, 33 buff orpingtons, 6 S.C. Rhode Island Reds, 12 rose comb Rhode Island Reds. At the crop show, prizes were awarded in 36 different areas, from seed grains to baking, serving, knitting, etc. 

A wrestling match will be held in Starbuck on Saturday, Dec. 22 between L.D. Peterson (Devil Dillon) of Sunburg and Ed. Gilbertson of Starbuck. Local boys will be matched in good preliminaries. 

A baby girl was born to Mr. and Mrs. Carl Anderson of Cyrus the latter part of last week. 

A baby girl was born to Mr. and Mrs. O.E. Larson last Saturday. 

A guessing contest at the poultry show aroused considerable interest. The question was how many kernels of corn a Rhode Island Red rooster would eat during the three day show. Alfred Gorder guessed within 45 kernels of the right amount, which was 1,592 kernels. Other guesses which won prizes were by L.C. Berg, Irving Helgeson, S.M. Larson, Mrs. Edward Hegg, A.N. Thorstad and Leonard Olson.

90 YEARS AGO

From Dec. 14, 1933

Handel’s Messiah, the beautiful Christmas Oratorio will be presented by the Fron church choir and orchestra, assisted by some members of the Glenwood Lutheran choir, on Sunday, Dec. 17. Soloists will be Lilian Charlesworth, Cora Pederson, Harriet Cresswell, Ella Landaas, Luverne Johnson, Erling Wollan, W.A. Peterson, Edw. S. Olson and Maurice Carr. Mrs. O.H. Wollan is the accompanist, Rev. M. Casper Johnshoy the conductor and Rev. J. Linnevold, the herald. 

The Christmas Operetta “In Quest of Santa Claus” will be given by the elementary grades Dec. 21, under the direction of Miss Ida Erickson and Miss Pearl Hammond, assisted by the Misses Johnson, Caughren, Lidstrom and Hanes. Listed is the cast of characters: Ruth Larson as Jane; Howard Noyes as Santa Claus; Christmas Fairies: Muriel Tollefson, Harriet Thorstad, Adeline Nodland, Doris Myking, Pearl Eidberg, Andrew Thorstad. 

With the Civil Works program just getting underway in Pope County, fifteen out of forty unemployed men in Starbuck received notices Tuesday to report for work the next morning. They will be graveling streets and laying three blocks of water main. 

A baby girl was born to Mr.  and Mrs. Adolph Lundebrek.

A baby boy was born to Mr. and Mrs. Henry Jackson Saturday evening. 

80 YEARS AGO

From Dec. 16, 1943

Mr. and Mrs. Herman Johnshoy received word that their son, Harold, who is in the Southwest Pacific, has been promoted to technical Sergeant. Harold is with the Marines and is attached to a dive bombing squadron in which he is mechanic. 

Relatives here have received a telegram from the War Department stating that S/Sgt. Palvin Lukken is “Missing in Action.” 

Miss Barbara Larson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Larson and John Halvorson, Jr., both of Cyrus were married at Cyrus Dec. 4. The couple will make their home on the groom’s farm near Cyrus.

Mr. and Mrs. Julius Hagestuen had their infant daughter, Ruth Arlette baptized at East Zion Lutheran Church Sunday. Sponsors were Mr. and Mrs. Harold Vold, Betty Jane Bottelson and Burnell Hagestuen. 

Dear Santa Claus: I am seven years old. Would you please bring me a farm set, a construction set and a machine gun that works. My sister, Patty, wants a doll and a chair and a table. I’ve tried to be good. I wipe dishes for mother every day. So won’t you please come to our house Christmas Eve? Bring something for baby sister, too. She’s just a little over two months old. Donald Dullum.

Dear Santa Claus: I want a house coat, pair of roller skates, a sled and a telephone. I am a good girl. I got to school every day. I am eight years old. I am in three grade in school and I like my teacher too. I am coming to see you in Starbuck Dec. 18. From Donna Rorvig. 

Lawrence Hagen, son of Mr. and Mrs. Milo Hagen celebrated his 8th birthday Sunday. 

Mr. and Mrs. Thorwold Johnshoy are the happy parents of a seven pound baby boy, Curtis, born Wednesday. 

70 YEARS AGO

From Dec. 17, 1953

Audrey Jean Buhr of Madison and Donald Duane Anondson of Glenwood were married at East Zion Lutheran Church November 21. The couple will make their home in Minneapolis.

Funeral services for Joseph Clayton Moen, 29, were held at St. Pauli Lutheran Church in Lowry November 23. He is survived by his wife, Marvel; and three children: Mary Jo, James Allen and John Clayton; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Moen; and two brothers. 

A girl was born to Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Berge December 16. She is their second daughter. 

Beverly Lysen, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Victor Lysen and Clayton Erickson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Erickson were married November 8 at Our Redeemers Lutheran Church in Benson. The couple will make their home on a farm near Benson. 

60 YEARS AGO

From Dec. 12, 1963

Conrad O. (Connie) Pederson has completed 23 years of service with the Starbuck Fire Department and was officially retired at an informal dinner party Tuesday evening last week after the regular meeting. 

Mr. and Mrs. Arvid Karson (Sandy Johnshoy) of Minneapolis are the parents of a son, Gregory Allan, born Saturday, December 7. 

Mrs. Evelyn Hofstad and Julius Dahlseng were married at St.  John’s Lutheran Church on Saturday, November 30. The couple will make their home on a farm west of Starbuck. 

Miss Marlys Aaberg of Starbuck is on the staff of the 1964 Venture, the year-book at the University of Minnesota, Morris. Marlys is working on the administration and faculty section of the Venture.   

50 YEARS AGO

From Dec. 13, 1973

One of the later freeze-ups of Lake Minnewaska occurred this year due to extremely mild fall weather. It finally made it last week on December 4. 

Voters of Minnewaska Township went to the polls on Tuesday to decide whether or not to approve a resolution passed by the Town Board to join the Pope County Hospital District. One hundred and fifty residents went to the polls with 81 favoring the board’s action while 69 voted nay. 

In a decision handed by District Judge Thomas Stahler this week, he ruled that the Pope County Commissioner’s plan to redistrict Pope County, did not conform close enough to the ideal as set forth by law. Therefore, he has returned it to the commissioners for them to rework their plan. He has given them 90 days or until March 8, 1974 to abide by the order.

40 YEARS AGO

From Dec. 14, 1983

Rick and Judy Davidson of rural Glenwood were named 1983 Pope County Conservation Farmers by the Pope County Soil and Water Conservation District Friday evening. 

Cathy Odegaard, daughter of Sewald and Marie Odegaard has been named to the Director’s list at Dakota County Vocational Technical Institute in Rosemount. Cathy is enrolled in the Landscape Horticulture Course.

Funeral services for Arnold Erickson, 91, were held from the Indherred Lutheran Church Dec. 3. He is survived by four sons, Arthur, Leonard, Harry and Ellsworth of Starbuck and one daughter, Gladys (Mrs. Paul Sather) of Benson. 

Brenda and Donald Steinhofer are the parents of a son, Nathan Donald born Dec. 2.

30 YEARS AGO

From Dec. 15, 1993

Students of the Month at Starbuck Elementary School are Ashlei Freeman, Angie Pederson, Aaron Fults, Matt Chan, Rochelle Tvrdik, Ashley Olson, Ashley Anderson, Keesha Nygard, Breanna Staples, Shane Danielson, Mitchell Gregersen, Nick Swartz, William Kuhn, Taylor Thomas, Katie Stammer, Rachel Kuhn, Tyler Swenson and Jessica Noyes. 

Funeral services for Rosa Dalen were held at Minnewaska Lutheran Church December 9. She is survived by three children, Elvin, Archie and Rose Marie. 

Rachael Linde, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Linde of Starbuck and Ryan McCleary of Henning were married August 14 at the Minnewaska Lutheran Church. The couple will make their home in Willmar. 

Kimberly Joy Berg, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Berg and Jason Schumann, son of  Mr. and Mrs. Mark Schumann, all of Starbuck, were named to the fall quarter Dean’s List at Moorhead State University. 

20 YEARS AGO

From Dec. 10, 2003

In what was a short regular meeting for the Pope County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 3, the county’s new amendment to its technology policy was revisited. County Coordinator Riaz Aziz said he just wanted to point out a few clarifications for the commissioners. The new amendment to the policy states that the county will now be conducting random checks on employee computers to check for improper use. 

Dr. Rahul Koranne, of the Minnewaska Regional Health System, explains that doctors in embassy environments in less developed countries deal with the same remoteness that rural Minnesota doctors do. It’s not always easy to get critically injured patients to a more equipped hospital from a place like Starbuck or an embassy in Indonesia. 

Minnewaska Area Schools held its mandatory Truth in Taxation hearing Dec. 2, and outside of school personnel, one person showed up. The annual meeting is held so the school district can explain its levy plans for the next year. District 2149 has given preliminary approval to increase its year 2004 levy by 17.6 percent. 

10 YEARS AGO

From Dec. 18, 2013

Individuals from Douglas, Pope and Itasca Counties were recognized with the Association of Minnesota Counties’ (AMC) 2013 “Outstanding Service Awards” for exhibiting excellence, innovation and dedication to their work in county government. 2013 AMC president Joy Vene, a Beltrami County commissioner, presented the awards at the association’s annual conference December 10 in Minneapolis. The recipients were nominated by their counties and selected by a committee of county officials, chaired by 2013 AMC Second Vice President Christopher Shoff, DC, a freeborn County commissioner. 

The Starbuck City Council, with a recommendation for approval from the Starbuck Planning Commission, approved the site plan for Phase II of the Bay Meadows project (near the Starbuck airport). The site plan conforms to the existing plat allowing for two single units and one double unit.

The cast of the Minnewaska Lutheran Home Christmas Program included Adelaine Berg as the innkeeper, Evelyn Denzer as a shepherd, Bjorn Henry as Baby Jesus, Vi Felt as Mary, Stan Hahn as Joseph, and Dorothy Schultz, Lola Rundgren and Marie Van Dyke as angels.

The Starbuck Chamber has recently made the move over to the current location of the Starbuck Times. In an effort to expand the chamber’s visibility and continued growth, the Starbuck Chamber would like to buy the building.