110 YEARS AGO

From March 27, 1914

On Wednesday of last week occurred the wedding of Miss Edna Ovidia Einarson to Mr. Calmar Elie. Both are products of White Bear Lake Township. The young couple have grown to manhood and womanhood as neighbors, the former of the parents almost adjoining, so each found the best the world can give right at their very elbows. 

Death came very suddenly to old Bernet Wollan last Thursday. He seemed to be in his usual good health and made two trips downtown that day. He returned home from the last one at about half past five in the afternoon and was dead within an hour of that time, having succumbed to a stroke of apoplexy. He was 74 years old. 

A number of little girls spent the afternoon Saturday with Ruth Ronning. They brought their dollies with them. 

The stork visited Mr. and Mrs. Ole Olson last week and left a baby boy. 

100 YEARS AGO

From March 21, 1924

The Misses Ada Nygaard, Anna Fosse and Ingolf Kamrud of White Bear Lake will graduate from Morris A.C. School next Friday. 

A prairie fire raged for several hours south of Ole Hanson’s farm last Tuesday afternoon. It burned seven tons of hay belonging to Arnold Frissell and two tons of hay for Theodore H. Thompson.

A baby girl was born to Mr. and Mrs. Wm Disrud on March 18. 

A community auction will be held in the village in early April. Everyone in the village or surrounding country, having anything to sell, are invited to list their property with the First National Bank. Posters will be printed and the sale will be advertised. A small charge will be made for listing and selling the articles. 

Mr. J.S. Skoglund attended the funeral for his mother, Mrs. Johanna Skoglund at LaCrosse, Wisconsin last Saturday. 

The carnival given by the American Legion and Auxiliary on Friday evening was a huge success. There were six booths where a variety of things could be purchased, also a fishing pond, fortune telling booth & a cafeteria. A short program consisting of funny songs by a trio, the exhibiting of unusual birds, animals and “humans” and an old-fashioned district school which brought forth peals of laughter from the audience. 

90 YEARS AGO

From March 22, 1934

Marriage licenses: Martin Nicholia Hoium and Florence Arneson; Anton Emmanuel Bengston and Anna Mary Halls; Harold William Reed and Mildred May Parish.

On the evening of Easter Sunday, April 1, the choir of Minnewaska church will present their Easter Cantata, “The Dawn of Easter” by Ira B. Wilson.

Soloists will be Miss Luverne Thorstad, soprano; Mrs. Arthur Nordberg, alto; Milo Hagen, tenor and Arthur Nordberg, bass. Mr. H.R. Peterson is the director and Miss Margret Larson the accompanist.

Henry Nodland surprised friends here Thursday of last week by throwing his hat into the ring for Sheriff.

Henry, big, genial and hustler, was well known throughout the county for the past several years and had been manager of the Starbuck Construction Co. and is engaged in the construction and engineering business. He is married and has two children, a boy and a girl. 

Tire sale at Koland Oil Co: Courier 30×31/2 clincher – $3.29; Courier 4.40×21 – $3.39; Courier 4.50×21 – $3.98; Courier 4.75×19 – $4.35; Inner tubes 30×31/2 – 78¢; 4.40, 4.50,4.75, 21 inch – 89¢; 4.75×19 – $1.08.

Fairway Food specials: Baking chocolate 1/2 lb., 13¢; corn flakes, 2 boxes, 23¢; tomato soup, 3 cans for 19¢; rice, choice grade, 3 lbs. for 19¢; Shinola dye or polish, 2 for 17¢; Sunkist oranges, per dz., 19¢; Loaf sugar, 3lbs. 25¢.

70 YEARS AGO

From March 25, 1954

Funeral services for Peter O. Bruland, 59, were held on March 19 at St. Petri Church in Cyrus. He is survived by his wife, Regina; one daughter, Bernice and one son, Milton.

Perry Dullum and his son, Gerry, Jointly celebrated their birthdays which came on Sunday, March 22. Gerry was 3 years old. 

Diane Barsness celebrated her 4th birthday on March 18.

Miss Ester J. Larson of Glenwood and Dennis Tharaldson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Olaf Tharaldson were married at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Villard on March 7. The Couple will make their home in Starbuck.

Mary Barsness, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Peder Barsness of Farwell and Stanley Norlien, son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Norlien of Farwell were married on January 9 at the Farwell Lutheran Church. The couple will make their home in Rockford, Illinois.  

60 YEARS AGO

From March 26, 1964

Larry Kirkwold, son of Mr and Mrs. Claremont Kirkwold of Starbuck has received his Master of Science degree at the University of Minnesota. He has accepted a position with the U.S. Forest Service Intermountain Forest and Ranger Experiment Station in Oden, Utah. 

Funeral services for John Overson, 79, were held Saturday, March 21 at Fron Lutheran Church. He is survived by his wife, Mabel; three daughters, Mrs. Albie Johnson (Jean) of Tacoma, Wash., Mrs. Betty Packard of Los Angeles, Calif., and Mrs. Orville K. Olson (Lucille) of Starbuck and one son, Aleck Overson of Minneapolis and one stepson, Maurice Anderson of Tacoma, Wash.

Thorstad’s Store, Starbuck has gone CRAZY! They offer a $5.95 valued unbreakable toilet seat for only $3.00 installed, with exchange. We will go anywhere.

Births: A son, Michael John to Mr. and Mrs. John Kjera of Waterville on February 15; twins, a boy and a girl to Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Ranum of Goleta, Iowa March 19; a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Dean Dahlin (Tracy Thorstad) of Dallas, Texas March 19. 

50 YEARS AGO

From March 21, 1974

The Starbuck City Council met in their regular monthly session on Thursday evening and came up with a rather lively meeting. Representing the Northern States Power Company, Don Schuab, Glenwood, presented and explained about $2,500 to the city in addition to the electricity and maintenance costs. 

The new eastern Pope County Hospital has been elected and organized. Richard E. Grandrud, Glenwood banker who was elected as a member-at-large, was elected by the new board to serve as its chairman at a meeting Thursday evening. James Stradtman will serve as vice chairman, Mrs. George Falkner, secretary and Mrs. Faye Fauskee, treasurer.

The financial report of the Minnewaska Lutheran Home came up with another black figure at that group’s annual meeting on Thursday. The report showed a balance of $8,767.27 which indicates the Home to be in a good financial position and good management. Mrs. Lyle Husby administrator, said that $216,718.26 was received from residents and meals while $17,671.53 came in through non-operative sources such as gifts, memorials, interest and etc. making a grand income of $234,389.79.

40 YEARS AGO

From March 21, 1984

One hundred and twenty patrons attended the annual meeting of the Starbuck Creamery held last Friday at the Minnewaska House. Manager Roger Hermes, pictured in the Times gave the financial report to those in attendance and indicated that the company enjoyed an almost 10% increase in sales over the previous year. Re-elected to the board was Orville Feigum. Other highlights of the meeting included a movie, several short talks by company representatives and the drawing for many door prizes. A lunch was served to everyone following the conclusion of the meeting. 

The total votes cast on Tuesday, March 13, by voters in Pope and Douglas Counties were 62% in favor of the bonding for a solid waste incinerator to be built in Alexandria to burn the solid waste of the two counties. Voters in Pope County approved the bond by 77% with 921 in favor of the incinerator and 214 citizens opposed. 

The City of Starbuck will be one of the sixty-one wastewater treatment facilities to be honored on Friday, March 23rd in award ceremonies capping this year’s Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) Sponsored Wastewater Operations Seminar set for March 21 through March 23, at the Thunderbird Motel in Bloomington. 

30 YEARS AGO

From March 23, 1994

Members of the Starbuck Area Chamber of Commerce welcomed the Glacial Ridge Foods plant and Mark Shirkey to the community last week. 

Ruth Rosten, a resident at the Glenwood Retirement Home, celebrated her 100th birthday on March 22. 

Larry Mix was recently honored by United Parcel Service for completing 25 years of service with the company. 

Eleven-year-old Jessica Noyes, daughter of Meribeth and Randy Noyes of Starbuck captured the gold in two skating events – compulsory and free-style March 19 at the Alexandria Runestone Community Center. 

20 YEARS AGO

From March 24, 2004

The preliminary phase of the Minnewaska Lutheran Home (MLH) expansion project is well underway as contracts are being finalized for the 2.5 million dollar project. Groundbreaking is expected in early to mid-April, according to MLH Administrator Mark Anderson.

As part of the Minnewaska Area Schools (MAS) budget-cutting process for the 2004-05 school year, several teachers and aides in the district will be either terminated or placed on leave and offered contracts for part-time positions next year. The action was taken by the MAS Board of Education on March 16 as part of a formal staff reduction process. Most of the staff will be re-hired at less than full-time status. 

Residents of Minnewaska Lutheran Home were treated to a tropical theme Noon meal Thursday. Each resident was provided with a lei and dined among decorative palm trees and flowers. Staff dressed in tropical print shirts and grass skirts. Pictured in the Times, Adeline Barsness wore her festive flowered hat to lunch. Also pictured in the Times, Ina Ophaug and Margaret Lokken in their festive flowered leis waiting for lunch.  

10 YEARS AGO

From March 26, 2014

Plans are moving ahead with redesigning and expanding the Pope County Public Health and Human Services parking lot. At Tuesday’s board meeting, County Coordinator Jim Thoreen reported to commissioners that the facilities committee had met with Pope County Engineer Brian Noetzelman and engineer Tim Schoonhoven of Widseth Smith Nolting (WSN) about the project. 

Schoonhoven is also the engineer for the City of Glenwood. The county had previously made a commitment to the city to redevelop the parking lot and had placed $120,000 in an escrow account to cover the cost of the work. 

School board members, staff and two architectural firms are continuing their task to evaluate the district’s buildings, what needs to be done to them and how they should be used. There are some obvious needs, such as the repair or replacement of the roof at Minnewaska Area High School, which has been the subject of school board meetings for years, and some less obvious but appropriate things to study, such as school security.