110 YEARS AGO

From April 10, 1914

Students taking part in the Junior class play “The Ladies of Cranford” at the Town Hall Friday evening were Rose Johnson, Clara Horjem, Cora Fossen, Grace Ericson, Helen Ranum, Leonard Olson, Gina Dyrstad, Lizzie Bruem, Molly Arneson, Evelyn Gorder, Gertrude Broderson and Inga Sandvig. 

Amy Alfson, 12-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Anton C. Alfson of New Prairie died at the hospital in Starbuck last Thursday following an operation for appendicitis. 

Run your own saloon! To the married men who cannot get along without his drinks, we suggest the following as a solution to the bondage of this habit. Start a saloon in your own house and be the only customer. You will have no license to pay. Go to your wife and give her $2 to buy a gallon of whiskey and remember there are 60 drinks in one gallon. Buy your drinks from no one but your wife and by the time the first gallon is gone, She will have $4 to put in the bank and $2 to do business again. Now if you would live 10 years and continue to buy booze from her, and you die with snakes in your boots, she will have money to bury you decently, educate your children, buy a house and lot, and marry a decent man and quit thinking of you. 

It has cost the state an average of $10,000 each to cure 39 drunks at the Willmar Inebriate Hospital. This is the result of 13 months. 

100 YEARS AGO

From April 4, 1924

The following young people from Pope County attended the annual Short Course at the Morris A.C. School last week. From Starbuck: Lucille Dahl, Emma Fosse, Hilma Dahlseng, Olive Swenhaugen, Valborg Kjera, Myrtle Vigdahl and Julius Kamrud. From Glenwood: Janette Wittwer, Lloyd Quist, August Schilla, Edmend Savre, Willard Eakle, Howard Riley, William Stauffer, Edwin Thompson, Wallace Ogdahl and Clark Taylor. From Lowry: Katherine Booen, Alpha Odegaard and Edward Chan. From Farwell: Arnold Olson and Elvin Tollefson. From Cyrus: Evelyn Tangen, Gladys Christanson, Claremont Tangen, Peter Veum, Morris Nelson, Morris Rygh and Grant Bergstrom. From Hancock: Lucile Smith and Susie Hoekstra. 

Miss Mable Knutson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Syver Knutson of Barsness and Albert Thorson, son of Mrs. K. Thorson of Langhei were united in marriage at Benson on March 20 by Rev. Chr. Pederson. Their attendants were Cora Knutson and Ole Haarstad. 

Spring vacation is here and our teaching force has gone to various places to spend it. Miss Weikert to St. Paul; Miss Oby to LeRoy; Miss Glesne to Belgrade; Miss Bly to Minneapolis; Miss Larson to St. Paul and Nelson; Miss Holden to Brainerd; and Miss Haugen to Jasper.

90 YEARS AGO

From April 5, 1934

Harold L. Eastlund, Pope County Supt. of Schools brought another honor to this county at the County Superintendent’s conference called by the Commissioner of Education at St. Paul last week, where he was elected president of the Minnesota Association of County Superintendents for a two-year term. 

This territory at last got some real white snow over the weekend, when about 4 or 5 inches came down Saturday night and Sunday morning. The snow was a welcome sight. The farmers are rejoicing over the moisture, and with some rain prospects for a crop put on a favorable appearance. 

Ten won prizes at a poultry meeting held in Starbuck Wednesday afternoon. Mrs. B.A. Bredeson won the 50 Wyandotte checks given by the Starbuck Chickery. Mrs. Harold Corder, Eugene Dahlquist, John Hagestuen, Lee Lund and Oliver Stadsvold each won 25 lbs. of chick feed donated by the Starbuck Creamery. The chick feeders given away by the Starbuck Hardware Co. for guessing the closest number of nails in a milk bottle was won by Mrs. Carl Pederson.  

The meeting drew a fairly large attendance and Miss Cora Cooke, the speaker, gave a very interesting talk on raising chicks and poultry.

Ed Hagen sold a Model A Ford Sport Coupe at Morris, a 1931 Chevrolet Coach to Alfred Hustad and a Model T Sedan to Carl Amondson last week. 

80 YEARS AGO

From April 6, 1944

Mr. and Mrs. Rudolph Lee are the parents of twin girls, Kathryn Margaret and Karolyn Lenore born April 1.  

Word was received on Saturday by John Brenden, that his son, Sgt. Arden Brenden is missing in action in a raid over France on March 16. He was a mechanic and waist gunner aboard a Flying Fortress. 

Paul Johnson, son of Mr. and Mrs. C.H. Johnson celebrated his 6th birthday Sunday. 

The following were confirmed Sunday at Fron Lutheran Church: Beatrice Amundson, Opal Foss, David Aaberg, Gordon Chalenburg, Allan Hagestuen, Harold Hanson, Casper Johnshoy, Milton Knutson and Irwin Stangeland. 

Robert Samuelson celebrated his 11th birthday Wednesday when a few boys helped him celebrate after school. 

Funeral services for Mrs. I.M. Engrebretson, 60, were held from the St. Pauli Church in Lowry on Tuesday afternoon. She is survived by her husband, Iver M. Engebretson; and two daughters, Helen Jane Engebretson of Dickinson, ND and Florence (Mrs. Phillip Paulsrud) of Seattle, Washington. 

70 YEARS AGO

From April 8, 1954

Harry Thorstad and a crew of workers are tearing down the Thorstad store, adjacent to Bob’s Cafe. B.H. Holte stated that he remembers when two brothers from Holmes City erected the structure. It came up shortly after the N.P. Railway branch line was completed some over 70 years ago. Old-timers say that, for the most part, before the county went dry, it was a saloon and dance hall. At one time, Tom Fralick operated a barber shop and confectionery there. For a number of years it was a restaurant, one of the operators was Duffy Bredeson. Carl Kjolsbeck conducted a paint shop there before Thorstad became its owner. 

Confirmation services will be held at Immanuel Sunday. Members of the class are David Sylvester, Susan Maxwell, Joyce Baukol, Joan Aaberg, Larry Voxland and Vernice Johnshoy. 

A group of girls helped Nancy Billehus celebrate her 10th birthday last week. 

Jennille Oldfield Hardy of Summerville, GA and Walter Ralph Chalenburg, son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Chalenburg of Starbuck were married on April 4 at the Lyerly Church of Christ. The couple will make their home in Starbuck. 

60 YEARS AGO

From April 9, 1964

Miss Deanna L. Barsness, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Everell Barsness graduated from the Occupational Therapy Assistant School in Duluth on April 3. She expects to be employed in the Duluth area. 

Cynthia Ann, infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gary Jackson (Pat Klevann) of Minneapolis was baptized at St. John’s Lutheran Church on April 5. Sponsors were the parents and Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Jackson of Minneapolis. 

Marine Pvt. Paul E.A. Bardal, son of Mr. and Mrs. Ole P. Bardal of Starbuck completed recruit training on March 24 at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Parris Island, NC. 

The Junior class of Starbuck High School presented their play “Tomboy Wonder” Friday evening. The cast of characters included Bruce Johnson, Beth Olson, Carolyn Tolo, Ruth Sorenson, Rosalie Stensbury, Ken Gunderson and Roger Tharaldson. 

50 YEARS AGO

From April 4, 1974

Starbuck students won awards in an anti-smoking poster contest sponsored by the Sons of Norway. 

County swine producers were told to keep promoting. 251 persons jammed the Minnewaska House to dine on pork chops and ham. Courtney Engebretson, president of the County Assn. led the business meeting and directed the program for the evening. Ellsworth Erickson was elected to serve as president for the coming year, DeWayne Jackson as Vice Chairman and Chester Bennett will continue as secretary-treasurer. Wayne Refsal was re-elected to serve another term as a member of the board of directors while two new board members, Harold Knutson and LeRoy Lanning will replace Harold Jacobson and Reynold Danielson. Other hold-over directors are Courtney Engebretson, Richard Chan and James Olson. 

Mr. and Mrs. Warren Anderson of Cyrus announce the engagement of their daughter, Vicky Jean, to Dale A. Logan, of Starbuck, the son of Mrs. Oscar Mickles of Lowry. A June 22 wedding is being planned. 

Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Rittgers announce the engagement of their daughter, Diane to Dennis L. Flint of St. Paul. Diane is a 1970 graduate of Starbuck High School and a 1971 graduate of Willmar Vo Tech School. She is employed as a secretary at 3M Co. in St. Paul. Mr. Flint is employed at the Minnesota Iron and Fence Co. A July 6th wedding is being planned. 

Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Koloski of Starbuck announce the engagement of their daughter Colleen to Rodney Gunderson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Gunderson of Benson. An April 26 wedding is being planned. 

40 YEARS AGO

From April 4, 1984

Funeral services for Oline Stenson, 86, were held from the Fron Lutheran Church on March 29. She is survived by two children: Mrs. Franklin (Myrtle) Steen of Coon Rapids and Norris Stenson of Fridley. 

Phillip Hippe, Nathan Brecht, Bobby Hoffman and Mike Andreas capture first-place honors at the kid wrestling tournaments in Browns Valley on March 31. 

Carol Erickson, daughter of Karen Meyer of Starbuck and David Erickson of Willmar has been accepted at Willmar Community College for the fall quarter. She will major in Chemical Dependency Practitioner. 

The Starbuck City Council awarded a bid to Engineering America of Minneapolis for a new 275,000-gallon water storage tank for $150,509. 

30 YEARS AGO

From April 6, 1994

Funeral services for Cesar Reyes, Jr., 62, of Marshfield, Wisconsin were held March 30 at Faith Lutheran Church in Marshfield. He is survived by his wife, the former Karen Kjorstad, and two daughters, Laura and Teresa. 

Randy Anderson, son of Arley and Bruce Anderson, will join the staff at Community First National Bank of Benson on April 1st as assistant vice president. He is currently employed by Community First National Bank of Morris. 

Matt Leon, a junior at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, and son of Maurice and Priscilla (Holten) Leon of Spring Lake Park, was recently honored as “Player of the Week” for the Eau Claire hockey team. 

20 YEARS AGO

From April 7, 2004

The nine students pictured in the Times, holding their inventions, will advance to the annual Minnesota Inventor’s Congress this summer in Redwood Falls. Pictured, Ann Billehus, “Ding-dong”; Dani Boutain, “Delicious Envelopes”; Brittany Opdahl, “Bright Buckle”; Brandon Manderscheid “Snowmobile Kit”; Jordan Duvall, “Rear Handlebar Mitts”; Jordan Johnson, “Scrub Glove”; Morgan Olson, Party Pac”; Kelli Kalima, “ABC Movies”; and Samantha Bergsrud, “Mini Drainer”. 

A piece of real estate in Glenwood that sat vacant for a year has suddenly become the center of issue among farmers, business owners, and Pope County officials. What’s the controversy? They all want to own it and each party has an intended use for the land and building. 

As of Monday night, Starbuck remains without a police chief. But the Starbuck city council has approved offering the job to Allen Rensvold. Rensvold is the current police chief in Tyler, Minnesota. 

10 YEARS AGO

From April 9, 2014

On March 21, students from Minnewaska Area High School’s SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) group visited three local establishments armed with informational stickers. Minnewaska Liquor, Water’s Edge and the Grog Shop welcomed the students in and allowed them to place stickers on alcoholic products. The stickers are meant to educate the public on the consequences of providing alcohol to minors. 

Three-term state representative Paul Anderson (R-Starbuck) was endorsed for another term in the Minnesota Legislature by Republicans at their District 12B endorsing convention in Sauk Centre on April 4. Anderson, first elected to the House of Representatives in 2008, served as vice-chair of the Agriculture Finance and Policy Committee during his second term in office, and he is currently the lead Republican on the Housing Finance and Policy Committee. 

Septic systems aren’t exactly the usual topic of polite conversation. But that’s exactly what will be on the table at a May 6 public hearing, set for 9:30 a.m. at the Pope County Courthouse. Up for discussion is Pope County’s proposed subsurface sewage treatment system ordinance.