From the Mascot Files: 75, 50, and 25 years ago
75 Years Ago-August 6, 1943
Minneota starts play-off for state here on Sunday
Minneota and Hendricks, first and second highest scoring teams in the Southwestern Minnesota league, meet here Sunday to begin the play-off for the state baseball tournament. The team winning two out of the three will play the winner of the lower bracket play-offs among Canby, Lake Benton, Hansonville and Ivanhoe, for the privilege of entering the state tournament.
Rev. Stensland Commissioned Army Service
Rev. O. P. Stensland, pastor of Hope Lutheran church of Minneota, this week received orders to report to Cambridge, Massachusetts as a chaplain, First Lieutenant, in the U. S. army. He will leave August 17 for a short period of preliminary training before assignment to duty.
St. Leo girl honored on 18th birthday
A large group of girls and boys attended a birthday dinner at the Math Grengs home Sunday, August 2 in honor of Susan’s birthday.
Horseshoe pitching popular sport here
The horseshoe pitching sport has come into its own in Minneota with the laying out of courts at the Kile lots on Jefferson street this week. Contests are in progress almost every evening and the sport is growing in popularity.
War trophies show at state fair
An entire trainload of war trophies from the world’s far-flung battle-fronts is being sent from Atlantic coast assembly points for exhibition at the Minnesota State Fair, August 28 to Sept. 6, according to word received today from Washington, by Secretary Raymond A. Lee. Included in the shipment are German and Japanese landing barges, a gigantic German tank, an Italian pontoon plane, a Japanese 10,000-pound field gun more than 28 feet long, parts of a Japanese Zero plane and numerous other war trophies.
50 Years Ago-August 8, 1968
Potato valentine Harry Smishek, who lives in the south part of Minneota, found this heart-shaped potato when he dug up a hill of spuds last week. He said afterwards that he’d bought his wife a few valentines in their years of married life but that this was the first time he’d brought one up from underground.
Two perform at Peace Garden Camp
Robin and Rhonda Pesch, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Wallace Pesch, performed their acrobatics, jazz and ballet dancing at the International Peace Garden Music Camp, on the border of North Dakota and Manitoba, Sunday afternoon.
FFA Chapter raising pheasants
Three members of the Minneota FFA chapter are learning much about raising pheasants this summer and it is a new and unique experience for the trio. The boys involved in the program are Lawrence and David Vlaminck, sons of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Vlaminck and David Fier, son of Mr. and Mrs. Erwin Fier. Their chapter advisor is Ken Stassen.
25 Years Ago-August 4, 1993
Local volunteer with transportation program
Margaret Polman is the Minneota volunteer with the Heartland Express Transportation Program through Western Community Action. Summer fun Abigail Koppien and Melissa Breyfogle had their lemonade and cookie stand in operation on Monday noon here in Minneota. The young gals were having a good time being entrepreneurs, and were very pleased with the change they had collected from sales.
Community Pride Project
The members of the Eidsvold Lucky Stars 4-H Club made and donated a bench for “Daren’s Park” north of Minneota. Some members are Jenna Anderson, Michelle Traen, Ellen Wambeke, Nicole Anderson, Jessica Hettling, Angie Jeremiason, Rachel Rabaey, Lori Sarazyn, Chris Swedzinski and Shantelli Vlaminck. Also present to was Daren Gislason and his cat Plato.
Mother/Daughter and Father/Son Golf Tourney
The Countryside Golf Club hosted the Mother/Daughter and Father/Son Golf Tournaments last Friday. In the Mother/Daughter golf tournament, Breanne Larson received the trophy for the Low Net score and Alisha Larson received the trophy for the Low Gross score in the 8-12 age group. Janice Myhre received her trophy for the Low Net score and Krista Anderson received hers for the Low Gross score in the 14-18 age group. The Father/Son golf tournament trophy winners are John Afdem and Jonathan Larson from the 6-9 age group, Nick Finnegan and Taylor Obe from the 10-12 age group, Chris Swedzinski and David Kockelman in the 13-15 age group, Ross Oftedahl and Chad Hennen in the 16-18 age group.