Dusting off the Archives
News from Verndale's Past
75 Years Ago, October 24, 1946
• Wadena County women have made plans for going over the top again of their $200 pledge in the Sister Kenny drive, according to Mrs. Earl Jenson, Verndale, who is in charge as the County Home and Community Chairman. She says that the Wadena leaders designated October as the time for the national drive. Plans are being made in the various communities to raise money from food sales and soliciting various church groups, 4-H clubs, PTAs and women’s clubs and other organizations.
• Rol Barron, former Wadena attorney, now of Fergus Falls, will be unopposed in the November election for the position of judge in the Seventh Judicial District, which he received an appointment to recently. The fact that no other attorney filed against Judge Barron for this office proves the high esteem in which he is held by the lawyers of the district.
• The Staples cannery manager wishes to announce that the cannery will close on November 1. They are now open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Meat, lard, chicken, pork and beans and chili can be canned on any open day the balance of the month.
40 Years Ago, October 29, 1981
• Neighbors helping neighbors, that’s part of what life’s all about. Some of these met for the first time last Friday when they answered the beckoned call of another neighbor, Ethel Hollister, to offer assistance to Ron Notch in harvesting his corn crop after he suffered disabling effects in his legs. He’s home from the hospital and up and about, but still unaware of the cause of his problem. Ten wagons and tractors and their owners got the job done in two days. They were Ron Notch and his son Daniel, Herman Wiese, Herman Trosen, Gilbert Wutzke, Marvin Runyan, Jim Runyan, Mike Beaver, Marvin Schmitz, Bob Kempe, Don Beaver and John Moyer. Helping Friday were Dan Colby and George Lipinski. Also bringing food were Mrs. Hollister, Mary Runyan, Meave Beaver, Bernice Beaver, Beth Colby and Kathy Wiese.
• Halloween activities at the Verndale School have been planed this year with the entire family in mind. The Verndale Parent-Teacher Association has asked for assistance from the community and church organizations in making this a gala night for young witches, ghosts and goblins in providing entertainment. The Lions Club is sponsoring prizes for winners in the jack-o-lantern and costume contests for elementary students.
• Former rural Verndale residents, Hannah and Marin Alveshere, were crowned queen and king at the Senior Citizen Hobby Show held last week Wednesday in Wadena. They were each given a basket of fruit in recognition of the honor. Mr. and Mrs. Alveshere will be married 56 years come November 3, which is also Hannah’s 85th birthday.
15 Years Ago, October 26, 2006
• The courthouse, public health and social services buildings will soon have the new Stop-Tech Centurion security system, giving instant radio contact with law enforcement officers, following a vote by the county board on October 19 to purchase the $21,436 system.
• Verndale School, like almost every educational establishment in our area, started out small and has grown and developed over time. In 1879, the community built the first school building, a brick structure just south of town. This was the same year that the first store and hotel were built in Verndale. The original school building burned in May 1915 and a new structure replaced it in 1916. An addition was built on to the structure in 1936, including a gymnasium/auditorium and additional classroom space. Another addition to the rear was completed in 1954. This addition provided classroom space for grades one through six. In 1965, a large addition added a new gymnasium, classroom space and an industrial show area to the building. In the 1990s the original 1916 building was demolished to make way for a new addition, which was added to the front of the building. This last addition consisted of new elementary classrooms, music rooms, the commons area and the office.
• Celebrating October birthdays are Art Schanz, Frank Wolpert, Doris Wagner, Russ Anderson, Hilda Wutzke, Margart Miller, Betty Seaton, Rich Brietling, Eileen Roth, Roger Anderson, Clarence Horsager and Gerry Donnay.
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