Looking Back
News from Bertha's and Hewitt's Pasts
25 Years Ago
April 29, 1998
The last load of feed will be ground in Bertha this Thursday when H.E.B. Feed closes its mill and feed store. An agricultural community dominated by as many a four feed stores in recent years, Bertha will be left with two next week. The heavy snows of 1997 nearly collapsed the roof of the almost 100-year-old building. Owners Tom Ecker and Dave Amundsen recently learned that the building was no longer insurable because it was no longer stable.
**********
Gary Kleen owns and operates B-H Transportation in Bertha. Kleen’s father, Bud Kleen, owned the bus garage from 1981 until Gary took over in 1992. This year, Kleen moved his buses from the garage adjacent to Diamond Tool to a newly-built garage located behind the bus garage office. The new garage is working out “very well.” Kleen is able to wash and store all ten buses and still have room for additional storage.
50 Years Ago
April 29, 1948
The Bertha High School again scored in musical prowess at the District #22 Music Festival. Four of eight groups qualified to advance to the State Music Festival to be held in Northrup Memorial Auditorium at the University of Minnesota. Highest ratings were given to the boy’s vocal group, the mixed chorus, the brass ensemble and the Bertha band. Seventy-five pupils from Bertha took part. The directors are Supt. L.W. Anderson, instrumental and Mrs. Lawrence Nelson, vocal. The Board of Education voted to send all the qualified students to the state contests.
***********
The board of directors of the Bertha Commercial Club was elected at the monthly meeting held in the Congregational Church parlors. Elected were: Dr. W.W. Will, F.W. Bottemiller, George Domian, H. Elkjer, AJ Hilpert, O.E. Tangen and George Quanbeck.
Comments