Dusting Off the Archives
7
5 Years Ago, January 4, 1945
• Just as draft calls have been increased—just as more munition factories have been rushed into production—so has rationing of food been tightened. Short supplies made that necessary. Stamps were canceled out to avoid a ‘run’ on groceries, when the news came that America must cut down on consumption of some foods. Here are some of the supply facts. Processed foods (canned fruits and vegetables) last year military demands for processed food were 25 percent of the total supply. This year, the military requirements are 41 percent. Last year civilians got 75 percent of canned fruits and vegetables; this year we are getting 59 percent. During the first three months of 1945, civilians will get 15 percent less meat than they got during the last three months of 1944.
• Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Andrews received the glad news Wednesday, that their son, Pfc. Orville Andrews, who lost part of one leg from wounds received in action in Italy several weeks ago is now at Coral Gables, Florida in the Baltimore Hospital. The telegram didn’t say when he would be coming home.
• Word has been received that Chester Grewing has been promoted to Cpl. He is in the 1st Marine Division on Peleiu Is. He met Wm. (Bill) Nelson of Nimrod recently. Bill is in the Navy. Bill took Cpl. Chester Grewing and Pfc. Lester Skalisky aboard ship and treated them to fruit cake and coffee. They talked over old times and now feel the world isn’t so large after all.
40 Years Ago, January 2, 1980
• Orlet Larson and Ruth Jenson are shown observing history class taught by Paul Schumacher. A former teacher, Mrs. Larson commented on the nice feeling between teachers and students who didn’t wait for the teacher to call on them. Both she and Ruth, who was a 1922 graduate of Verndale High School, enjoyed hearing the studies of long ago and felt that Mr. Schumacher’s writing the outline on the board as he made his presentation made it easier to remember. Mrs. Larson said that geometry had been her favorite subject, but after attending that class had difficulty recognizing it today. “The teachers are making it more interesting,” she added.
• At first glance one might think they are mink, these two pets of the James Goddard family are ferrets, whose coats are beginning to turn white, as those in the wild, to offer protection from predators. Mrs. Goddard has taught them to sit and beg for food, such as the marshmallows they’re receiving while the family cat observes. “They’re just like a cat,” Janet observed, saying they’ll eat cat food and an occasional mouse and are litter box trained. Ricky and his smaller female companion, Pipi, were eight weeks old when adopted by the Goddards in August.
• The accumulation of frost this year is unusually heavy because of a full week of mild temperatures and high humidity which has created a winter wonderland. With the exception of last Saturday when the sun broke through, a new record is being set for fog shrouded days. According to one old-time resident, a Christmas like this hasn’t occurred since 1923, with colder temperatures arriving shortly thereafter. The white ground cover is more frost than snow, while thermometers continue to register in the 20s and 30s, most unusual for this time of year.
15 Years Ago, January 6, 2005
• Naomi Moyer recently extended her public service thousands of mile to Uganda—a land-locked country in East Central Africa. Ugandan neighbors are Kenya to the east, Sudan to the north and Tanzania and Rwanda to the south and Congo to the west. Moyer normally lives a pretty quiet life with her husband Leland at their home in Verndale. She decided to go to Africa after viewing programs on the TV last summer, and seeing a Christian minister talk about Uganda.
• It was a cold Tuesday night when the Raiders headed to Perham for a match with the Yellowjackets. The Yellowjackets are led by five top rated wrestlers: Phillip Moenkedick, Justin Berns, Michael Guehna, Jon Flatau and Tyler Doll. The Yellowjackets jumped off to an early lead, but the Raiders came back and led the match 10-7 through the 125 pound match. After the 125 pound match it was Yellowjackets victories until Josh Denny Pinned Joel Gorentz in the 275 pound math. Final team score was Perham 54 and BHV 16.
• New Years Day brought us snow, which made a lot of people very happy. The snow plows got a chance to get busy and not just the county guys, but the local men that use the plowing income to support their families. Kids enjoyed the mountains of snow piled up for sledding and digging in.