Dusting off the Archives
News from Verndale's Past
75 Years Ago, July 17, 1947
•The county fair will be the climax for 4-H members who are working eagerly these days to finish up projects for exhibiting. Contests will be held to determine county winners for State Fair trips in exhibits and demonstrations. Besides these trips, boys and girls will be awarded premiums amounting to more than $900. Ten clubs will be making booths showing local club achievements. The winning club will send their booth to the State Fair
•C. P. Pettit is having his elevator in Verndale resided, repainted, etc. Henry Seal, “Chuck” Pettit and Joe Webber are doing the work, with Henry and Chuck doing the precarious work of standing and working on the high scaffolds.
• Gordon Blume, rural route two carrier out of the Verndale Office, was elected treasurer of the Minnesota Rural Letter Carriers at their state meeting held in Minneapolis last Friday and Saturday.
40 Years Ago, July 22, 1982
•Kathy Techam, head girl’s track coach at Verndale High School, has been named Region 6A Track Coach of the Year for 1982. Her fellow coaches voted to bestow this honor upon her for the third successive year. Techam was also selected by her fellow coaches as District 24 Coach of the Year in 1980, 1981 and 1982. Techam has led her teams to some impressive strings of victories. The Verndale girl’s track team has won the Park Region Conference Championship six years in a row, starting in 1976.
•It was difficult for Bud Brinkman to watch his barn that he had built with his own hands three years ago, go up in flames. It had been constructed to replace one similarly destroyed at that time. Bud was mowing the lawn last Saturday afternoon when his grandchildren, playing in the yard, saw the smoke and flames rising from the barn. There was no time to rescue the two two-month-old calves, a bull and a heifer, trapped inside. Also lost in the fire was a flare wagon, a 50 gallon bulk milk tank, milking equipment and 500 bales of first cutting hay. At 66, he does not plan to rebuild the barn and will sell his remaining cows.
•Practices for the 72 players on the Metro and Out-State All-Star Football teams will begin Thursday, July 22 at Macalester College and continue through Friday, July 30. Todd Pilgrim of the Verndale Pirates is one of the Out-State team members and will be playing in the All-Star football game on Saturday, July 31 at Parade Stadium in Minneapolis. Todd is a 5’9”, 150 lb. Verndale High School graduate.
15 Years Ago, July 18, 2007
•Once upon a time, Judy Ryan and Bob Schultz were young, then married and now “mature” enough to be the 2007 Senior Citizens King and Queen. Bob was born in Watkins and came to Verndale and taught math and driver’s ed until 1992. Judy was born in Aldrich and retired from the U.S. Postal Service in 2001 after 30 years.
•Seventeen students from the region covered by the Verndale Sun qualified for induction into the 2006-2007 National Honor Roll. The program sets aside $25,000 to be shared among 25 of its qualifying inductees. The students making the National Honor Roll are as follows: Bertha-Hewitt, Madison Aeling, Jordan Hudalla, Amy Loberg, Courtney Olston, Kevin Voeltz and Gretta Wachlin; Verndale, Brittany Cottrell; Wadena-Deer Creek, Taylor Garcia, Shawn Nelson, Kerrie Nordstrom-Ridkey, Clinton Swisse, Jonathan Swisse, Zachary Torma; Staples-Motley, Rebekah Iverson, Kodeiy Lind and Rachel Sams; and Sebeka, Danielle Fulfs.
• The Verndale Bison improved their season record and have 9 wins and 9 losses after a 6 to 3 win over the Huntersville Horseflies on Sunday in Hubbard. Verndale finished the season 8-8 in the Lake and Pine League. Bison Manager Matt Callahan started Ryan Greenwood on the mound. He has been out the last two weeks with a shoulder injury. He responded well pitching 7 solid innings with good velocity to get the win.