Dusting off the Archives
News from Verndale's Past
75 Years Ago, April 1, 1948
• You’ve all heard of many freak and unusual accidents, but we believe the one that happened to one of our community’s farmers last Saturday afternoon would take all prizes. Cliff Horn was helping his neighbor, Harlan Conley, butcher a hog last Saturday afternoon. Cliff went through the usual procedure of sticking the hog in proper fashion, but then slipped and in grabbing the hog somehow to regain his balance, his hand went into the hog’s mouth, and as a result, Cliff is minus about half of the ring finger on his left hand. The butchering was stopped temporarily while Cliff was rushed to a doctor, and Everett Davis was called from town to come finish the butchering job. It may sound humorous to us and you, but to Cliff, we know, it’s anything but funny.
• The Redeemer Lutheran Church of Verndale will host their groundbreaking services on Sunday, April 4, at 3 p.m. at their church grounds in back of the Herman Rach Sr. home. The public is invited. There will be no forenoon services at the theater.
• Wm. J. Desrocher had workmen begin installation of a new modern front on his restaurant building in Verndale this week. The new front will be of brick and all metal window casings. Mr. Daniels and his helpers from Bertha are doing the work.
• Having decided to quit farming, John (Jack) Pratt is having an auction on his farm located three miles north, five miles east, one mile north and a fourth mile east of Verndale next Tuesday, April 6. The sale starts at noon, and the Central Ladies Aid will serve lunch. For further particulars and a complete listing turn to another page in this issue.
40 Years Ago, April 7, 1983
• Dick Braun, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Transportation, told members of the Highway 10 Development Commission that he could not promise anything in the way of highway construction in the very near future, and went on to explain why and what has been transpiring since the last meeting in 1978.
• The Wadena County Sheriff’s Department reported that at approximately 1:15 p.m. on Friday, April 1, a rural Verndale man, Orval Keith “Mike” Snyder, was found dead at his farm, a victim of an apparent accidental gunshot wound. Snyder, 63, was found by his wife in a field adjacent to a livestock enclosure that contained hogs, belonging to his son. They reported Snyder had seen a fox bothering the hogs and left the house with a shotgun to investigate at approximately 10:30 a.m. While walking in the area, Snyder apparently tripped on some rough ground and fell, and the gun discharged, fatally injuring Snyder.
• Pictured is a small portion of the crowd that awaited the starting signal to begin the Easter Egg Hunt, sponsored by the Booster Club last Saturday morning. Kids up to and including 10 years old were on hand to hunt for the hidden candy and eggs. Winners of the chocolate Easter bunnies were: Mitch Carr, Nathan Nuerburg and Joan Goble. Barb Schwartz, Booster Club chairperson, along with Sharon Bain, made the presentation of prizes. Easter egg coloring contest winners were: Jessica Miller, Shelly Otto and Jennifer Miller. Each received a silver dollar.
• Mrs. Jim Anderson spent Easter weekend with Mr. and Mrs. Chuck Anderson and family in The Cities. Jim and Lorraine Anderson were Friday evening coffee guests at her mother Mable Sellnow’s in Hewitt.