Dusting off the Archives
News from Verndale's Past
75 Years Ago, September 16, 1948
• Happy, a little black Scottie dog, a playmate of all the children in Verndale, is not happy when school is in session. He sprawls out on the front step with such a sad face with almost tears in his eyes until children come bouncing out of the building. Then that half moon tail curls and wags gaily, and Happy is happy again.
• Elizabeth Pierce, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Pierce of Verndale, was awarded a $100 scholarship for her 4-H work to assist her when attending the College of Agriculture this fall. Elizabeth has been a member of the Oakdale 4-H Club for eight years and has been an outstanding 4-H club member, particularly with her dairy project work. It is on the basis of her livestock project work, that she was awarded the McKerrow Scholarship under the auspices of the Minnesota Livestock Breeder’s Association.
• Verndale’s city water tower is now up and all painted a silver color with “Verndale” painted in black on the east and west side. Tuesday evening of this week, the Verndale fire truck was used to boost water up into the tank from the fire hall motor pump to run a test for leakage in the tank. Next Monday, the crew will install the pump and connect it to the water system and it is expected to all be in working order.
• Bob Sommars, a young Aldrich farmer, was injured in an unusual accident late Saturday afternoon when he jumped from a load of fodder corn onto a pitchfork forcing the handle into his abdomen. A group of neighbors were filling silo at the home of his father, A.J., just north of Aldrich. Some of the men had gone into supper when the carrier became plugged. Bob had just driven up with a load of corn and seeing the trouble there he threw his fork to the ground and jumped off the rack to help clean out the machine. The fork remained standing upright in the ground where Bob landed on it with such a force that the handle was many inches through his body. He had to be pulled off by the other men. Clarence Weller immediately took him to the Wadena Hospital.
40 Years Ago, September 14, 1983
• Verndale’s new housing unit, Village Green, was completed in June and is now filled to capacity. It includes nine single bedroom units, a laundry and large community room. All apartments have the same layout for rooms, but each is unique in that it holds the treasures and reflects the tastes of each resident. It is located on the corner of Clark Drive and Thompson Street on the west side of Verndale.
• A new seasonal business opened last week in Verndale, Bub’s Mini Golf, which is located on Fantasy Island at Verndale’s Mobile Home Park. A picturesque bridge joins it to the mainland. Consisting of nine holes, Owner Bob Reul plans to eventually extend it to an 18-hole course. Presently, it’s open evenings, and Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
• Chicken, especially when barbecued over charcoal, is the favorite of both young and old alike. Jayson and Janice Steinkopf, and Amanda and Rayn Rinck were among those patronizing the Legion and Auxiliary dinner on Sunday. After temperatures in the 90s last week, the cooler temps were welcome this week, although it called for jackets, because our bodies were not being attuned to the sudden change.
• On Sunday, Mr. and Mrs. Don Schimpp entertained for dinner and afternoon lunch, her parents, the Carl Nygrens of rural Wadena, and their son-in-law and daughter, Bob and Eleanor Kirkwald of Anoka, and Carl’s brother, Arnold Nygren of Brainerd. The Schimpps’ guests also accompanied them to morning church service at the Covenant Church, which is nearing completion.