Dusting Off The Archives
75 Years Ago, January 18, 1945
• S/Sgt. Eugene B. Folgelstron, son of Mr. and Mrs. J.B. Fogelstron of Thomastown Township, has been a prisoner of war since last August. Eugene is in a German prison camp at Stalag Leuft No. 4, Germany. His folks are writing him regularly, but as yet have not heard from him.
• Sgt. Robert E. Anderson, United States Army Paratrooper wrote home to his mother, Mrs. Florence Anderson, this week that he had been wounded in Belgium on December 23 in the big German counter-attack. Bob wrote his letter from a hospital in England, stating that he was wounded and had a chicken dinner in the hospital on Christmas Day.
• The January meeting of the Verndale Goal Diggers 4-H Club was called to order by President Roger Conley at the C. Anderson home. New and old business was discussed, one subject being a sleigh ride party, the member being Merlyne Ann Aldrich, Joan Weber, Roland Anderson and Alan Dalen.
40 Years Ago, January 17, 1980
• Eugene Erckenbrack was released Sunday from Tri-County Hospital in Wadena where he had received treatment for a cut arm, frostbite and shock after the loss of his wife, Darlene, 35, and five of their children in a fire which destroyed their one and a half story home early Saturday morning. The bodies of Mrs. Erckenbrack and their children Paul, 17, Eugene Jr. ,15, Dawn, 14, Stephen, 13, and Brian, 11, were taken from the still smoldering embers Saturday in what Harold Tritsch, Hewitt’s Fire Chief, said was the worst fire in the town’s history.
• Over a dozen from the Verndale area braved icy roads last week to attend the meeting at Staples and hear the views of those involved with the proposed routing of an updated Highway 10, which presently passes through the city of Verndale. According to John Rolfe, district preliminary design engineer of Detroit Lakes, it was felt “the hearing went very well.” He added that those in attendance weren’t too happy with the by-pass around the city, so they will have to take another good look at upgrading the route through town.
• New officers installed last week at the Senior Citizens Club meeting were Loreda Hines, president; first vice president, Stan Miller; Evelyn Halverson, secretary and Olive Ernster, treasurer.
15 Years Ago, January 20, 2005
• Police Chief Nate Selander keeps track of 20 different kinds of police calls that occur in Verndale. In 2004, the total number of calls increased over 2003. In the 20 kinds of calls, nine increased, 10 decreased and one was unchanged. Increases were seen in traffic stops, tickets issued, arrests, animal complaints, dogs impounded, assaults and other domestic problems, theft, miscellaneous public complaints and suspicious persons or vehicles.
• A community meeting was held on January 10 at the Verndale Community Center. Sixteen dedicated individuals met with Charles Marohn to further develop, discuss, and refine the details for Verndale’s Comprehensive Plan. The issues seen as the most important to people were economic development, transportation, population growth, housing and public facilities and land use/zoning.
• Nathan Roth of Wadena County attended the American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting held in Charlotte, North Carolina January 9-12. Nathan serves as the Young Farmers and Ranchers representative on the Minnesota Farm Bureau Board of Directors.