Dusting Off the Archives
News from Verndale's Past
75 Years Ago, August 16, 1945
•The end of WWII came on Wednesday about 6 p.m. with the official announcement from President Harry S. Truman that Japan had accepted all conditions of the Postdam Declaration which was the same as the Unconditional Surrender.” In Verndale, the fire siren blew for about two minutes steady as the first public noise of joy here then the old fire bell, which as of late has been run to announce firemen’s meetings each month, was swung into action and was kept busy ringing almost steady for two more hours. Church bells, too, were tolled to ring out the acclaim of this most joyous and memorable day. Automobile horns played their part in the noise making with cars blowing their horns frequently far into the night.
•OPA Administrator Chester Bowles announced Wednesday morning the end of the gas rationing, and also the end of rationing of all canned fruits and vegetables.
•A. W. (Wally) Erickson, who resides seven miles southeast of Verndale, has set Friday, August 24, as the date for his auction sale of livestock, machinery, feed, hay, horses and some household goods. Mr. Erickson has purchased John Lindblom’s store in Parkers Prairie and will take possession there on September 4.
40 Years Ago, August 14, 1980
•A sizable number of Verndale area residents walked along Highway 10 last week on Tuesday to catch a glimpse of a Viking dragon ship enroute from Hawley to Duluth where it was to be lowered into Lake Superior on Thursday. A semi-truck bearing the vessel, escorted by highway patrolmen, stopped briefly to allow the congested traffic to pass. All that came to see the ship exclaimed at its beauty and craftsmanship. The vessel’s creator, Bob Asp, 57, a Moorhead junior high councilor, plans to sail the vessel on Lake Superior this summer.
•Despite the pouring rain last Wednesday between 6 and 6:30 p.m., nearly 200 people met at the Verndale Community Center to partake of the free picnic supper sponsored by the local camp of Royal Neighbors. Door prizes were a lady bug radio won by Dean Fisher and a car blanket won by Mike Carr of Wadena.
• An estimated crowd of over 2000 people attended the first annual England Prairie Threshing Days held at the Jim Richter Farm five miles southwest of Verndale last Saturday and Sunday. Many farmers from the area assisted with the demonstrations, such as Gilbert Wutzke and Lorenz Gades manning the grain separators and Les Bain providing a team of horses to haul bundles.
15 Years Ago, August 18, 2005
•Pastor Jill J. Holm delivered her first sermon to the Verndale Assemblies of God parish on July 17. Pastor Holm came to Verndale from Fairmont. She lived there and ministered at Granada. The Granada Church closed its doors and she waited for a church to open. Her move-in date at the parish house was July 15. Prior to moving here, she had read an article that appeared in an issue of the Senior Perspective describing the friendly town of Verndale.
•Perhaps you have seen the birdhouses for sale as you passed a certain house on Brown Street. They have been a familiar sight for many years. Perhaps you wondered who sold them? Now you have the chance to meet the builder, Bob Sommars, and learn a little about him. Bob has lived in and around Verndale for most of his life. Bob and Ceil (his wife) started out with a 700 acre farm. They sold the last 120 acres of their farm in 1986 and moved into their new Verndale Custom Homes house on Brown Street in 1989.
• On August 1, John Fink bought the tire business located one mile east of Verndale. The name of the business is now Verndale Tire and Storage. John worked at Banta Publications in Long Prairie for 16 years. He decided to become self employed.