Dusting Off the Archives

News from Verndale's Past

40 Years Ago, June 18, 1986

• Superintendent James Madsen accepted a check for $200 from Masons Louie Youngberg Sr., Warden and Charlie Miller, Lodge Master, to help cover the cost of purchasing 52 ash and black spruce trees providing a windbreak around the west and north sides of the athletic field. Members of the FFA did the preparation and planted the trees.

• Bound for Hewitt was this house that once belonged to the railroad. It was located in Verndale where J& D Welding and Machine Shop is now located, adjacent to the south side of the tracks on Brown Street. Wally Gronlund, who bought it in 1960 and had it moved about two miles north of Verndale, says he’s seen pictures of it when the trees in the park were really small, so he believes it was built in the early 1900s. Purchasing the home were Mr. and Mrs. Bill Clausen of Hewitt. She’s a former Verndalite, the daughter of Harold Koth. Carroll Dockham said there was a lump in her throat as her home of the past ten years was being hauled away.

• Police are investigating an act of vandalism which occurred Wednesday afternoon at G & L Service in Verndale. Sometime during the afternoon, vandals removed parts from the restroom sink without knowledge of station attendants. Police were called to investigate and found the parts in a garbage can.

• A large crowd was on hand for the bi-annual Lions Club chicken dinner held this year in the new Lions Community Center. Luckily, it was scheduled there this year for it rained a good share of the day on Sunday making it miserable for any outdoor activities. Serving up food were Lionesses Linda Tarrell, Florence Bounds, Shirley Anderson, and Phyllis Fisher, along with Lions Jim Pierce and Jim Winkles.

15 Years Ago, June 9, 2011

• After 31 years of teaching choir, Debra Haraldson is retiring from the Verndale School. She has taught three years in Fargo, North Dakota, five years in Middle River, nine years at Eagle Valley and fourteen years at Verndale. Originally, Haraldson wanted to become a music teacher because of the encouragement from her music teacher where she attended school, whom she admired.

• Meghan Sly, who will be a senior at the Verndale School this fall, has joined the staff at the Verndale Sun for the summer as an intern. Sly likes writing stories, drawing and playing adventure type video games. During the school year she is involved in band, choir and drama.

• The Pirates softball team traveled to Ashby to take on Brandon-Evansville for the first round of playoffs on Tuesday, May 24. The game was well played by both teams as the Chargers took an early lead with a run in the top of the first inning. The Pirates answered back with a run of their own on a Teresa Moenkedick single, Elizabeth Johnson sacrifice bunt and a Kristin Korfe double.

• The general contractor for Verndale’s estimated $419,000 sewer improvement, Year 2 project, Larson Excavating Contractors, Inc., of Holdingford, has moved its large equipment into town. Verndale Maintenance Supervisor Jim Bergquist announced they started de-watering. Bergquist said work is beginning in the alleys. The project, part of a larger, five year water and sewer infrastructure improvement project, includes replacement of a portion of existing sewer line on Fifth Avenue South between Brown Street and Farwell Street and on alley 2 and 3 between First Avenue South and Third Avenue South.

Subscribe to get more of your current news!