Dusting off the Archives
News from Verndale's Past
75 Years Ago, December 27, 1945
•Mr. and Mrs. Clem Doll have sold their residence on the north side of the tracks to Wm. Kelzenberg. Kelzenberg bought it for his son, Quinten, and family, who will live there when he begins work at the creamery next month. Mr. and Mrs. Doll will move to Perham later in the month to live with Mrs. Doll’s folks who are aging and ailing.
•Sgt. Alan Kern returned Friday from Camp McCoy, Wisconsin, where he received his honorable discharge from the Army. Alan was in the Army for forty-five months, 24 being spent in the C.B.I. Theatre.
•Mr. and Mrs. Fred King received the good news last week from their son, Bob, that he has been promoted to First Lieutenant. Bob, who is serving with the Quartermaster Corp., of a truck Co. in Indiana, has four years and three months of service in the Army.
40 Years Ago, December 25, 1980
•Five students taking snowmobile safety instructions are pictured looking through literature they received and reviewed last week prior to taking the snowmobile driving tests to qualify for certification. They are Jerry Swanson, Joe Pierce, Jeff Youngauer, Chris Youngbauer, and Jerry Weber. Rodney Bounds and Roger Anderson were the volunteer instructors.
•Kids flocked around Santa Claus last Saturday afternoon after watching the Lions Club sponsored cartoons for an hour in the school auditorium. He listened to their requests for a favorite toy or two they’d like to find under the tree on Christmas morning and then gave each a bag of treats.
•The Verndale girl’s varsity basketball team was victorious at Menahga on Tuesday evening. After a well-encountered game, the Pirates came out on top 43-36. The next girl’s basketball game will be on January 8 at home against Battle Lake.
15 Years Ago, December 29, 2005
•Mrs. Hosmer’s and Mrs. Veronen’s classes were very glad to see some old friends on December 22. In early December, the classes were dismayed to discover their gingerbread men had escaped. The classes spent the month tracking the progress of the men across the United States. There were several reported sightings, but the men had been able to escape capture. The fugitives must have gotten tired of life on the road, so they decided to return home to Verndale. Teachers, staff, and students were overjoyed with their return.
•The Verndale Pirates traveled to Sebeka on Thursday night which proved to be very worthwhile. Jon Price started out the game on a great note by winning the tip and Wayne Kopp made the catch. The ball was passed to Shane Finck and the first score of the game was made.
•The county board ended the year with a six-hour meeting. There was so much county business to complete that commissioners had to stay nearly all day to do it at their final 2005 meeting held on December 22. The day included four public hearings, a bid opening, and the approval of the new Wadena County methamphetamine clean-up ordinance as well as a lot of other business.