Dusting off the Archives
News from Verndale's Past
75 Years Ago, February 14, 1946
•Two farms in the community were sold this past week. Don Dickinson reported the sale of a 150-acre farm three miles east of Verndale sold to Mr. and Mrs. Nels Lindstrand of Minneapolis, a young couple with two children. On Tuesday, Ed Orr reported the sale of Frank Anderson’s eight-acre farm, located three and one-half miles southwest of Verndale, to Ed Greenwaldt, formerly of this community, but of late from Wheaton.
•Mr. and Mrs. John Schluttner lost their house to a fire on their farm about four and one-half miles northeast of Verndale on Monday morning. The fire, which was located somewhere along the chimney, was noticed just before noon. Neighbors quickly responded to the call, saving nearly all of the furniture except the washing machine. But with no available aid from a fire department, the house quickly burned to the ground.
•Lt. Robert King landed in Seattle from India, on the Marine Fox, on Monday afternoon. That night at 12:50, he called his folks, Mr. and Mrs. Fred King, to say he would soon be in Verndale. The Marine Wolf landed the latter part of last week at Seattle and Sgt. Wayne Conley and Cpl. Mike Beaver, who have been stationed in India, were on the ship and will soon be home.
40 Years Ago, February 12, 1981
•Verndale was well represented at the January meeting of the Community Concern for Youth board meeting held at Staples on January 14. It was the first month that this area became an active participant in the program. It is being sponsored by the city and the school along with support from state funds. Those attending were Jennifer Anderson, student; Reverend Bryce Ray, School Board Member Russ Birch, Principal James Madsen, Faculty Member Roger Olson and Police Chief Cedric Haugen.
•What to cut and what not to cut was the big question at the special meeting of the Verndale School Board last Wednesday evening. In addition to board members, nine faculty members and eighteen students and parents were also in attendance to offer suggestions or ask questions of the board in its efforts to prune programs, primarily due to the $60,000 reduced revenue from the state as a result of Governor Quie’s mandate that the state lives within its budget.
•The Pirates wrestling squad, having a tough time of it, lost on Tuesday at home against the Trojans of Sebeka, 52-18. Pirates' losses were by pins, two major decisions, and two forfeits. Three Pirates who won with pins were: Joe Eickhoff, Mike Wutzke, and Rusty Baker.
15 Years Ago, February 16, 2006
•At the Verndale City Council meeting on February 6, the council received and accepted the resignation of Police Chief Jon Cline effective February 15. Cline has accepted a full-time position with the Aitkin County Sheriff’s Department. Mike Helle will serve as interim police chief.
•Daniel Stillwell, a 2005 home school graduate and Eagle Scout from Verndale, enlisted in the U.S. Navy in May 2005. He entered basic training in August and graduated on October 21 at Great Lakes Recruit Training Base in Waukegan, Illinois. Daniel is currently in school in Pensacola, Florida training to become a Cryptologic Technician.
•The Lady Pirates defeated the Pillager Huskies in a Park Region Conference game. With a little over three minutes left in the first half, the score was tied up at 16-16. After a time-out, the girls came back to the floor, 23 points were on the scoreboard at the end of the half for the Pirates. Three ladies scored double digits: Cayla Collison led with 19, Kelly Stave added 13, and Hillary Kern, 11. The final score was 61-36.