Dusting off the Archives
News from Verndale's Past
75 Years Ago, October 3, 1946
• Due to the fact Mr. Owen Barnhart is quitting the sale of raw milk and cream, effective next Monday, October 7, Mr. Barnhart has made arrangements with Clarence Horn of the Verndale Food Market to deliver pasteurized milk and cream from their refrigeration plant. House to house deliveries will be made of pasteurized milk and cream every morning of the week except Sunday by Mr. Barnhart beginning October 7. The Verndale Food Market and Owen Barnhart will be distributers in Verndale for the Monarch pasteurized milk and cream from Wadena.
• Ed Orr reported the sale of Frank Sommar’s 120-acre farm in Bartlett Township to Mr. and Mrs. C.T. Olson of Goodrich, North Dakota. Mr. and Mrs. Olson and their two daughters, who will attend high school in Verndale, expect to move here about November 1. Mr. and Mrs. John Lambert are now living on the Sommar’s farm.
• Larry James Attleson, the four-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Attleson of Verndale, had a narrow escape from serious injury on Sunday night when he fell from the back seat of the car near the Ernie Piere farm south of Verndale. The car door came open by itself and little Larry fell out. He was rushed to a physician at once, and fortunately, no bones were found broken. Larry’s only remark following the accident was, “I was afraid daddy wasn’t going to stop.”
40 Years Ago, October 8, 1981
• Jim Pierce, president of Verndale Custom Homes, announced their company’s national sales office will be located in Staples and will result in 12 new jobs when the company reaches full production. In a meeting with Richard Donat, president of the Staples Development Corporation, he explained details of their emphasis on dealer service, marketing, and sales agreement involving Tony Walthall of the Walthall and Associates firm located in Staples.
• Mildred Schuft, the first volunteer signed up in Wadena County when the RSVP program was first introduced in July 1974, was congratulated by Phyllis Romann after being awarded a pin and certificate in recognition for her service to others. She was one of 44 Verndale seniors receiving the awards last week on Thursday at the Senior Citizen Center.
• Tied for first place honors in Friday’s homecoming parade were the floats entered by eighth and tenth graders. “Roll ‘em away” featuring a bed was the eighth graders’ entry while the tenth graders’ entry said, “Let’s Winnie-Pooh on the Trojans.”
15 Years Ago, October 5, 2006
• The Minnesota DNR sponsored “Conservation Days” on September 26-27 at the Old Wadena campsite, north of Staples. Area schools attended and participated in the event. There were seven learning stations where students got hands-on experience. The stations included: nature, soils, wildlife, forestry, water, ‘Babou’ Voyager and the history of Old Wadena. Dick Oehlnschlager from the Science Museum of Minnesota described different types of leaves, mushrooms, berries and how to spot dangerous plants. Fifth-grade students from Verndale spent an eventful day at Old Wadena.
• The Verndale Liquor Store has been struggling to make ends meet for the past several years. Expenses have exceeded the income with the result that the store had run in the red the past three years. Minnesota State Statute allows cities to operate liquor stores only if the stores show a profit. Auditor Keith Porter conducted the required audits for the city of Verndale and discussed the situation with the council. The store must begin to operate in the black or it will have to be closed.
• Verndale had a very rough weekend, losing all three matches they played. In match one, New York Mills defeated Verndale 20-25, 18-25. Match two saw Verndale lose two close games to Ashby 24-26, 21-25. Upsala also defeated Verndale 12-25, 15-25.