Looking Back - 1961: 'Twin twirler' is honored

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One year ago

Justin Ostrem, Worthington, earned the Eagle Scout award. Ostrem had been part of the Boy Scout organization for 11 years.

A 64-year-old Kenneth man who apparently slid into the ditch due to icy road conditions was found frozen to death outside his vehicle shortly before noon Tuesday.

Six southwest Minnesota counties started — and finished on the same day — their required recounts for the still-unresolved Minnesota governor’s race. Vote totals in Rock, Nobles, Jackson and Cottonwood counties remained essentially the same as they had been following the initial tally.

Gold’n Plump added 35 jobs and created a second shift at its Luverne facility to accommodate a 50 percent production increase.

Politician/author/reality show star Sarah Palin stopped at the Spirit Lake, Iowa, Wal-Mart as part of her book tour.

A trio of community fire chiefs appeared before the Nobles County commissioners in an effort to get the county to reconsider its decision to cut the emergency management director position from full-time to three-fifths time as of Jan. 1.

Five years ago

The ninth annual Christmas with the Albs and Friends concert, a fundraiser for Worthington’s Community Christmas baskets program, took place at First United Methodist Church.

Kum & Go — one of three gas stations in Adrian — officially opened for business recently.

Freezing rain, fog and icy roads in the area resulted in multiple accidents, including the death of two young people in two separate accidents on Monday.

Worthington High School thespians performed “A Christmas Carol” this week at Memorial Auditorium.

High corn prices — over $3 per bushel — were a boon for corn growers but a worry for livestock producers in the area.

A large crowd was on hand for an auction of many items from Worthington’s Long Branch Saloon, owned for 27 years by Bob Henderson. Henderson was selling the business.

10 years ago

The first winter storm of the season hit the region, turning highways into layers of ice and snow and closing schools in more than two dozen southwest Minnesota districts, including District 518. Six to 12 inches of snow fell in the area, with power outages (in Fulda, Kenneth, Lismore, Reading, Wilmont and Worthington) and glare-ice roads resulting in two days of closed schools.

A late-night apartment fire at 1120 Fourth Ave., Worthington, left several people homeless. Two men in the building suffered minor injuries as they escaped the fire, but fortunately no fatalities or serious injuries occurred.

A grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation brought $24,000 worth of computers, software and employee training to the Nobles County library.

Thirty Christmas trees were on display, as part of the seventh annual Festival of Trees, at Luverne’s Winterfest in the Carnegie Cultural Center.

25 years ago

Sound equipment worth $2,500 was stolen from Worthington’s Memorial Auditorium.

Dr. Eldon Morey was the guest speaker at an event attended by about 40 farmers and farm wives at Windom’s American Legion Hall. The seminar’s topic was “Farm and Family: Alternatives for Keeping It Together.”

Featured recipes in Dorthy Rickers’ “Mixing and Musing” column this week included Christmas Fruit Cake, 24-Hour Cranberry Salad, Frozen Cranberry Almond Salad and Cranberry Apple Crunch.

About 100 people formed a human chain across Lakefield’s main street to move about 1,000 books from the city’s old library to its new one — a distance of about two blocks. Many of the participants were local fifth- and sixth-graders and high school students.

Deb Zabloudil was named Outstanding Woman of the Year for Worthington by the Worthington Women of Today. Zabloudil was the Big Brother/Big Sister coordinator for the YMCA and was also an advocate for Women Against Violence.

50 years ago

Mrs. Allan Espeset, Rushmore, of the Central Hustlers 4-H club, received the gold clover for 10 years of adult leadership at the 1961 4-H Leaders Banquet hosted at Brewster.

“Trim twirler” Judy Cerwick, a Worthington High School senior and drum majorette with the school’s marching band, was the November choice for the Girl of the Month title, announced Elsie Johnson, spokesman for the Career Advancement Committee of the Worthington Business and Professional Women’s Club. Cerwick also played French horn in the band, sang alto in the choir, and was active at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church.

“Sinner,” the black cocker spaniel belonging to the Eugene Wing family, was unhurt despite remaining in their house at 1126 Elmwood St., Worthington, when a fire broke out after a pan of giblets being cooked for Sunday dinner boiled over and flared up. The fire charred the kitchen and dining room, scorched the living room and a hallway and caused heavy smoke damage throughout the house.

Three of last year’s winners in the regional “Make It Yourself with Wool” contest repeated as champions when the 1961 contest took place at the Nobles County courthouse. Repeating from last year were Karen Colwell, Magnolia; Erna Barstad, Slayton; and Mrs. Wallace Wickman, Balaton. Newcomer Alice Sydnes, Jackson, was also among the winners this year.

75 years ago

A fire that broke out in the Peter Wiese home, seven miles northeast of Round Lake, was extinguished Sunday by the Round Lake fire department. The Wiese family was away from home when the fire started, and although the building was badly damaged, the house and much of the furniture was saved.

The Worthington Creamery & Produce company, with founder and owner E. O. Olson at its helm, was preparing to celebrate its 25th anniversary on Dec. 16.

The State Theater in Worthington was showing “The Dionne Quintuplets in their new feature length hit ‘Reunion’ with a great supporting cast.” Coming soon was Irene Dunne in “Theodora Goes Wild.”

Negotiations were under way in Adrian for the sale of the long-unused Standard Oil station on Main Street, with a representative from the Mankato branch headquarters present. The building had been used recently by the Adrian creamery as an uptown cream station.

Tags: looking back, lifestyle, columns, reminiscing