Looking Back: 1962 - S.L. Held takes over as school superintendent

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One year ago

For the second straight year, the United Way of Nobles County met its annual goal — $140,000 for the 2010-11 campaign, which kicked off the previous Sept. 15. The anticipated 2011-12 campaign goal was $150,000.

Authorities were asking for the public’s help in locating a woman who had been missing from Worthington since June 27. Lucia Chilel Perez, 41, vanished under suspicious circumstances while searching for employment in northwest Iowa.

Slayton had its annual “Days of ’87” celebration, with activities including Crazy Days, musical performances, a two-day men’s softball tournament and a sand volleyball tournament for females.

Federated Rural Electric of Jackson was awarded a $740,000 loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development office to aid in the expansion of the AGCO facility in Jackson.

Temperatures in Worthington hit a high of 93 degrees Thursday, and a heat index warning was in effect, as people flocked to local beaches and pools for relief from the heat.

Fourteen Nobles County 4-Hers were hosting 12 4-H members from St. Charles County, Mo., for the weekend in an Interstate Exchange program.

Five years ago

Lloyd and Ruth Roth, both 90 and of Worthington, celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary a bit early with a family gathering — of 90 people. Their actual anniversary was Nov. 10, but the couple was thought to be the longest-married couple currently living in Worthington.

Republican U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley continued his quest to visit each Iowa county, stopping in Spirit Lake, Sibley, rural Little Rock and Sheldon this week.

Artist John Cowan of rural Reading had the winning design for Nobles County’s official seal. Cowan’s design featured lush colors, gently curving lines, windsurfers, windmills and the Nobles County Government Center.

The high rate of growing degree days this season had advanced area crops at a quicker pace than average, but rain was sorely needed to maintain the crops’ health and growth.

10 years ago

Workers continued making progress on a 67,000 square-foot warehouse unit at Bedford Industries headquarters, Worthington. The new addition was scheduled to open in September.

Audrey Reisdorfer, 72, was a finalist for Minnesota’s Outstanding Older Worker title. Reisdorfer, a registered nurse at Worthington Regional Hospital, lived in rural Adrian.

Reading residents were lacking potable water for at least four days. The Lincoln Pipestone Rural Water System was running low in its supply due to the area drought.

Minnesota West Community and Technical College was to offer an entry-level, two-credit training course for dairy technicians in both English and Spanish.

25 years ago

In a hot and crowded Luverne courtroom, Tim Connell was sworn in as a trial judge for the Fifth Judicial District Tuesday afternoon. Connell, 37, replaced Murray County Judge John D. Holt of Slayton, who reached mandatory retirement age in April. Connell had been a partner in the Luverne firm of Skewes, Klosterbuer and Connell and had served as county attorney for Rock County since 1976.

The double row of Purple Cascade Petunias that lined the driveway to the Joe and Esther Kunerth home, rural Brewster, was featured in a Daily Globe front-page photo. The colorful, flower-lined driveway had been a “tradition” for plant-lover Esther Kunerth for the last 47 years.

The local chapter of the American Cancer Society had a “very successful” Jail and Bail fundraiser, according to Tildy Moe, honorary chair for the local chapter. Approximately $11,000 was raised through the event.

Advertised specials this week at Worthington’s Hy-Vee store included 12-pound lugs of Bing cherries, $6.99; a 15-ounce can of Hunt’s Manwich sauce, 89 cents; one-gallon jugs of white vinegar, 99 cents; a 21-ounce can of Wilderness cherry pie mix, 89 cents; a 16-ounce can of Del Monte tomato sauce for 38 cents; and a half-gallon carton of Wells’ Blue Bunny sherbet for $1.10.

50 years ago

Searchers recovered the body of a 16-year-old boy of St. Charles, Iowa, from the waters of Big Spirit Lake about 7:30 a.m. The boy drowned and four companions escaped when their boat overturned and sank Sunday noon.

S. L. Held started work on Monday as superintendent of Worthington schools. Held, 43, began his career in education at Wadena in 1945.

A 10+-inch rainfall in the Spirit Lake, Iowa, area deluged the Iowa Great Lakes region and turned highways into waterways. Local officials later estimated the damage at more than $2 million. Portions of Highway 71 remained closed days later.

State Representative George Mann announced that Jackson was to get a new post office.

Thieves broke into the elevator in Currie Sunday night, prying the door off a safe and escaping with $188 in cash.

A 13-year-old Worthington boy drowned while on a family fishing outing at Round Lake. Despite efforts to revive him, the boy could not be resuscitated.

A 19-year-old Fulda youth was reported in fair condition at Worthington Municipal Hospital after the empty gravel truck he was driving collided with a semi-trailer truck loaded with frozen meat. The accident occurred six miles west of Worthington on Highway 16.

75 years ago

Fred Pursifull, who lived a short distance southwest of Worthington, returned from Sioux Falls, S.D., where a thin piece of chicken breast-bone was removed from his throat at McKennan Hospital. The foreign body was lodged so deeply in his throat that ordinary efforts to dislodge it failed. An X-ray was ordered, and the bone was approximately an inch and a half long, three-quarters of an inch wide, and irregular in shape.

Orin Hinrichs, 10, of Ellsworth, was severely bitten by a pet dog Thursday. He received three stitches in his right arm and two in one of the fingers on his right hand. Orin had been scuffling with a 9-year-old pal, who had been adopted by the dog.

A contract was awarded to Ed Olson for the construction of a new Presbyterian manse in Brewster. The residence was to be built on the lot, formerly owned by A.C. Severson, next to the church.

Vernon E. Anderson arrived last week to assume his new duties as dean of the Worthington Junior College.

Nobles County 4-H girls were to compete in Worthington for the annual home economics achievement day, to be in the domestic science department of the Worthington High School building.

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