Looking Back: 1987 - Durenberger to speak at Turkey Day

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One year ago

Each of the more than 1,000 students at Prairie Elementary used their thumbprints to create feathers on a giant turkey that was to be used as part of the District 518 float in the King Turkey Day parade.

Carole Weise, Worthington, located the King Turkey Day medallion on a dock at Olson Park. She received $100 for her efforts.

At the annual King Turkey Day mixer, Milt Jorgensen was named Parade Marshal and Rich Pederson was named Honorary Turkey.

Marshall hosted the largest event in southwest Minnesota commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks at the town’s memorial park. Two F16 fighter planes flying over the park signaled the ceremony’s start, and State fire Marshal Jerry Rosendahl spoke.

The Worthington City Council approved a proposed city levy of $3,085,427 that reflected an increase of 11.9 percent from the 2011 fiscal year.

Five years ago

The Lake Wilson Area Military Memorial was dedicated.

Cuz I Can Tattoos opened its doors within Deb’s Healing Massage and Day Spa on Worthington’s Oxford Street, with tattoo artist Erick Matias.

Members of the King Turkey Day race team —Larry Iten, Cindy DeGroot, Chad Cummings and Matt Widboom —were among those attending the premiere of “Ruby’s Town,” a film by Cuero, Texas, resident Erik McCowan about Worthington’s and Cuero’s turkey traditions and rivalry.

A groundbreaking ceremony took place on a $7 million renovation and addition to Osceola Community Hospital, Sibley, Iowa.

Gary Hoffman was named the 2007 Honorary Turkey at the King Turkey Day mixer at Worthington’s Pioneer Village.

The Langerud brothers —Max, 7, and Gage, 9 —located the hidden King Turkey Day medallion at Trojan Field.

10 years ago

Hot weather and cool cars brought out many spectators to the 13th annual King Turkey Day car show in Centennial Park, sponsored by the Southwest Street Rodders.

The King Turkey Day board of directors decided to forego a featured speaker for 2002 after a controversy developed over the initial speaker choice —an incumbent member of the U.S. House of Representatives who was seeking re-election in November.

Jon Benson, Worthington, was named the 2002 Honorary Turkey at the annual King Turkey Day mixer. Meanwhile, Rich Pederson, a past King Turkey Day race team and board member, was named the 2002 King Turkey Day Parade Marshal. Pederson received word of his selection on his 60th birthday.

Al Thiner, Worthington, found the King Turkey Day medallion at the Centennial Park shelter house on Wednesday.

25 years ago

Tim Magee, finance director for the city of Worthington, submitted a resignation to the city council this week. Magee accepted a similar position in Great Falls, Mont. Magee had worked for the city of Worthington since April 11, 1983.

More than 100 people packed the Lakefield VFW Club to plan action against the proposed location of a hazardous waste facility in Jackson County. “We don’t think that rural America is in that bad of shape that we have to turn it into a garbage dump,” said meeting co-chair Rosemary Hunt of Jackson. “We’re offended because the Jackson County commissioners thought of even bringing it here at all.”

U.S. Senator Dave Durenberger was announced as the featured speaker for the 47th annual Turkey Day festivities.

Charles Beronius and Joe Schularick were recently named interim pastors at American Lutheran Church in Worthington. The Rev. C.J. Fellger retired in August.

The Fulda Area Credit Union quietly marked its one-year anniversary. The credit union was the first direct response to the national farm credit crisis, making money available to qualified farmers who could not get money from other financial institutions.

The 1987 King Turkey Day race team members were announced: Darlene Lyon, Claire Gerber, Tom Koppy and Dave Carlson.

50 years ago

Carl Johnson was the new head coach of the Lakefield Panther football teams. Johnson had played professional football.

Crews were at work this week putting in place the “novel roof” of the new First Methodist Church that was under construction at the corner of Fourth Avenue and 11th Street, Worthington. The sturdy, semi-circular laminated plywood roof vaults rested on the great laminated arches already erected. After the vaults were in place, they were to be covered with built-up roofing material and white quartzite chips.

Nine former Miss Worthington winners were to be on hand for the 10th anniversary of the Miss Worthington Pageant. They were Rhonna (Hower) Koepsell, Audrey (Kramer) Buysse, Shirley (Fischer) Kulp, Sandra (Shapiro) Campbell, Shirley (Nelson) Davis, Arlene (Schoone) Patzwald, Marilyn (Reusch) Pilgrim, Sherri McKinley and Paula Anderson.

In two separate incidents Monday night and early Tuesday, livestock trucks were fired upon with .22 calibre rifle bullets as they made their trips to and from the Sioux City livestock market. Three suspects in connection with one of the incidents were picked up near Fulda. The shots were fired north of Fulda.

A 16-year-old Leota boy shot at his history teacher with a .22 calibre pistol in the high school at Edgerton Tuesday morning. The shot missed the teacher and the youth was persuaded to surrender himself a short time later.

75 years ago

While enrollments were expected to continue to trickle in throughout the coming week, enrollment at Worthington’s junior college was set at 63 students, of which 46 were for the first year’s class. Ten or 15 additional registrations could be expected, said R. I. Meland, assistant dean.

Playing this week at the State Theatre, Worthington, was “Souls at Sea” starring Gary Cooper and George Raft.

Kathryn Hansberger, Kathryn Johnson and Kenneth Gaiser attained the highest state honors in poultry judging, winning a trip to the national 4-H congress in November. Announcement of the feat by the Nobles County youngsters was made by T. A. Erickson, state club leader. In outdistancing all competition, the Nobles team scored a total of 3,783 out of a possible 3,000 points.

Druggists from the four extreme southwestern counties of the state met in Worthington in a district meeting of the Minnesota Pharmaceutical Association, hosted for the purpose of making the acquaintance of Jess Slocum, St. Paul, state president. The gathering took place in the Empire room of the Thompson Hotel.

Graveling of the Diagonal Road from Worthington to Wilmont was completed at 6 a.m. Saturday.

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