He visited classes at Houston School to talk about the Battle of Gettysburg. He was knowledgeable because he had been there, in uniform, as a combatant. Born in Dedham, Mass., in 1838, Samuel Bates McIntire (sometimes spelled McIntyre) moved as a young man with his parents, Edmund and Sarah McIntire, to Minnesota territory in the early- to mid-1850s. First settling in Yucatan … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – Who’s Watching?
By Pastor Paul Hauschild Chatfield and Root Prairie Lutheran Churches The 1964 Philadelphia Phillies will always be known as the team that suffered one of the greatest collapses in sports history. They let a huge division lead slip away by losing 10 games in a row at the end of the season. Despite the collapse, the Phillies’ season had its share of memorable moments, … [Read more...]
Halloween is a Sugar-Coated Day Until You Lose a Nostril
I remember the scariest Halloween of my life. I worked the late shift at a gas station. Besides pumping gas, my job was to check the oil, check the radiator, determine if the tires had a sufficient amount of air, wash the windshield, windows and mirrors, check the lights, give directions, offer a free road map, tell a joke, collect the money and do it all cheerfully. I also … [Read more...]
I Walked 10,000 Steps and Now I’m Stranded 10,000 Steps From Home
The “normal” ship has sailed and it didn’t have many passengers. I wasn’t on board. Our habits keep us from boarding that ship. We have the bad habit of having bad habits. Bad habits keep us standing on the dock and are hard to give up because nobody likes a quitter. It’s the Minnesota way to conquer bad habits by replacing them with good habits. I tend to my good behaviors. … [Read more...]
Your Flying Farmer: Welcome to the Internship!
Welcome to the Internship! A couple of days ago the weather was so perfect I almost couldn’t help but run into the sky from my front yard. The hot air balloons were up and slowly descending into the fields all around us. Their enormous size and slow motion movements make them seem otherworldly. The draw was all but irresistible and I ran into the sky to join the dance. It … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past: Lonely and Secluded, but Crowded and Cramped
The wayside tavern/hotel was so small, it was nicknamed the “Seven by Nine.” It was often so crowded that the innkeeper and his wife slept in their chairs while renting out their own bed. About six miles west of Brownsville, on the old Brownsville-to-Caledonia portion of the Territorial Road in Union Township, Houston County, it was a welcome stopover in the 1850s for weary … [Read more...]
Autumn Beauty Reveals the Glory of God
By Pastor Mark Woodward Maple Leaf Parish Churches: Spring Valley: Faith, Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston (and Lenora) One evening toward the end of the day, I saw a glorious sight as the final rays of sunlight were shining across the valley and giving radiant beams of light to bright red and orange trees in the distance. The blue sky, dark pines and glowing colors of red … [Read more...]
Why Spring Grove Schools Should Invest in Air Conditioning
By Addison Kessler The Spring Grove Schools should invest in air conditioning because, even though it is getting colder out, it will last the school for 10 to 15 years. This topic has been brought up many times when talking about what to do with the extra money that the school acquires. Air conditioning is important during the warmer months because it will keep the students … [Read more...]
It’s Lutefisk and Lefse, Ya Sure, You Betcha!
The day had been nearly copacetic. I walked indoors in a shopping mall because of the wet weather outdoors. Bob Dylan had predicted it when he wrote, “And it’s a hard, and it’s a hard, it’s a hard, it’s a hard. And it’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall.” I like Dylan, but sometimes his needle becomes stuck. He’s a songwriter/singer and a crack meteorologist. He not only predicted … [Read more...]
A Goodly Heritage: One Job Done for the Year
One Job Done for the Year Our old rooster is resting warmly in my kettle. Today has been a big day for us all. At the farm, there are three big days out of the year which our children and grandchildren come from their homes to help with butchering our roosters. In exchange for their work, they receive some of the tasty meat for their freezers. There is a good deal of … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotion – Father John Dyer, an Amazing Pioneer Circuit Rider
By Pastor Mark Woodward Maple Leaf Parish Churches: Spring Valley: Faith, Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston (and Lenora) One of my hobbies involves history. In this article, I’d like to lift up an inspiring Methodist Circuit Rider by the name of John Lewis Dyer. Rev. Dyer was affectionately called Father Dyer by those who knew him. He was a determined evangelist, deeply … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past: Flour, Fruit, Fabric and Lots of Stockings
Part three of a series During the Great Depression decade of the 1930s, families were often large while money and employment were scarce. The United States government purchased relief food, clothing and supplies and gave it to the Red Cross for distribution to those in need. Flour was the primary food staple with other foodstuff added when possible. The distribution center … [Read more...]
Find a Glove Each Year for 100 Years and You’ll Live 100 Years
I find things. Sometimes I find things funny. I can’t find things, too. I couldn’t find my camouflage socks. Sometimes I find things I can’t find funny. I found a glove the other day. I’m keeping it in case I find one for the other hand. My mother bought mittens for me and put them directly into my grade school’s lost and found shelf. Family legend said it was a rare … [Read more...]
Fresh off the Farm: Looking For a Fall Treat That’s Good For You? Here It Is!
My kids got bit by the hot cocoa bug this week. Somehow, when the weather changes, it takes our diet with it. Does it change yours? My menu shifts completely from summer cookouts to soups and roasts. It doesn’t matter the season, I know giving my kids a cup with 1,000 grams of refined sugar in it isn’t the best idea. So, I cringe a little when they ask for hot … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past: Congress Held Her Responsible in Houston County – Part two of a series
Part two of a series It was September 1932 when Mathilda (Mrs. Knute) Lee of Spring Grove traveled by bus to Rochester to meet with Minnesota congressman Paul Quale from Benson, the top regional official of the Red Cross, C. M. Roland, that organization’s Assistant National Director of Disaster Relief, Henry Baker, and other volunteers from other Minnesota counties. Her paid … [Read more...]
