By Pastor Mark Woodward Maple Leaf Parish of the UMC Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston, and Spring Valley: Faith Churches (and Lenora) In recent days winter has really come on with deep snow, arctic winds and subzero temperatures. I think we have all been kind of spoiled over the last few winters, with little snow and balmy weather, but this winter could be different. … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past “A Shave and a Haircut, Two Bits!” Open ’til Midnight
The well known ditty, “A shave and a haircut, two bits!” was more than an often vocalized musical phrase, dating back to a song in 1899; it was a fact of life in the 1930s, at least at the Hokah Barber Shop on Main Street in Hokah, Minnesota. “Two bits” was slang for 25 cents, which had the purchasing power then as does about $6 in 2025. Going to church on Sunday and going … [Read more...]
Two Trains Jumped the Tracks Near a Christmas Tree
By Al Batt There was no haystack to be found in those needles. I vowed not to get my tinsel in a tangle. Four of us put up a Christmas tree. Yes, it took that many. It was a small tree made heavy with angels. The angels flew onto the boughs. A couple of trains sat on tracks beneath the tree. The trains weren’t full-sized because the tree was small, but they caused me … [Read more...]
Fillmore County Flashback – Always Go Forward – Preston’s “Two-Headed” Car
By Joanne Hall Preston Historical Society In 1965, LaVern Knoepke, who worked at Jerry’s Body Shop in Preston, was approached by the Preston Booster Club with the idea of making a “clown car” for parades. There were several of the same type of “clown cars” at that time, so they were looking for something a little different. It is not clear who suggested the idea of a … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past – Wild Hay at Root River Bottom
Trees could be both a blessing and a curse for the first white settlers in 1850s and 1860s southeast Minnesota. Firewood for heat and cooking were necessities for both farmers and the few town dwellers. Large trees provided lumber for buildings or rail fences. “Raising a house” was the term used for putting logs in place, one in top of another until the structure was high … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – Gratitude in the Psalms
By Pastor Nissa Peterson Chatfield and Root Prairie Lutheran Churches My social media feeds in the month of November is often full of friends doing a “30 days of thankfulness challenge” where they post one thing they’re thankful for each day in November. Social media is already often a place where people show off a perfect-seeming version of their lives, and this focus … [Read more...]
Fresh off the Farm – I Need Your Help
Do you have a definition for success in your motherhood? Do we even have an answer for this question? Especially during the holidays. Think about it. Successful motherhood is ... Home cooked meals? Maybe any meal at all? Is it clean clothes? Maybe folded laundry that actually gets put away? Lots of presents? Swept floors? A day with no yelling? Or maybe: No one … [Read more...]
$67.50 for a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
I made myself a mug of steaming hot tea because I’m a wizard in the culinary arts. I set the mug on my desk and promptly forgot about it until I took a sip and discovered the tea had cooled. Move over Aristotle. That happened because I’m a wizard at becoming distracted. The unexpected lukewarm tea caused me to fall prey to the elevens — that pair of wrinkles that form on my … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotions – Family Resemblance
By Pastor Kevin Barnhart Spring Grove Evangelical Free Before the sun rose in the east, before the land began to stir before others were awake and before His day of ministering, traveling, and teaching began to dominate the minutes and moments Jesus woke and went to the mountain to pray. What it must have been like to be one with the Father living in heaven and now … [Read more...]
A Goodly Heritage – His Birthday Present
I married a man who has self-discipline and enjoys his work. In the early years, I learned many things from him and his parents. Their practical knowledge opened my eyes to a new side of life that I had not known – farming. Besides farm life, one thing that was new to me was car care. I had never owned a car, so caring for one was brand new to me. My husband changed the … [Read more...]