By Rev. Debra Jene Collum Chatfield United Methodist In the tradition in which I serve, each first Sunday of November is designated as All Saints Sunday. This day was very important to John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Movement. In a journal entry from November 1, 1767, Wesley calls it “a festival I truly love.” In 1788, he writes, “I always find this a comfortable … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past There was pride in freezing your clothes
You did not phone a serviceman or purchase a new replacement part “if you had a kid big enough to hold a screwdriver,” - not during the Great Depression of the 1930s, according to Anita Joyce (Hartman) Palmquist. She was a farm kid in Pleasant Valley near Hokah, who unenthusiastically did hold a screwdriver while her father Carl Frederick Hartman turned the crank of a large … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotion – Are you ready for wrangling?
By Pastor Bridget Sheely Racine/Sumner Center UMC, Stewartville UMC Children’s Ministry Coordinator Apart from my ministry, my family is also involved in the farming industry. We are grain farmers and dabble with a few cattle, some goats, chickens along with a German Shepherd, Black Lab and the supreme ruler of the farm which is a miniature Dachshund named Louis Ebenezer … [Read more...]
They made haste slowly
Even the compass pointed to Halloween. Like Don Quixote, I fight imaginary villains. I needed to do a few electronic signatures. This resulted in a series of blunders and frustrations. I used my forefinger to scribble what was supposed to be my signature on the screen of an electronic device. It wasn’t good. I know it needn’t have been perfect, but I wanted it to be readable. … [Read more...]
A goodly Heritage
The old house story I drove to town today to get groceries. My four-year-old grandson accompanied me. We chose to take a picturesque route. The farmers’ fields sporting the typical colors of the harvest season attracted our attention. The blue sky illumined the way before us. I have taken this road to town for many years. During that time much has changed and much has … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Shopping involved horses, eggs and an empty kerosene can
The Jacob Eide family lived above their store/post office, which was burned to the ground when lightning struck during a nighttime thunderstorm. After exiting, the parents took a head count and believed all the children were out of danger. But their count was incorrect; they forgot that a neighbor child had been sleeping over. Mrs. Eide went back inside to salvage a quilt that … [Read more...]
He died in a tragic sock accident
My great-grandfather died in a tragic sock accident. I asked my father for further details on his 70th birthday, but it was too soon. He couldn’t talk about it. My great- grandfather’s unfortunate demise is why I like to wear sandals. Sandals are safe because there is no need for socks and because I once had a pair of haunted socks. That’s another story. I like sandals … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotion: A time for renewal, revival and re-creation
By Pastor Mark Woodward Maple Leaf Parish Spring Valley: Faith, Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston (and Lenora) United Methodist Churches It is good to greet you in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ! Recently I was listening to some old recordings from two musical groups – The Sounds of Praise and the Spokesmen Gospel Quartet. These musical groups offered uplifting musical … [Read more...]
It’s Colorado Rocky Mountain high jinks
Every day is a surprise. I walked on a moonless night when no star dared twinkle. It was as dark as a dark cloud with a dark secret. I walked without illumination because it was a trail I’d walked a thousand times before. I moved along in the vagueness until something hit me. Unbeknownst to me, a tree branch along the path had broken and become a hanger (widowmaker). I was … [Read more...]
Peering at the Past Children sought summertime treats from ice wagons
By Lee Epps Ice business, part 2 In the 1950s, they were sometimes referred to as “ice boxes” when they were actually electric refrigerators. The true “ice box” was from earlier decades of the 1900s. Town and farm families had ice boxes to keep perishable foods fresh and for making hand-cranked homemade ice cream. The ice in southeast Minnesota was harvested in winter from … [Read more...]