Betty Hellickson, age 86, of Preston, Minn., passed away on Sunday, May 1, 2022, at the Gundersen St. Elizabeth’s Care Center in Wabasha, Minn. Betty Ann Roos was born February 4, 1936 in Alton, Iowa, to Edward and Esther (Hyink) Roos. She grew up in the Alton area attending a country school most of the time, until a tornado took their farm in 1944. She then moved to town … [Read more...]
Fountain zoning projects top council meeting
At the May 4 city meeting, the Fountain Council approved just one agenda item, but all three items of discussion were zoning-related. First up, Jason and Mary Schwarz, owners of JMS Agronomics, discussed plans for a new building on their commercial land just east of Highway 52. The couple purchased the property in the fall of 2018, occupying what was formerly Herman’s … [Read more...]
Phyllis Ann Toloken
Phyllis Ann Toloken, of Rochester, Minn., passed away on April 23, 2022. Phyllis was born on May 24, 1929, to Maxine (Smaby) and James Drury. She was married to Tilford H. Redalen in 1947 until his death in 1973. They had two children, LeaAnn and Robert (Bob). Phyllis remarried Harlan Toloken and they were later divorced. Phyllis lived in Fountain, Minn., during her youth and … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotion – Planting the seed
By Rev. Deanna Woodward Maple Leaf Parish United Methodist Churches of Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston and Spring Valley Have you ever had this experience? You walk up to someone you know and ask “How are you?” The person answers, “Well, I lost my job last week. My spouse left me. I haven’t been able to sleep lately. My daughter fell and broke her arm in two places, and my … [Read more...]
Fountain gets property tax update
Fillmore County Assessor Jason McCaslin was present at the April 6 Fountain Council meeting to discuss changes to the city’s tax values. Like many other municipalities in the county, Fountain will see an increase to its building values, largely driven by the spike in housing market sales. The county is required by state statute to value property every year and conduct an … [Read more...]
Joanne “Jo” Margaret Haugen (Hall)
Joanne “Jo” Margaret Haugen (Hall), of Bloomington, Minn., entered into the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ on March 11, 2022, at the age of 81, surrounded by her loving family. She was born to Cyrus and Helen Hall in Fountain, Minn., on October 21, 1940. Jo enjoyed growing up on a farm with her four siblings. In 1960, she married James Haugen and moved to Biloxi, Miss., … [Read more...]
Bruce A. Wingert
Bruce A. Wingert, 70, of Fountain, passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 10, 2022, at his home, surrounded by his children. Bruce Anthony Wingert was born August 30, 1951, in Osage, Iowa, to F J and Beverly (Eberhardt) Wingert. He graduated from Preston-Fountain High School in 1970. On July 31, 1977, he married Tracy Garden in Charles City, Iowa. Bruce was a lifelong … [Read more...]
Fountain follows up annual designations
The Fountain City Council breezed through a two-minute meeting February 2. There were only two items for agenda consideration. The first item was the monthly consent agenda, consisting of last month’s meeting minutes, the treasurer’s report, and approval of monthly bills. All were approved in one motion and with no discussion. Councilor Colleen Fohrenbacher was absent from this … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotion – An attitude of gratitude
By Rev. Deanna Woodward Maple Leaf Parish United Methodist Churches of Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston and Spring Valley If I had my “druthers” in the winter, I would either fly to a warmer climate like the snowbirds, or go into hibernation like some other woodland creatures. I’m not a fan of winter. It’s common at this time of the year to go for weeks without seeing my … [Read more...]
Myrna Little
Myrna A. Little, age 100, of Fountain, Minn., passed away peacefully in her home on January 13, 2022. Myrna Annette Storhoff was born at the family farm in rural Lanesboro on September 4, 1921, to Alvin and Alma (Bremseth) Storhoff. After her mother’s death in 1924, Myrna was raised by extended family until 1926 when her great-aunt and uncle, Dorothea and Lauritz Olstad … [Read more...]
Jill Froyum
Jill Rebecca Froyum, 40, of Las Vegas, Nev., passed away Sunday, January 9, 2022, with her family by her side, after her fight with cancer. Jill was born January 3, 1982, in Rochester, Minn., to Eric and Lorraine (Hareldson) Froyum. Jill grew up in Fountain, Minn., before moving to rural Zumbrota, Minn., in 1994. She graduated from Kenyon-Wanamingo High School with the … [Read more...]
Fountain will keep ordinance banning chickens
The Fountain City Council voted 2:1 on December 1, with Mayor Jim Schott not voting and Councilor Colleen Fohrenbacher unable to vote, under Schott’s direction, to uphold its current ordinances banning chickens within city limits. “We need to have a vote on whether or not to discuss chickens,” said Schott. “Colleen, you can’t vote because you brought it up.” Fohrenbacher … [Read more...]
Pastor Devotion – An attitude of gratitude
By Rev. Deanna Woodward Maple Leaf Parish United Methodist Churches of Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston and Spring Valley The late Rudyard Kipling was an author of poetry and of several classic books, including the Jungle Book. During his lifetime, his writings made him both famous and wealthy. A newspaper reporter came up to him once and said, “Mr. Kipling, I just read that … [Read more...]
Nevin Robert Vrieze
On November 13, 2021, Nevin Robert Vrieze passed away from a sudden onset of leukemia. Nevin was born on May 31, 1941, to Earl and Lucile (Baures) Vrieze. Nevin was a 1959 graduate of Wykoff High School. He married Gloria Danielson on May 8, 1965. They had four children: Kealon, Darin, Stuart, and Rhonda. He had miscellaneous jobs before joining the United States Army, … [Read more...]
Fountain revisits idea of chicken ordinance
The keeping of chickens, particularly laying hens only, within the city of Fountain is back at the forefront again after Councilor Colleen Fohrenbacher respectfully asked her fellow council members to consider it at the November 3 meeting. “I am not asking for a vote. I would just like to talk about it,” she noted. The suggestion first came up in May 2018 when resident Emily … [Read more...]