David (“Dave”) E. Benson, 79, of Houston, Minn., passed away Wednesday, November 6, 2019, at home, surrounded by loving family, following a valiant battle with leukemia. Dave was born June 17, 1940, in Aurora, Ill., to the late Arthur and Edith (Marquardt) Benson. He graduated from Hinckley-Big Rock High School. Dave married Annabelle Eberly; they later divorced. In 1984, he … [Read more...]
Palmer amaranth found in Houston County, Minnesota MDA encourages farmers and agronomists to scout fields before harvest
ST. PAUL, MN — The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has positively identified the invasive weed Palmer amaranth in Houston County. The MDA was contacted by the Houston County Ag Inspector after discovering several hundred plants in a small hay field. The field has since been mowed and burned off to destroy any plants, seedlings, and seeds produced this season. The … [Read more...]
Betty H. James
Betty H. James, 96, of Houston, died Friday, September 6, 2019, at Valley View Healthcare & Rehab in Houston. Betty was born on October 23, 1922, in Hesper, Iowa, to Harry and Clara (Sanden) Welper. She grew up in the Hesper/Mabel area and graduated from the Mabel High School in 1941. She married C. Belmont Humphrey on February 9, 1942, in Port Townsend, Wash. He … [Read more...]
Jerry M. Lee
Jerry M. Lee, 82, of Houston, Minn., died on Monday, August 19, 2019, at Gundersen Health System in La Crosse, Wis., surrounded by loving family. Jerry was born on July 11, 1937, in Spring Grove, Minn., to Gilbert and Molly (Anderson) Lee. Jerry went to school at the Yucatan Stone School for eight years. Next was four years of high school and graduation from Houston High … [Read more...]
Mission 66 brings joy to Houston
“How sweet it is!” stated Bruce Vonderohe, borrowing a line from Jackie Gleason, as the Mission 66 Playground in Houston, Minn., was about to open to the public at a special ceremony in Central Park on July 21. This magnificent playground became a reality due to the hard work and perseverance of many people that got behind the project spearheaded by the Houston High School … [Read more...]
Artists reveal Houston County-inspired work at capstone event
What do an architectural designer, a poet, and a chef all have in common? Well, for starters, they each spent a week in Houston County, Minn., last year, each exploring their own concept of “home.” Since the conclusion of last year’s residency program, the collection of works created by our 2018 citizen-artists-in-residence (CAIRs) has been distilled into poignant poetry, … [Read more...]
Doris Goss
Doris J. Goss, 83, of Houston, Minn., passed away peacefully to be with her Lord and Savior on Monday, June 24, 2019, at Gundersen Health System in La Crosse, Wis. She was born on March 18, 1936, in Winona, Minn., to Henry and Margaret (Grant) Lockwood. She was a 1954 graduate of Winona Senior High School. She graduated from Methodist Kahler School of Nursing in Rochester, … [Read more...]
Debbie Skadson
Debbie Skadson, 63, of Houston, Minn., died on Tuesday, May 28, 2019. Debbie was born in La Crosse, Wis., on January 21,1956, to Donald and Irene (Senn) Vix. She was raised in Houston, Minn. and graduated from Houston High School in 1974. She married Jim Skadson in 1975, and they later divorced. Debbie attended vocational school and then worked at Winnebago Software in … [Read more...]
Donna Ione Becker
Donna Ione Becker, 73, of rural Houston, died Wednesday, May 22, 2019, at Mayo Clinic Hospital – St. Marys Campus. Donna was born January 21, 1946, in Devils Lake, N. Dak., to Walter and Ione (Osland) Youngmark. On January 29, 1962, she married the love of her life, David Becker. She worked at About the Horse in Spring Grove for many years and ran the Semcac Dining site in … [Read more...]
David Gordon Jorde
David Gordon Jorde, 77, of Houston, Minn., died on May 18, 2019, at Valley View Healthcare & Rehab in Houston, Minn., where he was a resident since 2016. David was born May 25, 1941, in La Crosse, Wis. He was the son of Michael Adolf and Olga (Nelson) Jorde. His father died when David was five years old and his mother later married Emil “Lud” Torgerson. David was … [Read more...]
Lowell W. Onsgard
Lowell W. Onsgard, 85, of Houston, Minn., died on Wednesday, May 1, 2019, at Valley View Healthcare and Rehab in Houston. He was born February 16, 1934, in La Crosse, Wis., to Orrin and Winnie (Chapel) Onsgard. He was raised in Houston and graduated from Houston High School in 1952. He served in the U.S. Army. Lowell married Bernice Von Arx at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in … [Read more...]
Donald E. Range
Donald E. Range, 63, of Houston, Minn., died on Monday, April 29, 2019, at his home. Donald was born January 25, 1956, in Harrisburg, Pa., to Miles and Gertrude “Pinkie” (Layton) Range. Donald graduated from Bentley High School in Livonia, Mich. He received his B.A. degree in Biblical Literature from Taylor University in Upland, Ind. He received an M.A. Degree in Student … [Read more...]
Dale McCaffrey
On March 25, 2019, Dale McCaffrey lost his battle in life but gained his heavenly victory. Dale was born May 29, 1952, to James and Melva (Asleson) McCaffrey. He loved the outdoors, especially fishing and Winona. Dale is survived by his brother Michael and the two joys of his life, his niece and nephew Kelly and Ian. He is survived also by his aunts Marge (Richard) … [Read more...]
If you build it, they can play: Houston’s ‘Mission 66’ inclusive playground in need of volunteers
The only thing standing between the city of Houston and an accessible playground that can be used by all children is … you. That’s the message that a group behind Mission 66 want to get out to those in Houston County and beyond who would like to lend their time to help build a playground that’s been years in the making. The project needs 150 volunteers per shift from … [Read more...]
Roy Ask
Roy Harvey Ask, 101, of Houston, Minn., died April 14, 2019, at Valley View Healthcare and Rehab in Houston, Minn. Roy was born July 19, 1917, on his family’s farm in Campbell Valley, near Money Creek, in Houston County, Minn. He was the fifth of 13 children of Norwegian immigrants, Haakon Karlsen Ask and Karen Annette (Hansen) Ask. His early childhood was spent helping … [Read more...]