Friday, April 30, 2010

DONNELLY NEWS

Next edition May 1st –may 7th

Welcome to another edition of the Donnelly news. If you put an announcement in one of my boxes please put your name on it so I can contact you if I need more info.
Weather news: Temps have continued to remain mild although the nights still remain cool. Some rain over the weekend has helped freshen things up and give the crops a little boost. Farmers are busy taking advantage of the nice weather to get their crops in. It looks like most of the corn is in .My neighbor said they have prepared the ground but have not planted any beans yet and will probably wait until next week to do so. Some of the early crops are already up
STJ/KONG PARISH NEWS: May 23rd is baccalaureate Sun. Everyone who has a graduate(s) in the parish this yr is asked to submit their name(s) to the parish office.
Our parish, in conjunction with Bethel Lutheran of Herman, will again be participating in a VBS day camp, led by counselors from Luther Crest on Aug 1-5th, from 9-4 pm. Registration forms may be obtained from either parish office.
WordAlone Ministries will meet today (Sat) at Our Savior’s Lutheran church in Chokio, coffee at 9:30 am; program at 10 am. Prof. Jon Sorum will speak on "Why We Need a New Beginning". Everyone welcome
There will be an area Lutheran worship service at the Hancock community center on May 2nd at 10 am. Everyone is welcome. For more info call 392-5670
There will be an ndp gathering on may 6th at noon at the library in Morris and also at the community building in E.L.
The red Hat society will meet on May 3rd at sax’s café at 9 am. Those attending are asked to bring a small plant for exchange.

The st co gen soc will meet on May 6th at 1:30 pm at the library in Morris.

The Donnelly com club will meet on May 10th at 7 pm at the community hall.

The Viking bookmobile stops in Donnelly on the first and third Mon of ea month from 3:30-4pm

Last week I mentioned that Bailey Armstrong had won a poster contest at the WCA elementary school. The contest was sponsored by the MN rural water assoc in celebration of Nat. water wk. Her poster went on to state competition where it was judged to be the best in the state. It will be featured on the cover of MWRA’S technical mag 2010 summer edition. Several members of her family traveled to Keng for the awards ceremony.

Congratulations to the silver pewee hockey team that won the dist 15 b2 championship in hockey on Feb. 21st. Brady Jergenson is a member of that team and his dad Rob is a coach.

Congratulations to the MAHS track team that won the Minnewaka track meet and placed 2nd in the Morris invite. Tyler Rouske is a member of that team he finished 5th in the sprints at Minnewaka and 3rd in Morris and 3rd at Minnewaka and 6th in Morris in the long jump.

An open house Baby shower will be held for Trent and Robyn Grossman today (Sat) from 2-4 pm at the Morris sr center. Trent is the son of Tim and Tammie Grossman and grandson of Bob and Myrna Tomalla.

Katie Braaten and Adam Erickson are engaged and plan to be married on July 31, 2010 at Long Lake Lodge in Brandon. Katie is the daughter of Barry and Jodie Braaten of Glenwood. Adam is the son of Mark and Deb Erickson of Donnelly and grandson of Evelyn Raasch of Morris.

Avery Ryan Kellen was born on April 19, 2010 at Stevens Community Medical Center, Morris, to Ryan and Tanya Kellen of Norcross. Grandparents are Patrick and Sheryl Waste of Maple Lake, Douglas Gulbrandson of Herman and Marsha Kellen of Wheaton and David Kellen of Herman. Great grandparents are Pearl Struck of Rogers, Sylvia Volker of Herman, Levern and Laura Kellen from Fort Walton Beach, Fla.

Kenneth A. Spittle, age 89, of Hendricks, Minnesota, passed away on April 9, 2010. Among his survivors is his daughter in law Colleen Spittle and family of E.L. He was preceded in death by his son Sid who was the manager of the Donnelly co-op for many years.

Grace Dosdall Heinrich, age 84 of Coon Rapids, passed away on April 13, 2010. Among the family that survives her are a brother and sister in law Chuck Heinrich and Phyllis Dyer of Morris formerly of Donnelly. She was preceded in death by her husband Fredrick and brother in law Julius.

Phyllis Smith of Morris formerly of Donnelly passed away on Apr 28th. Her funeral is today (Sat) at first Lutheran in Morris at 2:30 pm

On Apr. 23 and 24th I traveled to United Lutheran in E.L. for a sad and a happy occasion involving two old family friends. On Fri I was among the many family and friends who attended the memorial service for Hank Schroeder. He had a store on main St in E.L. for many yrs so when we were up for “Crazy Daze’s” during Flekefest we always had to go into the store to say “hi” to him. On Sat many of us returned to the church for the 90th birthday party for Dorothy Westrom she is Torrey’s grandmother. Earlier in the day I attended the "ABC" sale at Zion in Morris and was among a good crowd at the arts festival at MAHS.

A good crowd of family and friends was on hand on Apr 25th at Kong to help Lou Eystad and Denny Bourassa celebrate their birthday’s

Apr 26th a good crowd was on hand for the community dinner at the sr center in Morris. Enroute home I stopped in to visit Denny Anderson at his home in Donnelly.

Apr 28th I stopped in to visit my aunt Pearl (Albert) Anderson at her home in Donnelly

Monday, April 26, 2010

cancellation

the st co rep party mtg scheduled for Apr 26th at detoy's has been canceled and will be re-scheduled for a later date.

Friday, April 23, 2010

donnelly news

Next edition Apr 24th –Apr 30th

Welcome to another edition of the Donnelly news.

Temps have remained mild during the past week but it is still very dry, some good rains would be very welcome. Many farmers are busy preparing their fields and putting in their crops although I suspect some are holding back waiting for some warmer weather. Most nights are still cool. I even saw a little snow in a ditch a few days ago. I also see there are still some corn fields that need to be picked esp. north of here.

STJ/KONG PARISH NEWS: On Apr. 25th there will be joint services at Kong at 11 am with the SS kids singing. Our services will also be broadcast on KMRS sponsored by Gary and Pat Smith. At 10 am in the church basement there will be cake and coffee in honor of Lou Eystad’s 75th birthday and Denny Bouressa’s 70th birthday served by Jim Eystad and René Thompson (Denny’s sister). Happy Birthday, Denny! We all hope and pray that you will able to celebrate many more.



May 23rd is baccalaureate Sun. Everyone who has a graduate(s) in the parish this yr is asked to submit their name(s) to the parish office. I also plan to recognize graduates in this column in late May/early June.

Our parish, in conjunction with Bethel Lutheran of Herman, will again be participating in a VBS day camp, led by counselors from Luther Crest on Aug 1-5th, from 9-4 pm. Registration forms were included in the Mar newsletter or may be obtained from either parish office.

WordAlone Ministries will meet on May 1st at Our Savior’s Lutheran church in Chokio on May 1st, coffee at 9:30 am; program at 10 am Prof. Jon Sorum will speak on "Why We Need a New Beginning". Everyone welcome





Correction: There will be citywide garage sales in Donnelly on May 21st & 22nd. If you are interested in having one that weekend please call Kathi Biesterfeld at 246-6271 or Kathy Eystad at 246-3262. If you are having one let me know and I will post it on my blog.



The red Hat society will meet on May 3rd at sax’s café. Those attending are asked to bring a small plant for exchange. The note in my box did not have a time on it but I recall from reading previous announcements it is usually at 9 am



Friday, April 30: Heritage Days program featuring Tim and Kathy Ray performing "Scenes and Songs of Minnesota." Morris Area Elementary Concert Hall, 2 p.m. Sponsored by Learning Unlimited.





Russ Stier of Hoffman formerly of the Donnelly area passed away on Apr 13th. Among his survivors is his brother Lloyd (Glenda) Stier of Donnelly. Many of you will remember that Russ was the owner of Vern’s produce and for many years he bought produce in the area. When we had chickens we sold him our eggs. On Apr 18th a big crowd of family and friends filled the Messiah Lutheran Church in Hoffman for his memorial service. Lloyd told me that between visitation and the funeral there were over 500 visitors, he was unable to attend as he was not feeling well that day.



Vigil Maus of Chokio passed away on Apr 14. Survivors include his wife Mildred (Lange) of Chokio formerly of Donnelly.



Mary A. Blair, age 61 of Mesa, Ariz. and formerly of Morris, died of Renal Cancer on April 17, 2010. Among her survivors are a nephew Casey (Danielle) Lesmeister and family of Donnelly. A memorial service will be held at the Old # 1 Southside on May 1st at 2 pm



The class of 1955 will be holding their 55th class reunion on July 17th at the Prairie Inn in Morris with a mini reunion of Donnelly classmates on July 16th at Sax’s café. Anyone who wishes to visit with the members of the class may do so at Sax’s café beginning at 4 pm on the 16th and/or poolside at the prairie Inn beginning at 7 pm on the 17th. For more info call Wally McCollar at 589-0127. I stopped in to see him again on the 21st he had gotten some nice pictures from Sonya Skyrdal for his reunion some taken at the all school reunion 20 yrs ago.



Congratulations to Bailey Armstrong (Jason and Niki) for winning a poster contest at the WCA elementary school.



Foley was the site of the recently held regional 4-h project bowl in general livestock. The sr red team won first place and will advance to the state competition. Jake Moser, Natalie Johnston and Kendra Speer are members of that team and they are coached by Lee Johnston. Jon Moser coached the sr green team which finished 4th, Mackenzie Smith is a member of that team. The Jr. Red team finished 5th, Jonna Moser is a member of that team.



Congratulations to the MAHS student council that was recently named masc student council of yr. Sydney Beyer and Kayleene Mecklenburg are members of the council



Congratulations to MAHS boys track team that recently won its own invite. Tyler Rouske is a member of that team and finished 5th in 400 sprints and long jump.



Congratulations to Rhoda (Mike) Smith who is one of the finalists for the St Co Coordinator position.



Kale Jon was born to Kevin and Michelle Kruize on 4/16/10 Grandfather is William (Billy) Kruize Jr. Congratulations.



Tate Jeffery Olson was born on Apr 11th to Scott and Stephanie Olson. Grandparents are Joyce and Allen Olson of Donnelly; Jeff and Kathy Wilcox of Morris; great grandparents are Sid and Carol Wilcox of Morris.



An open house Baby shower will be held for Trent and Robyn Grossman on May 1st from 2-4 pm at the Morris sr center. Trent is the son of Tim and Tammie Grossman and grandson of Bob and Myrna Tomalla.



A good crowd was on hand for MAP’s 16th aniv celebration on Apr 15th. Thanks to “Kopel’s Kooker” for the delicious meal they prepared and served.



On Apr 17th I attended the estate sale at the Lloyd Bendt farm. She informs me they are moving to Waseca. From there it was off to Donnelly where a good crowd attended the spring fling at St J. Judy Burner won the quilt other winners were gift set Peggy Wilke; gift cert hd & co ,Jeff Gibson; kitchen clock Peggy Wilke; snack set Bernice Eystad; gift cert sax’s colleen dogatch (2) Becky Diehl; tool box jerry itzen; gift cert willies & nature clock Karen Janachovsky; cook books Jim Gibson, Leroy Diehl; Janelle and kaylen vipond. In the aft I traveled to Morris stopping to visit with Wally McCollar for a while. Later I was part of the good crowd that helped Walt Hokanson celebrate his 100th birthday at the Sunrise Apts. Many of you will remember that he was a collector of cream separators for many years and we were among the many from who he bought some. Afterwards I visited Chuck Heinrich in his apt. In the eve I attended the St Co Humane Soc annual mtg.



On Apr 19th I attended the diabetes workshop at SCMC. The next one is scheduled for July.



Apr 21st I stopped in to the center for small towns to visit with David Flugel. He asked me to remind people about the symposium on small towns and rural urban gathering to be held on June 9 & 10th on the UMM campus and that there are scholarships available for the event.



Gail, Jenna, and Own Gibson of Avon and Donna Frank of Starbuck spent some at the same and Dorothy Jordheim home in Donnelly over the weekend attending the st J spring fling and visiting family and friends



Last wk I mentioned the story about the lookouts in the Donnelly school. I understand the same was true in Cyrus they actually built an observation room on top of school.

Monday, April 19, 2010

parish and area church events

there will be joint services at Kong on apr 25th at 11am ss kids will be singing and the services will be broadcast on KMRS at 11 am. Beginning at 10:00 am there will coffee and cake in the basement in honor of Lou Eystad's 75th birthday and Denny Bouresa's 70th served by Jim Eystad and Renne Thompson.

joint council will meet on wed eves APR 21 (k) 28th (st j) may 5th (k) and 12th (st j) to review info regarding the recent cwa assembly. once that process is completed we will be holding forums to share that info with the congregations.

seekers will meet APR 21st at Kong

abc sale at Zion in Morris on APR 23 from 3:30-7pm APR 24th 8-11 am

Friday, April 16, 2010

2x4 band





On Apr. 9th I had opportunity to hear the "two by four" family band at the sr. center in Morris Jerry and Molly (Trumble) Ophoveron and family put on an outstanding show. this clip is a very short one from the show.If you or your org is looking for good inexpensive entertainment I would urge you to book them. http://twobyfourfamilyband.com

donnelly news

Next edition Apr 17th -23rd

Welcome to another edition of the Donnelly news.
Temps have remained mild during the past week and some rain on Mon and Tue evenings has helped freshened things up. Some farmers are in the field and planting their crops others are still waiting for it to warm up and dry out some more before planting. It is still cool in the eves.
STJ/KONG PARISH NEWS: St J spring fling will be held today (Sat) at the church from 10:30 am to 1 pm
Tom and Pearl Horning will be leading the services at ST J on Apr. 18th
On Apr. 25th there will be joint services at Kong at 11 am with the SS kids singing. Our services will also be broadcast on KMRS sponsored by Gary and Pat Smith.
The Apr edition of the parish newsletter is now out. Extra copies are available in the narthex of ea church.
Thanks to everyone who provided the special music for the Easter season in our parish and for all the Easter Lilies that were displayed on Easter Sun at both churches.
The Apr. edition of Meyer Mission news is now out. Copies are available in the narthex of ea church as well as on my blog.

There will be citywide garage sales in Donnelly on May 21st & 22nd. If you are interested in having one that weekend please call Kathi Biesterfeld at 246-6271 or Kathy Eystad at 246-3262. If you are having one let me know and I will post it on my blog.
Congratulations to the Stampede 4- h club that won the spirit award at the St C o 4-h share the fun event held recently. Cammi and Rebeckah Aanerud and Sami Searle are members of that club
Congratulations to the MAES sixth grade math masters, who finished fourth at the regionals, held in Alex recently. Adam Uphoff is a member of that team and also earned an individual ribbon.

Hadley Marie Knabe passed away on Apr 6th. Among her survivors are her Uncle and Aunt, Scott and Jackie Raths of Donnelly

Jon Strand of Welsh MN passed away on Apr. 2nd. Among his survivors is his mother Virginia (Dornquast), Aunt, Ruth Strand and uncle and aunt Don and Joyce Huebner. He was preceded in death by his father Milton. They are all former Donnelly area residents. I have posted his obit on my blog.

A good crowd attended the planning ahead seminar held at the Pederson funeral home on Apr 7th.
On Apr. 8th a big crowd was on hand for the “Metal to Money” sale held on the Hanson farm near Hoffman. Later I stopped at the Good Samarian home to say “hi” to my former “egg man” and also visited some with Vedar Harstad at the Sherman Long farm.
Apr 9th a good crowd was on hand for the concert by the "Two by Four family band" at the sr center in Morris.
Apr 10th Jim and Lou Eystad and I attended the WA mtg at Fron Lutheran in Starbuck. Rev Norm Olsen gave a presentation on “why liturgy matters. We sang Happy Birthday to Lou Eystad who turned 75. It was announced that the next area Lutheran worship service is scheduled for May 2nd and the next WCAWA meeting will be held on May 1st at Our Savior’s in Chokio.
After services on Apr. 10th the Kong Thrivent group had a meeting where information about the new Thrivent giving plus program was given out. Watch for more info in the Apr Thrivent mag and in future mailings or contact you local Thrivent agent for more info.
One of the “perks” of doing this column is hearing stories from some of the people who read it. I recently had an e-mail from a reader in Morehead who told me that when she lived in Donnelly in the 50’s she and two other girls were hired for civil defense and their job was to spend time in library of the school which was on the top floor in Donnelly looking for enemy planes.

Apr 12 the Don Com Club held its monthly meeting at the community hall. We are making plans for the bee on Aug 28th and 29th. This yrs feature is Allis Chalmers. The next meeting will be held on May 10th. As always any one with ideas or suggestions for it or anything else is encouraged to share them with us. Afterwards I visited Verle and Della Dunn at their home.

“Reaping What We Sow” is the newest exhibit put together by the SCHS. I stopped into the museum on Apr. 14th to take a look at it. It is a very interesting and informative exhibit and I would encourage you take the time to go take a look at it.

A sign of spring is the return of the “snow birds” Welcome Home!!

donnelly and area events

estate sale at the Lloyd Bendt residence on APR 16th and 17th 13743 co rd 9 9-5 pm

mhs prom at meas gym 5pm APR 17th

Stevens Community Humane soc annual meeting on Apt 17th at common cup in Morris

diabetics workshop sccmc APR 26th 1;30 and 7:30 pm

community meal 5:30-7pm sr. center Morris

St co gen soc mtg May 6th 1:30 pm library-Morris

Don com club May 10th 7pm com hall

all town garage sales in donnelly on May 21st and 22nd.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

death

Russ Stier of Hoffman passed away on Apr 13th. Among his survivors is his brother Lloyd of Donnelly. He was my egg man for many yrs. His funeral is Apr 18th at Messiah Lutheran in Hoffman.

parish and area church events

Habit for humanity will have its groundbreaking for its new house today (Thur) at 5:30 pm on w 9th st. Today is also the last day to buy food at pizza hut and have a portion of your meal donated to the cause.

The SW MN synod assembly will be held on Apr 17 and 18th in Redwood falls

St J spring fling will be held on Apr 17th from 10:30am to 1 pm at the church.

Tom and Pearl Horning will lead the services at St J on Apr 18th.

Seekers the women’s prayer group will meet on Apr 21st at Kong

There will be a bridal shower for Magen Hanney bride to be of Jason work on Apr 24th at Kong from 2-4 pm

There will be joint services at Kong on Apr 25th at 11 am with Holly communion. The ss kids will be signing. The services will be broadcast on KMRS sponsored by Gary and Pat Smith.

The glacial ridge women's spring gathering will be held on Apr 26th at Trinity in Benson at 4:30 pm parish book club will meet at Ennen’s at 1:30 pm

KCLW do DAYS EVERY MON AT 9 AM

Confirmation will be held every Wed at 4:00 pm at ST J.

We love the Earth day will be held at Luther Crest on Apr 18th from 1-4 pm

Cleanup day at the camp will be held on May 22nd beginning at 9 am

God's spa for women will be held on Apr 25th at Luther Crest.

Luther Crest will be leading VBS this yr at St J. Bethel of Herman will also be involved. The dates will be Aug 1-5th from 9am-3pm registration forms are included in the parish newsletter

Lutheran Marriage Encounter will be held in Duluth (Apr 16-18th and Alex Apr 30th May 2nd.

Grief seminar/support group will meet on Mon from 6:45 pm-8:45 pm until June 1st

Lost and found will be in concert at ritsche Auditorium in Stewart Hall on the campus of ST Cloud state. This is a fund raiser for LCM.

LWR CLOTHING DRIVE WILL BE HELD ON APR 23RD. See news letter for details what they and the Marie Sandvick Center will accept

The parish Lenten offerings totaled Haiti 618.50; St co food shelf 140lbs of food 738.40; American Red Cross (Good Fri offering) $165.

New wine will be preformed on May 9th 12 15 & 16th at First Lutheran in Morris

spring rummage and bake sale at faith Lutheran in Morris on APR 28th 4-7 pm

"what does the bible say" will be held at St Paul's Lutheran church in Morris on APR 28th at 7pm

bridal shower for Megan Hanney bride ot be of Jason Werk will be held on Sat Apr 24th from 10-11:30 am at St Charles Lutheran Church in Herman and from 2-4 pm at the Kong parish hall.

A bridal shower is being organized for Katie Bratten bride to be of Adam Erickson contact Sue Erdahl Nelson or Corine Larson if you want to be on the shower committee which is tentatively scheduled for June 19th at the Kong parish hall. Adam parents are Mark and Deb Erickson.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

jon strand obit

Jon Milton Strand, age 61, died Friday, April 2, 2010 at United Hospital in St. Paul due to a long illness. He was born October 18, 1948 in Morris, MN to Milton and Virginia Strand. He graduated from Owatonna High School in 1966 and Faribault Area Technical School in 1968. He was on active duty for the United States Navy from 1968 to 1970 and served in Vietnam. In 1970, he married Margaret (Duncan) Barvinek, with whom he had two children, Gina, age 32, and Kimberly, age 27. He moved to the Cedar Rapids, Iowa area that year where he lived and worked for Farmstead Foods for over twenty years. In 1990, he married Jackie (Gienapp) and moved to Welch, Minnesota the following year.

Jon co-owned Strand’s Minnesota Arabians in Welch, MN with his youngest brother, Lee. They bought the horse farm from their father, Milton, in 1999. Working with horses was truly Jon’s passion. He owned, boarded, bred, trained, and showed Arabian horses. It was a blessing that he was able to work every day doing what made him genuinely happy with his loving wife by his side.

Survivors include his mother, Virginia; wife, Jackie; two daughters, Gina Strand and Kimberly (AJ) Burritt, and granddaughter Megan, all of Marion, Iowa; a stepdaughter, Dena (Lee) Strand of Welch, and two stepsons, Kevin (Michelle) Honea and Eric (Jennifer) Honea, both of Queen Creek, Arizona; four brothers, Alan (Beth) of Welch, Mark (Darlene) of Jackson, Missouri, Steve (Anna) of Marion, Iowa, and Lee (Dena) of Welch; several nieces, nephews and step grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his father, Milton.

Funeral service will be held on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. at the Cross of Christ Lutheran Church, Welch, with Pastor Bob Albing officiating. Interment with military honors will follow at the church cemetery. Visitation will be held at the church on Tuesday from 5-8 p.m. and Wednesday from 10-11 a.m.

Active pallbearers will be Alan, Mark, Steve, LeWayne and Dale Strand, and Rick Gienapp. Honorary pallbearers will be Kevin and Eric Honea, and AJ Burritt.

The family has requested memorial contributions in Jon's memory be made to the National Cancer Institute. Please request the donation be made specifically for brain tumor research. Please go to http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/NCI/donations

Sunday, April 11, 2010

meyer mission news

MEYER MISSION NEWS

Refreshment and Reflections

April 2010

Dear Friends:



Refreshment came to Linda and me in March at the missionary retreat held in Ghana for missionaries of Lutheran Bible Translators and missionaries of LCMS World Mission. The missionaries gathered together were those assigned to serve in West Africa. Being with fellow missionaries who serve in the same general area, sharing goals, challenges and blessings was a great encouragement. Because we “…stand firm in one Spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the Gospel,” Philippians 1: 27b.

We were refreshed through Bible studies led by Rev. Dan Gilbert, President of Northern Illinois District.

Jesus gave his disciples the commission to go into the world to make disciples of all nations by baptizing and teaching his Word. Matt.28:19-20. His mission of reconciling the world through dying for our sins was accomplished on the cross. He chose to involve us in proclaiming repentance and forgiveness of sins. Luke 24:46-48 and John 20:21-23. When we don’t see results immediately, we need to remember that our role is to tell the Good News, and it is the work of the Holy Spirit to bring people to faith. We continue to be His witnesses. Act 1:8.

Reflections on six years of our lives invested in Ghana (1994-2000) and a total of 16 years in Africa has been in our minds in the last year of career missionary service here in Africa.

A visual aid for Reflections is the beautiful quilt the LCMS World Mission missionaries gave to us the evening of Palm Sunday during the retreat. We were surprised and a bit overwhelmed by the honoring ceremony. So many friends spoke and assured us that these past 16 years spent in Africa were blessed by our Lord, and our frail efforts are and will be a blessing on into the future; not because of Delano & Linda, but because “His word will not return void”.

The quilt, with a map of Africa, highlights areas and dates we served in each area. The outer border lists the 15 countries wherein we either served or visited in our years of service.

Rewards during our travels in Ghana were to learn that some of the methods and ideas we taught were still being used. An Assembly Man (like the mayor) in northern Ghana told us he still uses the “Care of the Soil” booklet LCMS WR & HC helped us publish back in 1996. He mentioned a part of the booklet that talks about Christian families as being very helpful. He wished we could come back and do more teaching.

Other feed back varied from positive to disappointing. We would have loved to tell you there was a mass paradigm shift in caring for soil, positive Christian family values and money management. We are able to tell you that some are catching a vision for Christian change while others are not. The good news is this leaves plenty of work for the next generation of missionaries.

Regrets We regret that Dr. Ralph von Qualen could not come to Sierra Leone and travel to Guinea in mid April for agricultural training sessions. LCMS World Mission was forced to initiate a freeze on spending. Dr. Ralph’s travel expenditure was one of the items cut. Within a day of us learning about the spending freeze, we heard from Ralph that his mother was in the hospital. Rather than try to fund Ralph’s trip another way, it seemed wise to postpone Dr. Ralph’s visit. We hope Dr. Ralph will continue to serve, advise and encourage our friends in West Africa. We leave this all in the capable hands of our Lord working through those willing to serve and to give.



PRAYER REQUESTS

We thank God for you, our family, supporters and friends who have been the reason we were able to serve. We will need your continued financial and prayer support until we retire from full-time service with LCMS World Mission at the “ripe old age of 66” in October 2010.

Thank God for safe travel to the Missionary Retreat held in Ghana in late March and the positive encouragement it meant for many hard working servants.

Thank God for the opportunity to say “Good bye” to old friends we worked with from 1994 – 2000 in Ghana. Linda and I felt it was very meaningful for us and those we met.

Pray for safety and health for us as we travel into Guinea to do agricultural training beginning in mid April.

FINANCIAL SUPPPORT

Thank you to all who have contributed gifts “for the support of Delano and Linda Meyer.” Address (without our name on envelope) to: LCMS World Mission, 1333 S. Kirkwood Road, St. Louis, MO 63122-7295. Inside the envelope designate your gift for us on the check or in a note.

To contribute to our LCMS World Relief & Human Care project, “Agricultural Training in West Africa”, designate & send checks to LCMS World Relief and Human Care, 1333 S. Kirkwood Rd, St. Louis, MO 63122-7295.

In Jesus our Risen Savior and Lord,

Delano & Linda Meyer



Note this change of address since we are leaving Sierra Leone on May 28, 2010.

Our new address is:

Delano and Linda Meyer

61203 150th St.

Chokio, MN 56221



We plan to continue using: meyerdel@yahoo.com

Saturday, April 10, 2010

DONNELLY NEWS

Welcome to another edition of the Donnelly news. As I begin my third year of writing this column I want to say Mange Takk to all my loyal readers who have made it a successful year.

Temperatures have remained above normal during the past week. However it has been rather cool, especially in the evenings due to some strong winds and cloudy days. I have not seen anybody out in the field yet. I suspect it is a little bit too cold and wet.

In St. John’s/Kongsvinger parish news: St. John’s spring from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. fling will be held on April 17 at the church,

The West Central Area WordAlone chapter will meet today (Saturday) at Fron Church in Starbuck. Coffee fellowship begins at 9:30 a.m. and the program is at 10 a.m.

There will be an area Lutheran worship service at the community center in Hancock on April 11 at 10 a.m. Please note the change of location.

The Donnelly Community Club will meet on April 12 at 7 p.m. at the hall in Donnelly.

The Donnelly Rod & Gun Club annual meeting will be held on April 13 at the Donnelly Hall. A meal will be served at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting will follow.

I need to clarify an item from last week’s column regarding the reunion of the class of 1955. Spouses are invited to the reunion too. If anybody has any questions or needs more info about it, please call Wally at (320) 589-0127. I will have more details in a later column and on my blog.

Lyle Hanson of Cyrus passed away March 31. His survivors include his granddaughter, Kayla, (Aaron) Erdahl of Donnelly.

Violet DeRung passed away March 31. Her survivors include her daughter Jane (Jack) Ascheman. Jack is a former Donnelly resident. Wally McCollar and I attended her visitation on April 4. Her son, Dale, is a classmate of mine. En route home I stopped by to visit my aunt Pearl A. Anderson.

Sgt. Kurt Kruize of St. Cloud died on April 11 of non-combat related injuries in Iraq. Among his survivors are his parents Lyle and Bev Kruize of Hancock and grandfather Vernon Kruize of Donnelly.

Jim and Julie Busse and family of Appleton attended the visitation for Cleone Brustuen on April 4. Her daughter-in-law is Jim’s sister.

Again this week I have a long list of accomplishments to report.

Paige Strand earned a trip to the section meet in Morris on April 21st with a fifth place finish at the sub section meet.

Hannah and Samantha Larson who as members of the Herman-Norcross FLCA earned a trip to the state STAR events in Bloomington.

West Central Area Little Knight wrestler Keaton Long won second place at a meet held in New-London-Spicer recently.

Makayla Mau (Maynard and Lori) and Mason Dunn (Lowell and Sandy) received their first communion during Maundy Thursday services at St. John’s.

Cammi Aanerud received honorable mention all conference in the West Central Conference in gymnastics.

The following students placed in the science and math challenge held on March 30 at Morris Area High School: Adam Uphoff (first, 6th grade) and Sydney Speer (second, 4th grade).

The youth Tiger wrestlers placed third at the WCC meet on March 20. Several Donnelly area kids are members of the team and earned some individual trophies. They include Tyler Athey (pre-k, fourth); Austin Raths (K, first) and Tristan Raths (first grade, second).

The Kopacek family and I attended the Stevens County Genealogical Society meeting in Morris on April 1. That evening, after attending Maundy Thursday services at St. John’s, I visited with my aunt Pearl (Albert) Anderson at her home in Donnelly.

On April 3, Jim and Lou Eystad and I joined the crowd that lined the main street in Morris for the Charlie Co. homecoming parade. Later a good crowd was on hand at the UMM P.E. Center for the welcome home ceremony. After the ceremony, I had a chance to say “welcome home” to Andrew Loher.

The Stevens County Republican central committee had a meeting on April 5 in Morris. Those attending had the opportunity to hear Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen of Alexandria and Dr. Karen Nelson of Spicer, who is seeking the party endorsement for the 7th district congressional seat. The district endorsing convention will be held in Moorhead today (Saturday).

On April 4, Verle and Della Dunn and Lyle were Easter dinner guests of Jim and Julie Busse of Appleton.

On April 2, Sam and Dorothy Jordheim traveled to Avon for their grandson‚ Owen Gibson’s, first communion at Bethlehem Lutheran in St. Cloud. They returned home the next day. On April 4, they joined other family members for Easter dinner with the Gibson family in Avon. They also celebrated Owen’s 10th birthday.

The Kopacek family enjoyed a phone call from their cousin Norvald Røneied in Gaupne Norway. Cousin Gjerturd will be 100 years old this month.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

death

On Sat we were all rejoicing at the safe return of the members of our Charlie co Nat guard members. Today that joy has been tempered as we learn of a area soldier's death.

Sgt Kurt Kruize of St Cloud died on Apr 11th of non combat related injuries in Iraq. Among his survivors are his parents Lyle and Bev Kruize of Hancock and grandfather Vernon Kruize of Donnelly.

Monday, April 5, 2010

kopel obit

Viola Ruth Kopel nee Koepke, beloved Mom, Grandma and Great Grandma, formerly of Bemidji, age 91, passed away March 29, 2010. Preceded in death by her husband, Walter; and brother, Stanley. Survived by children, Jean (Don) Ristow, Dick (June) Kopel and Bonnie (Eric) Hargesheimer; 8 grandchildren; and 17 great grandchildren. Mass of Christian Burial 11 AM Saturday, April 10th at St. Mary of the Lake Catholic Church, 4741 Bald Eagle Ave., White Bear Lake with visitation 1 hr prior to the Mass at church. Interment Holy Cross Cemetery, Bemidji. A special thank you to the loving staff at Cerenity Care Center. Memorials preferred to Cerenity Care Center-Oak Crossing. Mueller Memorial Lake Chapel.

area events

St Co rep party executive board will meet tonight (Mon) at Detoy's at 6:30 pm

pederson funeral home will have a pre planing seminar on Apr 7th at 10:30 am at the funeral home with lunch to follow.

Metal to Money auction will be held on Hanson's farm west of Hoffman on apr 8th beginning at 9 am.

the Ophoven family band of Grand rapids mn will present a concert at the Morris sr center at 7 pm

appreciation party at Skeeter's in Donnelly Sat Oct 10th. there will be music ,free food and a chance to meet the new owner.

morris co=op annual mtg apr 8th 6:30 pm in the Tiger room at the parrie inn

history

this is an e-mail I got from a friend that I thought was so good I had to share it








Truly America is the Greatest Country in the World. Don't Let Freedom Slip Away
By: Kitty Werthmann
What I am about to tell you is something you've probably never heard or will ever read in history books.

I believe that I am an eyewitness to history. I cannot tell you that Hitler took Austria by tanks and guns; it would distort history. We elected him by a landslide - 98% of the vote. I've never read that in any American publications. Everyone thinks that Hitler just rolled in with his tanks and took Austria by force.

In 1938, Austria was in deep Depression. Nearly one-third of our workforce was unemployed. We had 25% inflation and 25% bank loan interest rates.

Farmers and business people were declaring bankruptcy daily. Young people were going from house to house begging for food. Not that they didn't want to work; there simply weren't any jobs. My mother was a Christian woman and believed in helping people in need. Every day we cooked a big kettle of soup and baked bread to feed those poor, hungry people - about 30 daily.

The Communist Party and the National Socialist Party were fighting each other. Blocks and blocks of cities like Vienna , Linz , and Graz were destroyed. The people became desperate and petitioned the government to let them decide what kind of government they wanted.

We looked to our neighbor on the north, Germany , where Hitler had been in power since 1933. We had been told that they didn't have unemployment or crime, and they had a high standard of living. Nothing was ever said about persecution of any group -- Jewish or otherwise. We were led to believe that everyone was happy. We wanted the same way of life in Austria . We were promised that a vote for Hitler would mean the end of unemployment and help for the family. Hitler also said that businesses would be assisted, and farmers would get their farms back. Ninety-eight percent of the population voted to annex Austria to Germany and have Hitler for our ruler.




We were overjoyed, and for three days we danced in the streets and had candlelight parades. The new government opened up big field kitchens and everyone was fed.



After the election, German officials were appointed, and like a miracle, we suddenly had law and order. Three or four weeks later, everyone was employed. The government made sure that a lot of work was created through the Public Work Service.




Hitler decided we should have equal rights for women. Before this, it was a custom that married Austrian women did not work outside the home. An able-bodied husband would be looked down on if he couldn't support his family. Many women in the teaching profession were elated that they could retain the jobs they previously had been required to give up for marriage.



Hitler Targets Education - Eliminates Religious Instruction for Children:

Our education was nationalized. I attended a very good public school. The population was predominantly Catholic, so we had religion in our schools. The day we elected Hitler (March 13, 1938), I walked into my schoolroom to find the crucifix replaced by Hitler's picture hanging next to a Nazi flag. Our teacher, a very devout woman, stood up and told the class we wouldn't pray or have religion anymore. Instead, we sang "Deutschland, Deutschland, Uber Alles," and had physical education.



Sunday became National Youth Day with compulsory attendance. Parents were not pleased about the sudden change in curriculum. They were told that if they did not send us, they would receive a stiff letter of warning the first time. The second time they would be fined the equivalent of $300, and the third time they would be subject to jail. The first two hours consisted of political indoctrination. The rest of the day we had sports. As time went along, we loved it. Oh, we had so much fun and got our sports equipment free. We would go home and gleefully tell our parents about the wonderful time we had.






My mother was very unhappy. When the next term started, she took me out of public school and put me in a convent. I told her she couldn't do that and she told me that someday when I grew up, I would be grateful. There was a very good curriculum, but hardly any fun - no sports, and no political indoctrination. I hated it at first but felt I could tolerate it. Every once in a while, on holidays, I went home. I would go back to my old friends and ask what was going on and what they were doing. Their loose lifestyle was very alarming to me. They lived without religion. By that time unwed mothers were glorified for having a baby for Hitler. It seemed strange to me that our society changed so suddenly. As time went along, I realized what a great deed my mother did so that I wasn't exposed to that kind of humanistic philosophy.






Equal Rights Hits Home:

In 1939, the war started and a food bank was established. All food was rationed and could only be purchased using food stamps. At the same time, a full-employment law was passed which meant if you didn't work, you didn't get a ration card, and if you didn't have a card, you starved to death. Women who stayed home to raise their families didn't have any marketable skills and often had to take jobs more suited for men.






Soon after this, the draft was implemented. It was compulsory for young people, male and female, to give one year to the labor corps. During the day, the girls worked on the farms, and at night they returned to their barracks for military training just like the boys. They were trained to be anti-aircraft gunners and participated in the signal corps. After the labor corps, they were not discharged but were used in the front lines. When I go back to Austria to visit my family and friends, most of these women are emotional cripples because they just were not equipped to handle the horrors of combat. Three months before I turned 18, I was severely injured in an air raid attack. I nearly had a leg amputated, so I was spared having to go into the labor corps and into military service.






Hitler Restructured the Family Through Daycare:







When the mothers had to go out into the work force, the government immediately established child care centers. You could take your children ages 4 weeks to school age and leave them there around-the-clock, 7 days a week, under the total care of the government. The state raised a whole generation of children. There were no motherly women to take care of the children, just people highly trained in child psychology. By this time, no one talked about equal rights. We knew we had been had.






Health Care and Small Business Suffer Under Government Controls:

Before Hitler, we had very good medical care. Many American doctors trained at the University of Vienna . After Hitler, health care was socialized, free for everyone. Doctors were salaried by the government. The problem was, since it was free, the people were going to the doctors for everything. When the good doctor arrived at his office at 8 a.m., 40 people were already waiting and, at the same time, the hospitals were full. If you needed elective surgery, you had to wait a year or two for your turn. There was no money for research as it was poured into socialized medicine. Research at the medical schools literally stopped, so the best doctors left Austria and emigrated to other countries.







As for healthcare, our tax rates went up to 80% of our income. Newlyweds immediately received a $1,000 loan from the government to establish a household. We had big programs for families. All day care and education were free. High schools were taken over by the government and college tuition was subsidized. Everyone was entitled to free handouts, such as food stamps, clothing, and housing.






We had another agency designed to monitor business. My brother-in-law owned a restaurant that had square tables. Government officials told him he had to replace them with round tables because people might bump themselves on the corners. Then they said he had to have additional bathroom facilities. It was just a small dairy business with a snack bar. He couldn't meet all the demands. Soon, he went out of business. If the government owned the large businesses and not many small ones existed, it could be in control.






We had consumer protection. We were told how to shop and what to buy. Free enterprise was essentially abolished. We had a planning agency specially designed for farmers. The agents would go to the farms, count the live-stock, then tell the farmers what to produce, and how to produce it.






"Mercy Killing" Redefined:

In 1944, I was a student teacher in a small village in the Alps . The villagers were surrounded by mountain passes which, in the winter, were closed off with snow, causing people to be isolated. So people intermarried and offspring were sometimes retarded. When I arrived, I was told there were 15 mentally retarded adults, but they were all useful and did good manual work. I knew one, named Vincent, very well. He was a janitor of the school. One day I looked out the window and saw Vincent and others getting into a van. I asked my superior where they were going. She said to an institution where the State Health Department would teach them a trade, and to read and write. The families were required to sign papers with a little clause that they could not visit for 6 months. They were told visits would interfere with the program and might cause homesickness.






As time passed, letters started to dribble back saying these people died a natural, merciful death. The villagers were not fooled. We suspected what was happening. Those people left in excellent physical health and all died within 6 months. We called this euthanasia.






The Final Steps - Gun Laws:






Next came gun registration.. People were getting injured by guns. Hitler said that the real way to catch criminals (we still had a few) was by matching serial numbers on guns. Most citizens were law abiding and dutifully marched to the police station to register their firearms. Not long after-wards, the police said that it was best for everyone to turn in their guns. The authorities already knew who had them, so it was futile not to comply voluntarily.






No more freedom of speech. Anyone who said something against the government was taken away. We knew many people who were arrested, not only Jews, but also priests and ministers who spoke up.






Totalitarianism didn't come quickly, it took 5 years from 1938 until 1943, to realize full dictatorship in Austria . Had it happened overnight, my countrymen would have fought to the last breath. Instead, we had creeping gradualism. Now, our only weapons were broom handles. The whole idea sounds almost unbelievable that the state, little by little eroded our freedom.






After World War II, Russian troops occupied Austria . Women were raped, preteen to elderly. The press never wrote about this either. When the Soviets left in 1955, they took everything that they could, dismantling whole factories in the process. They sawed down whole orchards of fruit, and what they couldn't destroy, they burned. We called it The Burned Earth. Most of the population barricaded themselves in their houses. Women hid in their cellars for 6 weeks as the troops mobilized. Those who couldn't, paid the price. There is a monument in Vienna today, dedicated to those women who were massacred by the Russians. This is an eye witness account.




"It's true..those of us who sailed past the Statue of Liberty came to a country of unbelievable freedom and opportunity.





America Truly is the Greatest Country in the World. Don't Let Freedom Slip Away





"After America , There is No Place to Go"







Please forward this message to other voters who may not have it.









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Sunday, April 4, 2010

st j kong parish news

there will be an Easter egg hunt today (Sun) @ 10:15 am at St J

Friday, April 2, 2010

deaths

Lyle Hanson of Cyrus passed away on mar 31st among his survivors are his granddaughter Kayla (Arron) Erdahl of Donnelly.

violet De rung passed away on mar 31st Among her survivors is a daughter Joyce (Jack) Aschmen of Lino Lake formerly of Donnelly.