2019 Year in Review: July-Dec.

By Jean Doran Matua, Editor

JULY

The Kimball Boy Scout Troop 357 attended Many Point Scout Camp the last week of June. They participated in a number of outdoor activities, and several Scouts earned Merit Badges during the camp.

Thanks to fundraising and generous donations, the Eden Valley Community Center and the Eden Valley Area Library had handicap-accessible doors installed (at a cost of nearly $5,000). It took two years, but the EVAL raised the needed funds on their own, with the Southwest Initiative Foundation providing a matching grant to get things started.

No-wake restrictions were extended to lakes in Stearns and Wright Counties.

Zachariah Okerman’s Eagle Scout project is to repair the redwood entrance signs for South Haven, with the city council’s support and up to $200 to pay for it.

The City of Watkins declined the CP Rail lease offer on land where McCarthy Park and a parking lot are located as the lease terms were not at all advantageous to the city. Instead, the council agreed to offer to purchase the land. This issue was not resolved during 2019.

Work continued in Eden Valley’s Friederichs Park. The shelter building was completed by July, and the splash pad was installed and concrete poured around it. Additional funds are still sought to complete plans for the new park, and donations are always gratefully welcomed (contact city hall). Eagle Scout candidate Tyler Kern coordinated several volunteers on a project to build four regular picnic tables and two wheelchair-accessible tables for the new park shelter in Friederichs Park this summer. The City of Eden Valley donated the funds, and Tyler provided and coordinated the labor.

A meeting was held July 8 at Watkins City Hall to save the Watkins grocery store. Owners Ed and Cindy Stein were hoping to retire soon and sought help in finding a buyer to keep the store active in the community. (Nov. 1, new owners Jeff and Reneen Babbitt took over the store after purchasing it, so the Steins can enjoy their retirement.)

The July 10 blood drive at St. Anthony Parish Hall in Watkins was successful, with 55 units collected (exceeding their goal by two).

July 13 was the Holy Cross Parish Festival in Marty (Pearl Lake). In spite of road construction all around it, and particularly hot and humid weather, there was a good turnout. “Smokin’ Guns” performed for the street dance that evening.

Ugly Tom’s (a.k.a. Valley Quick Stop) in Eden Valley ceased to be as of July 13. The business was sold by Tom and Kathy Inselman who are now happily retired after 35 years. The business was purchased by Jack’s and will no longer be a gas station or convenience store.

The KHS Class of 1949 celebrated their 70th reunion July 14 at Triple R in Kimball with 13 class members attending.

The Watkins Clippers defeated the Eden Valley Hawks with a shutout 21-0 score July 19. The win punched the 11C ticket for the Clippers, and closed out the season for the Hawks.

Ostmark Lutheran Church held its annual Homemade Ice Cream Social July 21 at their rural Watkins location.

The City of Kimball moved closer to having Stearns County take over policing of Kimball after a special meeting July 23 with Sheriff Steve Soyka. (It would be several months before a contract was finally approved by the county Board of Commissioners in January 2020.)

The weekend of July 26 was filled with the Babe Ruth State tournament, played in Warroad. The Kimball Babe Ruth team qualified for the State tournament by how they played five games within 24 hours the weekend before. The team, with coaches Adam Beyer and Michael Hoffmann, included Blake Brutger, Austin Schindler, Trent Wendlandt, Cody Leither, Carter Lyrek, Ty Gustafson, Skylor Gruba, Ace Meyer, Shuggs Hanan, Devin Waldorf, Evan Powell, and Gavin Winter. The Kimball team (all 13- to 15-year-olds) lost to Ashby 12-4, shut out Barnesville 11-0, defeated Menahga 4-3, and lost to Sauk Centre 7-0, ending their run in the tournament.

In a three-day competition July 26-28 in Yankton, S.D., KES fifth-grader Hawkins Nyholm took home a bronze medal in the NFAA Outdoor National Field Champions

The Kimball Class of 1989 had their 30th reunion July 27 at the home of Gus Mackereth in Kimball.

The EV-W 12U softball team took first place in the Crow River League playoff tournament July 27 in the Gold Division. They ended their season 25-1-1. Coaches were Jeff Heuring and Cory Schultz, and team members included Ava VanderBeek, Taryn Sommerfeld, Madison Price, Katrina Schutz, Kiera Stommes, Anna Kramer, Laura Heuring, Lily Schultz, Olivia Kramer, and Alexis Vossen.

In perhaps an odd turn of events, the Kimball Blue and Kimball Gold teams ended up playing each other for the 10U softball championship July 27. As such, the two teams took first and second place. The combined teams included Courtney Leither, Savannah Volk, Mazie Jurek, Mya Christensen, Jaelyn Major, Chloe Stelten, Julia DeMarais, Brielle Lyrek, Lexi Schindele, Kayden Bollman, Grace Garding, Veronica Reek, Carleen Spoden, Hope Kuechle, Ella Johnson, Kylie VanNurden, Brooke Gassler, Ellie Peters, Lila Lies, Liz Spaulding, Delainey Danger, and Kayla Verhey.

The Kimball Express hopes for another run at the State title were dashed when they lost to the Luxemburg Brewers, 5-2, in league playoffs July 27. The Express had advanced to the State Minnesota Amateur Baseball Tournament four of the past five years. There’s always next year.

The Forest City Street Dance was held July 27 with “River Canyon” performing.

St. Wendelin’s parish in Luxemburg held their parish festival July 28. All the usual events were included: chicken & ham dinner, kids’ games all day, Bingo (of course!), beer garden, quilt auction, and music by Nathan’s Old-Time Band and BLT.

A public meeting was held July 29 for anyone interested in forming a Watkins Community Foundation. The meeting was held at Watkins Village Hall. Several members of the already-existing Eden Valley group attended to offer their support and help to get the Watkins group started. When additional Watkins members are identified, a combined community foundation will be formed with a balance of Watkins and Eden Valley members who would make decisions on how funds could be distributed. Another meeting was scheduled for Aug. 20. This is a hopeful first step toward an important community institution.

Departures:

July 1, Rose Ann (Garvey) Hennen, 80, of Litchfield

July 1, Hazel (Johnson) Luebke, 101, of Perham

July 7, AmyLu (Minks) Hall, 58, of Watkins

July 14, Robert “Bob” Lenzmeier, 56, of Brainerd

July 15, Magnus Konz, 85

Marilyn (Gregory) Stockinger, 59, of Pearl Lake

July 19, Ervin “Erv” Gutknecht, 81, of New Hope

July 26, Thomas “Tom” Unterberger, 64, of Watkins

July 27, Gerald “Cardboard” Klein, 80, of Watkins

July 29, Douglas Conradt, 88

July 31, Margaret (Schmit) Hentges, 86

Arrival:

July 29, Ellisyn Sieben joined brother Devyn and sisters Camryn and Lauryn and parents Adam and Carla (Henneman) Sieben of Delano.

Transitions:

A celebration was held July 20 for friends and family of Denise (Becker) Spanier at the Kimball American Legion to commemorate her retirement from the U.S. Navy.

Tom and Mary Mathies celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this month with an open house at Dino’s Eden Lakeside Club.

AUGUST

The “Hands-free law” and several others took effect Aug. 1 this year. It is now illegal to hold a cellphone or other wireless communication device while behind the wheel.

Watkins celebrated this year’s Kraut ’N Wurst festival Aug. 2-3. The Little Miss Watkins pageant was held Friday night with nine contestants; Olivia Klein was crowned Little Miss Watkins, and Grace Eder and Alia Dobis were crowned Princesses. The cow drop followed the pageant. LeRoy Simmons was grand marshal of this year’s parade. The Saturday morning parade sort of kicked off a day filled with activities focused at McCarthy Park, including: kids’ games, petting zoo, laser tag, kiddie tractor pull, beer/hamburger stand, bean bag tournament, and more. “Mitch Gordon and the Unleaded Band” performed for the street dance. New this year was a frog race Saturday evening; it seemed to be a big hit!

The Great Northern Theatre Company presented “The Addams Family: A New Musical Comedy” at ROCORI High School in Cold Spring in August. Kimball natives Holly Dahlinger and Mitch Hurrle starred in the production.

Steve and Shelley Kern of Watkins were named Meeker County’s “2019 Farm Family of the Year” this month by the University of Minnesota.

Aug. 6 National Night Out was celebrated across the country. Eden Valley had individual neighborhood block parties. Kimball’s festivities were centered at Willow Creek Park, including water-ball for the kids. The Watkins party was at McCarthy Park and was co-sponsored by the Watkins Lions. National Night Out is a nation-wide effort to encourage and support police/community partnerships.

The Watkins American Legion held its membership dinner Aug. 6.

Kimball Days were held Aug. 4-6 and 8-10. New this year, the Little Miss Kimball coronation was held the weekend before, on a Sunday afternoon. There were three candidates and all three were named Little Miss Ambassadors: Raelyn St.Onge, Brooke Hinkemeyer, and Carmen Nystrom. The Medallion Hunt started on Monday, and National Night Out was included as part of the Kimball Days kick-off. The Grande Day Parade had long-time Kimball librarian Lorraine Gregory as grand marshal. There were many of the traditional Kimball Days events as well: kiddie tractor pull, Historical Society Supper in the Park, water-ball fight, Kimball Lions 5K, KidZone at St. Anne’s, softball tournament, dunk tank, Lions breakfast, car/tractor show, and so much more. TMS Konz Farms’ candy-combine won the 2019 parade float contest.

Kimball United Methodist Church hosted its 4th annual Summer Social as part of Kimball Days Aug. 8 with “The Jumpin’ Jehosafats” in concert.

As a special treat, the groundbreaking for Kimball’s new library was scheduled following the Kimball Days parade Aug. 10, at the new site (roughly between the high school and Dingmann’s funeral home. Grand marshal and long-time Kimball librarian Lorraine Gregory was the guest of honor. (Note that this groundbreaking was symbolic only, as no construction began in 2019. The project is now on schedule to begin in Spring 2020 for completion that year.)

The EV-W Community Ed Theater presented “Camp Omigosh!” Aug. 9 at the high school. Performers were in grades 3-6.

The Kimball Class of 1984 held their 35-year reunion Aug. 10 at Pearl Lake Lodge in Marty.

The 33rd annual Antique Car Run made its lunch stop in downtown Kingston Aug. 10 with more than 60 cars making the New London to New Brighton run. The Kingston Lions sponsored the BBQ lunch that included root beer floats.

Kingston Apostolic Lutheran Church held an event Aug. 11 as a send-off of out-going Pastor Orval and Beth Wirkkala, and welcoming new Pastor Bob and Tricia Tumberg.

The American Red Cross was at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Eden Valley Aug. 12 for a blood drive. A total of 84 units were collected, above their goal of 78.

The EV-W 14U softball team participated in the “Parade of Champions” at in Target Field before the Twins’ game against the Cleveland Indians Aug. 12.

There was a little extra excitement on Main Street in Kimball early evening Aug. 12 when the brakes may have locked on a trailer hauling excavating equipment. Friction and sparks caused the tires to explode, and the wood planks of the trailer to burn. At least some of the equipment was a total loss. The Kimball Fire Department responded quickly, but Highway 15 traffic in both directions was diverted for about an hour.

The 70th annual Cokato Corn Carnival was Aug. 12-14 with a parade, coronation, carnival, free corn-on-the-cob, a free concert with Tonic Sol Fa, and drawings that included cash and a 2019 Ford Fusion.

A Watkins Pool fundraiser carnival was held Aug. 16 to raise money to maintain the Watkins Swimming Pool. The event was such a fun success, it will be held again!

This year’s Sharing Alayna Ertl’s Love Memorial Run was held Aug. 17. This year’s proceeds went to Makayla Kammermeier who has central nervous system Hodgkin lymphoma, a particularly rare form of the disease.

Both the 36th annual Forest City Stockade Rendezvous and the 31st annual Forest City Threshers Show (featuring J.I. Case this year) were held Aug. 17-18.

The Watkins Clippers earned their way to the State Minnesota Amateur Baseball tournament this year, played in both Maple Lake and Delano, after defeating Monticello 4-1 and Cold Spring Rockies 11-1 then losing to Foley 6-5 to put Watkins in #3 seed entering the State tournament. Team manager Matt Geislinger pitched a shut-out game Aug. 18 against Stark for their first State tournament win this year.

The Watkins Swimming Pool closed for the season, as scheduled, Aug. 24. It was a good season at the pool this year.

The Valley Tractor Club visited Hilltop Health Care Center in Watkins with an antique tractor display Aug. 24. Days later, the St. Cloud Antique Auto Club spent a couple of hours there with their old cars Aug. 27. Residents and staff enjoy the visits and interaction outdoors.

The Watkins Clippers defeated #1 seed Morris Eagles, 31, Aug. 25 to continue their journey toward state championship.

Kimball Schools began Aug. 26. Kimball Elementary School has a new principal, Joel Timmerman. Other new staff included Johnny Benson special ed, Celest Stang community ed directory, Justin Frerichs band, Brad Sköglund KES recess monitor, Alyssa Fladebo social worker, Maria Fussy social studies, Jen Scott KAHS special ed/EBD, Bob Steffen tech, and Kelly Traurig KAHS paraprofessional.

Art Faber’s sesquicentennial farm was celebrated in the Aug. 29 Tri-County News. He may well be the last of his line to live on and farm this land, as he has no children, and no other family member is in a position to take it over.

In their respective season openers, EV-W soared past KAHS in football, 42-14. The game was played Aug. 30 at Eden Valley, and the win meant that the Rooster Bowl Trophy remained at EV-W.

The Watkins Clippers path to state championship was halted abruptly Aug. 30 with a 4-0 loss to Red Wing, just one game away from the quarterfinals. See you all in the 2020 season!

Departures:

Aug. 3, Denis Marthaler, 82

Aug. 8, Elaine (Salmela) Johnson, 79, of Fairhaven

Aug. 11, Cecilia “Cele” (Fink) Becker, 92, of Watkins

Aug. 11, Gladys (Fischer) Olson, 87, of Kimball

Aug. 13, Wayne Kuseske, 56, of St. Cloud

Aug. 13, Rainer Landwehr, 88, of Watkins

Aug. 14, David Newkirk, 76, of Maple Lake

Aug. 24, Wanda (Stuve) Miller, 66, of South Haven

Aug. 27, Travis Pope, 41, of Kimball

Aug. 29, Ethelyn (Donnay) Hilsgen, 88, of Watkins

Transitions:

Annicka Konz and Dunkin Westrich of Kimball were married this month.

SEPTEMBER

Gene Gruber earned a third-place world title overall at the 2019 World Ploughing Competition held Aug. 30-Sept. 1 in Baudette, Minn. He earned second place in grassland, and second in stubble ploughing.

Eden Valley-Watkins Schools began Sept. 3. EV-W re-hired Bruce Kiehn who had retired in July as the high school principal. New staff at EV-W this year are Haylee Liestman fifth grade, Shania Fobbe school readiness, Erika Geislinger ECSE, Shelby Uphoff-Sawyer counselor, and Jose Carreno Spanish. As construction projects were still being completed at both the Eden Valley and Watkins elementary schools, there were changes in pick-ups and drop-offs as well as the entrances for both schools: parents and visitors must now enter the buildings through the secured offices.

The KHS Class of 1952 met for their reunion Sept. 5 at Triple R in Kimball with nine class members attending.

The afternoon of Sept. 6 about 65 motorcycles and more than 100 riders passed through Kimball heading north. They were the Minnesota chapter of Tribute to the Troops (TTT), and they were on their way from Hutchinson to Camp Ripley for a weekend honoring Gold Star families.

During halftime of Kimball’s football game against Minnewaska Sept. 6, five new members of the Kimball Hall of Fame were inducted: Jerry Hokkanen 1961, Alisha (Fischer) Kuechle 1998, coach Gary Riess 1976-2018, Mary Libbesmeier 1996, and Melanie (Marquardt) Knaus 2004. A small reception was held for them after the game.

A dedication ceremony was held Sept. 7 for the Kingston Wildlife Management Area, just south of Kimball. The 625-acre reserve is now the largest wildlife management area within Meeker County. The land, sold by brothers Peter and Paul Heid to Pheasants Forever, includes 1.6 miles of frontage on the Clearwater River and is home to a wide variety of native wildlife.

The St. Anthony Catholic Church parish festival in Watkins was held Sept. 8.

Sept. 10 was Youth Apprenticeship Signing Day at KAHS. Five students (Collin Gassler, McKenzie Swant, Brandon Rosha, Logan Webb, and Jonah Sodergren) signed commitments to 450-hour apprenticeships with local businesses Kids of the Kingdom in Litchfield, A.M. Maus & Son in Kimball, Coldspring (formerly Cold Spring Granite), and Malco Tools in Annandale.

The Kimball Old Coots met Sept. 10 at Triple R in Kimball. They are predominantly KHS alumni athletes who get together every six months.

The KHS Class of 1959 met Sept. 11 for their 60th class reunion at Triple R in Kimball. They had a good turnout with 24 class members in attendance.

Bishop Donald Kettler celebrated a Blue Mass for first responders Sept. 12 at St. Mary’s Cathedral in St. Cloud.

The KHS Class of 1957 met Sept. 13 at Triple R in Kimball.

Thomes Insurance hosted a pancake breakfast Sept. 14 in Buffalo to celebrate their 85th anniversary in business.

Millner Heritage Vineyard & Winery, located on Highway 15 south of Kimball, hosted their annual Hungarian Harvest Festival and Grape Stomp Sept. 14.

The 8th annual Judy Pauls Memorial Bike Run was held Sept. 14 starting at Bud’s Bar in Watkins and riding to New Germany. Proceeds this year went to Crescent Cove Hospice.

The KAHS Class of 1979 held its 40th reunion Sept. 14 at the Eagles Club in St. Cloud.

Friends and classmates held a Hope for Pope Benefit Sept. 14 at Pearl Lake Lodge in Marty for Travis Pope who died Aug. 27 of pancreatic cancer. The benefit had been scheduled for some time, and it went on even though he did not survive long enough for the benefit. Travis graduated from KAHS in 1996.

A benefit was held Sept. 14 at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Kimball for Hudson Hendrickx, the 8-year-old son of Nic and Renee Hendrickx from Elizabeth, Minn., and grandson of Keith and Jo Schwichtenberg, formerly of Kimball.

St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Kimball celebrated their Fall Parish Festival Sept. 15. It turned out to be a perfect summer day for the event.

The Eden Valley Area Library hosted their sixth annual Fall Fundraiser Sept. 15 at Dino’s Eden Lakeside Club.

Kimball’s Homecoming was held Sept. 15-20. Collin Gassler and Bailee Schiefelbein were crowned 2019 Homecoming king and queen.

Ground was broken Sept. 16 for a new Fair Haven town hall on the west side of the town site on County Road 44.

The KHS Class of 1954 celebrated its 65th reunion Sept. 18 at Triple R Grill & Bar in Kimball with 16 class members attending.

Sept. 18 was the first of nine meetings in the Meeker In Motion leadership program that includes 23 participants from across Meeker County. The nine scheduled meetings also are scheduled around the county. The program’s mission is: Inspiring you to lead, build connections, and together create a shared vision for vibrant communities.

The Kimball 10U softball team played at the State Tournament in Lakeville. Representing both Kimball and the Crow River League in Hutchinson, the team ended its season Sept. 18 with an 11-9 loss to St. Michael-Albertville during the tournament. Coaches were Carrie Stelten, Jeremy Kuechle, and Stacey Johnson. Team members were Kylie VanNurden, Elyanna Peters, Hope Kuechle, Brooke Gassler, Chloe Stelten, Ella Johnson, Kayla Verhey, Delainey Danger, Kayden Bollman, and Lila Lies.

Stearns County deputies responded Sept. 18 to a possible late-night house fire at the home of Charles Nystrom and Vicki Fosjord after the house was apparently struck by lightning.

The KHS Class of 1958 celebrated its 61st reunion Sept. 19 at Triple R Grill & Bar in Kimball with 18 classmates in attendance.

The KHS Class of 1956 celebrated its 63rd reunion Sept. 20 at Triple R Grill & Bar in Kimball with 16 class members attending.

The Church of Our Lady in Manannah held its grilled pork chop supper and raffle Sept. 22 at the church.

At its annual meeting Sept. 22, the Eden Valley Legion Post #381 was presented with hand-made quilts from the local Quilts of Valor group, “Patriotic Quilters.” This is the second year Patriotic Quilters presented a number of quilts to Legion members: 51 last year and 72 this year; they have about 50 or so left to do next year in order that every member of the Legion Club has a hand-made, patriotic quilt as thanks for their service. The quilting group meets from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. on the first Saturday each month, at the Eden Valley Community Center/City Hall, to cut and put together quilts. Everyone is welcome to come and help, and donations toward this project are always gratefully accepted.

The Kimball Area Historical Society presented a free program Sept. 24 on “Minnesota 13,” the name for Stearns County moonshine produced during Prohibition.

The Kimball Fire & Rescue Department hosted a blood drive at St. Anne’s Church in Kimball Sept. 25.

The Kimball Boy Scouts Troop #357 hosted more than 250 Scouts at the Kimball Rod & Gun Club for a special camp. The Scouts got to shoot a variety of guns in addition to sling shots, tomahawks, and archery. The Granite City Gunslingers demonstrated their cowboy shoot, and let the Scouts shoot their vintage guns.

Sept. 28 was the date of this year’s Pumpkin Palooza! fundraiser for the Kimball Area Library. There were loads of games and activities for kids, a concert by “Skally Line, and a silent and live auction that included pumpkins decorated by Kimball Elementary students.

Alison Thielen and Bella Rausch represented Eden Valley-Watkins on the 10U Crow River fastpitch (softball) team that took second place in the Tier 4 State Tournament Sept. 28 in Shoreview.

The Kimball 12U softball team missed a State title by one inning Sept. 29 at the State Tournament in Forest Lake. The Cubs defeated Hudson (Wis.) 2-1, defeated St. Peter 12-8, and defeated Wayzata 9-2, but lost to Forest Lake 7-5 in the final inning of that game.

A hog roast benefit was held Sept. 29 for Kimball third-grader Coltin Kenning. The 8-year-old has endured 15 or more brain surgeries and developed a heart problem on top of it all. The benefit was held at Kimball Elementary School.

Watkins hosted a blood drive Sept. 30 at the St. Anthony Social Hall. A total of 47 units were collected.

71-year-old veteran referee Mike Canfield was officiating a JV football game in Kimball Sept. 27 when he suddenly collapsed on the field. Kimball followed the MSHSL Emergency Action Plan that ultimately saved Canfield’s life. Everyone had a role to play, and 2 AEDs were on the field right away. Mike Schindler, a trained first-responder whose son was playing that night, jumped into action while an ambulance was on its way. A couple from Morris (she a nurse, and he an athletic trainer at the U of M-Morris) performed CPR. Canfield became fully alert on the way to the hospital (a rarity), and surgeons placed two coronary artery stents near Canfield’s heart. This “good news” story made the TV news, and was written up on the Minnesota State High School League website. Kudos again to all involved for taking the right action that assured a great outcome!

Departures:

Sept. 5, Eleanor (Rutgers) Partridge, 88, of Annandale

Sept. 7, Lorraine (Sufka) Gregory, 88, of Pearl Lake

Sept. 7, Timothy Hartman, 50, of Kimball

Sept. 7, Elmer Vossen, 88, of Cold Spring (formerly of St. Nicholas)

Sept. 9, James Van Nurden, 75, of Hutchinson

Sept. 23, Gene Vinkemeier, 59, of Richmond (formerly of South Haven)

Sept. 26, Joan (Ray) Loch, 83, of Eden Valley

Sept. 26, Lois (Eckman) Wills, 85, of Kimball

Sept. 27, Bishop John Francis Kinney, bishop emeritus of St. Cloud

Transitions:

Dellas Norgren celebrated his 80th birthday with an open house at Lake Union Covenant Church.

Kenny Schmidt celebrated his 80th birthday with an open house at South Haven City Hall.

OCTOBER

The Kimball Lions annual fish fry was held Oct. 4 at the Willow Creek Park Lions Shelter.

The Eden Valley Fire Relief Association sponsored an open house Oct. 4 with a bounce house and kids’ games, fire truck rides, blood checks, food, and more.

A grand opening ceremony was held Oct. 4 for the Veterans Resource Center on 33rd Avenue N. (across from the Electrolux Building) in St. Cloud. The center will be home to Stand Down, Inc., which hosts an annual health fair for veterans, and provides numerous other services to veterans.

The EV-W Class of 1984 met for their 35th class reunion Oct. 5 at Stadium Bar in Annandale.

Millner Heritage Vineyard & Winery hosted their annual Oktoberfest and Grape Stomp Oct. 5-6 at the winery located between Kimball and Dassel, south of Kimball.

Zion United Methodist Church in South Haven held a Blessing of the Animals Oct. 6 at the church.

Kimball Kruisers 4-H Club kicked off National 4-H Week by cleaning their Adopt A Highway stretch on Oct. 6.

The Assumption Church in Eden Valley had their annual fall roast-beef dinner Oct. 6 at the church.

The KAHS National Honor Society inducted new members Oct. 6 at the high school: Madison Streit, Simon Ochs, Alex Nelson, Jackie Massmann, Zya Lueders, Andrea Jendro, and Naomi Bollman.

Eden Valley-Watkins Homecoming was held Oct. 6-11. Zach Nistler and Ellie Schmaltz were crowned 2019 EV-W Homecoming king and queen.

The KHS Class of 1955 held its reunion Oct. 8 at Triple R in Kimball.

The Kimball National Honor Society held a spaghetti dinner fundraiser Oct. 8 at KAHS.

The Kimball Class of 1968 held a reunion luncheon Oct. 9 at Triple R in Kimball.

Lost and Found in Eden Valley celebrated their 25 years in business Oct. 10-12 with a sale at the store in addition to treats and door prizes.

Grandparents’ Day was celebrated at Kimball Elementary Oct. 11.

Barb Hagemeier was presented with the Central Minnesota Conference Distinguished Service Award at the Oct. 11 EV-W Homecoming game by activities director Dave Schneider.

Oct. 12 was the 44th annual Fall Bazaar at Ostmark Lutheran Church in rural Watkins.

Concordia Lutheran Church in Fair Haven also held their Fall Bazaar on Oct. 12.

EV-W Community Ed presented “Twelve Angry Pigs” Oct. 12-13 at the high school. The play is a parody on “Twelve Angry Men” in which a wolf goes on trial. All the performers were elementary students under the direction of Cassy Lahr, Veronica Soine, and Kris Latcham.

The EV-W FFA Horse Evaluation team qualified Oct. 14 at the regional contest in New London for the State FFA convention in April. The team, consisting of Breanna Gertken, Kadence Caron, Kaitlyn Mathies, and Brooke Johnson, placed fourth.

Representatives of Meeker Cooperative met with Kimball and Watkins residents in mid-October to present the Vibrant Broadband service being installed in the area.

In the early morning hours of Oct. 19 Christopher Madigan of Eden Valley was driving home on County Road 9 when a vehicle pulled out in front of him from County Road 21. Madigan swerved to miss the vehicle and went into the ditch then into a small pasture where his Escalade struck and killed a cow. Madigan did not need medical attention, but his SUV did not fare as well.

St. John’s Lutheran Church in Kimball held its 9th annual grilled pork chop dinner and silent auction Oct. 19 at the church.

St. Wendelin’s Catholic School hosted a comedy night with comedian Tommy Ryman Oct. 19 at the school in Luxemburg.

A retirement reception was held Oct. 20 for Lori Rippentrop who retired after serving 33 years as organist and pianist at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Kimball.

The annual Kingston Turkey Dinner was held Oct. 20 at the Community Center, sponsored by the Johnson Kelly American Legion Post #483.

A fundraiser was held Oct. 20 for Raptors Roost – a non-profit place for youth to hang out, play arcade and video games, and have other events – at Dino’s Eden Lakeside Club. The plans were to run the Raptors Roost in the former Valley Meats & Grocery store on the corner of State Street and Meeker Stearns Street in Eden Valley. (Plans have since changed, and it will be located in the former Speakeasy building.)

Oct. 22 marked the 30th anniversary of the abduction (and, we only recently learned, murder) of Jacob Wetterling in 1989.

The 2019 Leadership in Educational Excellence Awards was held Oct. 23 at River’s Edge Convention Center in St. Cloud. LEEA recipients from Eden Valley-Watkins High School were Jayna Ruprecht and Tyler Warren. LEEA recipients from Kimball Area High School were Whitney Hunt and Kim Looman.

Several members of the Kimball American Legion Auxiliary attended the Legion fall conference Oct. 24-26 in Mahnomen. Those attending were Barb Hopewell, Collette VanVleet, Carol Santone-Royal, Jeanne Schmidt, Dori Hamilton, Renee Berscheid, and LuAnn Marschel.

The EV-W/K cross country team competed at the Section 6A meet Oct. 25 at the Pierz Golf Course. Cailyn and Brookelyn Kuechle qualified individually for the State Meet and both completed their race in the top 10. At the State Meet Nov. 2, Brookelyn placed 81st in State, and Cailyn placed 98th.

Holy Cross Parish in Marty (Pearl Lake) held their 56th annual Fish Fry Oct. 25.

St. Matthew’s United Church of Christ in Forest City held their annual Fall Bazaar Oct. 26.

The 2nd annual indoor Fishing Contest hosted by Maine Prairie Ducks Unlimited was held Oct. 26 at Triple R in Kimball.

A crash resulted in the early evening Oct. 27 when a pickup pulled out in front of a Chevy Impala at the intersection of County Road 7 and County Road 146 in Fairhaven Township. The Impala driver, 58-year-old Lynette Kleve of Howard lake, was treated at the scene and later transported to St. Cloud Hospital for further treatment. Deputies arrested the pickup driver, 72-year-old  Clayton Johannes, and booked him on felony criminal vehicular operation resulting in injury, and fourth-degree DWI. That particular intersection has been the scene of several serious accidents.

EV-W technology coordinator Denise DeJuliannie and BCA special agent (and EV-W school board member) J.J. Brovold teamed up to present a free workshop at The Church of St. Anthony Parish Hall in Watkins Oct. 28. The topic was “Are your kids safe online?” The presentation was eye-opening, to be sure, and was scheduled to be repeated at a later time in order to reach a larger audience.

The Eden Valley Chamber of Commerce and Eden Valley Citizens For Progress (EV C4P) officially merged and relaunched at an Oct. 28 meeting. The reasoning is that mostly the same people are involved in both organizations, and their missions are very similar.

Oct. 28 marked the 100th anniversary of the first meeting of the Frederick A. Metcalf Post #261 American Legion Club. The current Legion building was built in 1949.

Now an annual tradition, a Halloween party was held in joint celebration with Alayna Ertl’s birthday Oct. 31 at St. Anthony Social Hall. The free and popular event is sponsored by Sharing Alayna Ertl’s Love, and birthday gifts brought to the party are shared throughout the Holiday season with children in need.

Departures:

Oct. 4, Luella (Hoeft) Nelson, 98, of Hutchinson

Oct. 6, Dennis Becker, 76, of Kimball

Oct. 6, James “Jim” Fuchs, 79, of Watkins

Oct. 8, Marion “June” (Fisher) Ertl, 87, of Litchfield

Oct. 12, Peter “Pete” Wilson, 69, of Kimball

Oct. 19, Adeline (Kummet) McCarney, 93, of Eden Valley

Oct. 29, Herbert “Bert” Dibley, 93, of Brooklyn Park

NOVEMBER

New owners Jeff and Reneen Babbitt officially took over Stein’s Thriftway Foods in Watkins on Nov. 1. The couple renamed the store J&R Family Market. Ed and Cindy Stein are now (we certainly hope) finally enjoying their retirement.

The EV-W Class of 1994 celebrated their 25th reunion Nov. 1 at Dino’s Eden Lakeside Club.

“Don’t Hug Me” A love story with singin’ & stuff” was presented in November by Great Northern Theatre Company, at the Great Blue Heron.

On Nov. 4 at the American Angus Association’s 136th annual meeting in Reno, Nev., Don Schiefelbein of Kimball was elected president and chairman of the board.

In light of the hullabaloo in St. Louis Park recently, the Eden Valley City Council decided Nov. 6 to add the Pledge of Allegiance to its monthly meetings, effective immediately.

At the American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Ky., Nov. 8-9, the Meeker/Wright State Champion 4-H Dairy Knowledge Bowl team placed fourth overall from among 17 other state champion teams. That team included coach James Salfer, Bethany Groos, Jonathan Gathje, Gregory Gathje, Paige Welling, and Taylor Fester.

Veterans Day programs were held around the area on
Nov. 11 including Kimball Area High School, Eden Valley-Watkins High School, and Hilltop Health Care Center in Watkins.

Nov. 12 the Kimball Area Historical Society presented a Veterans Day program at the Kimball American Legion Post #261: “A Kimball fly boy at Normandy: Dean Stanley’s role in D-Day.” Dean’s nephew Duane Stanley was the speaker, having recently visited France for the anniversary of D-Day.

The EV-W FFA Fish & Wildlife team qualified for State Nov. 13 by placing third out of 17 teams at the regional contest. Members of the team included Keegan Kramer, Lane Harff, Adam Lindenfelser, Ethan Geislinger, Porter Kuechle, Tyler Anderson, Brooke Piram, Bryce Piram, Jenifer Kipf, and Carter Mathies.

Kimball Area High School presented “Cinderella”
Nov. 15-17 at the high school. A cast of dozens was led by Ellie Kuechle as Ella and Riley Spoden as Prince Charming in this musical version of the classic tale. The play was well attended, and very well received.

Powder Ridge Winter Recreation Area opened for the season Nov. 16. Night-time temperatures were cold enough for them to make lots of snow in preparation for the early opening.

The EV-W FFA fall corn drive raised $1,600 that was donated to True Friends-Camp Courage, a non-profit agency that provides camps that enhance independence and self-esteem for more than 5,000 children and adults with disabilities each year.

Sarah Kneip of Richmond spoke at Eden Valley Area Library Nov. 16 about her historic novel, Secret of le Saint.” A good crowd turned up to hear her speak about her process, research, and how she has “written books” since she was a young child.

On Nov. 20, EV-W senior Halle Jansen signed a national letter of intent to play volleyball at Southwest Minnesota State University next year.

Nov. 20 was the Resource Training & Solutions Educational Support Staff recognition event in St. Cloud. Honored from EV-W were Raymond Schoenherr and Tammy Brua. Honorees from Kimball Schools were Paul Sandell and Cyntia Lommel.

Kingston Apostolic Lutheran Church held their 13th annual Chili Supper Nov. 22 at the church.

On Nov. 23 the Hansen family (77-year-old Lucille, 43-year-old Jason, and 48-year-old Jeffrey) of Fairhaven was killed in a car crash in Palmer Township (about 7 miles east of St. Cloud) when their SUV went through a stop sign and collided with a pickup. The mother and sons had been on their way to a family wedding.

St. Anne’s Christian Women of Luxemburg held their annual fundraiser breakfast Nov. 24 at Mary Hall (at St. Wendelin’s Church).

First-graders at Kimball Elementary School celebrated Thanksgiving by preparing a feast that they enjoyed Nov. 25. They made their own Pilgrim costumes, and spent the morning making applesauce; each student brought in one apple to add to the sauce. In addition to the applesauce, they also dined on popcorn trail mix and juice.

Nov. 28 was the 20th anniversary of editor/publisher Jean Doran Matua working with the Tri-County News. At 1,040 weeks, with 12-36 pages a week, that’s an awful lot of words!

In an effort to try something new to support and promote local businesses, the Kimball Area Chamber of Commerce hosted Small Business Saturday Nov. 30 with a BINGO event (visiting multiple participating businesses could earn you a BINGO, and turning in your BINGO card earned you one of several chances at $10 in Kimball Kash, or a grand prize of $100 in Kimball Kash. No one had any way of knowing that Small Business Saturday would turn out to be bitterly cold and miserable, so numbers of participants were lower than hoped.

Departures:

Nov. 2, Donald Moyer Sr., 76, of Watkins

Nov. 5, Micheal “Mike” Roeser, 61, of Farwell

Nov. 9, Marie (Waltzing) Koenig, 87, of St. Augusta

Nov. 12, Kenneth Langmo, 90, of Litchfield

Nov. 13, Ortega Mohamed, 23, of Kimball

Nov. 18, Troy Simmons, 55, of Forest City

Nov. 20, Donald Walters, 60, of Watkins

Nov. 21, Jan King, 74, of Orrock, Minn. (formerly of South Haven)

Nov. 23, Jason Hansen, 43, of Fairhaven Township

Nov. 23, Jeffrey “Jeff” Hansen, 48, of Fairhaven Township

Nov. 23, Lucille “Lucy” (Bremer) Hansen, 77, of Fairhaven Township

Nov. 25, Blanche (Vannurden) Miller, 84, of Fair Haven

Transitions:

A bridal shower was held for Amber Froehling and Kurt Bowman this month.

DECEMBER

Following the announcement of the end-of-year retirement of South Haven city clerk Carol Banken, Karen Flaten took over full duties of the job as of Dec. 1.

South Haven Santa Day was Dec. 1, sponsored by Fairhaven Lions and South Haven Sportsmen’s Club.

The Watkins Senior Citizens Christmas party was held Dec. 4, and was catered by Keek’s Restaurant of Watkins.

Mock interviews were held at KAHS Dec. 5 giving seniors practice with job interviews and honing their interviewing skills.

In the afternoon of Dec. 5, emergency responders spent about two hours searching for a helicopter believed to have crashed shortly after takeoff from the Army Reserve base in St. Cloud. The search eventually narrowed on the Pearl Lake area and the crash site was found just a stone’s throw south of Holy Cross Church and School. All three crew on board perished in the crash: Chief Warrant Officer 2 Charles Nord, Chief Warrant Officer 2 James Rogers Jr., and Warrant Officer Candidate Kort Plantenberg. The investigation is still ongoing as we go into 2020 as to the cause. Neighbors responded by bringing coffee, food, and treats to the responders in the field, and the Krippner family erected a flagpole near the crash site (to be replaced by a more permanent monument in the spring). Great responses to a tragic accident.

Dec. 7 was Santa Day at EV-W High School, sponsored by the Eden Valley Lions Club and EV-W Community Ed.

St. John’s Lutheran Church in Kimball held their annual Christmas Bazaar Dec. 7 at the church.

St. John’s Lutheran Church in Annandale held their annual Holiday Fair Dec. 7 as well.

Forest City Stockade held their 24th annual Pioneer Christmas Dec. 7.

Concordia Lutheran Church in Fair Haven had a spaghetti dinner and silent auction Dec. 7 at the church.

The Kingston Lions hosted The Mahlstedt Family in concert
Dec. 7 at the Community Center. Free-will donations went toward the Meeker County Food Shelf.

A blood drive was held at St. Anthony Church Social Hall Dec. 10. A total of 54 units were collected.

The CP Rail Holiday Train made a stop in Kimball Dec. 12 as part of its 2019 U.S. route. The train was about a half-hour late, and it was rather cold (although not nearly as cold as it’s been some years), but the show was good, crowd was big, and everyone had a great time. A $4,500 donation was given to the Kimball Area Food Bank by CP Rail.

The Eden Valley Citizens for Progress again sponsored “Letters to Santa” in Eden Valley. Deadline to drop off letters was Dec. 11. Response letters were available by mail, or email this year.

The EV-W Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held Dec. 13 during a home wrestling quadrangular. Members of the 2019 Hall of Fame class are: Nate Becker 1999, Chris Grothe 1992, Aaron Ruhland, 1990, Scott Strohmeier 1993, and coach Mike Tomsche.

Santa Day in Kimball was Dec. 14 at City Hall.

Santa also came to visit the Kingston Community Center on Dec. 14. There, kids also were able to make Christmas cards that would be sent to our troops.

Cardboard Art Productions presented “The Grinch in Hollyville” at the Watkins Village Hall Dec. 14. The play was followed by a visit from Santa. The Watkins Lions served hot dogs and hot cocoa at the skating rink afterward, and there were horse-drawn carriage rides.

Annandale Main Street Holiday was celebrated Dec. 14 with a number of activities in the afternoon and culminating with a Holiday Lights Parade.

The EV-W Holiday Gathering and food shelf drive was held
Dec. 15 in the Eden Valley Community Center. There were plenty of volunteers and helpers, but not so many who came for the event this year. Those who came had a grand time, though, with music, food, and Santa Claus.

A fire the morning of Dec. 18 destroyed a house on 385th Street in Manannah Township. The house, owned by Merle Miller, was a total loss. No one was injured in the fire.

For a second year, a group of hearty carolers went around Kimball Dec. 18 sharing Christmas joy.

Harvest Bank held an open house Dec. 20 in part to recognize Lois Jensen as she retires after working there 47 years as a teller.

The EV-W Career Fair originally scheduled for Nov. 27 was postponed because of bad weather; it was finally held
Dec. 20.

The EV-W Elementary variety show was held Dec. 21, the last day of school before Christmas break. This year’s theme was “Toy Story 4,” and staff again wowed students with their varied talents and humor.

St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Kimball hosted a live nativity the afternoon of Dec. 22.

Zion United Methodist Church in South Haven held a Blue Christmas service Dec. 22.

The morning of Dec. 29, a man’s body was found in rural Kingston. Some days later, he was identified as 34-year-old Justin Warnke of Buffalo. 37-year-old Alejandro Vega of Montrose was arrested in connection with the case but, as the year ended, authorities were still investigating how the man died, as well as where he died.

As the year ended, so did Sandy Holthaus’s recipe column as she retired from doing that and her radio show.

Departures:

Dec. 1, Clarence “Casey” Strand, 72, of Annandale

Dec. 8, Gary Nohner, 67, of Watkins

Dec. 12, Rita (Reller) Wicker, 85

Dec. 14, Clifton “Kip” Jenson, 61, of South Haven

Dec. 16, Gwendolyn “Gwen” (Miller) Caird, 84, of Kimball

Dec. 18, Sylvia (Salzbrun) Harren, 74, of St. Augusta

Dec. 20, Donald Erpelding, 78, of Watkins

Dec. 20, Donald Nistler, 76, of Watkins

Dec. 26, Barbara (Ziehl) Huckenpoehler, 77, of Kimball

Dec. 29, Valentine “Val” Riley, 87, of Watkins