Elgin Echo (Newspaper) - January 26, 1994, Elgin, Iowa Single 50c OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER FOR FAYETTE COUNTY ft THE CITIES OF WADENA FAYETTE IOWA January 26, 1994 Number 22 Look for the issue activities set for Elgin's Homecoming The Elgin Homecoming Committee is preparing to Spirits Soar in as plans are put into place for this summer's Homecoming celebration July 21-24 - a one in five year event Among the is the 2:30 parade on July 23, which will feature the Elgin Fire Department is grand The department was selected for its many contributions during the recent years of The Valley and North Fayette school bands will provide instrumental music that and as in the the parade will be led by the customary I i - Anyone wishing to enter the should contact either Phil Don Sutter or Leo There were 81 entries in Homecoming event and more are expected this Of the entertainment that has Pseudo Sumos will offer anyone with a sense of a chance at with while having a bit of The activity invites participants to step into an air-filled Sumo complete with a Sumo belt and head dress and to do battle with another Sumo A Sumo will see to it that no rules are Pseudo Sumos have made such television appearances as The Tonight Show and Regis and Kathy Yet other activities already are a dance Saturday featuring the Blue andan ecumenical church service on July 24. The Elgin High School reunion will offer all grads an opportunity to reminisce out at the new Valley School Saturday Committee chairpersons are Marlys Helen Zurbriggen and Karolin Throughout the there will be a at the Gilbertson coordinated by Dawn DeVore and There will be tables of crafts and merchandise on display in the city park - anyone needing more information should contact Dorma The Elgin Historical group will also be raffling a quilt that features scenes of Elgin from long It is still hoped that a carnival will be contracted with to provide Detail on that should be announced Chairing the organizational committee of Elgin Homecoming are Kevin Roberta Carol Katsumes and treasurer Cheryl NEW SIGN INSTALLED - Rusty and Sandy stand in the foreground of the new sign they have had installed at Valley in memory of their who was a 1993 graduate of the The supports for the sign were placed earlier this and the sign was put into place on a wintry day earlier this Kelly passed away last following a liver She was a student at the University of Clayton Co. Pood Shelf Sunday Remember that the first Sunday of each month is Clayton County Food Shelf Please take contributions to your local Donations of food or goods can be left at supporting grocery stores in your community as Items that are in short supply at this canned fruit pork and paper laundry and dish deodorant and Valley Senior Citizens to meet The Valley Senior Citizens will meet Feb. 1, 1:30 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Community Dawn DeVore will have the refreshment committee is Vina Elmer Will and Inez Want to announce your If you have recently become engaged and would like to share your announcement in the Elgin Echo Bridal please bring your picture and writeup to the Echo before Feb. 2. Board to award equipment contract The Clayton County Board will meet Feb. 10 at the Clayton County Board of Supervisors office in at 7:30 p.m. There will be an awarding of the contract for equipment as well as an update on the resident and street signs Donna Meinhard appointed superintendent From the First United Methodist - During their Jan. 3, meeting the members of the Relations Committee were informed by District Superintendent Rev. Dr. Richard that Bishop William Boyd has announced his intention to appoint senior the Reverend Dorma to the position of District Superintendent of the Adirondack Troy to be effective July 1. She would succeed the Rev. Dr. Williami Lasher who in June completes his sixth year as district She will join Bishop Grove and District Superintendents Richard Chatterton of the Albany Art Hagy of the Embury District and Marcheta Town send of the Green Mountain as a member of the Troy Conference Donna is a graduate of Elgin High 11 MS frlT Hemlock and Hobos was performed for large crowds both July 9, and July 10, in Fifty local residents worked together to put on this locally written drama during Rampage and Judy Deweber is die new pastor at St. Paul's United Methodist Church and Community s The Gotf Course officially opened July 13, to paid Five of the eight people who won honors to be the first to played July 12: LuAnn Dorma Bob Tim Alvin Heidi Solheim was crowned Miss Fayette Tuesday July 13, at die fair in West A power line pole and other utility lines near Jiffy Mart were severely damaged Saturday July 10, in Strong winds and heavy rains hit town soon after 3 p.m. Many trees and were also blown down as the heavy thunderstorm passed Lori Miller is the new Pleasant Valley Golf Course Club House Kirk Fauser was named to the Upper Iowa Baseball Conference First Team Small Schools as an r Pastor Don and Dorothy Loots rode as Grand Marshals in Clermont's 1993 Threshing Days Jury 24. Curtis Mack joined the Sales and Management Staff of John Falb and West as of July 1, in as an auto body repair bikers rode through Elgin and Wadena on July 30 Many in bom communities had all kinds of refreshments ready for the at Calvary Baptist and will help at the Wadena Christian Steven recorded the first at the Pleasant Valley Golf Aug. 6. Elgin received flood waters Aug. 17, after the high waters came over the dike at 5 a.m. crews from Channel 7 and 9 were in Descendants of composer Antonin Dvorak visited in August 17. The two new Valley football coaches are Pat Trewin and Chad Pastor Donald current pastor at West Clermont Lutheran and his wife Dorothy were honored with an Open Aug. 29. Pastor Loots has been in the ministry 44 Eight teams competed in the Volleyball Tournament hosted by the Young Women's August 14. Winners were The Elgin new courts were made by the Young Women's Clermont resident LaVonne is pictured with Inge who was the guest speaker at the Clermont Community Club meeting Monday The two met during a tour of Speaker appreciate freedom When the Clermont Community Club hosted the Elgin and Wadena community clubs Monday night in Inge Schminke shared some of her life experiences with the who was born in Austria the year Adolph Hitler came into told of her memories during that as. an innocent I was six or I found out what life was said who attended a school where U.S. Army soldiers hoping to provide something the children's parents could those Army men in their icky green came to show us the recalls the they handed out brown paper bags filled with Lipton instant Wrigley's spearmint an O'Henry and then pausing for she were 40 of us little and as we rode in those icky green Army trucks on the way back to our describes little girls carefully unscrewed the caps from the toothpaste and sucked every bit of goo from the She went on to explain each child's naivete in pointing had told us about dental We didn't even have a Although she lived a life of parents provided a lot of love for their and her mother in worked extremely she But as a result of the oppression they suffered during Communist Schminke said that only half of her class of 40 ever reached the age of 10. And perhaps saddest of were bom into our we didn't cause family took refuge in where they were worked on a dairy farm as during those Inge's parents saw that she attended college at the University of at where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in just three years - while also learning the English Soon she and has returned many times to her Reflecting on she says they don't always appreciate their nor do they always take credit for those they have helped - people like her family back in Now a resident of Schminke encouraged her audience to help children keep their innocence can never recapture those years of innocence you only have as a In she said important for a woman to be a woman in her own right for while it is wonderful to be a and wonderful to be a you still have to be yourself because you never know when you will have to walk it Inge appearance in Clermont Monday night was the result of her acquaintance with Clermont residents Millard and LaVonne who took part In an Austrian tour where they met Display telephone memorabilia Telephone - with a hand a push button to eliminate and battery holders were displayed recently at the Fayette County Historical Frances Graham listed the telephone companies in Fayette County in 1909 and 1920 plus 1993. Independent companies were Two are still headquartered in the county - Hawkeye and Two more serve part of the George told of the development of the telephone industry and explained the equipment he has collected and brought to The central or operator who provided the vital link was The experiences of several were Amy Burgess told of her days and nights in the Bell System in West The Historical Society board met after the The plans for repairing and renovating the north side of the basement were The Historical Agricultural Exhibit design is 1949 Dodge becomes family's legacy - by chance By Janell Bradley The old 1949 Dodge truck that sits in the machine shed of a rural Clermont is more than just a refurbished It became a legacy by when Dirk Torkelson first bought the back in 1984. Seeing an ad in the Farm Bureau who was just completing his college degree and engaged to be married to Cindy made a phone and then followed up with the South of at the Ray Paul he saw and then bought the pick-up - which he admits was actually about five years older than what he really always wanted an older truck to fix up because I thought it would be A slightly newer model would have actually had more parts that were interchangeable with other but I decided this was an opportunity I couldn't pass Torkelson recalls But his bride to Cindy didn't exactly share his he says with a Knowing the couple would be faced with college loans to and the many financial burdens that seem to plague soon to be wed he admits that Cindy wasn't particularly pleased with his three years nearly everyone in the family had a different opinion on the SCHUTTE COUSINS gathered for a Nov. 1,1987, with the old blue Dodge truck that is now owned by Dirk When Dirk bought the truck In 1984, he had no idea that it once belonged to his Elmer This photo was taken after the vehicle had been In October 1987, as part of Torkelson new car Dirk parked the newly painted and refurbished 1949 Dodge at the front of the At some point during the a customer from Waukon approached the young Torkelson and asked if he'd ever sell the blue truck isn't just like your it IS your grandfather's Dirk says he told the fellow - Ray Shafer of that his uncles had told him the pick up was a lot like one that had belonged to his late grandfather - Elmer For that he wanted to hang on to the I'd have to disagree with you on Torkelson recalls Shafer as truck isn't just like your it IS your grandfather's Caught completely by Torkelson listened as Shafer told of buying the truck from about 1955. He remembered that Elmer had purchased the truck from Hecker Motors in Shafer later sold the truck to Ray With just four owners and about 56,000 miles on the when Torkelson bought it in 1984, the truck was in pretty good condition for a vehicle 35 years Among the features he points out are that 1949 was the first year for electric windshield replacing the old vacuum type The Dodge also has integrated as 1949 was the first year Dodge replaced its former Dirk had also replaced the wooden floor in the had the vehicle and the upholstery replaced Almost 50 years the Dodge truck goes on display in local but during the rest of is stored in the shed of a it has little other yet Torkelson says he doesn't care to sell because of the sentimental value to the Schutte
