New book describes local impact from The Great Storm of 1873

150th anniversary of historic, deadly blizzard this week Editor jstolen-jacobson@cherryroad.com Just in time for the 150th anniversary of the Great Blizzard of 1873, former Kandiyohi County resident Carolyn Mankell Sowinski has published a book titled “The Great Storm: Minnesota’s Victims in the Blizzard of January 7, 1873.” Sowinski became interested in the idea of writing the book when doing research on her own genealogy, and discovering that her great-great grandfather had been caught in the blizzard. He survived, but in her research, Sowinski discovered that in Kandiyohi County alone, twelve people had died as a result of the storm.

Thunder Hawk girls end week ranked sixth in Class AA

Last Thursday, the Thunder Hawks girls basketball team traveled to the Granite City Classic to defeat Crosby- Ironton 62-59. Leaders in the game included Avery Koenen who scored 23 points, followed by Tenley Epema who added another 12 to the team total.

Dana Lorraine Kelsey Reed

Dana Lorraine Kelsey passed away peacefully with her daughter Holly by her side (and daughter Marcia on speaker phone) on Thursday, December 22, 2022, at Luther Haven Nursing Home. She had recently celebrated her 96th birthday. Dana was born to parents Bert and Florence (George) Kelsey on December 11, 1926, in Muskegon, Mich. where she was also baptized. She was extremely ill as a child with St. Vitus Dance, Scarlet fever and measles. Doctors didn’t expect her to make it so her grandmother Adella was rushed to help take care of her in quarantine with her and her mother. While recovering and living in Michigan, as a child she loved spending time on her grandparent’s farm. She lived in Michigan, Iowa and then Minneapolis. She attended Minnesota School of Business, worked at Bridgeman’s, in the office at Young Quinlan’s Department store and several months in a defense plant during World War II making parts for the interior of the airplanes. She was working at Walgreens Soda fountain on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis when she was introduced to and later met the love of her life Robert (Bob) Reed waiting for a street car. World War II had started so they were married in Hugo, Okla. and honeymooned in Paris, Texas before Robert left for the war in 1945. After the war they started their family and lived in the Kenwood neighborhood then moved to Colfax Avenue near Lake Harriet in Minneapolis where they had their first four children Robert Jr., Thomas, Marcia, and Jack. While in Minneapolis Dana provided childcare for another family, sold Yardley Plastics and volunteered regularly at her children’s school in Minneapolis. Bob’s job with Phillips 66 moved them to Montevideo where they made their home on Benson Road and had two more children, Jon and Holly. Dana devoted her life to raising her children. They were members of First Congregational Church where she was part of the women’s fellowship group. While raising her children, she was successful in direct sales

Shirley Genevieve (Johnson) Alford

Shirley Genevieve (Johnson) Alford passed away January 2, 2023, at Luther Haven Nursing Home in Montevideo at the age of 89. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m.

Kevin Eugene Saue

Kevin Eugene Saue passed away suddenly on December 14, 2022, at his home in Kamuela, Hawaii. Kevin and his wife Wilsa lived in Hawaii for 32 years.

Michelle Johnson

Michelle Johnson of Montevideo died Sunday, December 18, 2022, at Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls, S.D. at the age of 62.

Chief of Police partners with Crime Stoppers

While headlines about rising crime rates focus on the Twin Cities, residents across Minnesota have great concern about safety in their local communities. Important to solving crimes and keeping communities such as the City of Montevideo safer is information about crimes and the people committing them that can help law enforcement make arrests and solve cases. To encourage members of the public in the City of Montevideo to come forward with such useful information Chief of Police Ken Schule is partnering with Crime Stoppers of Minnesota to make that possible in a manner that is safe and proven to be effective. Committing to work with Crime Stoppers of Minnesota in their 2023 Law Enforcement Partnership Program, the Montevideo Police Department invites persons who want to, or may need to, remain anonymous to submit information about a crime, criminal, or fugitive that helps solve a case. Providing information in this safe method can also save precious hours of investigators’ time, while protecting this anonymous source from retribution or harm for being known to have helped law enforcement. In addition to staying anonymous, persons giving information leading to a felony arrest may be eligible to collect up to $1,000 in reward paid by Crime Stoppers.

21st annual information and appreciation meeting January 27th

The Hawk Creek Watershed Project (HCWP) is holding its 21st Annual Information and Appreciation Meeting on Friday, January 27, 2023 at the Renville Community Center, starting with registration at 9 am and ending with lunch at noon.