Dairyland Peach

Shirley Solsrud, 52

ECM Publishers — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 22:45:02 +0000

Shirley Solsrud, 52, a resident of Lake Henry, passed away on Friday, Oct. 6, 2017.
Shirley was born Sept. 30, 1965 to Raymond and Darleen (Faust) Blonigen in St. Martin. She graduated from Melrose High School, after which she worked at Eye Craft in St. Cloud, and other small jobs around the area.
On April 25, 1992 Shirley married Robert Solsrud and joined him on his farm near Lake Henry, where she was a loving and caring helpmate. She loved driving tractor, raising chickens to sell eggs, motorcycle trips to go sight-seeing. Her pride and joy were her children.
Shirley is survived by her husband, Robert and children Malone and Maxine of Lake Henry; mother Darleen Blonigen, St. Martin, sisters Florence Shefers, Nancy (Blaine) Pfeiffer, Ann (Jeff) Soderholm, all of Sartell, Sharon (Chad) Geist, of Fargo, North Dakota and brother, Wilfred (Judy) Blonigen, of St. Martin; paternal uncles and aunts; mother-in-law, Jean (Art) Hopfer (Freeport); brothers-in-law David Solsrud (Hawick), Cindy Rodgers and Paul Solsrud (Big Lake), Lecia Babeau, 13 nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her father, Raymond, father-in-law Lyle Solsrud and Uncle Norman Faust.

Marvin Stroeing, 79

ECM Publishers — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 03:45:15 +0000

Marvin P. Stroeing, age 79 of Freeport, formerly of New Munich, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family on Saturday, October 14, 2017 at the CentraCare Health Nursing Home in Melrose, Minnesota.

A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, October 20 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in New Munich with Rev. Daniel Walz officiating. Inurnment will be held in the parish cemetery.

Visitation will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Friday at the church in New Munich.

Marvin Peter Stroeing was born November 24, 1937 in Melrose, Minnesota to Frank and Anna (Buettner) Stroeing. He was united in marriage to Marlene Goebel on May 7, 1966 at St. Anthony Catholic Church in St. Anthony. After marriage, the couple lived on the Tidy Turkey Farm where Marvin worked for 20 years. He then worked at the Swany White Flour Mill for 20 years, retiring in 1996.

He was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in New Munich and St. Leo Court 786 Catholic Order of Foresters. Marvin enjoyed woodworking and fishing, watching the Minnesota Twins and Vikings, and loved spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Marvin was a “meticulous” tinkerer, working diligently to “fix” it until he thought it was right.

Survivors include his wife, Marlene Stroeing of Freeport; children, Scott Stroeing of St. Cloud, Sandra Warzecha of New Munich, Shawn (Staci) Stroeing of Melrose, and Shannon (Kelly) Stroeing of Byron; eight grandchildren, Amanda, Alex, Andrea, Joshua Taylor, Sabrina, Connor, Logan, and Wyatt; two great-grandchildren, Elise and Oliver; brother, Vernon (Margie) Stroeing of Freeport; and sister, Rita (Fred) Stang of Minneapolis.

Marvin was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Sylvester “Ves” Storeing; Celestine Stroeing and Wilfred Stroeing; and sisters, Leora Honer, Dorothy Stroeing, Mary Ellen Rosen, and Evelyn Voller.

Serving as urn bearer will be Joshua Taylor Stroeing. Cross bearer will be Sabrina Stroeing and scripture bearer will be Andrea Carrell. Readers will be Alex Warzecha and Amanda Warzecha.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred.

Arrangements were made with Patton-Schad Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Melrose.

Mary Ann Kotval, 81

ECM Publishers — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 03:45:11 +0000

Mary Ann Kotval, 81, of Eagle Bend, passed away on October 13, 2017 at the St. Francis Regional Medical Center in Shakopee. Funeral services for Mary Ann will be held on Wednesday, October 18, 2017, 11:00 a.m., at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Clarissa with Fr. Aaron Kuhn officiating. Friends may call on Tuesday, October 17, 2017, 4:00 – 8:00 p.m., at the Iten Funeral Home in Clarissa and on the day of the funeral one hour prior to the service at the church. Christian Mother’s Rosary will be held at 3:45 p.m. Interment will be held at the St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery, Clarissa.
Mary Ann was born April 23, 1936, at home in Iosco Township, Waseca County, to Edward & Anna (Velishek) Wesley. She graduated from Morristown High School. After her graduation, Mary Ann went to work for F.F. Johnson Co. in Waseca and later worked for the Central Todd Care Center and cleaned private homes for 20 years. On November 26, 1955, Mary Ann was united in marriage to Glenn Kotval at the Waterville Holy Trinity Catholic Church. Mary Ann and Glenn moved to a farm south of Eagle Bend in 1956; where they lived and worked side by side for 57 years.
Mary Ann loved her grandchildren. She had a great compassion for people, a love of nature and the great outdoors. She loved all aspects of gardening, sharing plants and surplus from her vegetable garden with everyone. Mary Ann was a member of the Hoe & Hope Garden Club where she served on various committees and made flower arrangements for flower shows and friend’s birthdays and anniversaries. She was a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church; volunteering for many church activities. Mary Ann was a 4-H Leader for many years, member of the WFLA and the American Legion Ladies Auxiliary. She loved dancing, playing cards, music, reading, cooking, traveling and especially visiting with family and friends.
Maryann is survived by her children: Beverly Stege of Eden Prairie, Randy Kotval, of North St. Paul, Lisa (Kelly) Rux of Shakopee; grandchildren: Joseph & Matt Stege, Sarah & Emily Kotval and Katie & Jace Rux; sister-in-law Mary Ann Wesley, brother-in-law John Pelant and several nieces and nephews.
Mary Ann is preceded in death by her parents; husband Glenn in 2013, brothers: Gerald, Donald and Robert Wesley and sister Judy Pelant.
Arrangements with the Iten Funeral Home – itenfuneralhome.com

Catherine Koopmeiners, 74

ECM Publishers — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 03:45:08 +0000

Catherine E. “Cathy” Koopmeiners, age 74 of Melrose, died Thursday, October 12, 2017 at the CentraCare Health Nursing Home in Melrose, Minnesota.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, October 16 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Meire Grove with Rev. Marvin Enneking officiating. Interment will be held in St. Mary's Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday and from 9 to 10 a.m. Monday at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose. The Schanhaar-Otte VFW Auxiliary and Christian Mothers will pray at 5 p.m. followed by parish prayers at 7 p.m. Sunday evening at the funeral home.

Catherine Esther Tiemann was born February 4, 1943 in Melrose, Minnesota to Anthony and Mabel (Schultz) Tiemann. She was united in marriage to James Koopmeiners on September 5, 1964 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Melrose. Cathy worked at Jennie-O for 25 years until her retirement in 1999. She was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Melrose, Schanhaar-Otte VFW Post 7050 Auxiliary, and the Christian Mothers. Cathy enjoyed bird watching, playing cards, and loved drinking her coffee throughout the day.

Survivors include her children, Kevin (Wendy) Koopmeiners of Savage, Jeff (Bonnie) Koopmeiners of Albany, and Wendy (Brian) Schmidt of Jacksonville, Florida; five grandchildren, Justin, Matthew, Paige, and Sam Koopmeiners, and Sydney Schmidt; and one great-granddaughter, Margaret Koopmeiners; brother, Tony (Adeline) Tiemann of Eagan; and sister, Diane (Sonny) Rodenwald of Albany.

Cathy was preceded in death by her husband, James Koopmeiners on October 23, 1999; parents; son, Eric Koopmeiners on June 30, 2000; and sister, Barb Salzl.

Lorraine Grahn, 85

ECM Publishers — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 03:45:04 +0000

A memorial service will be held at 11 am, Monay October 16, 2017 at American Lutheran Church, Long Prairie for Lorraine Grahn, age 85 of Long Prairie, who passed away Monday at the Valley View Assisted Living, Long Prairie. Rev. Bill Bakewicz will officiate and burial will be at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery, Camp Ripley, Minnesota. Family and friends may call one hour before services at the church on Monday. Arrangements entrusted to Williams Dingmann Funeral Home – Stein Chapel, Long Prairie.

On October 25, 1931 Lorraine Roseen was welcomed into the world by her parents, Oscar and Edith (Nelson) Roseen of Roseau, Minnesota. She was born in her grandparents’ home, in Jedis Township. Lorraine’s parents were farmers. There were three other siblings, Irene, Delmer, and Helen, Lorraine being second to the youngest. They attended Grade School in District #44 West Palmville Township in Roseau County. She graduated from high school in Sioux City, Iowa. She attended college at St. Mary’s Nursing School in Sioux City and after earning her Degree, worked as an LPN at Sioux City Hospital. She met her future husband on a double date in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. She married Kenneth Grahn on April 15, 1950 in Roseau. Lorraine lived in several communities before moving to Bremerton, Washington. In 1989 Ken and Lorraine moved to Harlingen, Texas. Some of the best times of their lives were when they traveled in their motor home throughout the summer months. They moved to Long Prairie in 2003, after Ken became ill to live near their daughter Karen. After 62 years of marriage, Ken passed away on Thanksgiving Day in 2012. She moved to Valley View Assisted Living in August of 2015.

Lorraine was a member of Kingo Lutheran Church. She enjoyed knitting, crocheting, golfing, cooking and baking. She enjoyed entertaining, sharing her baked goods of lefsa, flatbread, molasses bread, rolls, cakes, and cookies with neighbors, friends, and family.

Lorraine is survived by her children, Randy (Juliann) Grahn, Cook, MN, Karen (Glen) St. Germain, Long Prairie, and Cindy (Robert) Barchiesi, Steilacoom, WA; eight grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Kenneth, son Ricky, daughter Dianne Olsen, brother Delmer, and sisters Irene and Helen.

Obituary and on-line guestbook available at www.williamsdingmann.com.

Ruth Mittag, 82

ECM Publishers — Wed, 18 Oct 2017 03:45:01 +0000

A memorial service will be held at 11 am, Thursday, October 19, 2017 at American Lutheran Church, Long Prairie, for Ruth G. Mittag, at the age of 82, of Long Prairie who passed away Wednesday at Valley View Assisted Livingwith family by her side. Rev. Bill Bakewicz will officiate and burial will be in the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery, Camp Ripley, Minnesota. Family and friends may call one hour before the service on Thursday at the church. Arrangements entrusted to Williams Dingmann Funeral Home – Stein Chapel, Long Prairie.
Ruth Gervais Hart was born August 12, 1935 in Montgomery, Minnesota the daughter of Fred and Johanna (Ehmke) Hart. She grew up in Montgomery and attended school there, graduating in 1953. She moved to Minneapolis where she was employed at the First National Bank downtown. She married Charles C. Mittag on July 22, 1955 in Montgomery. They lived in several different communities until moving to Long Prairie in 1969, where they made their home. She later moved to the Prairie 400 and in 2013 she moved to Valley View Assisted Living.
Ruth was a member of American Lutheran Church. She enjoyed cooking and baking, always having some “goodies” when people stopped to visit. She also liked to do word find puzzles and go to the casino. Her greatest joy was taking care of and spending time with her family.
Ruth is survived by her daughters, Renee (LeRoy) Wenner, Long Prairie, Deborah McCurdy, Mound, and Linda (Will) Humphery, Minneapolis; a sister, Jewel Ehnstrom, South St. Paul; six grandchildren, Michelle Park, Kim (Chad) Bosl, Amy Albers, Kristin (Steve) Kzaley, Erin (Nathan) Donner, and Ciarra Humphrey; and 13 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Charles, and brother Russell Hart.
Honorary pallbearers will be the Morrison County Sheriff’s Department.
Obituary and on-line guestbook available at www.williamsdingmann.com.

Ian Michael Becker

ECM Publishers — Tue, 17 Oct 2017 22:45:41 +0000

Ian Michael Becker was born to Emily Hughes and Jeremy Becker of Grey Eagle, October 12, 2017 at 10:56 a.m. at CentraCare Health, Melrose. He weighed 8 pounds,

12 ounces and was

21 inches long.

Ian was welcomed home by big sister Hadleigh.

A good night’s rest makes all the difference

ECM Publishers — Sat, 14 Oct 2017 13:00:55 +0000

By Sheila McCoy, Staff Writer
sheila.mccoy@mcrecord.com

Joan Olson, 73, of Upsala is feeling much better after her airway stimulator implant was activiated, Aug. 15. It allows her to wake up rested despite her sleep apnea diagnosis.

Joan Olson, 73, of Upsala is enjoying life at a higher level these days.

“I don’t feel as tired as I did before. Since I had the implant activated, I feel so much better. It brings me a peace of mind,” Olson said.

In June, Olson had an upper airway stimulator (Inspire system) surgically implanted to treat her severe obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS). After she had healed from the surgery, the device was activated, Aug. 15.

Sleep apnea is a disorder that causes an individual to have one or more pauses in their breathing or have shallow breaths while he or she is sleeping. It results in the individual moving out of a deep sleep and into a light sleep.

Olson was diagnosed with OSAS 11 years ago. At that time, for the first six months, she didn’t give much thought to it until her fatigue became so bad that she knew something had to be done.

“I just wanted to sleep all the time, but once I woke up, I didn’t feel refreshed at all. I used to feel like I needed a long nap every day,” she said.

Olson exhibited one of the warning signs of sleep apnea — loud and persistent snoring.

“I knew my snoring was really bad. My now deceased husband, Gordon, told me that and often told me to turn onto my side,” Olson said.

Olson visited the CentraCare Sleep Center in St. Cloud to find answers. She was admitted overnight for an in-lab sleep study. Several sensors were hooked up to various parts of her body, such as arms and legs, to record brain waves, breathing and movement.

“The doctor told me that there was no doubt that I was lacking in sleep,” Olson said.

The sleep study revealed that in her sleep cycle (stage four) before REM (rapid eye movement) sleep occurred, she had 17 pauses in her breathing.

“I was without air for one minute,” Olson said.

That number increased significantly to 47.8 times in one hour during her REM sleep.

It’s very scary for those who are affected by sleep apnea, Olson said.

“You wake up and the body is telling you, you need to breathe, but you’re not yet fully awake. Lacking oxygen is very scary,” Olson said.

Olson’s normal oxygen level was supposed to be at 95 percent or higher. But the sleep study revealed that her oxygen intake rate was only between 80 percent to 91 percent.

“Untreated sleep apnea can have serious and life shortening consequences. It can cause high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and automobile accidents by falling asleep at the wheel,” Olson said.

The sleep study revealed that Olson’s heart had been affected by the sleep apnea. She had atrial fibrillations, which is an abnormal heart rhythm that often shows up as rapid and irregular beatings of the atria.

It was discovered that in Olson’s case, her tongue would fall back in her mouth and block her airway.

The standard care for OSAS patients is to use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, wearing a mask when they sleep.

“I couldn’t handle the mask. Either the air was leaking or it had to be on too tight. It hurt my neck and put pressure on my nose, which hurt, too,” Olson said.

The Inspire system that now helps Olson breathe at night includes three implanted components.

The small generator was implanted on the right side of Olson’s chest. It monitors her breathing patterns.

There are two leads that are connected to the generator. The breathing sensory lead senses her breathing pattern and any changes are “reported” to the generator.

The simulation lead was implanted underneath her chin. It is connected to the generator and responds to any changes the generator received from the breathing sensory lead.

The stimulation lead works in such a way that it alerts Olson’s tongue with a gentle tug whenever it blocks her airway and causes it to return to its normal position.

“It is a safe procedure. The battery is in the implant and like a pacemaker, it lasts for 10 years. After that, they would just put in a new battery,” Olson said.

Olson was also given a small handheld remote which controls the Inspire system. With it, she can choose the amount of simulation strength the tongue receives when it is alerted.

Olson activates the generator at night by placing the remote on top of it.

“It won’t kick in for about 30 minutes, so it gives you time to go to sleep. Then when you wake up, you put the remote over the implant again and it will turn it off,” Olson said.

Finally being diagnosed was a relief for Olson. Now feeling refreshed gives her more time and energy to do what she enjoys the most — reaching out to people and making a difference in their lives in any way she can.

Las Vegas’ wounded weren’t the only victims

ECM Publishers — Sat, 14 Oct 2017 13:00:54 +0000

Six weeks ago, while on vacation, the Secretary of Transportation at our house and I stopped for gas in Valley City, N.D. A man was filling his vehicle on the other side of our pump. The Secretary opened the passenger door and put her feet on the pavement while she looked at the road atlas.

After filling up, I went inside to pay. When I came back out, it looked like the man was trying to get into our car with the Secretary. As I walked up, however, it was obvious the Secretary was in no distress, and she quickly explained what happened.

Just after I went into the convenience store, the sound of a loud bang like a gun shot was heard outside. The man in the vehicle ducked down and ran around to the front of his vehicle to shield himself from the direction of the noise. Meanwhile, the secretary dropped the atlas on the pavement.

They soon learned that it wasn’t a gun shot that startled them. A kid was putting air in the tire on his bike, overfilled it, and the tire blew. Seeing the Secretary scrambling to pick up the atlas before it wandered off to Canada (it being a windy day), the man ran over to be helpful and put his foot on the atlas just as I walked out of the convenience store.

After the Secretary finished, the man grinned, shrugged and said, “It’s the world we live in,” as he turned to walk back to his car.
Indeed, it is.

The man’s reaction was a month before 58 people were killed and more than 500 wounded by an assailant Oct. 1 at a country music festival in Las Vegas. A person in attendance wondered if we can ever again attend a public event without having to worry about being killed.

In the short term, probably not. Modern society, reliant as it is on technology, has weakened the bonds of family and community. Too many people with evil ideas in their brains are slipping through the cracks. If there were an easy solution, it would have been adopted by now.

We are left then with being more vigilant. It is important to understand what to do as soon as something doesn’t look right. Most people freeze with a deer-in-the-headlights look. Behavioral experts say that can increase the chances of a bad end. The first thing to do is always be aware of the escape routes out of any area. The second thing is to distance yourself as soon as possible from any situation that doesn’t seem right. If it’s not yet a crisis, contact security or law enforcement. If it is, move away from the danger as quickly as possible. Not fun. Not fair. But the alternative is to stay home — forever.

In the wake of the Las Vegas massacre, most of the attention, as it should be, has been on the dead and wounded as well as the shooter’s motive.

However, that shooting didn’t create several hundred victims, it created 22,000. Every person in attendance was vulnerable, and it was only chance that an individual bullet hit a particular individual, while 97 percent got up the next morning physically unharmed.

The unwounded were still victims. How many of the 97 percent do you think have had trouble sleeping since surviving? I would guess the insomniac numbers are larger than those hit by a bullet. They are as likely to suffer from PTSD as any soldier does from combat.

Not everyone gets PTSD from a traumatic event, but enough do that it needs to be addressed. About 7.8 percent of Americans are estimated to suffer from PTSD, with the rate among women more than twice that among men (10.4 percent to 5.0 percent).

PTSD results in replaying the trauma in one’s mind over and over in a never ending loop. It leads to nightmares, insomnia, and an inability to concentrate. It can result in avoidance, distrust and irritability towards loved ones. Some of the Vegas’ victims may deal with it by becoming recluses, afraid to go to the grocery store. Others will treat it with alcohol or mood-altering drugs.

But there are better ways. One relatively new therapy — 30 years old — is commonly referred to as EMDR. EMDR stands for “Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing.” It is a simple process, almost magical, some say, and it may not be for everyone. It involves moving the eyes left to right and back while discussing the trauma. Therapists believe it involves the same processes as REM sleep. The memory remains, but it gets filed away as a bad experience, and is no longer a huge obstacle that prevents us from being happy and living life to the fullest. Instead of months of therapy, some are dramatically healed in just a few sessions.

It’s not just the Las Vegas’ victims that are a concern. All of us experience some trauma in life, albeit something other than a mass shooter or military combat. It could be a traffic accident, loss of a loved one or a natural disaster. If you or a loved one are experiencing PTSD, you may want to give EMDR a try.
It’s the world we live in.

Gunther Austin is a local reference resource

ECM Publishers — Sat, 14 Oct 2017 13:00:27 +0000

Gunther Austin, 89, is a Sauk Centre native who is a living reference source for local history.

By Roberta Olson, Correspondent

“I very seldom forget anything,” says Gunther Austin, who describes himself as “basically the research person for Sauk Centre.”

He remembers things starting from when he was a little kid growing up in Sauk Centre.

“Tell me a name. I can remember who they were, where they lived, different businesses in town. Bring up a name, it just rings a bell. I have a photostatic mind,” Austin says.

Nowadays he spends most of his time at the Sauk Centre Historical Society, “Which is the best kept secret in Sauk Centre,” he says. “The displays are really nice. They’re getting everything in the computer now, it’s all organized. You can find anything you are looking for now.”

Born in 1928, Austin is now 89 years young. He lives alone in his neat brick home on Maple Street, a stone’s throw from where Sinclair Lewis, grew up. Austin graduated from Sauk Centre High School in 1946, and enlisted in the U. S. Army. He attended Non-Commissioned Officer School. He completed training at Lido Island, Venice, Italy in March, 1947.

With four-five days leave while in Italy, Austin decided to see Rome first-hand, with a friend from his unit. They were staying in a home that had been Mussolini’s summer home. Sitting on the front steps his friend told Austin his brother was in Rome and was going to pick him up for a tour. Austin offered to tag along and pay his own way for the day.

“Here a big Rolls Royce pulls up, his brother gets out of the back seat. He was a cardinal at the Vatican!”

Austin was in a group of six people who had a private audience with Pope Pius XII, in a small, red room in the Vatican. He didn’t kneel when the Pope entered, because he was not Catholic.

“The Pope walked right over to me, stuck his finger in my chest and asked ‘who are you?’” Austin says.

“He was mad I wasn’t kneeling.”

“I am Gunther Austin from Sauk Centre, Minnesota, and I am Episcopalian!” he answered.

“The Pope replied, ‘Do you know Sinclair Lewis?’” and inquired how Lewis wrote his books.

Austin discovered Sinclair Lewis was in Rome at the time, a guest of the Vatican. “I went to the garden to see Sinclair, but he was drunk every time I tried to get there,”

Austin says. “Sinclair really died at the Vatican, but nobody believes me!”

While touring Rome, the cardinal pointed out the white marble statue of Moses. “He said look at it, stare at it. It had a big, full head of hair and beard, but when you stared at it, Boom! There were all naked women sculpted in the hair! Michelangelo was mad at the Pope and he was getting back at him!” He also saw portraits of the popes Michelangelo painted, but when he stared at them he saw the horns in their hair!

Gunther Austin holds an intricate rock picture of Split Rock Light House which he created out of tiny pieces of differently colored rocks. The masterpiece took him a year and a half to complete. Behind him on the wall is another rock picture, he created.

Austin returned to Sauk Centre in 1948. Charlie Corrigan, who owned a funeral home, called him and asked him to drive the hearse for a funeral.

“I said yah,” and that’s how he got into the funeral business.

First he joined Corrigan in the business, which was located downtown Sauk Centre. He eliminated the ambulance part of the business, and bought the competing funeral home out, moving to the building which still stands behind the Church of the Good Samaritan.

In 1953, Austin went on the road selling caskets, funeral supplies, and grief therapy, starting out in Minnesota and part of North Dakota. During his 40 year career, he served in five states, ending up with only three competitors of the 42 when he started.

Gunther and Marjorie Nobles from Minneapolis were married in the fall of 1951. They had met while Gunther was a student at the University of Minnesota in Mortuary Science, where he completed 40 credits a quarter to finish the course in one year. He had spent one year at St. Cloud State to take credits necessary for university entrance.

The Austins made their home in Sauk Centre, where son Tim was born in 1952, and son Mark was born in 1955.

In 1960 the family moved to the brick house.

Austin’s contribution in Sauk Centre included starting the successful All School Reunions held in 1990, 1995 and 2000. He is an active membership in the Episcopal Church. He was one of three men who bought the building and moved the VFW Club to its present location. He was active in the VFW and the American Legion.

Austin inherited a house in Laguna Hills, Calif., and Gunther and Marge spent time there each year, after they retired. He took up “rock work,” making stones for belt buckles, jewelry for Marge, and perfecting the craft of camesso, which is creating intricate pictures from various colors of rocks, using diamond cutters, polishers and grinders. Some of his pictures are framed and hung on the walls. On the coffee table sit beautiful examples of his rock work.

Marge Austin died in 2004, and his son, Tim, died in 2016. Son Mark visits from his home in the Cities. Plans are being made for time in California this winter.

Meantime, Gunther is busy at the History Center, helping to preserve the Sauk Centre history he has lived and recalls in detail.