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Melrose researching policing options
Lucille B. “Lucy” VanHoorik, 94, of Freeport, formerly of Farming, passed away Sept. 10, 2022, at the Mother of Mercy Nursing Home in Albany.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 16, at St. Catherine’s Catholic Church in Farming with the Rev. Julius Beckermann, O.S.B., offi ciating. Interment will be in the parish cemetery. Visitation will be 9:30-11 a.m., Sept. 16, at the church.
Lucille Bertha VanHoorik was born March 18, 1928, in Farming Township, Stearns County, to William and Margaret (Latzke) VanHoorik. She grew up on a farm near Farming and attended a country school through the eighth grade. Lucy worked as a cook at Mother of Mercy Nursing Home in Albany over 30 years. She was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Freeport and the Christian Women. Lucy enjoyed quilting and embroidering, cooking and baking for family and playing cards, especially 500.
Lucille B. “Lucy” VanHoorik
Survivors include her many loving nieces and nephews.
Lucy was preceded in death by her parents; brothers and sisters Alfred VanHoorik, Eleanor Fischer, Catherine Fuchs, Robert VanHoorik, Margaret Gertken, Bennie VanHoorik, Alma Kunstleben, Joseph VanHoorik, Jacob VanHoorik, Mary Schulte, Annie Lang and Gertrude Tamm; and several nieces and nephews.
Arrangements were made with Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Services of Melrose.
P-37-1B
Dorothy F. Gerads
Dorothy F. Gerads, 87, of St. Francis, passed away peacefully Sept. 10, 2022, at Mother of Mercy Nursing Home in Albany.
A Mass of Christian Burial was Sept. 13 at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in St. Francis, in rural Freeport, with the Rev. David Maciej offi ciating. Interment was in the parish cemetery.
Dorothy Florence Skudlarek was born June 22, 1935, in St. Stephen, to Valentine and Christina (Lahr) Skudlarek. She attended public school District 86 in St. Stephen. In the early 1950s she was employed by Lakeland Bakery in St. Cloud. On Dec. 29, 1954, she was united in marriage to Bernard Gerads at St. Stephen’s Catholic Church in St. Stephen. The couple farmed in rural Freeport until their retirement in 1992.
Dorothy devoted herself to being a farm wife, homemaker and mother to their children, John (Diane Bauer) Gerads of Grey Eagle, David (Darlene) Gerads of Freeport, Diane (Tom) Jesh of Freeport, Donna Gerads of St. Cloud, Judy (Jim) Melroy of Wichita, Kansas, and Peter (Jodi) Gerads of Freeport.
She was a member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in St. Francis and the Christian Mothers Society. Dorothy loved gardening,
Dorothy F. Gerads
baking and embroidering dishtowels.
Survivors include her six children, 22 grandchildren, 30 greatgrandchildren, one greatgreat-grandchild and siblings Donald (Jan) Skudlarek and Delphine Hoeschen.
Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, Bernard Gerads, Nov. 30, 1998; parents; brothers and in-laws Ervin and Marion Skudlarek, Edward and Lucy Skudlarek and Roger Hoeschen; and two grandchildren.
Serving as casket bearers were Charlie, Scott, Christopher, Adam and Nick Gerads and Steven Jesh. Cross bearer was Dan Gerads, and scripture bearer was Rhonda Gerads.
Arrangements were made with Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Services of Melrose.
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Irene M. Ohmann
Irene M. Ohmann (Aleshire), 84, of Albany, passed away peacefully Sept. 10, 2022, at Mother of Mercy Nursing Home in Albany.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be 11 a.m., Thursday, Sept. 15, at Seven Dolors Catholic Church in Albany with the Rev. Greg Miller, OSB offi ciating. Interment will be in the parish cemetery. Visitation will be 4-7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 14, and 10-10:45 a.m., Sept. 15, at the Seven Dolors gathering area. Parish prayers will be at 4 p.m., followed by prayers from the American Legion Auxiliary at 6 p.m., Sept. 14.
Irene Mary Dickhausen was born March 27, 1938, in Holdingford, to Richard and Clara (Stiller) Dickhausen. She was united in marriage to Richard Aleshire in 1960. Richard passed away and Irene married Robert Ohmann in 1992. She owned and operated Albany True Value Hardware for 36 years. In her spare time, she enjoyed embroidering and gardening.
Irene was a member of Seven Dolors Catholic Church and the Albany American Legion Auxiliary Unit 482.
Survivors include her stepchildren, Joan (Mike) Krause, Linda (Bruce) Richter, Roger (Ann) Ohmann, Ron
Irene M. Ohmann
(Ami) Ohmann and Roy Ohmann, Richard Jr. (Irina) Aleshire, Ronald Aleshire and Laura (Rod) Larson; sisters and brothers Jeanette Baron, William Dickhausen, Linda Dickhausen and Gloria (Kurt) Schackman; brother-in-law Jerome Rudolph; and many grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Irene was preceded in death by her parents; fi rst husband Richard Aleshire in 1988; second husband Robert Ohmann in 2015; stepdaughter Linda Griffi th; and sisters and brother Rita Hann, Jerome Dickhausen and Diane Rudolph.
Arrangements were made with Patton-Schad Funeral & Cremation Services of Melrose.
It is with great sadness and supreme joy that the family of Jerome H. Schoenborn, 87, announces his passing into eternal life with Jesus Christ Sept. 9, 2022.
Jerry was born in Spring Hill, Feb. 16, 1935, to Mary (Schultzetenberge) and Louis Schoenborn. He was the sixth of 11 children and grew up on the family farm in Spring Hill. He developed an undying love of Jesus, a tireless work ethic, the perfect rhythm of the seasons, a love of nature and agriculture, a huge heart, a stubborn optimism and jovial spirit from his parents, relatives, siblings and friends during those formative years. He graduated from Melrose High School in 1952 and worked on the farm and in construction. In 1957, he met the love of his life and soulmate, Bernice Zimmermann, at the Granite City Coliseum ballroom in Waite Park. They were spectacular dancers and loved old time polka music. Jerry attended Dunwoody Institute in Minneapolis and became a radio broadcaster. He worked at the station in Ely until he was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1959. During his service he was stationed in Korea as part of the occupying force after the Korean War. Prior to leaving for Korea, Jerry and Bernice were married. They recently celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary.
After completing his military service, Jerry and Bernice settled on the north side of St. Cloud to be close to Bernice’s work at the St. Cloud Hospital. It was also near St. Paul’s Catholic Church and growing neighborhoods bursting with young families and children. Jerry worked in door-to-door
Jerome H. Schoenborn
sales, selling water softeners. From that experience, he developed an incredible ability to connect with people. He learned the importance of a fi rm handshake, a smile, eye contact and doing what you say you are going to do, when you say you are going to do it. He and Bernice also purchased a farm in Spring Hill, and he began crop farming. He loved the farm and farming with his brother, David. He also purchased single-family homes he rented to college students. At one point he had the longest-standing rental license in St. Cloud.
In 1963, Jerry and Bernice welcomed their fi rst child, Kathryn Marie, into the world. Three years later they welcomed Carol Ann and three years after that they welcomed Brian John. Their family was their absolute joy, and they could be found each Sunday morning in the front row at St. Paul’s Catholic Church. Jerry was a longstanding lector, Eucharistic minister and member of the parish council. He attended Mass daily for most of his life, rising before dawn, attending church, picking up his wife from the St. Cloud Hospital, where she was the night administrative nursing supervisor for 64 years, and then starting his day.
Jerry was a more than 40-year hairy cell leukemia cancer survivor. In 1985, doctors at Mayo Clinic told him and his family he had six weeks to live. The miracle of faith, love, a world-class nurse for a wife and modern medicine – he was one of the fi rst people in the world on Interferon, a fi rst-generation cancer drug – saved his life and gave him a sense of hope, positiveness and enthusiasm that was contagious. It inspired him to spend the last chapter of his work career setting up medical equipment for hospice patients. His ability to bring comfort and hope to those in the most dire of health conditions, and their families, was a supreme gift. He was doing God’s will on earth.
Jerry adored his grandchildren, Megan, Andrew, Spencer, Katelyn and John, and recently met his fi rst great-grandchild Olive, and loved attending their activities and events, enjoying holidays with them and teaching them all the things he learned as a child. Like how to dance the polka, how to stake up a tomato plant, how to make sauerkraut, how to beat slot machines and how to greet someone with a fi rm handshake. He realized the little things in life were truly the big things. Like seeing the fi rst robin each spring, picking raspberries in the garden, watching the water freeze over on Big Watab Lake or fi nding shells on the beach on Marco Island, Florida. He was intensely curious and subscribed to the idea there were always fl owers for those looking for them. He was forever there to help everyone and anyone – always with a smile and a joke. The mood was lifted when he entered the room. He was fi lled to the brim by the Holy Spirit and was never afraid to share his love of Jesus Christ with others. There is a hole left by Jerry’s passing that will never be fi lled. He is a member of that generation of exceptional men who are irreplaceable.
Jerry was preceded in death by his father, Louis; mother Mary (Schultzetenberge); brothers Norbert and Arthur; and sisters Hildagard (Schmiesing), Rosemary and Dorine (Illies).
He is survived by his brother, David; brother-in-law Alcuin Illies and sister-in-law Lidwina Schoenborn. Jerry is also survived by his truly extraordinary wife, Bernice (Zimmermann); daughters Kathryn Ford-Ashouri (David) and Carol Zweber (Peter); son Brian; grandchildren Megan Cook (Alec), Andrew Ford (Alice), Spencer Zweber, Katelyn Schoenborn and John Schoenborn; and greatgrandchild Olive Cook.
The family would like to thank the teams at the VA Medical Center-St. Cloud and St. Cloud Hospital for their incredible commitment and care. They would also like to specifi cally thank JoAnn Schmidt and Angela Wallerich for their friendship and support. A private service is being planned. In lieu of fl owers, memorials can be sent to the nursing program at the College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University, St. Joseph, in honor of Bernice and Jerry Schoenborn.
Jerry will be buried at St. John’s Abby Cemetery in Collegeville. Obituary and guestbook available online at www. williamsdingmann.com.
Road rage incident ends near Melrose
Multiple agencies assist during situation
BY CAROL MOORMAN | STAFF WRITER
Flashing lights from a long line of emergency vehicles on the westbound lane of Interstate 94 near the Melrose exit just after 8 p.m., Sept. 6, had residents living nearby and people at the Melrose American Legion wondering what was going on.
It ended up being the end of a road rage incident that started east of Avon.
According to the Stearns County Sheriff’s Offi ce, they received a 911 call at 7:40 p.m. from a driver on westbound I-94 reporting another driver had fi red a gun at his vehicle and struck it, between St. Joseph and Avon, in Avon Township. Sheriff’s deputies, along with offi cers from the Avon Police Department, Albany Police Department, St. Joseph Police Department and Minnesota State Patrol, responded.
The caller said the vehicle, from which someone shot the gun, continued west on the interstate. Deputies located the caller at his residence and found he had a gunshot wound to the tip of his nose. Deputies and offi cers continued to look for the vehicle and driver that had reportedly fi red the shot. That vehicle, a 2010 Black Ford Escape, was located after 8 p.m. near the west Melrose exit, and Melrose police assisted with stopping the vehicle and securing it until sheriff’s deputies arrived and took over the scene. The driver, Shannon Stefan Woods, 23, from Inkster, Michigan, was detained.
The investigation determined a driving dispute took place between Woods, in the Ford Escape, and the caller, in a 2012 gray Volkswagen GTI, while westbound on I-94. In a statement to police, the caller said he became frustrated with the suspect vehicle when he was not allowed to pass on I-94. At one point during the dispute and while the vehicles were still westbound, Woods allegedly fi red a handgun from the Ford Escape striking the other male in the Volkswagen GTI. In the criminal complaint Woods admitted to shooting two or three times with a 9mm Beretta APX, behind the victim’s vehicle “to scare him.” He said he shot the fi rearm because the “other driver put his life in danger.” Offi cers observed several shell casings inside his vehicle.
Investigators took Woods into custody and booked him into the Stearns County Jail on felony second-degree dangerous weapon assault charges, which has a maximum sentence of seven years in prison, a $14,000 fi ne, or both. Woods had his fi rst court appearance Sept. 8. His next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 27.
The Stearns County Sheriff’s Offi ce was also assisted by the Melrose and Sauk Centre police departments.
Join Us in Worship
ALBANY
OUR SAVIOR’S LUTHERAN CHURCH
840 Lake Ave 320-845-2405
oursaviorslutheranalbany.org
FREEPORT
HARVEST CHURCH
338 Main St. W. 320-836-2997
harvestchurchfreeport.org
AVON
AVON COMMUNITY CHURCH
204 Avon Ave. N 320-356-9001
avoncommunitychurch.org
HOLDINGFORD
COMMUNITY COUNTRY CHURCH
Across from school 320-746-0005
communitycountrychurch.org
CHURCH OF ALL SAINTS St. Hedwig
250 Cedar Street 320-228-0105
tworiverscatholic.com
CHURCH OF ALL SAINTS St. Mary
311 River Street 320-228-0105
tworiverscatholic.com
MELROSE
BIRCH HILLS COMMUNITY CHURCH
225 1st St. NE, (City Center) 320-429-2440
birchhillscommunitychurch.org
ST.ANNA / AVON
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CHURCH
37186 County Road 9 320-228-0105
tworiverscatholic.com
ST. WENDEL / AVON
ST. COLUMBKILLE CHURCH
12357 County Rd 4 320-228-0105
tworiverscatholic.com
P3-TFN-RB Shannon Stefan Woods
Cards of Thanks
Thank you The family of Paul Spaeth would like to thank everyone for your kind words, expressions of thoughtfulness, cards, gifts of money, food brought to our home and the beautiful fl owers and memorial gifts. You will all be remembered and are greatly appreciated.
God bless, Spaeth Family
Thank you I want to extend a huge thank you to all the staff at CentraCare-Melrose Hospital who cared for me during my extended stay there. I also want to thank all family members, friends and neighbors who visited me while I was in the hospital. Everyone’s thoughtfulness was greatly appreciated. Arnold Stueve
Walking the line
We spent this past weekend visiting Hallie in Minneapolis. She’s been adjusting to college life at the University of Minnesota. Here’s what she has found most surprising.
The campus is huge. She knew this and wanted this, but she didn’t really understand its size until her fi rst day of class. As she said, she “hauls her butt across the mighty Mississippi every day.” She did not expect, in the middle of the city, to be hiking across a river daily. And she has only 15 minutes to get from one class to the other, on opposite banks. She hardly makes it, but I did like her joke about being grateful for the The Farmers Daughter bridge. “Row the boat,” would take on a whole By Sonya Hoff arth new meaning at the university, she said, if she had to row across the river.
Rowing might be a good break. She’s not worried about the notorious freshman 15. She walks over two miles a day just to get to her classes. Good thing her dining hall is next to her dorm.
Hallie is also surprised about how few kids from outstate are at the University. So far, she has met one person from Holdingford and one from Willmar. Everyone else she has met is from, what we call, “the cities.” She learned quickly that our defi nition of “from the cities” is quite different from those who live “in the city.” Someone who lives in Bloomington or Lakeview does not consider themselves as being “from the cities.” They are quick to clarify they do not live “in the city.” They live in the suburbs.
Hallie’s roommate, who is from Bloomington, claims she has never driven on a road that doesn’t have lines. She didn’t believe Hallie, in fact, when Hallie told her the majority of roads around here don’t have lines, and that we don’t have any stoplights. Main street, of course, has lines, as do county highways. But most days, in this area, we fi nd ourselves on a road without lines. We plan to host Hallie’s roommate for a weekend, and apparently will have to take her driving on some unlined roads.
Stoplights surprised Hallie too. Going for a run or a walk takes planning, otherwise you’ll spend more time waiting at stoplights and crosswalks than actually walking. Hallie was surprised that people don’t have gardens. Of course, not everyone has a garden, but Hallie was surprised how few families do. She called via FaceTime many times her fi rst week in Minneapolis, and every time I was canning pickles or tomatoes. Her roommates found this surprising, and Hallie was surprised they don’t have a favorite pickle recipe. A Starbucks and a Caribou are both within fi ve minutes of her dorm room door. Her roommates couldn’t imagine driving at least 20 minutes to the nearest Starbucks. There are no stars. Bouncers sit on the streets and patrol doors to restaurants and bars. “There’s no bouncer outside Rookies,” Hallie said. People shop at the Mall of America regularly. Not for vacation. A 10-minute train ride and she’s there with access to any store she wants. Nobody listens to country music. Ever. And you have to be smart to park your car. “You have to plan that,” she said. “I never ever thought about where I would park if I wanted to go somewhere.” What shocks her most is she knows nobody. She says she still looks around her expecting to know the person next to her, expecting to start a conversation, like she would at home. Everywhere at home. In the gas station. At the Dairy Queen. At a football game. In class. Here in Albany we are used to knowing the person next to us – or at least recognizing them as a local.
We are grateful to have raised Hallie in this small town, fi lled with familiar faces, unlined roads and stars in the sky, but we are equally grateful she is now experiencing the opportunities, diversity and energy the city offers. She’s still working on adjusting, and while this momma hopes she’ll settle somewhere closer to home after graduation, I’m grateful her horizons seem a bit bigger than they did a few weeks ago.
I remember a specifi c health physical from a few years ago. It was before COVID-19, before “let’s keep an eye on that blood pressure” and before simple exercising felt like hard work. A nurse came into the examining room to take my vitals and after completing them she shrugged her shoulders and took them again. She asked how I was feeling, if I was feeling OK. I said sure. She then left for the doctor and when they returned, my heart rate was taken again. It was at 52 beats per minute, low the doctor thought but in line with my historical numbers. We talked a little about my exercise routine which seemed to satisfy her and afterwards we both felt a little Ink on My Hands by Kevin Zierden bit better.
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. My brother, Mike, is a line judge at Melrose High School volleyball games. He’s been doing this for fi ve years, or so, working with Gene Rademacher and subbing for Rich Primus when he had to drive bus. Now that both have given it up, a replacement was needed. So Mike asked if I would like to do it. Believe it or not, my fi rst reaction wasn’t if I had the time or if I thought I could handle it. My fi rst thought was could brothers work together. After some discussion and thinking about it, I decided to go for it.
The day of the fi rst match, I began feeling a little queasy at work. It felt like my heart was pumping faster than usual and when I got up from bending over to grab something or pack something, I would get a little dizzy. I even left work a half hour early trying to take away some of the stress of getting there on time and preparing myself for the job. As I changed out of my work clothes into the black pants and white shirt for line judging, I laid down on the bed just for a minute to try and relax. I could feel my heart trying to jump out of my body.
I have a blood pressure monitor at home. My doctor wants me to check it periodically to see if I might need to go on medication in the future. I thought before I go to volleyball I better check my blood pressure since to me it felt high. It turned out, my blood pressure was only slightly high, barely in the red but my heart rate was at 122 beats per minute. I tried to relax for a minute, then retook it. My blood pressure had dropped into the good category but my heart rate had only slightly dipped. Off to volleyball I went anyway. During the junior varsity game there were moments when, if I had to reach down to grab the ball or move out of the way of a player, I got that dizzy sensation again. I told Mike about it after the games were over and he thought I should grab a piece of pizza and drink more water. Once the varsity games started I still had my concerns about how I was feeling. At one point during the second of four games that Melrose and Benson played, I got another spell and literally fell over backwards landing on my butt. The Benson varsity coach looked down at me and asked me if I was alright. I mumbled something about tripping over my own feet. She said I scared her. I decided if I started feeling dizzy again, I would have to quit for the evening.
Crazy though, but from that point on I started feeling better. By the end of the match I was feeling perfectly fi ne. Few people noticed I fainted, and I drove home that night feeling maybe it was just fi rst time nerves, and I had a panic attack. I got home and checked my heart rate and it was at 72 beats per minute, perfect.
Mike and I line judged after that a few times again and I have felt great. The nerves are better and I am seeing the lines clearer. Any questioning we get now is if we are brothers and then if we are twins.
Keep an eye out for crossing guards
School has been going for a few weeks now and some of us have needed to either make adjustments to our commutes or have had delays when traveling near our schools. An area I would like to highlight this month is the crossing guards at intersections in the morning and afternoon.
We have three school buildings in Melrose and two of them use crossing guards – Melrose Area Public Schools and St. Mary’s Catholic School. The West Central Area Learning Center does not have a need for them at this time.
At Melrose Area Public Schools, there are two locations, which help students cross the busy areas before and after school. These areas are covered by school staff in the morning and the afternoon. St. Mary’s uses their crossing guards at the end of the school day and students are trained on the responsibilities required.
Below are reminders or tips so we can have a safe school year and avoid any close calls or injuries. – Be aware of extra foot, bike and vehicle traffi c, before and after school hours. – Watch for crossing guards to present orange colored fl ags at intersections. This is to indicate they will be entering
the intersection to stop traffi c very soon. – If the crossing guard has presented the fl ag and they enter the intersection, traffi c is required to stop. This allows foot and bike traffi c to cross the intersection safely. – Once the person(s) crossing the intersection are clear, the crossing guard will bring their fl ag in and traffi c can continue as normal. Wait until the crossing guard is in a safe location. – If there is any confusion when coming Chatting with the Chief by Craig Maus, Melrose police chief to an intersection on whether you can proceed through, stop and wait until the crossing guards are clear of the intersection and traffi c can fl ow like normal again. We investigate several violations each year reported by the crossing guards. They do a very good job of collecting vehicle descriptions, license plates and driver descriptions. Sometimes they even know the driver to pass on to us. These violations are very serious and can carry heavy fi nes, but the safety of the walkers and bikers is the No. 1 concern. Let’s enjoy a safe school year and keep an extra eye out near our intersections.
Offi ces at 408 E. Main St., Melrose, MN 56352 320-351-6579 561 Railroad Ave., Albany, MN 56307 320-845-2700 Periodicals postage pending at Melrose, MN THE STAR POST (USPS 482-220) is published weekly on Wednesdays by The Star Post, 408 E. Main St., Melrose, MN 56352. Second-class postage paid at Melrose, MN POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE STAR POST, 408 E. Main St., Melrose, MN 56352
STAFF
Mark Klaphake ...................General Manager …………………………………mark.k@saukherald.com Joyce Frericks .....................Business Manager …………………………………joyce@saukherald.com Missy Traeger .....................Sales & Marketing Manager ………………………missy@saukherald.com Natasha Barber ..................Managing Editor …………………………………natasha@saukherald.com Nancy Powell......................Manager ……………………………………………nancy,p@star-pub.com Tim Vos .................................Marketing …………………………………………tim.v@star-pub.com Carol Moorman .................Editor/Writer ………………………………………carol.m@star-pub.com Mike Kosik ...........................Writer ………………………………………………mike.k@star-pub.com Herman Lensing ................Writer ………………………………………………herman.l@star-pub.com Evan Michealson ...............Writer ………………………………………………evan.m@star-pub.com Tim Hennagir .....................Writer ………………………………………………tim.h@star-pub.com Amanda Thooft .................Production Manager/Page Design & Layout ……amanda@saukherald.com Maddy Peterson ................Graphic Designer/Page Design & Layout …………maddy@star-pub.com Cheyenne Carlson ............Graphic Designer/ Page Design & Layout ………cheyenne@star-pub.com Karen Knoblach .................Graphic Designer …………………………………karen.k@star-pub.com Pat Turner ............................Graphic Designer …………………………………pat@saukherald.com Annika Gunderson ...........Graphic Designer …………………………………annika@star-pub.com Kayla Hunstiger .................Special Section Coordinator ………………………kayla@saukherald.com Jill Borgerding ....................Offi ce Assistant ……………………………………jill.b@star-pub.com Warren Stone .....................Marketing …………………………………………warren@star-pub.com Jaime Ostendorf ...............Marketing …………………………………………jaime@star-pub.com Robin Brunette ..................Help Wanted/Classifi eds …………………………robin@saukherald.com Gretchen Jennissen .........Public Notices/Announcements …………………offi ce@star-pub.com Lorie Swedenburg ............Receptionist/Circulation …………………………lorie@saukherald.com Amy McChesney ...............Bookkeeping ………………………………………amy.m@star-pub.com
It is not uncommon when checking out a subject on the internet to fi nd ads about the next great medicine.
That is really not a new phenomenon. As recorded in the Rev. Vincent Yzermans’ Holdingford history, “The Ford in the River,” the Holdingford Advertiser, in the early 20th century, had advertisements for any number of cure-all products. Fig syrup, vegetable compounds, liver pills and Pico’s Cure were just a few that were available locally. The best known of those various products might have been Digesto.
Digesto was a malt extract beverage, sold by Hamm’s Brewery, manufactured and sold in the late 19th and early 20th century. Malt and malt products, made from grains, were, and still are, fairly common. They are used not only in beers and whiskeys, but also candies (malted milk balls), beverages (milk based fl avored drinks) and ice cream treats (milk shakes).
In an era of growing anti-alcohol sentiment, promoters pointed out Digesto was made from “only the very fi nest of barley malt, choicest hops and pure artesian water” and it contained only “1/2 of 1% alcohol by volume.”
Even before prohibition, it was marketed not as near beer but as a health drink. It was, according to promotions and advertisements, the perfect drink for just about everything and everyone – especially those with busy lives. Some of the claims seemed to go a bit over the top.
According an ad that appeared in the Holdingford Advertiser in the early 20th century, Digesto helped one weak underachiever develop ambition, muscle and fl esh. The product, according to a 1908 letter to a person given a sample, “is particularly valuable to businessmen worn down by worry, those recovering from severe illness, nursing mothers, athletes and tired housewives.”
One of its package labels claims it is “a great tonic for jaded businessmen;” while another one claims it will give athletes “a perfectly toned system. It is bottled energy.”
Since the product was created by Hamm’s Brewing, ads would additionally claim it “tastes as good as Hamm’s beer, the beer that leads them all.”
The product had a nationwide distribution with claims of wonder drinks and diets of the time. Throughout history there have been products with similar claims, and in the late 19th and early 20 centuries such products were all over the place.
Digesto though, might have been different. Recent research has shown the promoters of the extract may have been on to something.
While the verdict is still out on many of their claims, it is possible the ads appearing in Holdingford Advertiser and other papers may not have been completely exaggerated.
Recent articles in trade and scientifi c magazines speak about possible health benefi ts of malt extracts. They can, according to the articles, be benefi cial to brain, digestive and muscle health. Some are looking to it as an artifi cial sweetener.
The studies are still underway, and who knows where they will lead. One day Digesto may make a return to the market.
A Peek at the Past
by Herman Lensing
Letter to Editor
Intrigued by the why Tuesday weddings question Lois Thielen, Grey Eagle
I was intrigued by Herman Lensing’s Aug. 31 column, “Tuesday’s weddings were, may once again be a tradition,” in which he ponders why old-time weddings were so often held on a Tuesday.
This was a question Arnie Hoeschen, the subject of “Spring Brook Farm Memories,” and I, the author of this book, had discussed at length, not only while doing this book but 13 years earlier when I was writing the Freeport city history, “Freeport: 100 Years of Family, Faith and Fortune.” In the city history book, I interviewed two older women about their weddings in the early 1920s and both had mentioned a Tuesday wedding. Arnie and I knew the weddings were early (often 9 a.m.) so the almost entirely Catholic attendees, who were required to fast from midnight until receiving Holy Communion the next day, wouldn’t have to suffer unbearable hunger pangs. But we never got an answer as to why Tuesday was the day.
Despite our asking people, such as the two women in their 90s in 1992, why their weddings were on a Tuesday and asking clergy and asking the county historical society, nobody knew the answer. The two theories Lensing relates, about the Biblical story from Genesis and the folk rhyme about people marrying on a Tuesday for wealth, are unlikely to have been known by the largely rural and recently arrived immigrant population of Stearns County.
In the interest of determining if Tuesday was indeed the only day for weddings back then, I consulted my family history records for the wedding dates of 20 of my ancestors. These range from 1891 to 1954 and all occurred in Stearns County and all except one occurred in a Catholic church. Of these 20, two were on a Monday, one was on a Wednesday, one was on a Thursday, two were on a Saturday (and one of these was July 6, 1895), and the other 14 were on a Tuesday.
So, there still is no answer to why weddings were held on Tuesdays. If anyone out there does have an answer, I’d sure like to hear it after all these years.
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Stearns, Todd, Douglas, Pope, & Morrison counties, $53. Elsewhere in Minnesota, $60. Elsewhere in the United States, $63. Offi cial Legal Newspaper for the cities of Albany, Avon, Freeport, Melrose and Holdingford; Independent School Districts 745, 738 and 740; surrounding townships.
Deadlines
The deadline for most news in The Star Post is 5 p.m. Friday. Exceptions are obituaries and reports of weekend events, which have a deadline of 10 a.m. Monday. The deadline for advertisements in The Star Post is 5 p.m. Friday, and in the Shopper and Classy Canary it is noon Wednesday.
Letters
Letters to the editor are welcomed. Letters must be signed with fi rst and last name and include address and phone number. Letters are limited 350 words. See political letters to the editor policy for additional guidelines.
Corrections/Clarifi cations
The Star Post strives for accuracy. If you would like to report a factual error, call 320-845-2700.
