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Marshall’s Little Dairy Queen treasured by several generations

It won’t be quite the same this summer on Country Club Drive next to the National Guard Armory. I learned this month that the Little Dairy Queen won’t be opening up. It was always a tradition. People looked forward to stopping there when summer arrived. Its history goes back to before my childhood. I remember many days when I’d go to Legion Field for an afternoon at the pool or for a baseball game and then stop for a treat at the Little Dairy Queen. I liked the cones, the Dilly Bars, the Buster Bars and the hot fudge sundaes. Sometimes I’d splurge for a shake. When I got ...

On the Porch

Garvin lies in the southeast quarter of section 27, Custer Township in Lyon County. The railroad track was laid west from Tracy in 1879. In 1882, a side track was laid and was called Siding No. 7. The August 11, 1882 issue of the Marshall newspaper reported: “Lyon County has a new ...

Country school kids – Charlie Hettling – growing up on the family farm

We have begun learning about Charlie Hettling, the firstborn of five children born to Agnes (Jacobson) and Floyd Hettling, and his life on their farm between Minneota and Taunton. Charlie described the farm’s buildings. “(It had) two big barns. They used loose hay, then, and you needed a ...

Five ways to reprioritize your finances this spring

For many, spring is the chosen time to clean out your home from the winter, so you can start fresh in the summer. Clearing through clutter and refocusing on goals can be just as important for your finances as it is for your home. Explore the following considerations to spring clean your finances and set a plan for the remainder of the year. 

 Refocus on your goals Assess your finances to see if you may have strayed from your financial goals. If you’re far behind the targets you’ve set, review your spending habits and try to identify which choices and activities have added ...

How GreenCorp affects our region

This past September, Lyon County was awarded a GreenCorp member from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. “Members serve at organizations throughout the state, completing community-focused environmental projects while gaining experience and learning green job skills. The MPCA selects site organizations to host up to 58 MN GreenCorps members; each year members serve full-time from September to the following August. Organizations eligible to host include government entities (local, regional, state, and tribal), school districts, public education institutions, and 501(c)(3) ...

Gus Gus’ passing reminds us of the beauty of life’s fragility

It seems cruel to be writing about loss again so soon. But this week we said goodbye to our oldest dog, Gus Gus, after a short fight against cancer. Gus Gus was only 7 years old, and that only sharpens the pain of what seems to be our family’s neverending season of grief. However, if you would have known Gus Gus, dwelling only on his loss would be a disservice to his memory and a taint on his legacy of unconditional love he taught us. Gus Gus — or G-Town, or Big Swagger, or Gussy GooGoo Puppy PooPoo, as his mom liked to refer to him — came to us in a big ol’ package of ...