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An ancestral surprise

Community Voices

The results of a recent genetic test shook me to the core. It seems that I’m not who I thought I was. Some years ago, I sent a spit sample to 23andMe. The test revealed, unsurprisingly, that I’m 100% Norwegian. All my ancestors came from Norway; the test simply confirmed that I’m the whitest guy on the planet. The folks at Ancestry.com recently ran a promotion for their genetic testing. I’ve been working on our family tree at Ancestry.com and thought it would be interesting to know if there were any hidden connections in my genetic past. My Viking ancestors spread their ...

On the Porch

Local Columns

For this column, I often share social news or the gossip columns from the old newspapers. The social news is always fascinating to read and a lot can be learned of local people and events from the communities in Lyon County. For this article, I’m going to share the classifieds from one of the newspapers. The classifieds are interesting to read as well. Here are a few from the News-Messenger of Lyon County on Feb. 16, 1917: FOR SALE — Five-room cottage on choice corner lot; close in. inquire of George Mellenthin, Route 3, Telephone No. 6-F-120. OWING to the increased cost of milk ...

Winter Olympics reflect the best in sports and a hope for peace

Letters to the Editor

Nothing compares to the Olympics when it comes to promoting the best in sports competition and peaceful international relations. The Winter Olympics kicked off this week in the mountains of northern Italy. We’ll have two weeks of televised skiing, ice skating, sledding, hockey, curling and other winter pastimes. In Minnesota the Winter Games are just as popular as the Summer Games. We are well represented on the United States Olympic roster. Hopefully our athletes will come home with a sizable set of medals. I have Winter Olympics heroes from the Games of my younger days. ...

Country School Kids – Verlane Willard Ross and Lois Willard Giles – Special memories of District 84

Local Columns

We have been learning about Verlane and Lois Willard growing up with their three sisters on their farm in Sodus Township, Lyon County and attending the District 84 country school. Verlane described the girls’ fashion of the time. “Mom braided our hair every morning. Those were the days when our dresses were made from flour sacks by our moms and we wore jackets, snowpants, and 4-buckle boots in the winter.” The sisters shared special memories of their time in country school. Many of those memories involved their recess periods. (Verlane) “We had recess in the ...

What about the victims of abortion?

Letters to the Editor

To the editor: Jan. 22 marked the 53rd anniversary of Roe versus Wade which gave the medical community the power to legally perform abortions. The body count is now over 65 million since 1973. Why is it that the press will flood us with pictures and verbiage of ICE activities, while at the same time, doing all they can to stifle images and information regarding what happens to children in the abortion clinic? I’m not saying media should not cover ICE, just questioning why the innocent children get no press. Phil Drietz Delhi

Minnesota in center of the news universe

Community Voices

We spent time in southern California. I could write about walking along beaches, warm sunsets, and missing bitter cold back here. Perhaps I will. But today, I must join my voice to the resistance. What is happening to fellow human beings, sometimes for no offense other than having dark skin is horrific, indefensible, and wrong on a thousand levels. Much is being said and written. Perhaps it is prideful of me to think the voice of one old farmer in Brown County matters. For what it’s worth, I must join the protesters and say, “This is wrong.” “Obama deported people, too.” ...