From Our Files

• Oct. 20, 1949

Marlene Brehmer, Hartley High School twirler and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Julius Brehmer, placed first in the Class C and D twirling contest at Storm Lake. She was eligible to enter the national contest to be held the following spring.

Members of the Hartley Chamber of Commerce voted unanimously to discontinue the practice of closing stores for a funeral. Those who wished to close could still do so, but in the future the group as a whole would not be requested to close their doors for any funeral.

A committee of Chamber of Commerce members was appointed to meet with the town council and the O’Brien County Fair Board to draw up plans for development of the 10-acre tract in Hartley. It was hoped plans could be completed and funds raised to get a good start before the 1950 fair.

• Oct. 17, 1974

Athletic Director Audley DeGraaf developed a new program policy for Hartley junior high and high school athletes that was adopted by the school board. The program set out the number of games to be played by football and basketball teams, and rules for out-of-season conditioning programs.

Wally Tschopp, Richard Dittberner and Russ Boles were elected to the board of the Hartley Chamber of Commerce. They replaced Carroll Dass, Ed Rons and Walt Ronnfeldt. Lifetime memberships were presented to Clarence Olhausen, Mrs. Elsie Verdoes and Kenneth Steen.

Former pastors who participated in the second 75th anniversary celebration service at Trinity United Church of Christ were Rev. Bruno Romanowski, Rev. Ralph Maschmeier and Rev. R.G. Beck. Rev. G.A. Pahl had planned to attend, but had to change his plans when his wife fell and broke her shoulder.

• Oct. 21, 1999

Turtles were the theme of Hartley Head Start’s Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) celebration. The 17 children enrolled in the program learned where turtles live and what they eat. Students also made turtles out of bread dough and balanced turtle “shells” on their backs.

Progress was more visible as the expansion program at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn High School moved forward. Asphalt paving of the new parking lot was nearing completion, and excavation for four new classrooms at the northwest corner of the building was underway. Pouring of the footings and laying of block was to begin shortly. Carpet was also being laid in the media center and work continued on the vocational agriculture and art classrooms. The all-weather track project was also moving forward. Lane markings were finished, leaving only the long jump pit to be completed.

“From Our Files” is compiled by Sentinel-News sports editor/staff writer Mike Petersen.