By Mark Dalquist
Litchfield

Brent Schacherer’s column seemed to be very pro rail, but also seemed to believe it is a Republican versus Democrat issue.  Assuredly it is not. It is, instead, a simple issue of common sense.

Shortly after the conclusion of the last legislative session, an area paper ran a short note about Rep. Dean Urdahl, R-Grove City, teaming up with Rep. Al Juhnke, DFL-Willmar, in calling for a transit plan for western Minnesota.

An outstate Republican legislator supporting public transit? What in the name of House Minority Leader Marty Seifert was going on here?

Republicans have been seen as largely anti-transit, opposing anything that sounds remotely like it might get people out of their cars and into trains — especially if it cost anything.

It’s that time again — the time of year when the temperature turns cooler, leaves begin to fall ... and campaign signs begin to fill lawns and roadsides.

Annoying as those campaign signs might be to some, they are an encouraging reminder that the democratic process is working well. It’s with that goal in mind that we write this same encouragement — or something very much like it — for people to become involved in the process.

Alvin J. "Grandpa" Jans, 81, of Grove City died Wednesday, Aug. 27, at Bethesda Pleasantview in Willmar. Funeral will be 3 p.m. Saturday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Grove City. Visitation will be 6 to 9 p.m. Friday at Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home in Litchfield and one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be in First Lutheran Cemetery in Grove City. Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Anna Dilley, 81, of Grove City, died Wednesday, Aug. 27 at the Emmanuel Home in Litchfield. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Grove City. Visitation will be from 5-8 p.m. Friday at Trinity Lutheran and one hour prior to the service on Saturday.

Allan Moberg, 57, of Litchfield, died Saturday at the Meeker Memorial Hospital in Litchfield. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Church of St. Philip in Litchfield. Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. Monday at the church with a parish prayer service and Knights of Columbus Rosary at 8 p.m. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the services at the church. Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home & Cremation is in charge of arrangements.

Clarence Kline, 80, of Litchfield, died Monday at the Emmanuel Home in Litchfield. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Church of St. John in Darwin. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Arrangements by Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home, Litchfield.

Charles Ness, 77, of Litchfield, died Aug. 12 at the Solara Hospital inn McAllen, Texas. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home. Visitation will be one hour prior to the funeral at the funeral home. Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Terry Sandry, 65, died Aug. 11 at the Regional Hospital in Edinburg. A memorial service will be at 9:30 a.m. Friday at the Zion Lutheran Church in Litchfield.

Blanche Wilson, 90, of Litchfield, formerly of Lakeville, died Wednesday, Aug. 13. Funeral will be 11 a.m. Monday at St. John's Lutheran Church, 20165 Heath Ave., Lakeville. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at White Funeral Home, 20134 Kenwood Trail, Lakeville, and one hour prior to the service at the church. Burial will be in Maple Lawn Cemetery, Fairbault. Arrangements are with White Funeral Home in Lakeville.

Vernon W. Constant, 89, of Litchfield, died Wednesday at Meeker County Memorial Hospital in Litchfield. Funeral services will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Augustana Memorial Chapel inn Litchfield. Visitation will be from 1-3 p.m. at the Augustana Memorial Chapel. Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home & Cremation was in charge of arrangements.

Donald Burton Carlson, 83 of Canton, GA, recently of Cokato, Minn. died at his home on Aug. 8. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Cokato. Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. Thursday at the Swanson Peterson Funeral Home in Cokato and one hour prior to the funeral at the church. Swanson Peterson Funeral Home in Cokato is in charge of arrangements.

Alvin Anderson, 96, of the Lake Jennie area, died Tuesday at his residence in Dassel. A memorial service was Saturday at the Evangelical Covenant Church in Dassel. The Johnson Funeral Home in Dassel was in charge of arrangements.

Sharon Holtz, 75, of Litchfield, died Monday at the St. Cloud Hospital in St. Cloud, Minn. Funeral service will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Litchfield. Visitaiton will be Friday evening from 5-8 p.m. at Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home and will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home & Cremation is in charge of arrangements.

Marian (Kittelson) Foster, 88, of Hudson, Fla., formerly of Litchfield, died Friday in Hudson. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the Ness Lutheran Church. Visitation will be Thursday from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. and will continue one hour prior to the services at the church. Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home & Cremation is in charge of arrangements.

Gary Dahlberg, 57, of Acoma Township, McLeod County, Minn., passed away July 26, 2008 at his home in Acoma Township. Funeral services were Friday at Faith Lutheran Church in Hutchinson. Dobratz-Hantge Chapel in Hutchinson was in charge of arrangements.

Douglas Hamilton, 86, of Atwater, passed away July 30 at Bethesda Pleasant View in Willmar. Funeral services were Saturday at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Atwater.

Ethel Boller, 89, of Anoka, died July 31, 2008. Mass of Christian burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the Church of St. Stephen in Anoka. Visitation will be Wednesday from 4-8 p.m. with a vigil prayer service at 7 p.m. at Gearhart Anoka Funeral Home and will continue one hour prior to Mass on Thursday at the church.

David M. Miller, 85, of rural Grove City died Monday at his home. Funeral will be 10 a.m. Friday at Evangelical Free Church in rural Paynesville.  Interment will be at Burr Oak Cemetery in rural Grove City. A visitation will be from 4 to 8:30 p.m. today (Thursday) at Evangelical Free Church in rural Paynesville and continue one hour prior to the service.
Arrangements are with Johnson and Harvey Anderson Funeral Homes of Paynesville.

Janet Kjellerson, 86, of Litchfield, died Thursday at the Emmanuel Nursing Home in Litchfield. Services are pending with Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home, Litchfield. Please sign our on-line guestbook at www.johnsonhagglund.com

With the first human cases of West Nile
virus disease for 2008 confirmed in three Minnesota residents,
state health officials today urged Minnesotans to protect themselves
from mosquitoes from now through September.

The Horticulture team at University of Minnesota Extension has launched a new weed identification and management tool. The Web site can be accessed from University of Minnesota Extension’s Gardening Info page, or directly at www.extension.umn.edu/gardeninfo/weedid/.

Elmer Lundstrom, 84, died Saturday after a brief illness. A memorial service will be at Camano Lutheran Church in Washington State on Aug. 2 at 1 p.m. He was the son of the late Leonard and Minnie Lundstrom of Litchfield.

Gordon "Gordy" Heuring, 65, of Litchfield, died at his home in Litchfield on Monday. Memorial services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Church of St. Philip. Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. Friday at Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home with a 7:30 p.m. prayer service. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home & Cremation is in charge of arrangements.

David Ruzicka, 79, of Lake MinnieBelle and formerly of Glencoe, died Friday at Lake MinnieBelle. Mass of Christian burial will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the Church of St. Pius X in Glencoe. A time of gathering for family and friends will be at 9:30 a.m. until the time of the service on Wednesday. Johnson-McBride Funeral Chapel in Glencoe is in charge of arrangements.

Lyle Larsen, 79, of Dassel, died July 10, 2008 at the Lakeside Health Care Center of Dassel. A funeral service will be Aug. 4 at 2 p.m. at the Evangelical Covenant Church in Dassel. A time to gather with family and friends will be held one hour prior to the service at the church. Memorial arrangements are being handled by the Johnson Funeral Home in Dassel.

A 21-year-old Annandale man died from injuries suffered in a traffic accident July 16 on Minnesota Highway 15 near Dassel.

According to the Minnesota State Patrol, Brett Thompson was driving his 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix at about 7:30 a.m. July 16 when it crossed the centerline and struck a semi-trailer. The accident happened one mile north of County State Aid Highway 21.

Thompson was taken to St. Cloud Hospital and later transported to Hennepin County Medical Center where he died later that day.