By Bill Anderson

The weather started out hot and windy on Monday, May 22, and stayed that way throughout the Memorial Day weekend. The conditions allowed field work to proceed at a rapid pace, and some local producers are getting close to the Spring Planting Finish Line. Hot weather conditions usually drum up a thunderstorm, and Memorial Day on Monday, May 29, was no exception to that old and honorable tradition. There were several episodes of thunder, followed by what Norbert Kulzer described as, “a 5 inch rain,” that is, a rainfall in which the raindrops were at least 5 inches apart. Roger Pearson reported .1 of an inch in his rain gauge on the morning of Tuesday, May 30, and Norbert Kulzer reported that his gauge, only a few feet east of Roger’s, registered less than a tenth on Tuesday morning. There is hope, though. At least there is hope, the drug that gives every farmer, and every banker, a high with every drop of rain.

Nine of the 12 surviving second generation descendants of Rutland area pioneers, the late Ole C. & Julia C. (Peterson) Anderson, enjoyed a reunion of first cousins on Thursday, May 25. The group included: Bill Anderson of Rutland; Paul Anderson of Rutland; Joanne (Anderson) Harris of Rutland; Andrew Harris of Rutland; Sonja (Anderson) Christensen of Wahpeton; Judie (Anderson-Seavert) Grohs of Rosholt SD; Jodie (Anderson) Bogenreif of Gilbert AZ; Beverly (Bartunek) Schons of Fargo; and Vicki (Bartunek) Renner of DesMoines IA. Also attending were Judie Grohs’ spouse, Steve Grohs of Rosholt SD; and Marilyn (Mrs. Arden) Anderson of Wahpeton. Unable to attend the reunion this year were: Marilyn (Bartunek) Sabe of DeFuniak Springs FL; Patricia (Anderson) Kulzer of Condon MT; and Jeffrey Anderson of Plymouth MN. First cousins who are deceased are: Richard M. Anderson; Harvey O. Anderson; Arden C. Anderson; and Nancy (Bartunek) Lee. Those attending gathered at the Rutland Cemetery in the morning to decorate the graves of parents, spouses, and grandparents for Memorial Day, and to discuss family history before having lunch at The Lariat Bar in Rutland. Main courses and beverages were ordered off the menu, and the group was treated with a rhubarb dessert made by Sonja Christensen from a recipe provided for one of the Rutland cookbooks by the late Helen (Hermanson) Anderson of this community. Terry Lee, surviving spouse of the Late Nancy Lee, also sent a generous supply of rosettes for all to enjoy. The cousins are descendants of the late Melvin & Ila Anderson; the late Rudolph & Edna Anderson; the late William & Norma (Anderson) Bartunek; and the late Earl & Irene Anderson. They were all impressed by the excellent cuisine furnished by The Lariat Bar, as well as with the prompt & efficient service provided by a member of the Lariat’s staff, Tyler Weatherby.

Larry Christensen, Commander of Bergman-Evenson Post #215 of the American Legion; and, Roger Pearson, a member of the Post; installed new crosses on the graves of veterans in the Rutland and Nordland Cemeteries on the morning of Friday, May 26. The new crosses are made of steel and have a durable white powder coat finish. Post members extend their thanks to the RayMac Company of Gwinner & Forman for manufacturing and donating the crosses.

Rutland native Bonita (Bauman) Sundlie, now a resident of Horace ND was a Rutland visitor on the afternoon of Friday, May 26. Bonita stopped at The Lariat for lunch, and a visit with old friend Janice Christensen, before visiting the Rutland and Nordland Cemeteries to decorate the graves of deceased family members. Bonita, a member of RHS Class of ’62, reports that she is still working as a Teacher’s Aide at the public school in Horace, and that her younger sister, Arlene (Bauman) Kiefer, is still working for the cable TV company in the Fargo-West Fargo-Horace communities. Arlene is a member of the SCHS Class of ’69. Bonita & Arlene’s brother, Bruce Bauman, RHS & SCHS Class of ’65, and his spouse, Rhonda, returned from AZ to their home in Mandan in early May, after the weather finally warmed up. Bonita says that Bruce has replaced his motorcycle with a convertible automobile. Bruce has told his sister that he would enjoy the feeling of his hair blowing in the wind when he puts the top down and goes for a drive in the convertible, if he had some hair, that is. The parents of Bonita, Bruce & Arlene are the late Walter & Josie (Breum) Bauman of this community. 

Among those dining at The Lariat Bar at Noon on Saturday, May 27, were former Rutland community residents: Bonnie (Nelson) Anderson of Brookings SD; Julie (Nelson) Batters of Brainerd MN; and Barbara (Nelson) Rick of Fergus Falls MN. Bonnie’s daughter, Nicole Anderson and Barbara’s daughter, Tara, and Tara’s infant son were also in the party. Bonnie & Julie are daughters of the late Irvin & Betty (Colby) nelson, and Barbara is the daughter of the late Ralph & Lois (Colby) Nelson of this community. Tara has good childhood memories of being trained as a waitress at The Rutland Café by her Grandma Lois and Grandpa Ralph, and even of earning her first tip for quick service. Tara is now a physician, and she & her husband provide medical care to those in need around the world. 

Four friends and classmates from the SCHS Class of ’70: Janet (Breker) Kiefer of Cayuga; Rita (Grammond) Trygstad of Redfield SD; Mary (Faye) Kerbaugh of Fargo; and Allison Hoflen of West Fargo; gathered at Janet Kiefer’s home in Cayuga on Friday & Saturday, May 26 & 27, for their annual reunion. The 4 have been getting together during the Memorial Day weekend for half a century and intend to keep up the tradition for another half a century, or so. During their reunions they decorate family graves for Memorial Day and get current with each other’s lives. Janet is one of the daughters of the late Clarence & Adeline Breker; Rita is one of the daughters of the late Earl “Babe” & Clarse Grammond; Mary is the daughter of the late Milton “Frenchy” & Marian Faye; and Allison is one of the daughters of the late Theodore & Margaret Hoflen.

Janice Christensen, Larry Christensen, and Carolyn Christensen of this community drove up to Kindred ND on the afternoon of Sunday, May 28, to attend the High School Graduation celebration for Janice’s grandson, Charlie Biewer, son of Dennis & Stacey (Christensen) of Kindred. Charlie is a 4.0 student, Valedictorian of his class and an all-star athlete in football, basketball, and track. His maternal great-grandparents were the late Fred & Laura Christensen and the late David & Adeline Brakke of this community. Charlie’s many friends in the Rutland community extend their congratulations to him and his parents on his achievements, both past and future. 

Memorial Day, Monday, May 29, 2023, dawned clear, sunny, warm, and windy, and stayed that way as the day progressed. The stiff southwest wind had the flags carried by the American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary contingents snapping in the wind as they prepared for military rites at the Nordland Cemetery 2½ miles east southeast of Rutland. The members of Bergman-Evenson Post #215’s Ceremonial Detail were: Andrew Hoflen & Tom Manley, Color Bearers; Douglas Olstad, Chaplain; Larry Christensen, Andy Harris, Roger McLaen & Ted Lee, riflemen; Bill Anderson; Roger Pearson, bugler; and, Cal Jacobson, Sergeant At Arms. As in past years, after performing military rites at the Nordland Cemetery at 10:15 a.m., the American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary details went to the Rutland Cemetery to repeat the performance. Participants and observers alike then adjourned to the Rutland Town Hall for the Memorial Day Program presented by the ladies of the Auxiliary and to enjoy the annual pot-luck dinner sponsored by the Rutland Community Club. All are invited to attend next year’s Memorial Day observances on Monday, May 27, 2024.

Some of those from out of town who came back home for Memorial Day last weekend were: Richard Meyers from Sun City AZ; Shirley Mahrer of Hankinson; Dean & Carol Nundahl of Mankato MN; Harlan Nundahl of Fargo; Pat Prindiville of Horace ND; Michael Prindiville of Minneapolis MN; Joel Prindiville of Sioux Falls SD; Sonja (Anderson) Christensen of Wahpeton; Wendy (Wyum) Honchl of Fargo; Keith Olson of Minneapolis MN; Ann Hoflen ofSt. Paul MN; Allison Hoflen Of West Fargo; Clarence “Stub” & Sharon Sundlie of Fargo; Ivan Susag of Rollag MN; and, many more.

Harvey & Judy Bergstrom have been getting “Henry T,” their 1924 Model T Ford Touring Car, ready for the annual 500 mile Model T tour of Kansas during the month of June. Harvey says that there is still plenty of work to get done, including: getting the paint to dry; completing the upholstery work; and getting the top on. At this point, their plan is to depart their farm south of Cayuga with Henry T on a trailer on June 18, drive to the rally point at The Hilton Garden Inn, Manhattan, Kansas, and then participate in 5 days of touring The Sunflower State with a number of other Model T Ford enthusiasts, putting on a total of 500 miles in the process. The Ford Motor Company manufactured the Model T from 1908 to 1927 and sold more than 15,000,000 of them during that time. The Rutland and Cayuga communities wish Harvey, Judy and Henry T all the best during their magnificent adventure.

Rutland native Mary Jo (Kulzer) Armstrong invited family & friends in this area to join her for her 75th Birthday Party at the Rutland Seniors’ Center on Tuesday, May 30. Mary Jo and her husband, Mike, currently reside in Chicago IL, but Mary Jo still considers Rutland to be home. She is the youngest daughter of the late Joe & Mary (Murray) Kulzer of this community. She grew up on her parents’ farm, on the NW¼ of Section 17 in Ransom Township, graduated in the RHS/SCHS Class of ’66, attended college at NDSU and taught piano for many years at Rockford IL before moving to Chicago. She still has 19 serious piano students under her tutelage. Mary Jo & Mike enjoy returning to Rutland for community events such as Memorial Day and Uff-Da Day each year. The birthday cakes served at the party, one chocolate and one white, were made by Mary Jo’s sisters, Betty Johnson of Gwinner and Judy Olson of Veblen SD. Mary Jo’s many friends in the Rutland community extend congratulations to her on the occasion of her 75^th Birthday, and best wishes for many more.

 Vitalant Blood Services of Fargo conducted its first Rutland blood drive of 2023 in the Rutland Town Hall from 8:30 a.m. to Noon on the morning of Tuesday, May 30. Local volunteer Joanne Harris reports that 19 of the 22 volunteers who had been scheduled showed up to donate. One prospective donor was deferred due to low iron, but one donor contributed a double unit of red blood cells, so a total of 19 units were collected, one more than Vitalant’s goal of 18 units for the event. Sheila Wyum served lunch & beverages to donors before they went on their way for the day. Larry Christensen reports that the only drawback to the event was that he was advised to refrain from golfing for the remainder of the day, to rehydrate before hitting the links with his usual vigor and enthusiasm. 

The Home Opener for the Rutland Roosters Men’s Slowpitch Softball team was on the evening of Tuesday, May 30, and it was an impressive opening, indeed. The Roosters claimed 2 victories over the team from Lisbon by scores of 15-12 in game #1, and 17-5 in game #2. Game #2 ended after 5 innings due to “The 10 Run Rule.” No report has been received of the results of the away games played on May 16 and May 23, so, as far as this writer is concerned, the Roosters have a perfect record, so far. As usual, the crew in the Rutland Park Board’s concession stand, Larry Christensen, Mac Pherson & Hal Nelson, gave a championship performance, serving bratwursts, hot dogs, popcorn, chips, water and soft drinks to hungry fans. The Roosters’ next game is scheduled to be on the road, at Hankinson, on Tuesday, June 6. The next scheduled home game will be on Tuesday, June 27, at Lou Sanderson Field. Everyone is invited to come on out to the ball game and root, root, root for the home team! 

Twenty-four members of the North American Rail Car Operators Association drove 15 of their vintage railway maintenance vehicles through Rutland on the evening of Sunday, May 28, headed southwest to Britton and Amherst SD, and then drove their motorized vehicles back through Rutland again on the morning of Monday, May 29, Memorial Day. This year, rail cars and members from North Dakota; South Dakota; Minnesota; Wisconsin; Nebraska; New Jersey; Pennsylvania; and, Texas were included in the annual tour of this rail line, which goes from the Geneseo Junction to Aberdeen SD. Chuck Anderson states that he spotted some emblems from the Burlington Northern (BN) Railway and from the Union Pacific (UP) Railway, but he didn’t notice any from the old Great Northern or Soo Line Railways. The rail cars are often referred to as “Putt-Putt” cars, due to the distinct sound of the motors that propel them down the track. For the past several years, the group has made arrangements to stop for coffee and lunch at the Rutland Seniors’ Center on their way through town. Chuck & Mary Beth Anderson, Mike & Debbie Banish, and Joanne Harris are among the local folks who made these railroaders and their antique vehicles welcome in our community.

Meanwhile, on the national scene, the end of the world was averted last weekend when the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Kevin McCarthy R-CA, and the President of the United States, Joe Biden D-DL, reached an agreement to increase the nation’s debt ceiling. As usual with agreements of this type, there will be sweeping cuts in spending, except in the big ticket items such as Defense, Veterans programs, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. In other words, no cuts in any programs that actually cost money. There is also a promise to hold the line on spending for the next 2 years. Well, we’ll see about that. It’s relatively easy to hold the line on spending in the other guy’s Congressional District, where they love wasteful “pork barrel” spending projects, but it’s a lot harder to cut spending in our own District, where every program is important and every dollar is essential to the national, if not the international, economy. Well, the world will not long remember this agreement, nor will the Congress, the President, or the American people. Sound and fury, signifying nothing. 

Well, that’s the news from Rutland for this week. For additional information about what’s going on with Rutland or with Rutland folks, check out the community’s internet web site at www.rutlandnd.com, and take a look at the Rutland Facebook page while you’re at it, too. Don’t forget to patronize your local Post Office and remember to keep the pressure on the U.S. Postal Service and the North Dakota Congressional delegation to SAVE OUR POST OFFICE! Later.