Jesse Brakke Benefit Planned

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A benefit is being planned for Jesse Brakke on Saturday, September 11, 2010, in the Rutland City Hall.

Jesse Brakke was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) in 1995.  In November 2007 he became ill with congestive heart failure and was hospitalized, having a pacemaker and defibrillator implanted.  Then, in December 2008 he became more short of breath and fatigued and was referred to Meritcare Cardiology. His case was too complex so he was referred to the U of M Hospitals in Minneapolis.  On March 17, 2009, Jesse had open heart surgery to receive a device to help pump his heart efficiently and prepare him over the next year for a heart transplant.  On February 2, 2010, Jesse became the 700th heart transplant at Fairview Hospital in Minneapolis.  He is now in the process of recovering and must go to Minneapolis every month for a heart biopsy and other tests to determine rejection.  He is on multiple medications at present and will be on rejection meds for life. 

Work is underway to gather items for the silent and live auctions and solicitation letters will be going out soon to area businesses and other organizations.  Silent auction items will be requested no later than Friday, September 10.

Events for the day will include games in the afternoon, a meal and silent auction followed by a live auction and a street dance and karaoke. If you can’t donate, come and participate in the days activities.

Nordland Lutheran Church 125th Celebration

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Nordland Lutheran Church is celebrating its 125th Anniversary on the weekend of July 10 and July 11.

On Saturday, July 10, there will be a pie and ice cream social in the church parish hall at 3:00 pm.  There will also be a hymn sing and outdoor games for all during this time.  A light supper will be provided by the Luther League that evening with a free will offering.  This will be a great time to reminisce and visit with members and friends.  It can also be a time of touring the church and seeing all that has stayed the same, but also the many changes.

Sunday, July 11, will begin with a celebratory worship service at 10:30 am.  Following the worship service, a free will dinner will be served at the City Hall.  The menu will include Swedish meatballs, mashed potatoes and gravy and lefse.  (RSVP required.) Following the meal, there will be a program of memories and music back at the church.  Between the meal and the program, all former pastors, as well as any descendants of the church’s founding families plan to gather at the church for photos. 

Items will be available for purchase during the celebration weekend.  At the current time, items to be offered are a Nordland Lutheran Church history book, Christmas ornaments and various clothing items.

The Battery

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The BatteryLeif Sundlie and Arthur “Rusty” Silseth were in town on Memorial Day, 2010, in Rutland.   Leif & Rusty were the principal pitcher and catcher, the battery, on the Rutland Roosters Baseball teams that dominated baseball in this area in the years following World War II.  The picture was taken by Leif’s son, Robert Sundlie of Troy, Ohio.  Leif has been inducted into the North Dakota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame for his pitching prowess.  He set a record for strikeouts in a single North Dakota State Tournament game, 22, during one of the Roosters’ many appearances in the State’s baseball classic, but that is only one of his many achievements on the diamond.  Leif and Rusty worked very well together, and Rusty gave opposing batters the jitters with his constant stream of razzing chatter behind the plate, setting them up for a called strike or a missed swing as Leif worked his magic with the ball.  Those were the days, when “Take Me Out To The Ballpark” was almost as much the national anthem as “The Star Spangled Banner.” [This trip down memory lane is courtesy of Bill Anderson]

Memorial Day Program

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Those of us who are still breathing cannot repay the sacrifice made by those who fought for our freedom and who died in service to our country, but at the very least we must and can remember them. That’s exactly what Rutland did as part of its annual Memorial Day event. This year, the American Legion Bergman Evenson Post 215 held events at both the Nordland Lutheran Church cemetary and the Rutland Cemetary. Following visits to the cemetaries, more than 200 residents and visitors proceeded to City Hall for a short program. American Legion Members received member service awards:  Donald Donaldson and Milton McLaen received their 65 year awards, Norm Preble and Roger Nelson received 45 year member awards, and Andy Hoflen received the forty year member service award. Women’s Auxiliary President Sonja Christensen gave a thought-provoking speech. Musical entertainment included patriotic songs sung by local talent accompanied by Kathleen Brakke. Following the program a wonderful meal of scalloped potatoes and ham and a variety of salads and desserts was served.

Photos from the day’s activities have been posted on the Rutland, ND Facebook page.

The Rooster Crows – May 21, 2010

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The unfamiliar, bright object that was sighted in the sky over North Dakota last Friday turned out to be the sun, a celestial body whose existence had been rumored, but not confirmed, for quite some time.  The return of daylight after an absence of 2 weeks brightened spirits and allowed folks to get reacquainted with their shadows, those normally constant companions that had been conspicuous by their absence the previous couple of weeks.  Several consecutive days of sunshine and warm temperatures since last Thursday, have now allowed spring planting to resume, and a number of local producers report that wheat and corn seeding have been completed and the planter has been switched over to soybeans for the rest of the season.  With about a third of normal crop acres presently under water, frogs, mosquitoes and ducks are now in full production mode, too.  If cash money was being paid for those 3 commodities, all notes would be current.

Shane and Karla Breker drove up to Fargo on Saturday, May 15, where they attended commencement exercises at North Dakota State University.  The Brekers’ son, Shawn Breker, graduated from NDSU with a degree in Civil Engineering.  Also attending the ceremony were Shawn’s sisters, Shantelle and Sheena.  Shawn, a 2005 graduate of SCHS,  plans to spend a couple of weeks at home in Tewaukon Township, helping his  Dad on the farm, and then will embark on a trip to Australia for some post-graduate engineering studies on the continent down under.  While a student at NDSU, Shawn earned several academic and leadership honors, including membership in the prestigious Blue Key Honor Society.  The Rutland community extends congratulations to Shawn and to the Breker family on his graduation and accomplishments.

Bryce Carlson of Rutland and Miss Casie Hawkinson of Britton SD exchanged marriage vows in a private ceremony at Nordland Lutheran Church at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 15, in the presence of immediate Family & a few close friends.  Rev. Justin Senger of Nordland officiated.  The groom is the son of Clifford Carlson of Rutland and Charlotte (Stenvold-Carlson) Diehl of Glen Ullin ND.  The bride is the daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Steve Hawkinson of Britton.  Her great-grandparents were the late Henning and Agnes Hawkinson of Rutland.  The wedding of this young couple had originally been scheduled for June 18, but the ceremony was moved up due to the serious illness of a family member.  Bryce and Casie intend to re-affirm their Vows and host their wedding reception here on June 18, as originally scheduled.  The Rutland community congratulates Bryce and Casie on their marriage, and extends to them best wishes for a long and happy life together.

Stu Carlson of Mohall ND, accompanied by Stu’s Dad, Rutland native Frank Carlson of Bismarck, visited in Rutland last weekend.  They attended the wedding of Frank’s great-nephew, Bryce Carlson and his bride, Casie Hawkinson. Continue reading “The Rooster Crows – May 21, 2010” →

The Rooster Crows – February 12, 2010

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By Bill Anderson

Well, it has been an active week in Rutland, North Dakota, out here on the prairie. Snow started falling like a gentle lullaby on Thursday, February 4, building to a Wagnerian crescendo with a full-fledged winter storm by Monday, February 8. Much to the disappointment of the eager students attending the the local school system, Sargent Central cancelled classes on Monday due to the heavy snow. Mayor Narum had the City’s snowplow opening Rutland’s streets by 4:30 each morning, but travel outside the City was difficult in many places, impossible in others and not advised throughout the area. Throughout the storm, the mercury went up and down like a yo-yo, from 25 above on Sunday to 18 below by Tuesday evening.  Well, this is North Dakota after all, and we certainly can’t complain about the flies and mosquitoes so far this year.

Saturday, February 6, was a big day in the Little City That Can, with the 15th Annual Rudy Anderson Memorial Pinochle Tournament taking center stage. Sixty-six teams of pinochle players had preregistered for the contest, and nearly all braved the elements to be on hand in the Rutland Town Hall when the first cards were dealt at 8:00 a.m. Steve Lies & Barb Diedrich of Wahpeton took home the first prize of $300.00 at the end of the day, accumulating more than 1,700 points in their winning effort.  Local folks were relieved when the team of Roger McLaen and Jack Brummond won second prize, also a substantial sum of cash, as Jack is now recouping some of the entry fees he paid in during the 10 years, or more, that he has not finished in the money. Jack is not deterred by success, however, and commenting on the sign proclaiming that a $5.00 fine could be imposed for whining, stated that he was going to go for the $10.00 package, figuring he could get a volume discount. The pinochle tournament has been sponsored by the children and grandchildren of the late Rudy & Edna Anderson since 1996, the year after Rudy’s death. Both Rudy and Edna were avid card players, and passed their enthusiasm for card games, particularly pinochle, on to their descendants. Proceeds of the tournament not paid out in prizes have been donated to the Rutland Community Club for the improvement and maintenance of the Rutland Town Hall. Tournament participants and kibitzers enjoyed a dinner, featuring the famed Rutland scalloped potatoes with ham, made with real cream and served by members of the Rutland Community Club. The 16th Annual Rudy Anderson Memorial Pinochle Tournament is scheduled for the first Saturday in February, 2011, in the Rutland Town Hall, says the reigning family matriarch, Sonja (Anderson) Christensen.

The new Lariat Bar also saw plenty of action last Saturday, February 6, as a local snowmobile club made two stops there during the day, the first at 10:00 a.m. at the beginning of their run, and concluding their day with dining and refreshments at the Lariat  late in the afternoon. Also enjoying the new dining room facilities at the Lariat were the employees of the Sargent County FSA  Office, who held their delayed Christmas Party there on Saturday evening. Approximately 30 employees, spouses and guests attended the event.

Continue reading “The Rooster Crows – February 12, 2010” →