The Rooster Crows – Nov. 26, 2021

On November 26, 2021November 23, 2021 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

By Bill Anderson

Thanksgiving, at least Thanksgiving dinner, came a week early to the Rutland Seniors Center on Wednesday, November 17. Head cook Janet Kiefer prepared Thanksgiving dinner with turkey; dressing; mashed potatoes & gravy; green bean casserole; cranberries; lefse; and, pumpkin pie with whipped topping; for a total of 33 patrons, 24 who enjoyed their dinner together at the Seniors’ Center, and 9 who had their dinners delivered by “Meals On Wheels,” otherwise known as Roger Pearson & Hal Nelson. Janet and her husband, Cliff, headed south on Thursday, November 18, bound for Dallas TX to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with their son, Andy, and his family. Delores Lysne filled in for Janet in the Seniors’ Center kitchen on Thursday, November 18, and Diane Smith was in charge of dinner preparation on Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday, November 22, 23 & 24. Rutland’s Seniors are fortunate to have three such talented & capable chefs ready, willing and able to take charge in the kitchen and do the cooking the way their mothers taught them.

Aaron & Silvia Brooks of this community were called to Yuma AZ last week, where Silvia’s father, Alfredo Tastana, was seriously ill with covid-19. Mr. Tastana passed away on Thursday, November 18. According to Silvia, there will be a funeral service later this week at Yuma, followed by interment of her father’s remains at his home community in Mexico. Mr. & Mrs. Brooks expect to be back home in Rutland sometime next week. The Rutland community extends condolences to the family of Alfredo Tastana on the loss of the family’s patriarch. May he rest in peace.

Five of Rutland’s “Happy Warriors:” Mike Mahrer; Kyle Mahrer; Vaughan Rohrbach; Bill Hoflen; and, Jesse Brakke; accompanied by Steve Thorfinnson & Alwood Huckell of Fort Ransom; and, Ray Ohm of Hankinson; departed Rutland on Tuesday, November 16, bound for their hunting grounds in western Kentucky, where the whitetail deer are as plentiful as are cottontail rabbits in North Dakota. The group from Rutland has been hunting whitetails in western Kentucky, near the town of Clinton KY, for the past several years. The area has a combination of small farms and dense woods, ideal habitat for whitetail deer. The local residents consider the deer to be a nuisance and are happy to have hunters come in to harvest the surplus. The hunters expect to be back home by Wednesday, November 24.

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The Rooster Crows – Sept. 24, 2021

On September 24, 2021September 24, 2021 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster Crows, Rutland HistoryLeave a comment

By Bill Anderson

September hesitated on its way to Autumn last weekend, when the temperature soared into the upper 80’s, with the humidity following suit, on Saturday & Sunday, September 18 & 19. Local mosquitoes thought that they might have a chance for a good season, after all, but their fantasies were foiled by a 35 degree plunge in temperature on Monday morning. Monday’s conditions wrung some moisture out of the air, resulting in a day long drizzle that left .2 of an inch of precipitation in Rutland, according to Roger Pearson’s rain gauge, and .4 of an inch of precipitation according to the rain gauge of Roger’s next door neighbor, Norbert Kulzer. As of Tuesday, September 21, the forecast is calling for pleasant, early Autumn weather through Uff-Da Day, Sunday, October 3. Cross your fingers!

Miss Lauren Kulzer of Kansas City MO visited at the home of her grandparents, Norbert & Beverly Kulzer, from Friday, September 10 through Sunday, September 12. Lauren is the eldest daughter of Stephen & Ann Kulzer of Hartford SD, near Sioux Falls. She is a graduate of South Dakota State University in Brookings SD, and is currently employed as an RN in a large hospital in Kansas City. As the old song goes, “Everything’s up to date in Kansas City.” Despite its modern advantages, though, Kansas City can’t compare to Grandpa & Grandma’s home in Rutland, or to Grandma’s home cooking.

Kevin Oland of rural Geneseo reports that a Marboe Township Reunion was held on Saturday, September 18. The Township is situated in the southeastern corner of Sargent County, and is south of the northern boundary of the Wahpeton-Sisseton Reservation and north of the North Dakota State Line. According to reunion organizer Carol Anderson, 60 current and former Township residents registered for the event, including 40 Alumni of Marboe Township’s 1 room country schools. The Wood Lake School building is the only one of the Marboe Township school buildings that remains at its original location. One of the Marboe Township school buildings is now part of an exhibit of structures from early Norwegian settlements in America on the island of Radoy in Norway. Carol Anderson is the daughter of the late Edwin and Fern Anderson of Marboe Township. Her grandparents homesteaded in Marboe Township, and Kevin Oland now owns and resides on the original Anderson homestead.

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The Rooster Crows – Sept. 17, 2021

On September 17, 2021September 21, 2021 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

By Bill Anderson

Ahhhhh, September! Cool nights, warm days, clear blue skies, and just enough rain to keep the lawn mower from seizing up. If only…if only…but, no, it can’t last. Time marches on! The rain that visited Rutland and vicinity on the afternoon of Monday, September 13, was about as nice as a rain could be. The rain came straight down and soaked right in. No run off to speak of. Roger Pearson reported that his gauge at 409 Gay Street held .6 of an inch when the rain stopped, and Jesse Brakke’s electronic gauge at his farm between Rutland and Cayuga registered .63 of an inch. Janet Kiefer reported that Cayuga was blessed with .8 of an inch. When the days are so beautiful, and the weather is so nice, it’s difficult to envision that harsher, less pleasant conditions await. “There are two seasons in North Dakota,” the late Clayton McLaen used to say, “winter, and getting ready for winter.” This is the time to be getting ready for tougher times ahead. But, what the heck? You can’t work all the time, can you? This week, this month, take some time to enjoy all of the roses you will encounter along your path. Just remember, winter’s a’comin’!

Chuck & Mary Beth Anderson departed here on Tuesday, August 31, bound for Green Bay WI and a tour of picturesque Door County. They returned home on Thursday, September 9. During their trip they took in a real Wisconsin “fish boil,” where they enjoyed a chance meeting with Chuck’s cousin and her husband, Chad & Karla (Kleingarn) Stencel of Minneapolis. Karla is the daughter of Harvey & Sue (McLaen) Kleingarn of Forman. They also took a boat ride on Lake Michigan where they happened to meet Mike & Lisa Markovic, parents of frequent Rutland visitor Alex Markovic, who plan to be visiting at the Jesse Brakke home near Rutland for the 2021 North Dakota Pheasant Season opener in October. The Markovics make their home in Chicago IL. Every silver lining has a cloud, though, and the Andersons’ trip lost some of its luster on the afternoon of Wednesday, September 8, as they were driving west on Wisconsin Highway #29 near Wausau WI. A pallet had apparently fallen off a truck as it crossed the bridge at the Wisconsin River, chuck said, scattering debris across the highway. Two law enforcement vehicles, with lights flashing, were parked on either side of the highway, narrowing the traffic lanes and forcing traffic to slow. Ahead of the Anderson’s 2017 GMC ¾ ton 4X4 pickup and 5^th wheel travel trailer was a small Jeep utility vehicle. The driver of the Jeep slammed on his brakes, as did Chuck, but the Andersons’ big rig couldn’t stop as quickly as could the smaller vehicle. Ka-Boom! The Andersons’ pickup slammed into the rear of the Jeep, shattering that vehicles rear window and scattering glass all over the highway. The front end of the Andersons’ pickup was smashed, but, fortunately, no damage was done to the headlights, radiator or engine. The Andersons were able to drive their vehicle home, after a wrecker arrived on the scene and used its winch to pull the right front fender off the tire so the wheel could turn, Chuck said. No one was hurt, and no citations were issued. Well, the best part of any trip is getting home, and even more so this time around. Weber Township might not be as picturesque as Door County, but it’s home sweet home for Chuck & Mary Beth.

Joel Susag was up in Fort Ransom on Saturday & Sunday, September 11 & 12, to take in the second “Sod Busters’” horse farming exhibition of the 2021 season. The event is held in Fort Ransom State Park, and, according to Joel, whether or not it would happen at all this September had been a close thing, due to the State Health Department’s concerns about the spread of the Delta variant of the coronavirus. Participants observed the protocols, said Joel, and everything went off without a hitch. Joel returned to Rutland with several bags of red potatoes that had been harvested the old-fashioned way, by hand, and presented them to the Rutland Seniors’ Center. Joel reports that the crowd at the event was quite large. He and Hal Nelson took Joel’s pickup and a trailer up to Fort Ransom on Tuesday, September 14, to retrieve Joel’s WD-45 Allis-Chalmers tractor that had been driven in a tractorcade from Lisbon to the Fort the previous week. Joel plans to have his vintage tractor in the Uff-Da Day Parade on Sunday, October 3.

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The Rooster Crows – Sept. 3, 2021

On September 3, 2021September 23, 2021 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster Crows, Rutland HistoryLeave a comment

By Bill Anderson

The drought is not yet broken, but it was seriously bent and dented during 8 days NEAR THE END of August. Depending on whose rain gauge you want to believe, Rutland and vicinity received between 3” and 3½” of rain from Friday, August 20 to Saturday, August 28, restoring green to the grass and hope to the hearts of local corn and soybean growers. The meteorologists on TV and radio are telling us that we are still 12” to 13” short of precipitation for the year, though. In the event that the precipitation shortfall is made up in snowfall this coming winter, we are looking at about 12 feet of snow just to get back to “normal,” whatever that is. Here in Rutland, we’re still praying for rain, but keeping the snow shovel handy.

A crew from Morris Seal Coat of Morris MN took advantage of the hot, dry conditions that prevailed prior to August 20 to apply a seal coat of oil and chips to 15 miles of County Road #10 and County Road #7 near Rutland and Havana. The sections of road in this area that received the treatment included the 3 miles from ND Highway #11 north to the intersection with County #10A; the 7 miles of County #10 from Rutland south to the intersection with County #7; and, the 5 miles of County #7 from the intersection with County #10 through Havana to ND Highway #32. Several other sections of Sargent County roads were also slated to receive seal coats, according to County Road Commissioner Jason Arth. The seal coat is intended to preserve the existing pavement and extend its life for another 7 to 10 years. Several other sections of County roads, such as #10 south from ND Highway #11 through Rutland; and, County #12 from ND Highway #11 at Cayuga to ND Highway #13; are in line for new pavement overlays, but those projects have to wait for funding from the Federal Government’s new infrastructure bill. The seal coat projects now underway and recently completed were paid for with funds from the existing Federal Aid program and matching money from the County’s Federal Aid Roads mill levy. Sargent County’s annual allotment was not sufficient to pay for the current seal coat projects, but the program does allow counties to borrow ahead if funds are available and to repay the borrowing, at no interest, with future allocations.

Rutland Community Club President Katie McLaen reports that preparations for Uff-Da Day XXXVI on Sunday, October 3, are progressing well. According to Katie, Lefse Lena has 2 more lefse making sessions scheduled: at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 9; and, at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, September 14. Both sessions will be in the kitchen of the Rutland Town Hall. Anyone who wants to practice their lefse making skills, or who wants to learn just how lefse is made, is welcome to participate. Just give Katie McLaen a call, or show up at the Rutland Town Hall on Thursday, September 9 and Tuesday, September 14.

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The Rooster Crows – May 21, 2021

On May 21, 2021 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

By Bill Anderson

It was a million-dollar rain that fell on the evening of Thursday, May13 & the morning of Friday, May 14, less adjustments for interest, inflation, carrying costs and additional charges. The grumble of thunder and the angry flashes of lightning that preceded the rain belied its gentle nature. Greg Donaldson reported .6” of precipitation in his rain gauge on the east side of town, while Andrew & Katie Woytassek gauge situated a quarter of a mile further east showed .5” on Friday morning. Other readings included: .75” in Mahrer Construction’s gauge on the north side of town; .6 at Jesse Brakke’s farmstead between Rutland & Cayuga; .6” at the Joe & Patty Breker farm in Tewaukon Township; and 1 full inch at Rick Bosse’s farm near Brampton. The rain was enthusiastically welcomed by local farmers in the process of getting the 2021 crop planted. “We had about 3 days of planting left to do,” said Jerry Woytassek on Friday evening, “but I’ll take the rain when it comes, and be happy about it, too!” Obviously, this rain will not make the 2021 crop, but it will help give it a good start. There are many travails to endure and worries to bear before the grain is in the bin, the cash is in the sock and the checks are in the bank. Until then, let it rain!

Rutland native Dan Narum stopped in at The Lariat Bar on the evening of Wednesday, May 12 for a meeting with his cousin, Trent Nelson, and to get together with old friends for some visiting in the old hometown. Dan currently serves as the Presiding Judge of North Dakota’s Southeast Judicial District. Dan said that the covid-19 pandemic made it difficult to maintain court schedules during the past year, but with remote hearings made possible by electronic technology, court services were able to be kept up throughout the North Dakota Judicial System. Dan also reports that he has once again been sharpening a skill he learned from his Dad, the Late Dennis Narum, back when he was growing up in Rutland. He has acquired 3 registered quarter-horse colts and has been training them on the acreage at his home in Lamoure ND. The colts are registered descendants of the famous Doc Bar bloodline, Dan said, and the American Quarter Horse Association exhibited its sense of humor by assigning the name “Hanging Judge Bar” to one of his colts, the one that Dan calls “Little Tex.” Dan said that he, Caroline and their 2 children, Asher, and Ellery, are all doing well, and he extended greetings to all of his old friends from Rutland.

May birthdays honored at the Rutland Seniors Center on Monday, May 10, included: Janice Christensen; Roger Pearson; Rick Bosse; and Mike Kulzer. All are over 21 years of age. Those present were treated to a big slice of birthday cake baked and decorated by Ione Pherson, and to a rousing chorus of “the Happy Birthday,” song. So, Happy Birthday to all, and many more!

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The Rooster Crows – May 14, 2021

On May 14, 2021 By rutlandramblingsIn Rooster CrowsLeave a comment

By Bill Anderson

Mother Nature has been cautious in her approach to Spring this year. The cool weather persists, although it has been gradually climbing into short sleeved shirt conditions, with highs in the upper 60’s and lower 70’s predicted for the coming weekend. Ma Nature has been sparing with the precipitation, too, as .1 to .2 of an inch of rain fell in the Rutland area on Wednesday, May 5. The cool, dry conditions have been great for getting the field work done, though. Planting has been proceeding at a rapid pace throughout Sargent County. Bruce Speich of Milnor reported on Monday, May 10, that he and his sons were down to 300 acres of beans and 110 acres of corn left to plant near Delamere. Rick Bosse reported on Wednesday, May 12, that Spring planting was nearing completion in the Brampton area, too. No predictions are being made as to what the results will be this Fall, but, for now, things are looking up.

CORRECTIONS! In the April 30, 2021, column, the name of Ted Lee was inadvertently omitted from the list of members of Bergman-Evenson Post #215 who comprised the ceremonial detail for the graveside service for the late Urban Hoistad. The service was held at the Nordland Cemetery southeast of Rutland on Monday, April 26. Ted Lee also serves as Post Chaplain for the Rutland American Legion Post.

In the May 7, 2021 column, the date on which Curt & Renee Larson observed their 50^th Wedding Anniversary by renewing their vows should have been Saturday, May 1, not Sunday, April 25. They were married on Saturday, May 1 back in 1971, and renewed their vows 50 years later, to the day. The author of this column apologizes to Bergman-Evenson Post #215 & Ted Lee, and to Curt & Renee Larson, for the omission and for the error.

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