Five years ago
THE HASTINGS JOURNAL
July 8, 2021
Exercise and get some sleep!
Four centenarians at Cassia’s Hastings Senior Health and Living share secrets of longevity—and their extraordinary stories
Reaching the age of 100 is a good reason to celebrate—and in the past year, four residents at Cassia’s Hastings Senior Health and Living have done so. Each one has an intriguing story to tell.
Millie.
Millie Ruhr, who turned 100 on May 13, is an artist who used to paint china and now creates cards. Millie is also teaching one of her nephews to draw.
Millie worked for various government agencies throughout her life, and one of her favorite stories involves her marriage to Edward Ruhr, who was a seagoing marine. Millie and Edward met at a football game, which Millie attended with three of her sisters. Millie thought Edward was exceptionally handsome and she was attracted by his strength and confidence.
World War II interrupted Edward and Millie’s courtship, and when Edward’s ship was damaged he had to wait for repairs in California. He invited Millie to join him there, but she told him she couldn’t go unless they were to be married. Edward thought getting married was a wonderful idea, and when Millie’s mother agreed, Millie took the train to meet her fiancé.
Of course, every wedding needs bridesmaids, and Millie didn’t have one. She brought her sister’s prom dress along, hoping to find someone who would fit in it. Edward notified the local Red Cross saying he and his intended were looking for a Catholic bridesmaid who was five foot two and weighed less than a hundred pounds. The Red Cross put out a call to local businesses. Amazingly, they found one!
Catherine Johnson, who worked in the shipyards office, agreed to be a bridesmaid for…(story continues with the story picture including Ruhr, Marj Olson, June Alcorn, and Marybelle Lindberg).

30 years ago
HASTINGS STAR-GAZETTE
June 6, 1996
Reported by Jane Lightbourn, eighth graders at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton had performed well on the state basic skills test,, with 34 students taking the test and 94 percent passing in each area.
Seton School Administrator Vernon Fox said the school reading program was “basically” the same as that taught in the public school, up to sixth grade.
“We have an excellent relationship with the public school here,” he said.
Reported by Michael R. Koehler meanwhile, Hastings resident Hilde Yanz had won the lottery. Since winning she had been “flooded with media attention” and seen people “coming out of the woodwork” to share in her good fortune. Yanz wished some had been around earlier.
“It ticks me off,” she said of groupies. “Where were they when I really needed them?”…Now she is tired and overwhelmed after all the hype. As she lays down and tries to sleep at night, her minds races.
“In three days, I have had about five hours of sleep,” she said. “You wouldn’t believe what goes on up there.”
She is trying to relax and enjoy her new-found fortune, but sometimes she just sits down and cries—but it is a good cry. She often asks herself what she did to deserve winning.
“And then I pray, ‘Please Lord, hep me to make the right decisions and do some good with this,” Hilde said.

55 years ago
THE HASTINGS GAZETTE
June 3, 1971
Obituaries.
Math L. Peters, age 58, who passed away suddenly at Regina Memorial Hospital on May 30 after being in failing health for about a year. Peters had been born May 27, 1913 to Mrs. Mary Achartz Peters of Hastings and the late Henry Peters.
Nettie L. Pearson, age 75, of Minneapolis. Born March 10, 1898 in Hastings to John and Mary Berglund, the deceased had graduated from Hastings High School in 1915 and married Walter Pearson on June 26, 1935, also in Hastings. Mr. Pearson had passed away in 1967. Surviving Mrs. Pearson were two nieces and two nephews, the funeral held Wednesday, June 2 in the Goranson Funeral Home, with interment in Lakeside Cemetery.
Rachel Agg, age 83, renowned Medical Librarian. Burial June 3 at the Forest Cemetery in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Survived by a sister and niece.
Leo F. Utecht, age 83, well known former Stillwater prison warden. Born to August and Lucy Gelhar Utecht on February 12, 1868 in Stillwater, the deceased had served as warden at Stillwater for 25 years and moved to Arizona after the death of his wife.
Burial was in Lakeside Cemetery.

80 years ago
June 7, 1946
Holding its Diamond Jubilee at Hastings, St. Boniface parishes had celebrated a Solemn Pontifical Mass on Wednesday, June 5. The church filled to capacity saw mass celebrated by the Most Rev. John Gregory Murray, D.D.
Included in the celebration with 30 priests present was a short address including a life sketch of St. Boniface, Missionary Apostolic to the Germans and namesake of the parish.
Also in view from 1946, first communion had been held at St. Mathias Church in Hampton, the class of 15 boys and four girls including Conrad Schroeder, Robert Schroeder, Gerald Endres, William Cain, William Mies Jr., Eugene Cahill, Franklin Huber, George Larson, Leo Schanno Jr., Wiliam May Jr., Kenneth Myers, Beverly Rielen, Alice Millard, Joyce Rother, Earl Niebur, Diana Frandrup, Thomas Duff, Donald Endres, and Edward Kimmes.

160 years ago
THE HASTINGS CONSERVER
May 22, 1866
The Income Tax.
The United States assessors and their assistants are very busy this month in ascertaining the exact income of every individual and firm throughout the various congressional districts, in order that they may be taxed towards paying the national debt and the accumulated interest.
Gypsum* is extremely beneficial on every garden where animal manure has been applied for years. If your garden soil was last year pretty fun of worms, leave off the dressing of animal manure this year, and apply the rate of four bushels of salt, and one an a half of plaster per acre.
*Used today as the core of sheetrock.

168 Years Ago
EMIGRANT AID JOURNAL OF MINNESOTA
May 5, 1858
Latest intelligence
A Commission has been sent on here by the General Government, to report on the expediency of retaining Fort Snelling, with a small portion of the adjacent grounds, for the purpose of a military depot. It seems that the sale was not complete, nor final, from this.
Emigration into Minnesota is on the increase, but not to such an extent as was anticipated. It seems probably that many who should come in are deterred by the depression that still rests upon the West; thinking it better to suffer its effects at home than to meet them in a strange land among strangers. We are daily reading of accounts of an improving state of things—such as in the end will ensure us a large population.
The sale of the Fort Ripley Reservation, last year, at four cents an acre, is likely to be annulled by government.