1980 St. Pat’s Grand Marshals

Alice and Leonard Farrell, grand marshals of the 1980 St. Patrick’s Parade in Belle Plaine, stood next to the television set decorated by leprechauns made by their German daughter-in-law.

(1980)
Irish clans would again display their emerald finery when they parade through downtown Belle Plaine that coming Saturday afternoon in the eighth annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration of modern times. Families would gather near the State Bank on Willow Street and prepare to march at 2 o’clock behind banners proclaiming their names. The high school band would also march. The grand marshals of the parade were Leonard and Alice Farrell. Miss Shamrock was Mary Devine, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Devine. The emcee of the post-parade program would be Joe Fahey Sr. The main address would be delivered by Belle Plaine native Marguerite Hessian, chairman of the nursing department at the College of St. Catherine.
A New Ulm man, Larry Thompson, 24, was hired by the city council to fill the administrative post of clerk-treasurer, succeeding Ken Damlo. Damlo, who was Belle Plaine’s first full-time administrator beginning in January of 1979, had recently resigned.
Levies generally went up at area township meetings and most incumbent officers were re-elected. Voter turnouts were not heavy. In Belle Plaine Township, Robert Koenig received 29 votes for supervisor and Ed Bowler 27 for clerk.
Handling 51,452 fewer bushels of grain in 1979 than the year before had a distinct impact on the profits of the Blakeley Cooperative Elevator, its patrons learned at the annual meeting of the co-op that Saturday. The net margin for the year was $1,607. In 1978 it was $50,450. A poor crop was to blame for the huge downturn in grain sales.
Belle Plaine High School senior Stan Haag was selected to play in the Minnesota All-Star football game to be played in the summer of 1980 at Parade Stadium in Minneapolis. He was one of 36 players chosen out of 381 nominees from the seven-county metro area to play for the Metro All-Stars.
The 1980 BPHS baseball team began practice for the coming season with 17 players reporting for workouts. It would be a veteran club with eight letter winners from the team that won the conference title in 1979 with a 13-1 record. They were Jeff Sellnow, Dave Huber, Pete Fogarty, Paul Fogarty, Rick Koepp, Randy Koepp, Corey Johnson and Mark Laabs.

60 Years Ago (1950)
Elected officers of the Eastern Star were Dorothy Sass (worthy matron), Melvin Sass (worthy patron), Edith Korpi (associate matron), Carl Christenson (associate patron), Nellie Irwin (secretary), Robert Suss (treasurer), Barbara Eider (conductress) and Helen Leise, (associate conductress).
Elected township officials in area town meetings were E.A. Edberg and Joseph Giesen as supervisors in Belle Plaine Township and Edmund Bowler as clerk. In Faxon: Eugene McDonald, supervisor; James Keating, clerk; Peter Lawrence (constable). In Blakeley: Fred Stoplemann, supervisor; Walter Reinity, clerk; L.A. Malz constable. In San Francisco: Oscar Brahee, supervisor; Vincent Johnson, clerk. In Hancock: William Vinkemeier, supervisor and Ben Willemsen, clerk.
Mrs. Lucy Schilz, widow of Chris Schilz, died of a heart attack at age 72. She was born at Assumption a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Chris Effertz. She was survived by her son William of Belle Plaine and daughter Theresa Aukland of Cheyenne, Wyo. The funeral was held at Sts. Peter and Paul’s Church.
The Commercial Club voted to buy a loudspeaker system for use at ball games and other public events. Named to the committee to make the purchase were Carl Johnson, F.J. Keup and Ed. F. Smith.
After a long illness, Mrs. John Moore died at her home in St. Paul. The funeral was held at her native parish of St. Thomas.
Mr. and Mrs. James Brandl moved into the upstairs of their home after living in the basement of it for two years. The work was done entirely by Jim in the hours he was not employed. The rooms were finished in butternut and cherry and the floor in maple. He picked out the trees for the wood and did his own cutting, drying and finishing of the lumber.
The St. Patrick’s Day theme was carried out in the decorations of the American Legion Auxiliary meeting in the borough hall. Hostesses were Mrs. Lloyd O’Brien, Mrs. Maurice Gaffney, Mrs. Ed Lynch, Mrs. Walter Gatz and Mrs. Harold Hoelz. Mrs. George F. Welch was welcomed as a new member, and Mrs. Gertrude Flannigan of St. Paul, a former member, was a guest. Members brought many articles for the school bags the Girl Scouts were filling to send to Europe and the Philippines. Mrs. Henry Hormann had several Easter tray flavors on hand she and the Girl Scouts were making to send to the veterans’ hospital at Fort Snelling for Easter. President Mrs. Howard Smith displayed a large poppy and explained how they could be used. The unit voted to give cash donations to the Red Cross. Social hour winners were Mrs. Frank Lynch, Mrs. Ted Venske and Mrs. Timothy O’Reagan.
William Laabs died. He was born in Tyrone Township in 1868, son of Albert and Mary Laabs, nee Diers. He farmed in Tyrone Township until his death. He was survived by his widow and three children – Emil Laabs and Emma (Mrs. Henry Krumrey) of Belle Plaine and Willie Laabs on the home farm. The funeral was held at Zion Church in Le Sueur with burial in Oakwood Cemetery, Belle Plaine.
Rev. W. Schuetze, pastor of the Trinity Lutheran Church at Belle Plaine for nearly 17 years, accepted a call from the Church of Our Savior at Jamestown, N.D. The local congregation granted pastor Schuetze his release. He came to Belle Plaine in 1933, succeeding Rev. C.F. Kock, who retired.

90 Years Ago (1920)
The use of wheels became general for the first time since the end of November. The winter of 1919-20 was about the longest period of continuous sleighing that any of our people could recall.
Ed C. Johnson moved to his new farm in San Francisco Township. The old place had been rented to John Zellman.
John and George Bigaouette took over operation of the Mrs. Dan Galvin farm in Faxon.
The local movie theater was purchased by Mrs. Kate McKee of Osceola, Iowa. The Grossman family, who operated the theater for two years, moved to Clinton, Minn.
John Connolly sold the old Connolly homestead of 160 acres near St. Thomas to Jos. Cesefsky for $230 an acre, and in turn bought the 160 acres of his brother Tom, the Maurice Connolly homestead, for $205 an acre.
In Hancock Township, John Walsh was named supervisor, Fred Rolf clerk and Henry Schlueter treasurer. In San Francisco Township, George Sell was elected as new supervisor. Faxon elected its old officers.
At the family home in Henderson, Mrs. M.T. Moran, former St. Thomas woman, was severely burned in an explosion. For a time her condition was considered critical.
A windstorm that blew in some storm windows in town and upset garages, chicken houses and corn cribs on farms, was checked as a 60-mile-per-hour gale.
In Belle Plaine Township, Patrick O’Brien was elected supervisor, L.A. Taylor clerk and Ed Moriarty treasurer. In Blakeley, it was Gustave Brandt for supervisor, J.C. Woestehoff for clerk and Wesley Simcox for treasurer.
A cash collection was taken up in Belle Plaine to get the river in better shape for spring travel – $241 was collected.
Denis Connelly, veteran clerk of Derrynane Township, announced his retirement previous to the annual meeting, and 200 voters turned out for the election. For the two supervisor vacancies, Pat Clifford and J.H. Meyer were named. James Brown was chosen clerk and Dave O’Connell treasurer.
The Republican county convention at Shakopee declared for Hiram Johnson as its choice for president. Delegates named to the state convention were J.H. Diers, Julius A. Collier, J.F. Bruzek, F.H. Juergens, J.T. Bieder, Jos. Baier, Ernest Buszmann and John B. Ries.
A drive for the sale of bonds of the “Republic of Ireland” was undertaken among those in sympathy with the aspirations for nationhood of the Irish people. J.J. Moriarty was chairman of the county committee.

120 Years Ago (1890)
Miller the Photographer closed his Belle Plaine studio to confine his time to his Minneapolis and St. Paul galleries.
St. Patrick’s Day was celebrated by the congregation of Sacred Heart parish. Father McGolrick of Minneapolis preached the sermon. The A.O. H. Society was out in full force and after the parade had their pictures taken.
The Bloomington bridge east of Shakopee was open for travel, making a new wagon route to the cities available.