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December 5: Years Ago…
Years Ago

‘Years Ago’ is a compilation of newsy tidbits as published in the Crawford County Independent & Kickapoo Scout on this week ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty or sixty years ago.

TEN YEARS AGO

DECEMBER 3, 2009 – Two five-unit apartment buildings, planned for the Gays Mills redevelopment project took a step toward becoming a reality Tuesday morning, when Couleecap acquired a lot from the village for one dollar. Several area contractors will be involved in building the townhouse apartments on highway 131 including Hansen Construction from Soldiers Grove… More than 70 people enjoyed the Thanksgiving dinner at the Legion Hall in Soldiers Grove last Thursday. Edna Groom who set up and coordinated the event also drafted friends and relatives to serve and clean up. Helpers include Katie Eitsert, Caroline Swiggum, Krystal Abbey, Lisa Esparza, Marco Esparza, Elena Esparza, Jessica Burke, Jessica Harp, Kevin Burke, Larry Groom, and Doreen Turner who did much of the cooking and baking.

TWENTY YEARS AGO

DECEMBER 2, 1999 – Taj Osman, Mt. Zion, shot a fine eight-point buck opening day while hunting on his neighbor, Ron Johnsrud’s farm. It was Osman’s first day deer hunting. The 12-year-old promptly sent off notes of thanks to his Boscobel hunting safety instructors and the Johnsruds. “I couldn’t be happier,” is how Osman described feeling after his first season afield…The former Alda Adams residence in the Solar Village in Soldiers Grove was condemned recently by the village board. It was knocked down, demolished and cleaned up last week by Kickapoo Landscaping and Excavating, Readstown, for $2,800.

THIRTY YEARS AGO

DECEMBER 7, 1989 – A Monona, Iowa man died Sunday afternoon at Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital shortly after being shot by a member of his deer hunting party. The victim was Myron Horns, 30. He was accidentally shot in heavy timber, seven miles east of Monona about 1:50 p.m., when another member of the hunting party fired at a deer, not knowing that Horns was behind the deer, out of sight…The Mt. Sterling Homemakers Club will hold their December meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 13 at noon with potluck at the Diane Bird home. There will be a $3 gift exchange. Members are asked to bring their gifts for the nursing homes, plus one gift for games…Jeff Buroker took first place in the big buck contest sponsored by the Big Buck Rod n Gun Club at Soldiers Grove with a 27 ½ pointer. Close behind in second place was Bobby McCann, whose buck had 26 ½ points.

FORTY YEARS AGO

DECEMBER 6, 1979 – Close to one-thousand well wishers came Sunday afternoon, December 2 to the open house and dedication of Sannes Skogdalen, the new 66-bed nursing home facility in Soldiers Grove. Mayor Larry Everson spoke at the event, as did Donald Sannes, who explained that the nursing home has been named Sannes Skogdalen in memory of his father, Dr. W. A. Sannes who had given him so much moral support. Entertainment was provided by the Parrish Singers, The Tally Sisters, Sarah Skarda, and Sarah Gibbs, who offered a number of piano selections.

FIFTY YEARS AGO

DECEMBER 4, 1969 – Clifford H. Kroning and Sons of Soldiers Grove have been named among five Wisconsin Breeders who have qualified for the Progressive Breeders’ Award, the highest recognition attainable by a breeder of Registered Holstein cattle. In another news article in the Kickapoo Scout the same week, from Brattleboro, Vermont it is reported that a new annual herd production average for milk and butterfat has been announced for the Registered Holstein herd owned by Clifford H. Kroning and Sons and that the herd had completed its latest testing year with an official per-cow average of 16,914 lbs. of milk and 633 lbs. of butterfat, based on 46 completed lactations. 

SIXTY YEARS AGO

DECEMBER 3, 1959 – The Soldiers Grove weekly newspaper, The Kickapoo Scout, has a new owner. Ed Herbst, a native of Ypsilanti, Michigan, and a resident of Soldiers Grove for the past six years, assumed management of the newspaper this week. Owned and published by the late Harold Portmann for the past 20 years, the Scout has been published since his death in September by his wife, Mrs. Gundrun Portmann. A fire gutted the interior of the newspaper plant in early October and since that time the paper has been printed at Viola. Herbst plans to publish the paper in the Scout plant as soon as renovating operations there are completed. He will be assisted by Eddie Portmann, son of the late publisher.