Kasson Mantorville High School - Komet Yearbook (Kasson, MN)

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1943 Important ration dates: January 1. The 5 percent Victory Tax goes into effect. Your employer will deduct five per cent of your pay from this day on. January 1. Truck operators must have their Certificates of War Necessity. January 3. The first coffee ration coupon, Nov. 27 in the War Ration Book No. 1 ex- pires. This coupon is good for one pound of coffee. January 4. Second coffee ration coupon, No. 28. January 15. Deadline for applying for War Ration Book No. 1 for persons who for one reason or another do not have one now. January 15. Deadline for inspection of truck tires. This is an essential portion of the mileage rationing program, and must be observed, otherwise truckers cannot obtain gasoline. January 20. Second Period Fuel Oil Stamps expire. January 31. Temporary gas permits for truckers expire. January 31. Stamp No. 10 on War Ration Book No. l,good for three pounds of sugar, expires. January 31. Deadline for inspection of pas- senger tires. February 1. Stamp No. 11 in War Ration Book No. 1, necessary for sugar, becomes effective. February 1. Typewriter rationing starts. June 10. Application for Ration Book No. 3 due in the mail. June 17. The hard rain last Friday night cost the farmers of the Upper Zumbro Soil Con- servation District a good deal of valuable topsoil. August 5. War Ration Board 6420 announced from its offices in Mantorville this week that late registrants for War Ration Book No. 3 may apply immediately to their office by mail for the necessary forms and information. August 5. Harley Houston fractured the wrists of both arms in a fall from a saddle horse about 5:30 Monday afternoon. September. Kasson Schools begin the 1943- 1944 term. 313 enroll for this year, 36 less than last year’s total. September 16. Due to the acute farm help situation and a small calendar, there will be no jury called at this time. Axel B. Anderson, Judge. October 21. Ration Book No. 4 will be valid starting November 1. Motorists are cautioned that all gasoline cou- pons in their possession must be endorsed on the face of the coupon with the license num- ber and state. November 11. Winter’s first storm strikes hard, ties up railroad and highway traffice over the weekend. 1945 January. 83 marriage licenses were issued during 1944. Many were issued by Clerk of Court Cowles. A Girl Scout Troop is being organized in Kas- son with Mrs. Homer Mudge as leader. February 22. Extensive improvements at the courthouse are under way. Fire-proof, walk- in vaults will be the result of the renovation. Also new ceilings in the auditor’s office, in the clerk of courts’ office, in the jury room and waiting room, in the Superin- tendent of Schools’ room and also in the county welfare quarters. New linoleum floors in the Superintendent’s room and the front stairs of that area. All new plumbing has been installed in the men’s rest room in the basement. March 1. Kasson welcomes a new business- man. Mr. Fred A. Hagcmann purchased the blacksmith shop of M. Andrew Chris- tofferson, which place of business he had successfully operated for 55 years. March 8. The Mantorville school bus and one of the Kasson school buses ran off the road and were in the ditch Monday. Poor visibility and not being able to see the edge of the road because of the snow caused them to run into the ditch. The Kasson bus was driven by Floyd Wilkie and the Mantorville bus was driven by Floyd Baker. No one was injured in cither bus and both were dug out of the snow and brought into town the same night. The buses are owned by A.L. Folkestad. March 15. Mr. Rollins E. Juhnke, for the past 25 years connected with the Kasson Drug Store as registered pharmacist and clerk, has purchased an interest in the business from Walter E. Anderson and will continue to be found behind the counter of this store. March 31. A law requiring the depressing of headlights on motor vehicles when ap- proaching other vehicles within 1,000 feet, under a revision of the state traffic act passed by the 1945 Legislature took effect today. April 5. Traffic was stopped by the worst storm in 17 years. Wet snow fell steadily for 36 hours during which motorists were warned to stay off the roads. Southeastern Minnesota was covered with a blanket of wet snow that was reported to be from 14 to 17 inches deep in various localities. With the storm starting early Tuesday morning and ending Wednesday afternoon, Kasson and its surrounding area had its worst traffic tieup in many years. The schools were closed, train service was retarded, and the bus service was at a standstill. April 11 .The second annual physical edu- cation demonstrations are to be given by the upper seven grades at the Kasson High School gym. There will be tumbling, marching, games, folk dances, stunts, and relays. Approximately 170 will take part and again they will attempt to show the value and beneficial results obtained by a physical education program. Admission 25 . April 12. The entire Nation mourns the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Death re- sulted from a cerebral hemorrhage at 4:35 p.m. on this day to the President, who was 63 years old. He had been President for 12 years, one month, and nine days. Harry S. Truman becomes the thirty-third Presi- dent of the United States. May 6. Sunday-8:41 p.m. (E.W.T.) The unconditional surrender of the German fighting forces took place in a little red schoolhouse which was the headquarters of General Eisenhower. In a brief ceremony, the greatest and most destructive war in history came to an end. Germany sur- renders. May 24. Superintendent Irvin G. Ander- son resigned his position at Mantorville to ac- cept a position in Harmony Schools. July 5. Mr. August Gehrke has been chosen to head the local school as Superintendent. July 12. Census shows fewer but larger farms. Dodge County has 1747 as compared to 1796 in 1940. July 19. Kasson Public School, with nearly 300 pupils enrolled, has a dental health record of 97% this year. In six of the twelve grades every pupil completed the school year with a certificate of “O.K. teeth”, thus establish- ing a 100% record for the following grades: 2,6,7,10,11, and 12. August 2. Clifford Bucglcr, who has operated the successful Kasson Produce here for three years, announces his affiliation with the Archer Feed Stores organization. He will serve as manager. August 6. Hiroshima A Bomb. August 16. The big news that the world had been waiting three days to hear was broadcast Tuesday evening, and heard in Kasson at 6:00 p.m. World War II ends as Japan surrenders. The good news brought many Kasson citizens out on the streets while bells were rung and sirens blown. September 20. Two of Kasson’s enterprising residents have launched a new venture in business in Kasson. Ben Wrede and Lester Wiborg have purchased one of the lots on Main Street, owned by the American Legion. They plan on erecting a building which will house their business, consisting of the handling of all electrical appliances and electrical con- tract work, and do business under the firm name of Kasson Electric. November 1. George C. Mantor, son of Frank and Martha Mantor, passed away at the hos- pital in his home town of Cherokee, Iowa, Sunday, Oct. 21, after a few days illness, at the age of 70 years. Burial was made in the family lot in Evergreen Cemetery, Mantorville. November 22. Mrs. Marion Bergmann, daugh- ter of Mr. and Mrs. A.G. Peterson, has received notice that one of her poems, “Winter”, has been accepted for publication by the National Poetry Association. Fanned by a 30-mile gale, fire started in the southeast part of the Brewer Implement Co. building at 11:30 Monday forenoon, com- pletely destroying one of Kasson’s oldest enterprises. By one o’clock only the skeleton of the building, which was heavily stocked with International repair parts and machinery, remained. By heroic efforts the men of the local Fire Department prevented the blaze from spreading to the nearby gasoline storage tanks and adjacent buildings. Countywide T.B. tests are to begin next week. T.B. deaths show a decline in the county as the following figures indicate: 1910-1914 41 persons died 1940-1944 Six are taken 1947 March 20. Kasson Raiders defuse Rockets to take District Title in basketball. June 5. The businessmen of Kasson have con- tributed the sum of $470.00 to the Aldolph Oiseth American Legion Post 333, for the purpose of buying flags for the main street of Kasson. Governor Luther W. Youngdahl to address Kasson Graduates June 6. July 10. Supt. Frank J. Fox of the Kasson

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parts of the county reporting as much as 20 inches. May 2. Population of Kasson will near 1200 mark. July 11. Violent storm causes hail and fire damage. August 15. A severe electrical storm did some damage to trees and grain in Kasson. November 7. Franklin D. Roosevelt breaks third term tradition and wins 468 of states electoral votes. In 1940 the number of births exceeded the number of deaths. 1941 April 17. Two cold storage locker plants to open in Kasson. May 8. The assurance that Kasson would have a modern bowling alley came with the announcement that Claire Lynard had purchased the building adjacent to his pre- sent business and would construct a new building to house four lanes of bowling. May 15. Erdman’s Food Store has opened their completed cold storage locker plant today. May 15. The Lewis K. Lee Grocery Store installed a new display refrigerator unit in the store this week. The unit that will be Security Checks. A telegram was received saying that the President had designated the state WPA No. 40424, to remodel and modernize the high school and grade school building of School District No. 28 which is Mantorville. Eight thousand, one hundred twenty-five dollars has been allotted to the Board of Education for painting, plastering, instal- ling partitions, and plumbing. Also for heating and electrical facilities, relaying of floors, constructing passageways be- tween buildings and performing incidental and appurtenant work. March 14. (middle of this week). After 36 hours of steady snowfall the snow gauge showed 15.8 inches in Kasson with many used for cold meats and dairy products,is the newest type and includes inside fluo- rescent lighting and inclined front glass panel. August 7. Kasson school children that are forced to drive their own cars at the pre- sent time to attend school in Kasson will now have low cofct safe year around trans- portation to and from their homes-a school bus. August 21. That Kasson is becoming one of the largest shipping and buying points for this part of the state and that this part of the country is rapidly becoming feeder country for cattle is evidenced by the fact that in one month, over $30,000.00 was paid to farmers for their fat cattle by one stock buyer alone. October 16. The store in Mantorville known as Bohlander’s has been sold to Erdman’s of Kasson. The store which was a general store will house the Mantorville grocery store of the Erdman chain. 1942 January 15. Members of the city council, setting as a feat finding body and not as a city council, took testimony of interested persons last night in the community room of the city hall, on the question of selling city property for a slaughter house. Attempted robbery at the Riedel Grocery, Kasson, was discovered Wed. morning. The Kasson Lumber Co. will next week have completed their new building, which is lo- cated south of the main building. K.O. Dahlager, Supt. of the Mantorville Schools for the past six and one half years, tendered his resignation last week to take immediate effect and was released by the board. Mr. Anderson, principal of the Lake City Schools, has been hired to fill the posi- tion. Erdman’s Grocery added a new addition to their store-a butchering room, located at the rear of their store. May 28. Acting on request of President Roose- velt, Governor Harold E. Stassen this week issued an order setting a speed limit of 40 miles an hour for Minnesota motorists with certain exceptions and asking drivers to ob- serve this limit. June 4. Supt. Aaker of Kasson Schools, who served in this position for 10 years, resigns. Some of the improvements under his adminis- tration include: Ventilation system rebuilt Heating system remodeled All floors have been sanded and sealed to provide handsome sanitary floors Entire building redecorated New desks have been purchased for two high school class rooms Some of the educational accomplishments during the period include: Six year high school organized-the first in the county Commercial department installed-the First in the county Library reorganized with trained librarians in charge part-time Scholastic standards raised as shown by state board exam results shown by Unit Scales of Attainment testing program Physical Education in grades 4-6 under specialized teachers Drum corps organized to broaden music training October 8. A maximum speed limit of 35 miles per hour, for any vehicle traveling on rubber tires, has been put into effect through- out Minnesota as a war time measure to save rubber and tires. October 22. 400,000 pounds of metal col- lected in a drive at Kasson and surrounding community up to date in October. December 31. The Kasson Public Schools have received permission from the Agricultural Marketing Administration to start the Penny Milk Program on January 4, 1943.

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Schools resigns to accept a position at Morris. August 14. Rex Allen, singing cowboy, to appear at Dodge County Fair. August 21. C.A. Palmer named Supt. of school in Kasson. New addition to the school system will be the Hot Lunch Pro- gram. The meal will cost the child 2Si if they take milk and 20 without. 1949 A Municipal liquor dispensary was estab- lished in Kasson. 1950 The total population of Dodge County is 12,605. May 4. One bolt of lightning destroyed 11 fine dairy cattle on the Lawrence Janning farm southwest of Kasson a few weeks ago in a severe electrical storm. June 1. County population 12,605-326 less than 1940. Kasson 1,346 and Mantor- ville 477. 1951 February 1. Admiral Beatty, former aide to Navy Secretary, revisits childhood scenes in and around Mantorvillc. August 23. The State Conservation De- partment will be asked to reconstruct the Mantorvillc dam and establish a substantial fish rearing pond there to serve this sec- tion of Minnesota. August 30. Kasson will have a school patrol operating at three busy intersections this year for the first time since 1947. November 1. Haven Kennedy this week an- nounced the sale of his Standard Service station business to Burton Fjerstad, who has been head mechanic at Pietsch Motors. August. A seventy-four foot water tower holding up to 50,000 gallons of water was erected in Mantorville. Also, a new pump which furnishes water to fill the tower was installed. 1952 January. Mr. Arnold Fredriksen of Hay- field and chairman of the Dodge County School Survey Committee, addressed a special public meeting on school reorgani- zation and consolidation. May 1. A joint meeting of Kasson and Mantorville citizens and all residents of sur- rounding country school districts will be held at 8 p.m. next Wed. May 7 in the Kasson City Hall to consider the school district re- organization or consolidation plans. June 12. A bond issue of $27,000. for the Mantorville Street improvement project will be placed before Kasson Village voters in a special election. July 1. The bond issue, if approved, will cover the villages’ share of the cost of widening and paving Mantorville Street, building curb and gutter, and installing a new stormsewer to carry surface water. July 3. Kasson Village residents gave a thumping 201-77 vote of approval for a bond issue of improving Mantorville street. August 14. Kasson’s new well maintained a continuous flow of 525 gallons for 10 hours in a test pump run. August 21. County prepares to welcome Eisenhower and Stevenson. Dodge County hit the front pages of the nation’s news- papers and placed high on radio and tele- vision news programs this week as General Dwight Eisenhower and Gov. Adlai Steven- son agreed to address the National Soil Conservation Day. An unusual 32 page soil conservation magazine will be publish- ed as an official souvenir program for the National Soil Conservation Day and Plow Matches. The magazine will feature a pre- face written by Pres. Harry S. Truman. The event will be held Sept. 5 and 6 on a six-farm layout between Dodge Center and Kasson. September 4. Nation watches Kasson as Dodge County builds Plowville for Nation- al Soil Days. More than 100,000 people are expected to assemble before a large platform to hear Dwight D. Eisenhower (noon) and Adlai Stevenson (4 O’Clock). It will be the largest turn out in midwest farm history-perhaps in the entire century. November 5. Ike,GOP’S sweep county. 1953 March 23. Rural area people oppose con- solidation plan. February 4. Kasson school board vote favors consolidation. April 1. Residents of Mantorville School dis- trict No. 28 voted in a community meeting held March 30,78-70 to consolidate with the Kasson school. April 16. The Kasson Board of Education signed Harold Grudem, superintendent of the Ellendale schools for the past two years, to the position in Kasson vacated by the re- cent resignation of Supt. C.A. Palmer. April 22. Mantorville centennial planned for July 15-18. May 13. The Kasson village council voted to advertise for bids on the necessary equipment for installing a white way lighting system on main street. June 12. Tornadic wind hits Kasson Friday nite. Hundreds of dollars worth of damage in the immediate Kasson vicinity. July 9. Jensen’s millinery quits business after nearly half century in Kasson. July 29. Korean armistice signed. 1954 June 8. The Kasson-Mantorville School con- solidation proposal passed by a vote of 151 to 88. Two hundred and forty voters turned out for the election. The voting Tuesday night will create a new school district out of Inde- pendent Districts No. 30 (Kasson) and No. 28 (Mantorville) and combine rural districts No. 25, 27, 32, 33, 36, 52, 65, 78, 31, and parts of 41 and 66. The county superintendent of schools will issue a new number for this dis- trict. Present plans call for combining the two high schools for the next term by having sen- ior high in the Kasson building and 7 and 8 graders in the Mantorville building. The grades will remain the same. November 11. The K-M High School students held an election to select a nickname for their athletic teams. The students voted unani- mously to use the Ko-Mets with the symbol of the shooting star. The students are using the capital letter K and the capital letter M to designate the two towns in the name. The new school colors were picked by a vote and blue and white were selected. November 18. The Kasson-Mantorville School Board sold six of the rural school buildings that are not being used. 1955 February 17. The Board of Education, in a recent meeting with Mr. Maurice Smith, has made arrangements for the purchase of a fifty- two acre plot of land located on the south side of the Smith property for the sum of $ 14,000.This land is to be used as the site of the new jr. and sr. high school, for an a tide tic field, parking space, and for an agricultural laboratory area. The athletic field would very likely include a lighted football field to enable residents of the area to watch their boys in action, a baseball diamond, a track, and if possible a lighted softball diamond to give adults of the community the opportunity of participating in an evening softball program. March 24. At the last regular meeting of the Kasson-Mantorville Board of Education the architectural firm of Hubert Swanson of Min- neapolis was named to prepare a building sur- vey and draw preliminary sketches for the proposed High School building.