I took my father to see a show with U.S. Navy Glee Club Men’s and Women’s Chorus with the Minnesota Orchestra at Orchestra Hall earlier this month. Preceding the show, we sat down in the lobby next to a couple, approximately in their seventies.

“Eileen, Max, Mikayla, and Ruby were excited for the upcoming Torchlight Parade and Fireworks on Nov. 30. Besides seeing nearly 50 lighted floats and checking out the window displays depicting Christmas movies, they have an opportunity to search for the holiday medallion hidden somewhere in Montgomery.”
If you find the medallion, bring it to the Messenger office at 310 1st Street South or call 507-364-8601. Finders of the medallion will receive $100 in Monty Bucks! Look for the next clue in the Nov. 30 Montgomery Messenger if the medallion isn’t found.

With dozens of cast members and as many musical numbers, Seussical the Musical will bring the larger-than-life charters of Dr. Seuss to the Tri-City United High School’s performing arts center this weekend.
TCU Fall Musical Director Sarah Meija said with all of the cast and crew together it’s around 50 participants.
The show is a mashup of Dr. Seuss stories, most prominently Horton Hears a Who!, Horton Hatches the Egg, and Gertrude McFuzz. It also features such Suess favorites as The Cat in the Hat and The Grinch.

Bradley David DeWitte, 67, Montgomery, passed into eternity surrounded by family and friends on Friday November 17, 2023, after a short battle with a big cancer.  Visitation will be held on Saturday, November 25, from 9 a.m. - noon with funeral service at noon all at St. John Lutheran Church in Montgomery. Interment will follow at Wabash-Friends Cemetery in Indiana.
Brad was born September 7, 1956, in Mankato to Robert and Ruth (Yokiel) DeWitte.  He was raised in Mankato, attended Loyola Catholic School, and graduated in 1974 from Mankato East High School.

The Minnesota River Conference, which is disbanding at the end of the 2024 season, names outstanding coaches each year.
This year they honored four coaches who have been coaching for more than 110 years combined.
Bruce Davis of Tri-City United, Joe Scoblic of Lester Prairie, Chip Wolverton of Sibley East, and Jon Wroge of Norwood-Young America were the honorees this season. They were named during the MRC Coaches Social earlier this fall.

Between Halloween and the 2020 Presidential Election, my family moved from West Virginia to rural Minnesota. It was during the height of the pandemic and my wife had lost her job because of it. She found a new position in Appleton, Minn., and we decided to leave the Appalachian Mountains for the first time.
As a lifelong West Virginian, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Minnesota felt like such a foreign place. Cold, flat and in a different time zone from all our friends and family.

A person wouldn’t know it was a winter holiday festival the day the two junior grand marshals stopped by the Messenger to have their picture taken, as it was a balmy 60 degrees out Sunday when they did.
Hendrix Rotter, son of Jeff and Eve Rotter, and Brenlynn Sirek, daughter of Jon and Missy Sirek, all of Montgomery, were chosen as the 2023 Torchlight Parade and Fireworks junior grand marshals.

Tri-City United High School students, from the College in Schools (CIS) Introduction to Literature: Poetry, Drama, Narrative class, had the opportunity to meet U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limon during her visit to the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities.
CIS classes are courses offered through the University of Minnesota, similar to what most people know as advanced placement or AP classes. The coursework is signed up for separately by students and taught by teachers in their own high school.

Two Tri-City United juniors and one senior have been honored by the Minnesota River Conference coaches following the 2023 season.
Senior Lexi Factor and junior Audrey Vosejpka were named to the First Team and junior Emma Skluzacek was named to the Honorable Mention Team.
Factor was also named to the first team last year and Vosejpka was an Honorable Mention selection in 2022.

The Minnesota River Conference, which is disbanding at the end of the 2024 season, names outstanding coaches each year.
This year they honored four coaches who have been coaching for more than 110 years combined.
Bruce Davis of Tri-City United, Joe Scoblic of Lester Prairie, Chip Wolverton of Sibley East, and Jon Wroge of Norwood-Young America were the honorees this season. They were named during the MRC Coaches Social earlier this fall.

Joan M. Jirik, age 82, of New Prague, died peacefully on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, at Mala Strana Health and Rehabilitation Center. Joan was born on May 20, 1941, in Mankato to Ludwig and Marcella (Sieberg) Schimek. She attended parochial schools including Loyola High School and graduated from Mankato West High School. She met and married William J. Jirik, Jr. on February 10, 1962 at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in North Mankato. Joan had a penchant for numbers and started out working as a bookkeeper and would use that talent the remainder of her career.

“The best way to honor your veterans, not just today but every day, is to live life the best you can every day,” said guest veteran speaker, Honorably Discharged US Army Specialist Derek Farwell as he addressed the performing arts center crowd at the high school at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 10.

Timothy Bolton, age 62, of Montgomery, died surrounded by family at Mayo Clinic Systems, New Prague on Nov. 10, 2023. He was born Nov. 16, 1960, in Mankato to Harvey and Trulie Bolton.  
 Tim enjoyed working on cars in his younger years, often making them as fast as he could.
 Tim graduated from Mankato West High School in 1979. He married his first wife Becky a few years later.  
 They moved to Colorado in 1989. There, he fell in love with the mountains, enjoyed taking his family up jeep trails with friends, dirt biking and hunting.

House of Insurance in Montgomery remains open as usual despite an automobile accident damaging their front office Monday morning.
Montgomery Police Department was called to 103 Oak Avenue at 10:37 a.m., where a vehicle had driven into the building, damaging one of the offices inside and out.
The incident report says the driver, Andrew Kucera, 86, of Montgomery was delivering a payment to the insurance office when he pushed the gas pedal instead of the brake. The 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan drove into the front wall, breaking concrete blocks and large glass windows.

Living on a farm, we have some farm cats. Yes, feral cats that come and go as they please. Sometimes they eat and stay at the neighbors. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they fight. Sometimes they like each other.
All of the cats seem to like each other in the winter time, but not always. I am guessing that is a deep-seated animal-hatred when it is -10˚ Fahrenheit out and a cat doesn’t want to cuddle with their fellow farm neighborhood cats.

A four quarter turnover led to the only touchdown of the game for Luverne in their 6-2 win over Tri-City United in the Section Quarterfinals played Oct. 24.
“We are disappointed to have the season end abruptly in the playoffs as we had our sights set on a playoff run. Unfortunately, we couldn't get enough going on offense to pull out the win despite a great defensive effort,” head coach Matt Collins said.