Helen Aspden Mrs. Stanley Hillier (Excelsior book)graduate of the U. of M. he had been a teacher
1
the War Production Board assured the group that the Government was badly in need g and principal before returning to the
family's farm home in Chanhassen township. For 25 years he held civic offices in thatofcarrails. He recommended transferring title to the rails on Water Street to theMetalReserveCorporation, a subsidiary of the Reconstruction Finance Production area, and he joined Excelsior's Congregational Church, the Masonic Lodge and the
Board, to remove the rails and replace damaged paving. The Council agreed, and in Knight Templars. He was survived by one daughter, Helen (Mrs. Stanley Hillier) and
June about 25 WPA workers started prying out the old trolley rails, a job they thou h three grandchildren. (MR)J rPY g Y 1 Y tg
would take about two weeks. (VC; MR)
April 29. Wm. O. Nilsen accepted the Superintendency of Excelsior schools to succeed
July 14. A training school for air -raid wardens began this evening at the high school J.J. Halverson who had come from Chaska schools in 1930 and would be going to
auditorium with three lectures and a movie on home defense. At a later class the Albert Lea in the fall. Mr. Nilsen was to finish the school year at Spring Grove before
Minneapolis Fire Department was to present a "demonstration of war gases and their coming to Excelsior. (MR)
use, how to extinguish fire bombs and the proper use of fire extinguishers in the
May 7. Halsten's Super Valu opened in the Sampson block with Cecil M. Halsten ashome." After a few weeks, wardens learned about plane spotting, in case "Japs should
fly over to drop bombs." By this time there were some 5,000 volunteers active in owner and manager. There had been a food store there since the building went up
Civilian Defense in rural Hennepin County.40 years earlier. It had been Sampson's Grocery until 1919 and Hasher's from 1919
to 1943. (MR)
September 17. Hasty Tasty Cafe opened under new management. Gerald A.
bought out Mrs. George Pappas, who had been operating it alone since her husband s t—
death in 1940. Now married to Paul Drake, she no longer wanted the work and
responsibility. Mr. Gibson had previously run the Lakeview, a lunchroom on the lake
s
front.1 -
September 24. The Tonka Theater opened at 8 p.m. with a movie for which the price
of admission was a war bond. The movie industry was attempting to raise a million
dollars for the U.S.A. during the month by promoting bond sales for admission and P.
the local theater was to donate its facilities for the occasion. O.W. Lundsten, chairman
of the committee pushing the sales, said the result was "a $50,000 audience. ":`
1943
A
e Za
e ' '.'.. A '1 te
January 5. The Council received a letter from Dr. Stuart L. Arey, saying that he had
e a 1 1 4 0nlistedasamedicalofficerintheU.S. Navy and could no longer serve as health
officer for the Village. He had taken over his father's practice eight years earlier, and r
would be followed by Dr. Lewis M. Reid of Minneapolis.
January 7. A grief- stricken mother died of a heart attack within two weeks after George Hasher with Clara Wilson (middle) and Alice Donovan, about 1940
hearing of her son's death at Guadalcanal. She was Mrs. Karen Bottke of Eureka,
Late August. Mr. and Mrs. Frank Dimond had one son and four grandsons in the War.whose son Alfred was the first soldier from this area to lose his life in World War II.
Grandson Clark Dimond, Jr. had been missing since December, 1941, and officiallyBeforeenteringtheservice, young Bottke had been employed at Boulder Bridge
farm. (MR)pronounced dead in July of 1942. Now, a year later, the Dimonds received a card
saying Clark was a "prisoner of the Japs on an island in the Pacific." His father,
February 8. Barbara Moody, with 45 other WACS from Minneapolis, left on the Clark Dimond, Sr. had been in the service "permanently" since serving in the first
Rocket" for Des Moines. She was to start basic training there and would be promoted World War. He had joined the Navy in 1909 and now called himself the "oldest old
to private first class rank in September. Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L.H. Moody, Barbara timer to plunk a sea bag on an NTC deck." (MR)
was the first WAC to enter the service from Excelsior. (MR)
September 30. Wm. Swanson, after 18p years in business, was selling out the mer-
chandise in his shoe store and men's furnishings. The war made it impossible to keepMarch17. Blood donors, age 18 to 60, were encouraged to make appointments at the
recently vacated Hasher's Grocery Store to give blood for the war effort. Excelsior his shelves stocked he said. There was more bad news: a draft of pre Pearl Harbor
and its environs were expected to enlist 450 donors.fathers could come within a month. (MR)
April 15. Henry H. Aspden, son of pioneers Henry and Mary Aspden, died. An 1895 October 10. Mr. and Mrs. August Sotherlund held an Open House honoring August's
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