By Jan Lee Buxengard
For the Caledonia Argus

Robert and Leona Meisch observed their wedding anniversary in the same location as years past. “We’ve spent the last 40 years at the Houston County Fair,” Robert recalled, adding, “Our anniversary was either at the beginning or the end of the fair. We only missed the fair twice in all those years.”

Kallie Bender, granddaughter of Dr. and Mrs. Roger Bender of Spring Grove and Bethany Tisthammer of Spring Grove used an umbrella to keep dry while watching the 4-H rabbit show during the Houston County Fair Wednesday afternoon. Photo by Charlie Warner

Claire Bratland of the Wilmington Gophers took a little rest with her Brown Swiss heifer during the 4-H dairy show Friday morning.         Photo by Charlie Warner

 A wreath was laid at the Traveling Tomb of the Unknown Soldier August 19 during a light rain. Representatives from veterans groups throughout the county were part of the Color Guard and Firing Squad. Shown above, Ron Dix, of Spring Grove  escourted Houston County Ambassador Heidi Jergenson of Houston, who placed the wreath on a stand in front of the tomb. The tomb was display throughout the five-day run of the fair. Photo by Charlie Warner

The Houston County Fair got underway Tuesday with 4-H project judging. In the top photo, Adam Gaustad of the Lightning Bolts of Houston discussed his wildlife project on the paddle fish with judge Richard Finger of Lewiston.

In the second photo Kerrijan Scanlan of the Mayville Blue Ribbon Strivers discusses her animal research projec with judge Jackie Monn of Norwalk, Wis. 

At right, Matt White of Crescent City Amusements gets his "The Bottle Up" stand ready. White said that persons can win the giant stuffed animals with just one play. "I gave 20 of them away last week," he reported.

At right, one of the many rides of Crescent City Amusements was being put together Tuesday afternoon.

Photos by Charlie Warner

Summer finally arrived to Southeast Minnesota last week, as temps close to 90 and high humidity had residents heading for the pool, the river or the comforts of air conditioning. The Spring Grove Swim Center was a very busy place last Friday, as the photo above indicates. Kaisher Soiney, son of Troy and Trisha Soiney of rural Canton and Ava Tweeten, daughter of Jamie and Amy Tweeten of rural Mabel, took a break from frolicking in the water long enough for this photo to be taken.  
                                              Photo by Chelsey Lager

A large, hard-working crew was on hand Saturday for a threshing bee organized by Alan Wunnecka of Crooked Creek Township. A steam engine was brought in from the Mabel Steam Engine Museum and Norlin Heim of Eitzen furnished the threshing machine. In the photo to the left, the air was filled with oats chaff and dust as the threshing was in full swing. Above, Caroline Heimerdinger of Freeburg dressed the part with a summer bonnet. She brought along an old grain sack her parents had used many decades before. The JP are the initials of her father John Petersen   For more photos of the threshing bee, see our slideshow.                                          Photos by Craig Moorhead