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In the Jan. 15, 1925 Freeman Courier, editor J.J. Mendel recalls the 1888 blizzard and offers a personal perspective. Here are excerpts.

January 12 of each year always reminds the older people of the most disastrous blizzard that the Dakotans ever saw. It was 37 years ago in 1888. 

The storm came during the school hour. You could not open your eyes, much less see anything. Consequently, those caught outside found themselves lost. With a storm like that and 45 below during the night, 148 were frozen to death in Dakota; most were school children who tried to walk home.

“That night is remembered by us as though it was in 1924. We spent the night four miles northeast of Olivet in a 14 x 18 schoolhouse with a 10 x 14 edition used for a barn. D.J. Mendel, our teacher, had sense enough to not allow anybody to leave for home.

P.R.M. Hofer was teaching in the Paul Glanzer school eight miles northwest of Freeman. He gave strict orders not to leave the room and saved all his scholars.

In the Christ Kaufman school, Dr. Glocker was the teacher. Tobias C Kaufman went to school and, with the teacher, made an attempt to get the pupils to a close farmer. But after walking a short distance, they returned to the school where the teacher stayed overnight with the pupils. Mr. Kaufman walked home and it was only by luck he got home

John L Wipf taught the Reverend John Hofer school west of town and the teacher and scholars were taken to the Reverend Hofer home for the night.

A.A. Wipf taught the Michael Hofer School. He went home for dinner, about a mile away. When he sat down at the table, his sister came with news about the storm. He left without eating and risked his life to walk over to the school to save the children by keeping them in the school during the storm.

In the A.A. Ratzlaff school northeast of town, the teacher tried to take the pupils to the Peter O. Graber place close to the school. Five children were lost and, after three days, found dead close to four miles away.

Chris Graber was at a straw pile in the storm and the notion struck him that cattle will find home easier than he, so he started the cattle and held onto a cow’s tail and reached home.

Excerpts from January 30, 1969 Freeman Courier .

Inconvenience and hardship are words that describe the effect of the weather in the Freeman community this winter. 

Every plan and activity is made with one eye open to the latest developments on the weather scene and forecast for the next 24 hours. All kinds of meetings, athletic games, school activities, church services and meetings have been postponed or canceled the past six weeks due to the weather. Even weddings and funerals have been postponed because of weather conditions. For some funerals, the snowplows were there ahead of the procession to open the road. 

With approximately 60 inches of snowfall on the ground since the start of winter, many instances of extra effort and service to the public have been rendered.

No doubt, the people with the greatest problems due to the heavy snow are the farmers. They have to worry about getting feed and fuel to their farm and hope that electric power will not fail. Many farmers spend two to four hours or more every day just opening up driveways and the farmyards, only to have it blown shut by the next day.

At the hospital, staff workers have been juggling hours and working extra time to keep the hospital manned when roads are impossible.

Classes at Freeman Public School were dismissed early last Wednesday afternoon and no school was held Thursday, Friday or Monday of this week. Classes resumed Tuesday with many of the students from the country missing. Buses have had difficult times. 

There has been school at Freeman Junior College and Academy most of the time because many of the students stay in the dorm or elsewhere in town, but many students were missing. Mail service has been irregular due to road conditions. Services have been called off at many rural churches again and again because of the blizzards and blocked roads.

Yet hope springs eternal in the human breast and folks are not giving up because of a little snow. Although we did hear of one fellow who said he is going to tie a snow shovel on his car hood and start driving south and not stop until someone asks him what that thing tied to his hood is used for.

Excerpts from the Feb. 10, 1988 Courier.

George H.W. Bush, the vice president of the United States and Republican presidential candidate, came to visit Freeman on Friday, Feb 5. South Dakota’s new early presidential primary is on Tuesday, Feb. 23. 

About 1,200 people, including nearly 500 students, braved bitter, cold subzero temperatures and crowded into the Freeman High School Gym. Vice President Bush received a warm welcome as he stood in the center of the gym, which had chairs set up on all sides of him. Bleachers on both sides of the gym were full. 

Former Governor of South Dakota Bill Janklow gave a rousing introduction of Bush describing him as “a man who knows what it means to be part of this country.”

Bush told the audience that Janklow “got me all hungry when he was talking about the Schmeckfest. I am now trying to figure out how I can get invited back to attend that in a few weeks.”

Janklow also introduced him to Kirk and Troy Wollman, both students at Freeman High School who have gained notoriety through their excellence in wrestling. Bush greeted them and gave them each a shirt.

In his opening remarks, Bush said he want to be known as the “education president” by improving the quality of education in the United States.

The format was an informal question-and-answer session. Bush’s answers were general, and none of his comments sent shockwaves into the audience or press corps.

Freeman Elementary Superintendent Laverne Diede said that the students who nearly filled one side of the gym had a “real wholesome reaction to the visit.”

Ann Waltner, a Freeman High School senior, was impressed by the visit, particularly the Secret Service and by having the opportunity to see the vice president answer questions from the audience.

“It was an honor to have the man who’s second in line to be president and could very possibly be president be here,” she said. “I thought he did a pretty good job of answering the questions,” she said.

Addendum: Although he won the GOP nomination that summer and defeated Michael Dukakis (426-111) in November to become the 41stPresident, Bush lost the South Dakota Primary Election to Bob Dole three weeks after his visit to Freeman.

From the Feb. 9, 1939 Freeman Courier.

For some time, several organizations have seen the need for a free library in Freeman and have planned to establish such a library. However, the cost of the books plus the rent of a building proved too big an undertaking. When the Friesen Cream Station (a small single-story building adjacent to the south side of City Hall on Main Street) became vacant, the idea of using it to house the library arose. 

The town board was approached on the matter and generally consented to the idea. The board is to be highly commended for their generosity in their willingness to cooperate and provide things which make our community a better place to live and give our boys and girls an opportunity to make good use of their leisure time. 

In many homes, there are good books which have been read and stored away. These books could well be used in the library and if anyone wishes to donate such books, they will be given an opportunity to do so. Next week’s paper will carry a notice telling you where to leave them.

Addendum: The following week, the Fred Haar Implement was identified as the location to drop off books. The Feb. 23 issue Courier reported the library building had been cleaned, painted and was ready to be occupied. The April 6 issue reported that the Freeman City Library would open on Saturday, April 8 with 200 free books and 10 books on the pay shelf, noting “the books are best sellers and a fee of five cents a week will be charged. All books are on loan for two weeks and a fine of two cents a day will be charged for each day overdue.” In September, the Courier reported that the library had increased to 664 books and in the five months that it was open, 300 people had read 2,964 books, 1,192 of which were children’s books and 1,772 adult books. 

The library transitioned from a club library to a city library in 1943 and remained in that location until moving into the new city hall in 1972. The library moved into its present location at 401 Main in 2007.

Excerpts from an article by John J. Richart, Freeman Public School Superintendent in the Feb.16, 1956 Freeman Courier.

Today is election day in Freeman to decide the question that concerns our public school. There has been a great increase in our grade school enrollment during the past three years. (A chart shows an increase from 71 in 1945-46 to 133 in 1955-56.)

Last year, to make room for this increased enrollment, it was found necessary to move the shop equipment to a building off the school grounds and use the room for grade school instruction. Our music department is hampered because we have no music room and rehearsals have been held on the stage of the auditorium from 8:15 to 9 in the morning. 

(The school gym/auditorium was located in the center of the lower portion of the three-story classroom building at Third and Wipf that served grades K-12 starting in 1925.) 

Instrumental and vocal rehearsals are held throughout the day in the music room on the stage and they interfere with classroom instruction. Play production always interferes with activities of the music department. Our physical education program, which is very limited, also interferes with grade school instruction.

The space now occupied by the gymnasium and stage could be converted into several classrooms. 

We need additional space for our high school. Our science room, in addition to serving as a laboratory, must also be used for regular classroom instruction. The typing room is too small.

Lack of space also prevents us from operating a hot lunch program.

Educational needs and practices change. Our building was constructed in the 1920s. Our town has grown since, but we have not enlarged our public school system. We need the new structure for our boys and girls.

Addendum: Voters approved spending $80,000 to build a new gymnasium; 566 for and 385 against. It was built that year; today it is the Freeman Community Center. But the music room and IA departments were not included until 1965 when a $75,000 addition was built to the east. The gym itself remained the school’s sole gym until 1992 when a new (current) gym was added to the jr.-sr. high school, built on the present campus in 1976.

Excerpts from the March 1, 1989 Freeman Courier.

It ended the way it began. 

An unprecedented era in South Dakota high school wrestling started in the fall of 1983. That year, Kirk Wallman, a seventh grader from Freeman, embarked on an unbeatable season capped by an overtime win to take his first state championship, the 98-pound state title. 

Last Saturday night (Feb. 25), Wallman now a senior at Freeman High School, closed the book on his prep career with another overtime win, this time claiming the 152-pound state championship. 

That historic win earned Wallman his sixth state wrestling title and his 201stwin. He completed his six-year prep career without losing a single match. 

Wallman was highly favored to win in his final bid for a state title. He faced Chad Lammer, a sophomore from Tri-Valley. Wallman scored first, with a takedown worth two points in the first period. Lamer scored with a reversal worth two points. 

Wallman was starting an escape near the end of the first period and awarded one point to take a 3-2 lead. Neither wrestler scored in the second period. But with time running out in the third period, Wallman was penalized for stalling, evening the score 3-3. Neither wrestler scored in the remaining seconds of regulation time sending the match into overtime. 

Wallman scored two points with a takedown in the first period and two points with a reversal in the second. No one scored in the third and Wallman won the match with a 7-3 decision. When the referee raised Wallman’s hand in victory, the arena crowd was on its feet, giving Wallman a thunderous ovation. Wallman embraced Lamer, shook hands with the Tri-Valley coach, officials, and then returned to his corner and exhausted physically and emotionally, rolled out on the floor, laying on his back as a crowd continued to cheer. 

Addendum: Kirk attended the University of Minnesota for a year, and then Iowa State University, where he wrestled for a while. "Wrestling felt more like a job in college," he said in a 2025 interview with the Yankton P&D. "I lost interest because I wasn't around my father." His father, Gary (“Smokey”), was his coach through his entire prep career.

From the March 6, 1924 Freeman Courier.

The St. Paul congregation had a meeting this week to discuss the advisability of erecting a new school building and the sentiment to build prevailed. That means a fine modern structure will be erected as soon as necessary. Funds will be raised to erect the building, and it will be adequate in every respect. Fred Haar donated half a block for ground, not far from his home (the school was located in the southeast portion of the intersection of Sixth and Dewald – today Home to Dewald Street village).

Addendum: The Aug. 14, 1924 Courier reported “the laying of the cornerstone (on Aug. 10) was evidence that their fond hopes of having a modern consolidated Christian day school will materialize. The ceremony on the new school grounds was witnessed by a large gathering of friends of Christian education from many neighboring congregations.”

The Jan. 25, 1925 Courier reported “a monumental event in the history of Saint Paul Lutheran Church of Freeman was celebrated in festive services last Sunday, mainly the dedication of their Christian Day School.”

The two-story brick building included two classrooms (upper and lower grades), a confirmation room, office and a full basement area that included a kitchen; it was also used as a gymnasium and large meeting space. A large playground area extended east of the school.

The May 1, 1991 Courier announced that “after providing Christian education for elementary students for 103 years, St. Paul Lutheran Day School will be closing its doors permanently at the end of this school year.” The article noted the decision was made on how to best meet the church's educational needs. It was the final chapter in a history that saw enrollment as high as 89 in 1952. But it had declined in the final decades of the 20th century; 1990-91 enrollment was 12; the prospect for the following year was 11.

In 1993, two years after the school closed, the building became home to Growing Dreams Learning Center. The building was demolished in the summer of 2006, two years after the daycare center left. The following year, the property – purchased by Freeman Regional Health Services – became home to Dewald Street Village.

From the March 19, 1959 Freeman Courier.

More than a thousand people gathered to enjoy this old-fashioned meal at the Mennonite Smorgasbord held in Pioneer Hall Friday night (March 13). The ladies of the auxiliary had not anticipated such a turnout, consequently many of the old-time savory dishes were emptied before all of the crowd was served. A line of hungry people about three-deep extended the length of Pioneer Hall on the outside, plus the packed corridor leading to the dining hall. Many left to eat at the downtown café, where they also had to wait in line to be served. 

The favorable weather was an inducement for many of the community to patronize this unusual Schmeckfest.

The event had been promoted in the Courier in this Feb. 26 news release.

On March 13 the Freeman College Womens Auxiliary is planning a “Schmeckfest” which will be a sort of smorgasbord featuring some of the traditional old European dishes which the Low German, Swiss and Hutterish pioneers brought to this country. They invite you to bring the whole family to enjoy this unusual treat at the Pioneer Hall Dining Hall on March 13. Serving begins at 5 o’clock when they invite you to come and take all you want — and eat all you take. Prices will be one dollar for adults, fifty cents for grade school children and free for pre-school children. You can make your selections from the following items (spelling approximately like dialect pronunciation): Gruene Schauble Zup; Porzilke; Pluma Moos; Zwieback; Bona Berrogi; Hallupse; Nalles Nicki; Krumbera Maga; Krumbera Pankucha; Druckene Bona; Mak Kucka; Kutja; Russiche Kucha; Sauerkraut; Taemppffliesh; Worsch; Krappflen; Fleishch Kuechle; and Roggenbrot.

At 8 o’clock there will be a talent program in the main auditorium at which time a free-will offering will be taken for the kitchen project. 

Addendum – Little did the organizers know that March 13 gathering would become an annual event, putting Freeman on the map and providing key funding for Freeman Junior College and Academy. The 2026 Schmeckfest on April 10 and 11 marks the 68thyear, although the Covid 19 pandemic resulted in significantly scaled-back activities in 2020-21-22.

Excerpts from the March 19, 2020 Freeman Courier.

Freeman Academy officials announced last week that they were postponing Schmeckfest (March 20-21, 27-28) amidst growing concerns about the spread of COVID-19; new dates have not been determined. 

Concerns that coronavirus would have an impact on Schmeckfest grew last week, as the spread of the worldwide pandemic became a hard reality in South Dakota and across the United States. 

The first (five) cases in South Dakota were reported March 10. Worry went from zero to 60 in the days that followed.

Sioux Falls declared a state of emergency on Thursday. On Tuesday, Gov. Kristi Noem ordered all South Dakota schools be closed through March 27. 

The South Dakota High School Activities Association (postponed) the remainder of the State B Girls Basketball Tournament (and) this week’s State B Boys Basketball Tournament.

All region music contests and All-State Band, scheduled March 28, were canceled. The SDHSAA has canceled all of its high school sports through at least April 5. 

Freeman Mayor Sam Sorensen told the Courier. “I don’t think we’re in a place where we need to quarantine everybody — at least not around here — but that can change in a matter of hours.” 

Freeman Public Library suspended all programming and is distributing books and DVDs only by advance orders and delivered in the breezeway. Oakview Terrace and Freeman Medical Center (and) the Salem Mennonite Home (went) into lockdown Tuesday night. 

And on Tuesday, the Hutchinson County Commission voted to close the county courthouse to the public indefinitely. 

Donald Trump declared the United States in a state of emergency. And on Sunday night, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) discouraged groups larger than 50 from meeting for the next eight weeks. That recommendation was reduced to 10 by President Trump on Monday. “If that’s what it takes to keep this from spreading, so be it.” 

Addendum: Schmeckfest 2020 was ultimately canceled, not only in 2020 but also in 2021-22. COVID-19 has caused more than 7 million confirmed deaths, and 18.2 to 33.5 million estimated deaths. It ranks as the fifth-deadliest pandemic or epidemic in history.

Excerpts from the March 25, 1992 Freeman Courier.

Plans are moving forward on construction of a nine-hole golf course. A well to be used for irrigation … has been drilled on the golf course land one mile south of Freeman. Golf course association officers said the association has sold more than 50% of the initial offerings of $50,000 in capitalization stock. The golf course plan was drawn up by Marty Johnson, a golf course designer from South Sioux City, Neb. Construction of the greens and fairways (will begin) in May. 

Addendum: An earlier announcement in the Courier noted the Freeman Area Golf Course Association Board of Directors are Dean Dreessen, LaVerne Waltner, Roger Aman, Bob Pidde and Neil Zachariassen. The golf course opened officially on August 18, 1993. Merchants State Bank took ownership in 2005 and Back Nine LLC assumed ownership in 2011. It became a municipal course in 2019.

In February 2018, the Courier reported that Doug McCune, a partner with his father-in-law Steve Friesen in Back Nine LLC, a business partnership formed by the Friesen family in 2011, told city officials that keeping the course open has been a challenge and converting it to a municipal course would broaden the scope and scale of support. 

Here are excerpts from the Nov. 22, 2018 Courier.

Nine months after being approached by Back Nine LLC to consider turning Valley View Golf Course into a municipal operation … and being told the fate of the course was in the city’s hands, the Freeman City Council voted 5-0 … to enter into two purchase agreements: one with Back Nine LLC (for) $137,000 for the golf course and all of its assets and another with land owner Daryl Graber (for) $325,000 for the 76 acres on which the course sits. 

In the previous six weeks, the city had heard from (the public both) in favor of, and those against, the city purchasing the course. Most of the public input has been in favor of it. 

“If we kick it down the road,” said councilor Lonnie Tjaden, “we won’t open.” 

“If we’re going to do this, we’ve got to get it out there,” said councilor Charly Waltner. 

Eight years later, it remains a municipal course.

Excerpts from the April 4, 2008 Freeman Courier.

More than 30 years ago, it took the Freeman school district three-and-a-half years and seven elections to pass a bond issue to build a new school.

This time. It took just one. 

Voters not only approved last week’s school bond election to help fund a new elementary school, but did so overwhelmingly. The $3.98 million request gained 72% approval from the 836 casting ballots. 

“I’m stunned,” Freeman superintendent Dan Hotchkiss said after the vote were tallied (the day of the vote) March 25. “I think a lot of people around here are surprised with the size of the majority. It’s a vote of confidence for our public school system.”

Voter approval means the district can proceed immediately with plans to build the 49,000 square-foot elementary school as an addition to the south of the jr.-sr. high school. The new sprawling brick elementary school is expected to cost $6.2 million; $2.5 million of that will be paid using capital outlay certificates. Construction will begin this summer and be completed in time for the 2910 school year.

That means after this school year it’ll be the final nine months in the current elementary school that opened on Wipf Street in 1925. It’s a building that school officials say has served the district well but has had its share of problems in recent years and is rife with fire code violations

The new school will include two classrooms per grade each, nearly twice the size of current classrooms. That will allow each class to have two sections, which school official says is a must because projections show classes in the upper 20s and lower 30s. 

The new Freeman Elementary School will also include a library, commons area, gymnasium and computer labs. The elementary gym and locker rooms will be connected to the east side of the FHS gym. 

Addendum: The new elementary school opened on the current public school campus for the 2009-10 school year as forecast. The 1925 classroom building was razed in September 2009 and the lot, adjacent to the Freeman Community Center, remains vacant.

 Excerpts from Courier Editor and Publisher J.J. Mendel in the April 9, 1936 issue.

Well, the old Milwaukee train is still coming up from Scotland every day, blowing the whistle as usual before entering our city and backing down to Scotland the next day. For a time, the train was running to Marion from here, then to Mitchell, Scotland and back again. If we shipped something from Freeman to Menno,  a rail distance of 11 miles, the article had to travel close to 150 miles. 

There was a time when we had two passenger (trains) a day and two freights a day. We had good service. All these (changes) were made after the auto and the truck had appeared on the highways. 

It still seems to be a question with some people in Freeman, whether it is really within our range of probability to lose our train service. We need the Milwaukee train much worse than they need us. We help ourselves by giving them our business.

Two weeks later, the Courier reported, “Our delegation went to Pierre and returned with news that is not very encouraging: we will be placed on the test floor. Only 100% patronage will save our train service. Trains and trucks will run only as long as they are patronized.”

In September, the Courier reported “Good news reached town that the track between here and Marion will not be abandoned, but between Scotland and Tyndall, the track was recommended to be removed.”

In December, the Courier reported “Business at the depot was picking up nicely since the change was made and the trains come in from Marion. This gives us good service with Soo Falls, Soo City, Twin Cities and Chicago. The biggest dummy could not have invented a more foolish schedule than being served from Scotland. The present train starts in Mitchell, comes in from Marion and serves Freeman and Menno and goes on to Canton. “

Addendum: Incidentally, Mendel routinely used “Soo” rather than Sioux.

Rail service to Freeman, which began in 1879 continued until 1978. Ironically, the tracks that established Freeman as a railroad stop were removed in 1979, the centennial year.

From the Freeman Courier, April 17, 1969.

The Freeman Community Hospital Board of Trustees met April 10, 1969 (and) unanimously agreed to direct the architect to complete the drawings for the new extended care facility and rehabilitation center. 

The weeks later, the Courier reported “specifications for the Freeman Extended Care Facility and Rehabilitation Center (as it was called at the time) have been released and bids will be opened on May 21. This means the project is now well underway.”

Addendum: But, as Jeremy Waltner noted in a 2024 story about the hospital, the project nearly fell through. 

“Bad news came in July of 1970 when bids came in approximately $150,000 higher than expected and brought the total cost to $680,000 — just under $5 million in today’s money.

“And a Freeman Courier editorial asked: “Has the bubble burst?”

“Here’s what publisher Glenn Gering wrote: ‘This week the Freeman community is facing a dream which may vanish into thin air ... The question is, can our community raise the additional funds needed? If we in our community were able to raise another $150,000 in funds, we could soon witness the realization of a $680,000 facility right here in our own community. 

“In the weeks that followed, Gering was aggressive in his editorial support. ‘I can think of no other situation in our community during my experience with public projects where a dollar invested in a community project could yield more returns than in this situation,” he wrote on July 30, 1970.”

One month later, after that successful last-ditch effort to raise the necessary funds, the Freeman Community Hospital Board of Directors announced that it would proceed with the project.

In January of 1972, the Freeman Community Hospital became the Freeman Community Hospital and Nursing Home. It included a physical therapy department, relocated laundry and new kitchen facilities, and a new entrance facing the south.

Seven years later, in May of 1979, the Courier reported an open house was held on May 6 for a 29-bed nursing home addition, “evidence of a growing need for healthcare services … with a combined a hospital and nursing home capacity now totals 89 beds.”

Excerpts from the April 23, 1914 Courier.

Freeman will have electric lights before fall if people of this town care to have them. Juice will be there 24 hours a day and you will have the privilege of using it anytime you want it. If the people express their desire to have lights, construction work on the system will commence sooner than many anticipate. 

Addendum: "Juice" was used as early as the 1600s to mean energy, spirit, or power.

In July, publisher J.J. Mendel reported “the Freeman Electric Company has three men employed wiring, houses and business places. in October, he reported “in about a week the wheels at the electric powerhouse will begin to move and the streets of Freeman will be illuminated in the house and stores.”

Here’s the rest of the story. 

Mendel was one of the owners of the light plant. 

Freeman Facts, Freeman Fiction explains that in 1914. Math Hafner, R. Dewald, A. W. Gross and Mendel built an electric light plant in Freeman. By 1917, Hafner, Dewald and Gross had sold out to Mendel, who operated it until 1927 when he sold it to Northwestern Public Service Company.

Mendel shared his story in the Aug. 25, 1927 Courier. Here are excerpts.

“It was in 1911 and 12 that Freeman held mass meetings to discuss the installation of a municipal plant. All were anxious to have electric lights. The game was new and the town, after thorough deliberation, concluded (a municipal power plant) was too risky. In 1913, the Freeman Light Plant was organized. In early 1914, construction began and a franchise was granted for 20 years.”

The following week he explained that privately owned, small independent and municipal plants had “practically all sold out to big highline companies.”

In November, Mendel reported, “officials were in the city and a deal was consummated (and) Northwestern becomes the owner of the electric light property in this city … Their transmission lines run into Menno which made it easy for them to buy the electric light business here. In about six weeks, the line will be completed and the town changed to A.C. current.”

Northwestern Energy continues to supply electricity to Freeman nearly 100 years later.