The Lowry News

“Living in a small town...is like living in a large family of rather uncongenial relations. Sometimes it’s fun, and sometimes it’s perfectly awful, but it’s always good for you. People in large towns are like only-children.” 

― Joyce Dennys

"The nice part about living in a small town is that when you don't know what you're doing, someone else surely does."  Unknown


"There isn't much to be seen in a small town, but what you hear makes up for it"  Unknown

If you choose to live in a small town like Lowry, you need to come to terms with living in a fish bowl. Everybody knows everybody and everybody's business.

Tracking what others are up to is a small town pastime. When directed at kids, this is generally positive, at work to keep you on the straight and narrow. It is like having a town-full of aunts and uncles hovering over you, some kindly, some not. I think of it as "benevolent concern". 

Nevertheless, missteps always seemed to make the prayer circuit at warp speed. If an oath crossed your lips or you fired a rock at a street light, likely as not your folks would know within the hour. You knew you were in trouble when you walked in the door and the first words were, "I heard you were ...". Smothering, but it was also nice to know that when you fell in the well, there would be someone there to pull you out.

But benevolent concern is a whisker away from old-fashioned nosiness. By 1957, the party-line "rubberneck" source had been squelched by private lines from Lowry Telephone Co., so only Leona or Inez were privy. But Ladies Aid, Sewing Circles, the coffee hour in the church basement were all good places to pick up the latest "news" and the 2:30 daily mail call at the post office was a must. A stop by the hardware store, morning and afternoon coffee at the cafe or an evening at the tavern often produced a good yield. The bank - not so much.

But the canonical source source of information was the Pope County Tribune. The PCT came out on Thursday's and featured the ever popular "Lowry News". Every region of Pope County had a correspondent: Sedan, Grove Lake, Lowry, Farwell, Starbuck, Terrace, Long Beach, Gilchrest, Ben Wade, Nora, Lake Reno. 

(Lydia Bjorklund dealt the Lowry News. She had trouble with the Robieson & Gunness names.)

Lowry News from the Pope County Tribune  June 6, 1957

350 people attended the open house at the McIver Clinic from 7-9 PM Saturday. Served refreshments in the Legion room by the commercial club and Legion auxiliary.  Dr. Letson, Dr. Kolp and Dr. Good were present to be introduced to the guests.  Many beautiful flowers were sent complimentary to the new clinic by friends and organizations.

Mr. & Mrs. A.R. Anderson and C.R. Anderson spent the weekend with Mr. & Mrs. Ed Ithner at Cass Lake.

Mr. & Mrs. Lynn Lundin and family and Ruth Hoplin of Minneapolis spent the weekend with their parents, the Ole Hoplins.

Mr. & Mrs. H.F. Engebretson drove to Blue Earth Saturday and spent the weekend with Dr. and Mrs. Hagebak.  Martha Engebretson, who has taught at Blue Earth the past year, returned with them.

High school graduation from Sunday School department was held at St. Paul’s Sunday, June 2. Graduates were Ronald Bjokne, Ronald Chan, Merlin Heggestad, Paul Quitney and John Stavem.

Mr. & Mrs. Wencil Trousil visited with Mr. & Mrs. Frank Koudella Sunday afternoon and in the evening Mr. & Mrs. Frank Benesh and Mr. & Mrs. Iver Femrite visited them.

Paul Engebretson of Gustavus Adolphus college at St. Peter came home for a week and will return for summer school.

Mr. & Mrs. James Anderson and family of Minneapolis are spending a week with her parents, the Ole Hoplins.

Mrs. Lionell McIver, Lydia Bjorklund and Mrs. Emma Moberg were lunch guests with Mrs. Carl B. Johnson Sunday.

Mr. & Mrs. Signer Rykhus, Mary and Paul, Mrs. Ed Sell and Mrs. Sigurd Bjerke spent Sunday and Monday of last week at Westbrook, Minn, attending the funeral of Mrs. Anton Huset, Mr. Rykhus’ aunt.

Mr. & Mrs. John Erickson and John and Daniel Erickson of Minneapolis visited their parents, the Axel Ericksons, over the weekend.

Mr. & Mrs Max Bunker of Brainerd were house guests with Lena Mae Hardy from Wednesday to Sunday.

Mrs. Earl Morrison of Glenwood was a luncheon guest with Lena Mae Hardy on Friday.

Mr. & Mrs Chester W. Bennett, Paul and Jimmy, Mr. & Mrs. Glenn Bennett and Cynthia, Mr. & Mrs. George Harvey, Susan and Bruce, Mr & Mrs. Clifford Mortenson, Carol and Margaret, Mr. & Mrs. Chester H. Bennett and Sharon, Mr. & Mrs Stewart Benson, Larry and Louise were dinner guests of Mr. & Mrs. Johnny Braaten at Farwell.

Harold Heggestad is home from Boston, Mass where he attends Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Harry Bjorklund of St. Louis Park spent the weekend with his parents, the Alfred Bjorklunds.

Mr. & Mrs. Leo Smedstad and Mrs. Oscar Pladson and Paul of Brandon visited with Hilda Hagstrom Sunday afternoon.

Mr. & Mrs. Richard Loren, Mrs. Esther Dahlgren and Amy Loren visited one evening at the Edwin Larson home.

That's the news from Lake Malmedal - all the news that's fit to print. But then, what we'd really like is the news that's not fit to print.