Sleepy Eye couple honored as Outstanding Senior Citizens for 2002

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- A rural Sleepy Eye couple, Harold and Beverly Bartz, were selected as Brown County's Outstanding Senior Citizens for 2002 during the Brown County Fair's annual Senior Citizens Day Thursday.

Harold, 77, and Beverly, 72, received plaques from the Brown County Fair Board commemorating their designations, as well as individual Certificates of Commendation signed by Gov. Jesse Ventura.

The presentations were made during a morning program, sponsored by the Brown County Fair Board and the Brown County Committee on Aging. Bob Apitz, Brown County support services coordinator, presented the plaques and certificates to the Bartzes.

"I know there are many of you (in the audience) who are more deserving of this award than I am," Beverly Bartz said. Both she and her husband said the biggest, and nicest surprise was "that our entire family is here today to see this."

Harold and Beverly Bartz met when she was attending Abbott Hospital School of Nursing in Minneapolis. They married two years later and moved to Sleepy Eye. They started farming near Sleepy Eye in 1961.

Both have been active in volunteer work since retiring from farming.

Beverly Bartz has been a long-time 4H volunteer. She's been active in the Sleepy Eye Public School PTA and has served on the Sleepy Eye Community Education Advisory Board, as well as the Brown County Public Health Nursing Advisory Board, for six years.

She has remained active in the GFWC Sleepy Eye Women's Club for the past 38 years, and she has co-chaired the local Red Cross Bloodmobile program, along with other volunteers, for the past 35 years.

In addition to her volunteer work with St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, she has worked within the community by volunteering at the Sleepy Eye Area Historical Society and Sleepy Eye Depot Museum. Beverly has been involved with her husband in the American Field Service exchange which brings foreign students to Sleepy Eye.

Harold Bartz served as veterans agriculture instructor in the Sleepy Eye Public School before going into farming. He has assisted in judging annual FFA crop contests.

Since retiring, he also has donated his time to the Sleepy Eye Area Historical Society and the Sleepy Eye Depot Museum. He has served on the Brown County Fair Board for 25 years, and he has been a member of the Sleepy Eye Care Center Auxiliary. He has held several positions in St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Harold Bartz also has turned his passion for growing flowers into a volunteer sideline, as he cuts and distributes hundreds of flowers each year to community nursing homes, the assisted living complex, to shut-ins and for various functions.

Seniors attending the event also heard essays about their relationships with grandparents and other older persons written by Brown County youth. Reading their own compositions were Luke Amsden of Springfield, Tabatha Guinn of Springfield, Jacob Hinderman of Sleepy Eye, Abigail Kelly of Comfrey and Luke Zollner of New Ulm. The essay written by Alison Furth of New Ulm was read by Justina Osborn.

Entertainment for the event included music by the New Ulm Polka Band.

Kid's Day at fair today

The Brown County Fair continues today through Sunday at the fairgrounds in New Ulm.

Today is Kid's Day at the fair. From noon to 5 p.m. children can pay one price ($15) and ride the rides at the carnival all day.

There will be a Kid's Pedal Pull tractor pulling contest at 1 p.m., open to children aged 4 to 11, and at 3 p.m. there will be a Mutton Bustin' competition for children 90 pounds and under.

4-H and open judging continues today, with 4-H Poultry at 8 a.m. and 4-H Dairy at 9 a.m. Open class swine judging also starts at 9 a.m.

The 4-H Livestock Auction will be held at 1:30 p.m., and the 4-H pet show starts at 4 p.m.

Free entertainment is offered all day at the Entertainment Tent. Featured throughout the day will be the Caudro Folk Lorico and Flamenco Dancers, The Magic Man/Tim Gabrielson. From 3:30 to 7 p.m. the Mega Matt Sound & Lite Show is on, and from 8:45 p.m. to closing, Marshall Star will be playing.

The Grandstand entertainment will be the Pro Rodeo at 7 p.m.