The "newspaperman mold" was broken after they made Merle Lofgren.
The highly respected 82-year-old publisher of the 1,375 circulation Corson/Sioux County News-Messenger of McLaughlin died Wednesday, June 25, at MedCenter One Hospital in Bismarck, N.D., still handwriting his "From the Top of the Hill" column and other stories from his hospital bed before slipping into the coma that stilled his mind and hands.
Lofgren spent most of his life writing about the people and the land he loved. His intelligence and writing talents could have taken him to the "top of the hill" in journalism in a much larger community, also providing him with a much larger paycheck. But he chose to stay and raise his family in the West River area where he learned the meaning of true grit during the tough Great Depression years of his upbringing.
Loss of businesses in the communities his newspaper covered and the resulting loss of advertising revenue left Lofgren with only subscription sales and legal advertising on which to earn a living, which was at best, a meager one. But Lofgren was a newspaperman whose calling was not making money but doing the best he could to cover the news and serve his readers. His newspaper has been the "glue" holding together his community by keeping everyone connected and informed.
A testament to his writing and its following is illustrated by the fact that while the total households in both McLaughlin and McIntosh combined total only 426, his newspaper had a paid circulation of 1,375. People who moved away kept their subscriptions to the News-Messenger, many times just to be able to read Lofgren's weekly column and editorial. Other subscribers had no connections to the communities covered by the newspaper, but ordered the paper just to read the wit and humor with which Lofgren wrote.
His "From the Top of the Hill" columns were filled with the stories of growing up West River and with the beauty and humor Lofgren found around him. An example of his wit was the hilarious "rewriting" of the history of how local Norwegians discovered lutefisk. The story left readers in stitches and area newspapers calling him for permission to reprint the humorous tale.
When Lofgren would attend South Dakota Newspaper Association conventions, the young journalists, as well as the old, would gather around him, as he would spin yarns and tall tales throughout the evening, punctuated with hoots of laughter from his listeners. Lofgren was a gifted storyteller.
When asked how he was, Lofgren would answer with his signature, "Salubrious," which the dictionary defines as "favorable to or promoting health; healthful." The quirky answer would always invoke laughter. When he would bring his newspaper to the Mobridge Tribune for printing each week, one could hear "salubrious" as he walked by Tribune staff members' desks or offices followed by laughter. Tribune workers looked forward to Lofgren's arrival just to be able to ask, "How are you, Merle?" and see the twinkle in his eye as he answered.
The staff at the Mobridge Tribune will miss his "salubriousness!"
Mass of Christian Burial for Lofgren was held Monday, June 30, 2008 at St. Bernard's Catholic Church in McLaughlin. Burial was Tuesday at Black Hills National Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge.
Lofgren was born March 5, 1926, to Francis and Hazel Lofgren and was raised on the family farm south of Watauga. In 1935 the family moved to McIntosh where he worked numerous jobs to help the family.
In 1944 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was sent to the Pacific Theater. After being honorably discharged from the Navy, he enrolled in the Journalism program at South Dakota State College at Brookings. He was the editor of the school newspaper, the Collegian, and was named 1949 Hobo Day King.
Upon graduating in 1949, he ran a newspaper at Lemmon for a few months then purchased the Corson County News and Morristown World.
In the 1950s he was chairman of the Corson County Republican Party and traveled around the state writing speeches and news releases for various candidates. During legislative sessions, he worked for South Dakota Gov. Joe Foss as a press liaison. He served in the South Dakota House of Representatives from 1959 to 1962.
During this time, he purchased the Selfridge Journal and the McLaughlin Messenger. In 1961 he married Lavone Senftner. The couple made their home at McLaughlin where they raised their five children.
Over the years Merle won numerous journalism awards. His writings were often featured in other newspapers and many stories were done about him. He wrote several books, including two compilations of his beloved weekly column "From the Top of the Hill." In 2004 he was inducted into the South Dakota Newspaper Hall of Fame.
He is survived by his wife, Lavone Lofgren, McLaughlin, two daughters, Marian (Todd) Biederstedt, Armour, and Marsha Castellanos, Beaumont Texas, three sons, Paul Lofgren, McLaughlin, Clark (Melba) Lofgren, Midlothian Texas, and Jackson Lofgren, Bismarck, two grandsons and four granddaughters, as well as one brother, Myron (Sarah) Lofgren, Sioux City, and two sisters, Edna Maher, Morristown, and Lucille Tidball, Pierre.
He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers.
Mobridge Tribune July 2, 2008
Bio/Pic Courtesy of *In memory of Scott*
The highly respected 82-year-old publisher of the 1,375 circulation Corson/Sioux County News-Messenger of McLaughlin died Wednesday, June 25, at MedCenter One Hospital in Bismarck, N.D., still handwriting his "From the Top of the Hill" column and other stories from his hospital bed before slipping into the coma that stilled his mind and hands.
Lofgren spent most of his life writing about the people and the land he loved. His intelligence and writing talents could have taken him to the "top of the hill" in journalism in a much larger community, also providing him with a much larger paycheck. But he chose to stay and raise his family in the West River area where he learned the meaning of true grit during the tough Great Depression years of his upbringing.
Loss of businesses in the communities his newspaper covered and the resulting loss of advertising revenue left Lofgren with only subscription sales and legal advertising on which to earn a living, which was at best, a meager one. But Lofgren was a newspaperman whose calling was not making money but doing the best he could to cover the news and serve his readers. His newspaper has been the "glue" holding together his community by keeping everyone connected and informed.
A testament to his writing and its following is illustrated by the fact that while the total households in both McLaughlin and McIntosh combined total only 426, his newspaper had a paid circulation of 1,375. People who moved away kept their subscriptions to the News-Messenger, many times just to be able to read Lofgren's weekly column and editorial. Other subscribers had no connections to the communities covered by the newspaper, but ordered the paper just to read the wit and humor with which Lofgren wrote.
His "From the Top of the Hill" columns were filled with the stories of growing up West River and with the beauty and humor Lofgren found around him. An example of his wit was the hilarious "rewriting" of the history of how local Norwegians discovered lutefisk. The story left readers in stitches and area newspapers calling him for permission to reprint the humorous tale.
When Lofgren would attend South Dakota Newspaper Association conventions, the young journalists, as well as the old, would gather around him, as he would spin yarns and tall tales throughout the evening, punctuated with hoots of laughter from his listeners. Lofgren was a gifted storyteller.
When asked how he was, Lofgren would answer with his signature, "Salubrious," which the dictionary defines as "favorable to or promoting health; healthful." The quirky answer would always invoke laughter. When he would bring his newspaper to the Mobridge Tribune for printing each week, one could hear "salubrious" as he walked by Tribune staff members' desks or offices followed by laughter. Tribune workers looked forward to Lofgren's arrival just to be able to ask, "How are you, Merle?" and see the twinkle in his eye as he answered.
The staff at the Mobridge Tribune will miss his "salubriousness!"
Mass of Christian Burial for Lofgren was held Monday, June 30, 2008 at St. Bernard's Catholic Church in McLaughlin. Burial was Tuesday at Black Hills National Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge.
Lofgren was born March 5, 1926, to Francis and Hazel Lofgren and was raised on the family farm south of Watauga. In 1935 the family moved to McIntosh where he worked numerous jobs to help the family.
In 1944 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was sent to the Pacific Theater. After being honorably discharged from the Navy, he enrolled in the Journalism program at South Dakota State College at Brookings. He was the editor of the school newspaper, the Collegian, and was named 1949 Hobo Day King.
Upon graduating in 1949, he ran a newspaper at Lemmon for a few months then purchased the Corson County News and Morristown World.
In the 1950s he was chairman of the Corson County Republican Party and traveled around the state writing speeches and news releases for various candidates. During legislative sessions, he worked for South Dakota Gov. Joe Foss as a press liaison. He served in the South Dakota House of Representatives from 1959 to 1962.
During this time, he purchased the Selfridge Journal and the McLaughlin Messenger. In 1961 he married Lavone Senftner. The couple made their home at McLaughlin where they raised their five children.
Over the years Merle won numerous journalism awards. His writings were often featured in other newspapers and many stories were done about him. He wrote several books, including two compilations of his beloved weekly column "From the Top of the Hill." In 2004 he was inducted into the South Dakota Newspaper Hall of Fame.
He is survived by his wife, Lavone Lofgren, McLaughlin, two daughters, Marian (Todd) Biederstedt, Armour, and Marsha Castellanos, Beaumont Texas, three sons, Paul Lofgren, McLaughlin, Clark (Melba) Lofgren, Midlothian Texas, and Jackson Lofgren, Bismarck, two grandsons and four granddaughters, as well as one brother, Myron (Sarah) Lofgren, Sioux City, and two sisters, Edna Maher, Morristown, and Lucille Tidball, Pierre.
He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers.
Mobridge Tribune July 2, 2008
Bio/Pic Courtesy of *In memory of Scott*
The "newspaperman mold" was broken after they made Merle Lofgren.
The highly respected 82-year-old publisher of the 1,375 circulation Corson/Sioux County News-Messenger of McLaughlin died Wednesday, June 25, at MedCenter One Hospital in Bismarck, N.D., still handwriting his "From the Top of the Hill" column and other stories from his hospital bed before slipping into the coma that stilled his mind and hands.
Lofgren spent most of his life writing about the people and the land he loved. His intelligence and writing talents could have taken him to the "top of the hill" in journalism in a much larger community, also providing him with a much larger paycheck. But he chose to stay and raise his family in the West River area where he learned the meaning of true grit during the tough Great Depression years of his upbringing.
Loss of businesses in the communities his newspaper covered and the resulting loss of advertising revenue left Lofgren with only subscription sales and legal advertising on which to earn a living, which was at best, a meager one. But Lofgren was a newspaperman whose calling was not making money but doing the best he could to cover the news and serve his readers. His newspaper has been the "glue" holding together his community by keeping everyone connected and informed.
A testament to his writing and its following is illustrated by the fact that while the total households in both McLaughlin and McIntosh combined total only 426, his newspaper had a paid circulation of 1,375. People who moved away kept their subscriptions to the News-Messenger, many times just to be able to read Lofgren's weekly column and editorial. Other subscribers had no connections to the communities covered by the newspaper, but ordered the paper just to read the wit and humor with which Lofgren wrote.
His "From the Top of the Hill" columns were filled with the stories of growing up West River and with the beauty and humor Lofgren found around him. An example of his wit was the hilarious "rewriting" of the history of how local Norwegians discovered lutefisk. The story left readers in stitches and area newspapers calling him for permission to reprint the humorous tale.
When Lofgren would attend South Dakota Newspaper Association conventions, the young journalists, as well as the old, would gather around him, as he would spin yarns and tall tales throughout the evening, punctuated with hoots of laughter from his listeners. Lofgren was a gifted storyteller.
When asked how he was, Lofgren would answer with his signature, "Salubrious," which the dictionary defines as "favorable to or promoting health; healthful." The quirky answer would always invoke laughter. When he would bring his newspaper to the Mobridge Tribune for printing each week, one could hear "salubrious" as he walked by Tribune staff members' desks or offices followed by laughter. Tribune workers looked forward to Lofgren's arrival just to be able to ask, "How are you, Merle?" and see the twinkle in his eye as he answered.
The staff at the Mobridge Tribune will miss his "salubriousness!"
Mass of Christian Burial for Lofgren was held Monday, June 30, 2008 at St. Bernard's Catholic Church in McLaughlin. Burial was Tuesday at Black Hills National Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge.
Lofgren was born March 5, 1926, to Francis and Hazel Lofgren and was raised on the family farm south of Watauga. In 1935 the family moved to McIntosh where he worked numerous jobs to help the family.
In 1944 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was sent to the Pacific Theater. After being honorably discharged from the Navy, he enrolled in the Journalism program at South Dakota State College at Brookings. He was the editor of the school newspaper, the Collegian, and was named 1949 Hobo Day King.
Upon graduating in 1949, he ran a newspaper at Lemmon for a few months then purchased the Corson County News and Morristown World.
In the 1950s he was chairman of the Corson County Republican Party and traveled around the state writing speeches and news releases for various candidates. During legislative sessions, he worked for South Dakota Gov. Joe Foss as a press liaison. He served in the South Dakota House of Representatives from 1959 to 1962.
During this time, he purchased the Selfridge Journal and the McLaughlin Messenger. In 1961 he married Lavone Senftner. The couple made their home at McLaughlin where they raised their five children.
Over the years Merle won numerous journalism awards. His writings were often featured in other newspapers and many stories were done about him. He wrote several books, including two compilations of his beloved weekly column "From the Top of the Hill." In 2004 he was inducted into the South Dakota Newspaper Hall of Fame.
He is survived by his wife, Lavone Lofgren, McLaughlin, two daughters, Marian (Todd) Biederstedt, Armour, and Marsha Castellanos, Beaumont Texas, three sons, Paul Lofgren, McLaughlin, Clark (Melba) Lofgren, Midlothian Texas, and Jackson Lofgren, Bismarck, two grandsons and four granddaughters, as well as one brother, Myron (Sarah) Lofgren, Sioux City, and two sisters, Edna Maher, Morristown, and Lucille Tidball, Pierre.
He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers.
Mobridge Tribune July 2, 2008
Bio/Pic Courtesy of *In memory of Scott*
The highly respected 82-year-old publisher of the 1,375 circulation Corson/Sioux County News-Messenger of McLaughlin died Wednesday, June 25, at MedCenter One Hospital in Bismarck, N.D., still handwriting his "From the Top of the Hill" column and other stories from his hospital bed before slipping into the coma that stilled his mind and hands.
Lofgren spent most of his life writing about the people and the land he loved. His intelligence and writing talents could have taken him to the "top of the hill" in journalism in a much larger community, also providing him with a much larger paycheck. But he chose to stay and raise his family in the West River area where he learned the meaning of true grit during the tough Great Depression years of his upbringing.
Loss of businesses in the communities his newspaper covered and the resulting loss of advertising revenue left Lofgren with only subscription sales and legal advertising on which to earn a living, which was at best, a meager one. But Lofgren was a newspaperman whose calling was not making money but doing the best he could to cover the news and serve his readers. His newspaper has been the "glue" holding together his community by keeping everyone connected and informed.
A testament to his writing and its following is illustrated by the fact that while the total households in both McLaughlin and McIntosh combined total only 426, his newspaper had a paid circulation of 1,375. People who moved away kept their subscriptions to the News-Messenger, many times just to be able to read Lofgren's weekly column and editorial. Other subscribers had no connections to the communities covered by the newspaper, but ordered the paper just to read the wit and humor with which Lofgren wrote.
His "From the Top of the Hill" columns were filled with the stories of growing up West River and with the beauty and humor Lofgren found around him. An example of his wit was the hilarious "rewriting" of the history of how local Norwegians discovered lutefisk. The story left readers in stitches and area newspapers calling him for permission to reprint the humorous tale.
When Lofgren would attend South Dakota Newspaper Association conventions, the young journalists, as well as the old, would gather around him, as he would spin yarns and tall tales throughout the evening, punctuated with hoots of laughter from his listeners. Lofgren was a gifted storyteller.
When asked how he was, Lofgren would answer with his signature, "Salubrious," which the dictionary defines as "favorable to or promoting health; healthful." The quirky answer would always invoke laughter. When he would bring his newspaper to the Mobridge Tribune for printing each week, one could hear "salubrious" as he walked by Tribune staff members' desks or offices followed by laughter. Tribune workers looked forward to Lofgren's arrival just to be able to ask, "How are you, Merle?" and see the twinkle in his eye as he answered.
The staff at the Mobridge Tribune will miss his "salubriousness!"
Mass of Christian Burial for Lofgren was held Monday, June 30, 2008 at St. Bernard's Catholic Church in McLaughlin. Burial was Tuesday at Black Hills National Cemetery under the direction of Kesling Funeral Home of Mobridge.
Lofgren was born March 5, 1926, to Francis and Hazel Lofgren and was raised on the family farm south of Watauga. In 1935 the family moved to McIntosh where he worked numerous jobs to help the family.
In 1944 he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was sent to the Pacific Theater. After being honorably discharged from the Navy, he enrolled in the Journalism program at South Dakota State College at Brookings. He was the editor of the school newspaper, the Collegian, and was named 1949 Hobo Day King.
Upon graduating in 1949, he ran a newspaper at Lemmon for a few months then purchased the Corson County News and Morristown World.
In the 1950s he was chairman of the Corson County Republican Party and traveled around the state writing speeches and news releases for various candidates. During legislative sessions, he worked for South Dakota Gov. Joe Foss as a press liaison. He served in the South Dakota House of Representatives from 1959 to 1962.
During this time, he purchased the Selfridge Journal and the McLaughlin Messenger. In 1961 he married Lavone Senftner. The couple made their home at McLaughlin where they raised their five children.
Over the years Merle won numerous journalism awards. His writings were often featured in other newspapers and many stories were done about him. He wrote several books, including two compilations of his beloved weekly column "From the Top of the Hill." In 2004 he was inducted into the South Dakota Newspaper Hall of Fame.
He is survived by his wife, Lavone Lofgren, McLaughlin, two daughters, Marian (Todd) Biederstedt, Armour, and Marsha Castellanos, Beaumont Texas, three sons, Paul Lofgren, McLaughlin, Clark (Melba) Lofgren, Midlothian Texas, and Jackson Lofgren, Bismarck, two grandsons and four granddaughters, as well as one brother, Myron (Sarah) Lofgren, Sioux City, and two sisters, Edna Maher, Morristown, and Lucille Tidball, Pierre.
He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers.
Mobridge Tribune July 2, 2008
Bio/Pic Courtesy of *In memory of Scott*
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