Marvin Fiemeyer joins Hall of Fame
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ST. CLOUD – Marvin Fiemeyer, Mr. Everything at Courtland, was inducted Saturday night into the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame at the 11th annual banquet in Moose Lodge, Waite Park (suburb of St. Cloud).
Also inducted were Donald (Bronk) Bigalke of Randall, Harley Karvonen of Perham and Walt Prust of Ceylon.
The hall of fame committee may select from one to four individuals each year for induction into the hall of fame. Candidates must have been active at least a decade in promotion of amateur baseball as a player, coach, director or some other category.
Those enshrined Saturday had from 25 to 40 years of participation in amateur baseball.
BIGALKE was supported by a delegation of around 40 from Randall and neighboring Little Falls. Among the Little Falls boosters was Norman Maguire, former superintendent at Renville who almost came to New Ulm as a principal a few years back. A long history of Bigalke's work with baseball in the Randall-Little Falls area was recorded.
KARVONEN moved to Perham a few years ago after a long stay at New York Mills in the same area. He was cited for 35 years of activity in amateur baseball until slowing up a few years ago. At that time, Karvonen retired from the state baseball board after 15 years, eight as secretary. Karvonen retired in June as a postal employee.
PRUST was cited as a stalwart for amateur baseball in the Ceylon area, helping to keep the leagues alive and doing all kinds of work for baseball.
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FIEMEYER at 40 may be the youngest man named to the hall of fame, but his career in baseball goes back 25 years to 1948. Most of his career has been in promotion.
"This proves you don't have to be over 60 to be named to the hall of fame," said Mel Schiller or rural Courtland. Schiller is chairman of the selection committee. He noted it takes lots of support from people in the community to boost a candidate for the hall of fame.
After some years as a player at Courtland, Fiemeyer moved to Elysian for two years, managing the team there in the mid 1950s. Then it was back to Courtland in 1957.
Since 1958, Fiemeyer has been on the Tomahawk League board of directors. He was secretary a few years and since 1966 has been its president.
Besides the Tomahawk, Fiemeyer helped organize the Bi-County peanuts and junior leagues, of which he is president; he also was involved in the formation of Bi-County teenage league for boys 19 and under. At Courtland, Fiemeyer has been involved in baseball and softball promotion at all age levels.
Besides baseball, Fiemeyer is mayor of Courtland, a member of the fire department and active in church activities.
About a dozen Courtland people plus Fiemeyer's family were at the banquet. Also providing moral support were eight baseball fans from Searles and a few from New Ulm. The banquet was attended by 300 people.
Noel Olson, head basketball coach at St. Cloud State College, was emcee. Lou Leland, manager of Cold Spring's state championship team, introduced his players who were guests of the state association.
Guest speaker was Bob Gebhard, Lamberton native and now a member of Minnesota Twins organization. Gebhard spent 1971 and 1972 with the Twins team and this past summer was player-coach at the farm team in Tacoma, Wash. Gebhard started his pro career with St. Cloud Rox in 1965, so it was somewhat of "old home week" for him at the banquet.
New Ulm Daily Journal,
Sept. 24, 1973