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Community mourns loss of Paul Wojahn

Paul Wojahn died Sunday at the age of 104. At the time of his death, he was the oldest Commander of a Disabled American Veteran (DAV) Chapter in the United States. Up until the end, Wojahn continued to be of service to his community. Wojahn’s service to others began in WWII. He joined the Marines and was part of the beach landing at Peleliu. After the war, he continued to serve his community as a game warden for the Department of Natural Resource (DNR) and a sheriff’s deputy. Even after retirement in 1983, he continued to be active in volunteering. He taught gun safety and CPR and began volunteering at the DAV as a van driver. He continued to volunteer at the DAV, helping with clothing drives as recently as November. The community and the world were fortunate to have Wojahn for over a century, but it is still sad to see him go.

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Makatoh Reconciliation, Healing horse riders return to New Ulm

The Makotah Reconciliation and Healing horse ride is back for a second year. The ride honors the memory of the 38 Dakota men executed in Mankato on Dec. 26, 1862, following the U.S.-Dakota War. Another goal of the ride is to promote healing between Dakota and non-Dakota people. For the second year in a row, New Ulm will have the honor of hosting the riders and their horses for two nights. Riders are scheduled to reach Sleepy Eye Tuesday, but that evening the riders and their horses will be transported to New Ulm for the evening. On Wednesday, riders and horses will return to Sleepy Eye to complete the next leg of the journey, which will end in Courtland. After stopping in Courtland the team will return to New Ulm for a second night of rest. Part of the reason the riders again spend two nights in New Ulm is because the New Ulm community showed great hospitality last year. It shows the Reconciliation and Healing Ride is having its intended effect with so many in New Ulm working to support it.

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Abundance of Christmas concerts

For many, it is not Christmas without holiday music. Fortunately in New Ulm, there is no shortage of holiday music performances. Much of the music this season has been provided by local schools. The fun began with the Suzuki School giving a musical performance at Oakwood Methodist Church on Dec. 7. A few days later on Dec. 9, students from St. Paul’s Lutheran School visited Woodstone Senior Living Community and Highland Regency House to sing Christmas carols for residents. Dec. 13-14, MLC held a Christmas concert featuring the college’s wind symphony and the choir. On Dec. 15 the New Ulm High School and New Ulm Area Catholic School both held holiday concerts. Today MLC will host The Lutheran Céilí Orchestra, a group that specializes in Celtic music. New Ulm is fortunate to have so many sources of musical entertainment during the holiday season.