Lawrence Wentzel, 91, of Marion, S.D., passed away on April 12, 2023 at Oakview Terrace in Freeman, S.D. A funeral service was held April 19 at Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in Marion. Lawrence Harlan Wentzel was born Sept. 4, 1931 to Charley and Hattie (Dirksen} Wentzel, 2 1/2 miles south of Marion.

Eleanor Edelman, 90, passed away Monday, April 10, 2023, at Monument Health, Rapid City, S.D.  Eleanor Jane Edelman, was born to Robert and Helen (Christopherson) Terrio, July 27, 1932, in Irene, S.D. 

Wet, windy, cold and snowy weather prompted Freeman Public school officials to cancel the Flyer Invitational scheduled for last week Thursday, April 20 (it will not be rescheduled), but a number of home track meets are on the schedule in the days to come. Erv Ptak Relays

Rarely do I regret choosing journalism as my career, something I knew I would pursue even as a teenager growing up here in Freeman. But there are times I wonder what my world would look like if I had instead taken up my second love — cooking.

JEREMY WALTNER - PUBLISHER The Third Street property in Freeman just west of Main Street that first opened as the VFW in 1964 and has, in the past 20-plus years, gone through multiple identities, is in a state of flux once again. The BrickHouse Lounge, a restaurant that has been in operation by Tobi Duffel since late 2021, is closing this week. The final day will be Saturday, April 29, according to a post made last week on the businesses Facebook page.

Story & Photos by Jeremy Waltner | Publisher It’s April 16, 2022 and Mark Johnson is standing under a tent on a concrete parking lot behind the Elks Lodge just off of Interstate 29 in Sioux City, Iowa, along with some of the other best cooks in the world. The ribeye he is preparing has been warmed to between 80 and 85 degrees and the B&B charcoal burning in the basket of his PK grill is heating to his liking — between 600- and 630-degrees Fahrenheit, although some like it hotter — as hot as 700 degrees.

So what does this photo of ribeyes ready to go on the grill have to do with The Courier? Find out in this week's issue available online later this morning/afternoon and in print on Thursday.

The BrickHouse Lounge, the restaurant that has operated near downtown Freeman for almost a year-and-a-half, is closing this week. The final day of operation will be Saturday, April 29, according to a post made last week on the businesses Facebook page. The eatery has been owned and operated by Tobi Duffel, who opened for business in December of 2021. While The BrickHouse Lounge was operated by Duffel, the property had been owned by local real estate agent Christa Helma and her husband, Jordan.

The sign in front of East River Furniture on Freeman's Sixth Street gives those passing by a good chuckle. 

The Sunday morning sun shines on the Heritage Hall Museum & Archives campus and adjacent Prairie Arboretum in Freeman on April 23. Temperatures are expected to be more reasonable today and a warmup is in the forecast for the coming week.