Harry and the Aurora Body Shop Softball Team

A year after we graduated from high school, Dave Johnson convinced a number of us guys to form a slo-pitch softball team that would be sponsored by his employer, Aurora Body Shop.  Aurora sponsored us for three years, while the Townhouse sponsored us for our fourth and last year.    If memory serves me correctly, in addition to Dave, some of those who played were Dan Liebing, Jim Kortan, Brad Rufer, Craig Derschied, Jim Kessler, Jim Egeberg, Bob Kallemeyn, Lee Colburn, Bernie Hendricks, Tom Bozied, Walt Osterberg, Tom Hoffman, and Harry Rossow.  A few others, such as Glenn Carlson and Dave Thomas, player for a year.  My apologies for forgetting anyone.  (Stew, let me know who is missing.  Thanks for reminding me that Steve Odegaard was a valuable utility player, filling in for Harry behind the plate or giving an outfielder a break, while Walt played when he was on leave while serving his country in the Navy) 

Our stalwart catcher was Harry Rossow.  Dave Johnson and Dan did most of the pitching, while Walt filled in when possible.  Jim Kortan played first, while Dave Thomas replaced him when Jim was unable to play.  Brad Rufer usually played second, while Craig Derscheid or Glenn Carlson were his replacements.  John Iverson was at short, and Jim Kessler was at third.  The outfield was patrolled by Tom Hoffman, Bernie Hendricks, Bob Kallemeyn, Jim Egeberg, Tom Bozied (?), and Craig Derscheid.  Stew Linn was our reliable scorekeeper.  

We were not very good when we started.  Our first-ever game was against the powerhouse Spies team.  We lost badly, something like 44-5.  However, we only improved.  In our second season, we even won the "B" division of a tournament.  Lee had developed and matured into a power hitter, which we desperately needed, while the rest of us were slapping singles around.  By our fourth year, we had good battles with the top teams in the state, generally losing by only a few runs rather than the double-digit losses we incurred in our first season.  

As a catcher, Harry made many sacrifices.  There might be some foul balls that produced a few bumps and bruises, as catchers had no protective equipment as they do in baseball.  There might also be a few collisions on close plays at the  plate.  Harry also displayed exceptional speed on the basepaths.  Catchers are generally thought to be rather slow, but Harry disproved that notion.  

After college, Harry served his country in the Peace Corps for a few years.  When he returned, he began a long and rewarding career at Falcon Plastics, retiring less than two years ago.  While he preferred his solitude, most people in Brookings knew Harry as the guy who rode his bike in all kinds of weather.  He and Bernie Hendricks were the focus of a story in the Brookings Register a few years ago concerning their avid bicycling habits.  They rode year round, perhaps only resting their bikes during a blizzard or a downpour.  

Sadly, we lost Harry on Dec. 26, 2024. (https://www.eidsnessfuneralhome.com/obituary/harold-harry-rossow) We met two of Harry's sisters and their husbands, Ken Fiscus and George Jongeling, at the visitation, and had a lengthy conversation with them.  Ken  mentioned that Harry's health had been deteriorating in the past year or so.  He was even on oxygen for a while.  That was bewildering, as one would think that the great amount of bicycling he had been doing would have great cardio-vascular benefits.  Ken noted that when Harry visited them in the Twin Cities area, he would hop on his bike and be gone for hours.  

One of his brothers-in-law was Robert Lytle, whom we did not see at the funeral.  Would that be the same Robert Lytle from the BHS class of 1968?  Dementia must have prevented me from asking that question. Does anyone out there know?   

While Harry was part of our class for only two short years, he made a lasting impression on all of us.  He was one of the smartest people in the class, as evidenced by the tributes paid to him on his obituary page and at his funeral.  His vast knowledge was a result of his voracious reading.  Many of his acquaintances marveled at the amount of reading that Harry had done.  It appears that he read more in a week than most of us read in a year.  Also noted that Harry always seemed to have a smile, as shown on his obituary above and the picture below.  Our condolences go out to Harry and his family.