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New taxidermist in town
Wiersma spends spare time preserving animals
LEAF VALLEY — Shelby Wiersma was in high school when she taxidermized her first animal, a squirrel. Since then, Wiersma has opened her very own taxidermy business, BlueRose Taxidermy.
“I kind of fell in love with it after I did that squirrel,” Wiersma said. “I decided to attend a taxidermy school and start doing it more.”
After graduating high school, Wiersma went on to attend the Central Minnesota School of Taxidermy. The 12-week course taught Wiersma how to preserve deer, birds, fish and small mammals.
Wiersma said the classes took place Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so she was able to work full time while doing that in her off time.
“The thing about taxidermy is that there is not necessarily a right or wrong way to do things,” Wiersma said...
Wounded in the Vietnam War
A Purple Heart changed Predmore’s life
PREDMORE/EYOTA — On an early March day in 1971, two Sikorsky H-34 Kingbee helicopters loaded with Military Assistance Command Vietnam-Studies and Observations Group teams departed from Kon Tum, Vietnam, and began flying toward Duc Co Camp. Partway through their flight, they received a call that redirected them.
The helicopters became part of what was known as a Bright Light mission, the name for dangerous rescue and recovery missions.
On that Bright Light team was Minnesota-native U.S. Army Special Forces Sgt. Lawrence Predmore, flying toward a new mission that would change the trajectory of his life.
“Being crazy helps a lot (with being part of Studies and Observations Group),” said Predmore, who now practices veterinary medicine in Olmsted County. “Once you were in it, if you had a brain, you’d get out, but you didn’t want to get out because you didn’t want to leave the other guys.”
