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Millerville Sportsmen's Club History
In 1936 or 1937 Bob Lorsung who owned Bob’s Saloon wanted to have a fish fry with friends. There were a bunch of men in the saloon at the time so and some of the guys went fishing and cleaned and smoked the fish that were caught. They had the fish fry on Bob’s lakeshore lot on the South side of Lake Aaron, about forty (40) guys showed up. They enjoyed is so much that they decided to do it again the next year. The following year about sixty (60) guys showed up at Bob’s. His lake lot was quite small, (only an eighth of an acre), so they decided that they needed more room. They asked Albert Bitzan if they could have it on his lakeshore lot, he was happy to let them. The group continued to have the fish fry at there until Bob Bitzan sold the farm in the 1980’s.
Sometime during that the time, they started to have meetings in the old schoolhouse, that later became the Legion Hall. Conrad Able was the first club recorder, and he kept the minutes on a sheet of paper. They took the name Millerville Sportsmen’s Club. One of their first projects was to start a crow hunt. Two teams were setup, one team went North and the other South. Each team was given two points per crow and a ½ point for each crow egg, it is not known which team won. Fox hunts were started in the 40’s, though there were not many fox in the area, they were already starting to damage the pheasant population.
Some of the early members of the club were: Albert Bitzan, Bob Lorsung, Matt Lorsung, Joe Haiden, Conrad Able, Al Korowski, August Roers, John Doll, Ben Lehn, Joe Lehn, August Lederman, Martin Hagadorn, Bernard Roers, Jack Roers, Florian Wilken, John Wilken, Walter Wilken and Herb Haiden. Haiden said there must have also been some younger members, but their names are not recalled.
By 1954, the membership had grown to sixty (60) members. The members not only came from Millerville but also Garfield, Evansville, and Parkers Prairie.
The Millerville Sportsmen’s Club was incorporated on April 29, 1997.
Over the years the club has continued to grow and prosper. They spent the money that was raised from the fish fry’s and raffles for the promotion of local activities. Over the years they contributed to the following:
MN Deer Hunters Association, Ducks Unlimited both (Men’s and Ladies), MN Firearm Safety Classes, Pheasant release programs, The Leaf Valley Sportsmen, The Brandon Sportsmen, The Evansville Sportsmen, The United Foundation for Disabled Archers (UFFDA), The Leaf Valley Turkey Club, The Prairie Coyote Hunter’s, The Douglas County Trail System (DATA), Pioneer Public TV, Smokey Timber, Wildlife food plots, Wildlife feeding programs,Wood Duck houses,Carp removal projects in area lakes,Trout stocking,Summer Youth recreation programs including Youth Day in Alexandria, MN,Youth Shooting Sports in Evansville, Brandon, Parkers Prairie and Henning,Walleye fingerling stocking programs for Lake Moses and Lake Aaron, Lake Moses and Lake Aaron spawning rocks areas,Millerville Township Road paving projects to lake accesses on Lake Moses and Lake Aaron, Porta Toilets for the public accesses on Lake Moses and Lake Aaron,A safety light at Lake Aaron’s public access,Snow plowing to fish houses on Lake Aaron.
The Millerville Sportsmen’s Club continues to work with the Viking Sportsmen and Bosek Bait to stock walleye fingerlings into both Lake Moses and Lake Aaron annually.
The Millerville Sportsmen’s Club continues its Annual Sportsmen’s Raffle as it’s only fund raiser for the year, the raffle drawing takes place at the Millerville Fire Hall in Millerville, MN each September. Currently the annual picnic has been cancelled due to Covid 19 and has not been continued at this time.
The Millerville Sportsmen’s Club continues to meet on the third Tuesday of each month at the Millerville Fire Hall in Millerville, MN; where they review how the money raised from the Annual Sportsmen’s Raffle will be spent throughout the community to support conservation, safety and education and the continued love of the great outdoors.
Sometime during that the time, they started to have meetings in the old schoolhouse, that later became the Legion Hall. Conrad Able was the first club recorder, and he kept the minutes on a sheet of paper. They took the name Millerville Sportsmen’s Club. One of their first projects was to start a crow hunt. Two teams were setup, one team went North and the other South. Each team was given two points per crow and a ½ point for each crow egg, it is not known which team won. Fox hunts were started in the 40’s, though there were not many fox in the area, they were already starting to damage the pheasant population.
Some of the early members of the club were: Albert Bitzan, Bob Lorsung, Matt Lorsung, Joe Haiden, Conrad Able, Al Korowski, August Roers, John Doll, Ben Lehn, Joe Lehn, August Lederman, Martin Hagadorn, Bernard Roers, Jack Roers, Florian Wilken, John Wilken, Walter Wilken and Herb Haiden. Haiden said there must have also been some younger members, but their names are not recalled.
By 1954, the membership had grown to sixty (60) members. The members not only came from Millerville but also Garfield, Evansville, and Parkers Prairie.
The Millerville Sportsmen’s Club was incorporated on April 29, 1997.
Over the years the club has continued to grow and prosper. They spent the money that was raised from the fish fry’s and raffles for the promotion of local activities. Over the years they contributed to the following:
MN Deer Hunters Association, Ducks Unlimited both (Men’s and Ladies), MN Firearm Safety Classes, Pheasant release programs, The Leaf Valley Sportsmen, The Brandon Sportsmen, The Evansville Sportsmen, The United Foundation for Disabled Archers (UFFDA), The Leaf Valley Turkey Club, The Prairie Coyote Hunter’s, The Douglas County Trail System (DATA), Pioneer Public TV, Smokey Timber, Wildlife food plots, Wildlife feeding programs,Wood Duck houses,Carp removal projects in area lakes,Trout stocking,Summer Youth recreation programs including Youth Day in Alexandria, MN,Youth Shooting Sports in Evansville, Brandon, Parkers Prairie and Henning,Walleye fingerling stocking programs for Lake Moses and Lake Aaron, Lake Moses and Lake Aaron spawning rocks areas,Millerville Township Road paving projects to lake accesses on Lake Moses and Lake Aaron, Porta Toilets for the public accesses on Lake Moses and Lake Aaron,A safety light at Lake Aaron’s public access,Snow plowing to fish houses on Lake Aaron.
The Millerville Sportsmen’s Club continues to work with the Viking Sportsmen and Bosek Bait to stock walleye fingerlings into both Lake Moses and Lake Aaron annually.
The Millerville Sportsmen’s Club continues its Annual Sportsmen’s Raffle as it’s only fund raiser for the year, the raffle drawing takes place at the Millerville Fire Hall in Millerville, MN each September. Currently the annual picnic has been cancelled due to Covid 19 and has not been continued at this time.
The Millerville Sportsmen’s Club continues to meet on the third Tuesday of each month at the Millerville Fire Hall in Millerville, MN; where they review how the money raised from the Annual Sportsmen’s Raffle will be spent throughout the community to support conservation, safety and education and the continued love of the great outdoors.