Former Northfielders (and country singer-songwriters) Johnny Western and Marilyn Sellars came back to their hometown last Sunday night to join the community in a celebration of Maggie Lee’s 90th birthday.
See the album of 22 photos, the large slideshow (recommended), or this small slideshow:
Scott Richardson composed the words to "The Ballad of Maggie Lee," (sung to the tune of Rawhide):
Rolling, Rolling, Rolling
Keep those presses rolling
Keep those presses rolling MaggieNews and information
Your readers are waiting
Hungry for what you’ve got to say.City Council’s steaming
School board is dreaming
Opinion is what is you try to sway.Get the news, make it sing, type it up, paste it up
Turn the press, hit the street, Maggie
Eat a bite, check the mail, pet the cat, get some sleep
Back to work Back to work, MaggieClicken, clicken, clicken
Keep those keyboards clicken
Keep those keyboards clicken, MaggieAlways deadlines loomin’
No time for snoozin’
PMTs are still an hour awayThat waxer is cloggin’
Photon lens is foggin’
Why can’t those writers make some hay!Get the news, make it sing, type it up, paste it up
Turn the press, hit the street, Maggie
Eat a bite, check the mail, pet the cat, get some sleep
Back to work Back to work, MaggieStrolling, Strolling, Strolling
Division she is strolling
Division she is strolling, MaggieBroomball shoes protect her
The cart is her collector
Gathering news and goods she finds on sale.Shops and keepers need her
Her stories they are feeders
She never tires of telling Northfield’s talesGet the news, make it sing, type it up, paste it up
Turn the press, hit the street, Maggie
Eat a bite, check the mail, pet the cat, get some sleep
Back to work Back to work, MaggiePurple, purple, purple
What’s the deal with purple?
Why’s it always purple, MaggieFirst a fashion respite,
Now her fans expect it.
Regal in every swish and sway.Accessorizin’s easy
Oft’ a wee bit cheesy
Now you know the secret so they say.Get the news, make it sing, type it up, paste it up
Turn the press, hit the street, Maggie
Eat a bite, check the mail, pet the cat, get some sleep
Back to work Back to work, Maggie
More photos of the event:
Nfld News
Nfld Patch
Northfield Historical Society
Thanks, Griff! Must thank Craig Wasner for singing and playing Maggie’s new theme song and Will Healy for emceeing. Also the Grand for donating the locale, the Northfield News for publicity, the Northfield Historical Society for hosting the afternoon reception, Johnny Western and Marilyn Sellars for sharing their talents and especially Chip DeMann for organizing the whole event for Maggie. On to the next 67 years for Maggie to write for the News. The Star Tribune story about her noted that she has even beaten out their own Sid Hartman for newspaper longevity!