The few memories Kevin Asmus has of the Chokio Bus rescue are clear ones, because he played a role in rounding up a vehicle for the caravan.

Kevin recalls being home after school was dismissed on Monday, Jan. 16, 1967.  His father, Kenny Asmus,  came home at noon,  to hear from his wife, Jeanne, that a school bus was stranded.

“Dad said ‘Well, we gotta do something about that,’” Kevin remembers.

Kevin and his older brother Mick joined their father to go next door to talk with the Ehrps.  Gerald Ehrp did road construction and had a Catepillar sitting on the  property.

Kevin doesn’t remember if the Cat was configured with a snow plow or road grader blade, but he clearly remembers going with his father and older brother Mick to talk. Gerald was gone for the day, so it was up to Kenny Asmus to explain the community’s dire need to borrow the Cat.

“Gee, I dunno.  Maybe you should talk to Gerald,” Kevin recalls hearing Jan Ehrp say.

“We don’t have time.  We’re taking it,” Kevin can remember his father saying.

“OK,” Jan replied.

By this time the blizzard was making it dangerous to be outside, so Kenny and his two sons tied themselves together along the length of a rope, to ensure one would not become separated and lost in the blizzard.  The three worked together to  hang tarps over the Cat and position Nipco heaters close to the Cat to warm it up.

“It was so cold, but it started up, and that’s about all I remember,” Kevin said.

Kevin says his father didn’t talk about the rescue much, but one funny  story stays strong in Kevin’s memory.

After the children were rescued and returned  to the Chokio Public School, Supt. Burton Nypen  gave Kenny Asmus a particularly heartfelt greeting.

“Dad said Supt. Nypen was so excited to see the children arrive at the school that Nypen walked over to my Dad and kissed him right on the lips. Dad said that was the only time in his life he had been kissed by a man,” Kevin said.

Kevin’s knowledge of the rest of the rescue is thin, but he is quick to point out the heroism of all who joined in the life-saving efforts.

“A lot of guys were involved.  The school bus driver, Clayton Kolling, risked his life to save those kids,” Kevin said.  “He probably saved their lives.”

Today’s technology gives us access to data and reports that otherwise would be difficult to acquire.  With a bit of clicking and looking, it’s possible to download a copy of the government’s report about the storm of Monday, January 16, 1967, that caused havoc across the region and kept many Chokio students from returning home that day.

Here is the verbatim text of the report for January 16:

“Fast-moving blizzard brought winds in excess 75 m.p.h. Although snowfall mostly light to moderate, there was much drifting with strong winds. Visibility near zero for long periods. In southern areas rain quickly changed to ice causing extremely hazardous driving conditions. Temperatures fell rapidly during storm and by morning of 18th many stations recorded new minimum temperature records for that date.  Accidents involving up to 10 cars not unusual. Hundreds of vehicles were in ditches throughout the state. Drivers were either blown off roads or drove off with icy conditions and low visibility. Thousands of motorists and school children found shelter wherever they could as travel came to a standstill. A Wheaton and a Hibbing man froze to death.  Five others died in car accidents or while shoveling snow. Snowmobile search part rescued lost LeSeur girl during the blizzard.”

The report also lists 5 deaths and 14 injuries, with  economic damage of $500,000 to $5,000,000 in regions affected by the storm.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Storm Events Database contains the records used to create the official NOAA Storm Data Publication.

The type of information included in these reports is: “1. The occurrence of storms and other significant weather phenomena having sufficient intensity to cause loss of life, injuries, significant property damage, and/or disruption to commerce; 2. Rare, unusual, weather phenomena that generate media attention, such as snow flurries in South Florida or the San Diego coastal area; and 3. Other significant meteorological events, such as record maximum or minimum temperatures or precipitation that occur in connection with another event.”

How to Access the Storm Data
To access the Storm Data report for January 1967, go to the web page http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/stormevents/ (or click on this link.) The page headline should be “NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.  A headline at the top of the page will say “Storm Events Database.  The text below this headline explains a bit about the system, which contains data from as far back as January 1950.

In the column at the left, under the section “Data Access,” Click on the line “Storm Data Publication.”  This will bring you to a scrolling box with a series of years and months. Scroll WAY down to “1967-01” When you click on this date, the database gives you a link to the report for that year and month.

 This is the report which  gives data on the blizzard of the Chokio Bus Rescue. The information is sorted first by state, and then by date. It is possible to save the entire report to your computer.  However, you may want to re-name it, as the file name is a nonsensical series of letters and numbers.

News stories with national and international reach are pretty rare in America’s small town newspapers. In Chokio, Minnesota, in January 1967, rare became real.

Gary and Janie Riba had owned the Chokio Review less than a month when a school-day blizzard stranded a busload of children on a cold country road.  Janie was at home with sons Cory, 4, and Todd, 6 months. Gary joined in the rescue effort.  Its success gave Janie much good news to report in the January 19, 1967, issue. 

Most of the front page was dedicated to three photos of the stranded bus and interviews with the students and Clayton Kolling, the heroic bus driver who walked three times in the storm to find help. The stories, written under deadline, include a great deal of specific information and extensive quotes.

Recently the Chokio Review’s owner, Nick Ripperger, gave permission for this website to publish a transcript of these news stories. You can find the articles on the Links page, titled “Transcripts of the Chokio Review Rescue Coverage.”

Gary and Jane Riba will be sharing their memories in a later blog post.