SARGEANT – History repeated itself in Sargeant on Saturday, where the Cream Can Bandits – Clint Sparks, Mark Larson, Rande Granseth and Don Blanchard – were captured in a daring mid-day raid by an overwhelming force of re-enactors.

Saturday, June 30, 2001

SARGEANT – History repeated itself in Sargeant on Saturday, where the Cream Can Bandits – Clint Sparks, Mark Larson, Rande Granseth and Don Blanchard – were captured in a daring mid-day raid by an overwhelming force of re-enactors.

Although Roger Nelson, Chad Larson, Larry Sparks, Richard Jensen and Charlie Williams did not, unlike the original deputies at the 1939 robbery, have a machine gun, the American Legion ceremonial rifles were more than enough firepower to stop the four wanted men as they tried to escape.

After a shootout with the robbers, the deputies walked their prisoners across the street.

"We were going to rent a cop car, but they wanted $200 for it. We didn’t think it was worth it," said Larson, a re-enactor who played the Mower County sheriff.

This was the town’s second re-enactment, to help celebrate the community’s 125th anniversary this weekend. The last time the town did something similar was in 1979, on the 40th anniversary of the May 17, 1939, robbery.

Carol Cimmiyoti, manager of the First Farmers and Merchants Bank, said the building that the re-enactors tried to rob was the same one that the robbers attacked in 1939. Even the safe is the same.

"We’ve put a new roof on it since then," she added

Howard Willis, who was 17 in 1939, remembers the robbers well.

"I came into town with a horse and buggy," he said. Years later, Willis, an auctioneer, ran into one of the bandits, who had started making metal lawn ornaments after he got out of prison.

He could easily tell the difference between the original event and the re-enactment.

"They got a man up there on the roof, and as far as I know, there was no man up there," the 80-year-old Willis said.

Erik Severson, a farmer from Hayfield, came out to watch the re-enactors.

"Its something different than picking rocks. That’s what I was doing this morning," he said.

Tom Reid, who lives one mile north of Sargeant, agreed.

"It’s kind of unique. I think it’s something you don’t see every day," he said.

Marie Fett of Waltham also was present.

"I have lived here all my life," she said. "I’ve never seen a re-enactment."

"It was a good ending," her friend, Merdis Dahle, said.

The re-enactment was organized by John Kiser, with support from the Sargeant Booster Club, the Sargeant Village and Sargeant Township.

Call Sam Garchik at 434-2233 or e-mail him at newsroom@austindailyherald.com.