Looking Back with Lora Stull
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One Hundred Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News, Thursday, December 17, 1919.)
Ellston votes for electric lights-the light question has finally ben settled for Ellston. The election for electric light bonds on Friday, December 5 proved successful. Of the 42 votes cast by the men, only 4 were against. The intelligence of the women at the polls was shown by the fact that of the 26 votes cast, none were against.
Frank Mowry, who has been proprietor of the barber shop on the west side of Depot Street for about 2 and one half years, sold his business last week to Lee Frost.
Kellerton News: Mr. Sutherland moved last week to the Gorman building, where he will have a harness shop.
A deal was consummated last week whereby the Ringgold County Mutual Telephone Company purchased from George Patterson and Lon Dunn, of Milo, their interest in the stock of the Mount Ayr Mutual Telephone Co., which represented a majority of the stock and the property has been transferred to the Mutual Company.
Sheriff E. L. Nicholas and Deputy Sheriff L. M. Brinkerhoff were called the first of last week to Beaconsfield by a telephone message advising that a high powered Cadillac automobile had been left in the road near the Tom Robinson farm. They responded immediately and discovered that something had evidently gone wrong with the car and it had been left standing in the road. The suspicion was that the car had been stolen. The officers proceeded to Grand River, where they arrested John P. Gavin, who had stolen the car in Des Moines.
Marriage: Worthie Billett and Birdie Barton of Kellerton were united in marriage December 17….December 7, Lydia Lane and Clemet Ruby were married.
Births: December 10, a son, to Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Farmer.
Obituaries in this edition were: David Morton Smith, Leah M. Hart O’Connor and Charles Wheeler.
Seventy-Five
Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, December 14, 1944.)
W.O. (j.g.) Eldon L. Main, son of Mr. and Mrs. Homer Main of Mount Ayr, has been awarded the Legion of Merit. (Authorized by Congress on July 20, 1942 for award to members of the Armed Forces of the United States for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service. Superior performance of normal duties will not alone justify award of this decoration. It is not awarded for heroism but rather service and achievement while performing duties in a key position of responsibility.) A member of the armed forces since July 1942, serving with and anti aircraft artillery unit in the European theatre. Main has served in Ireland, England, Africa, Italy, and France and participated in the initial invasion of southern France, landing on D-Day.
Charles J. Lewis was elected president of the bar association of the Third District at a meeting of members Thursday night in Creston. Attorneys from Mount Ayr attending the meeting were Mr. Lewis, Grant L. Hayes, Frank F. Wilson and Emmet Warin.
A crop of 124.23 bushels per acre won the corn growing championship of Ringgold County in the 1944 National DeKalb Hybrid Corn Growing Contest. It was learned this week that Pearl B. Burgher of Maloy is the corn grower who has made this outstanding yield in this locality in competition in which thousands of farmers from 18 principal corn producing states participated.
Births: December 8, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. George B. Hawk.
Fifty Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, December 4, 1969.)
Should a new addition be constructed to the Ringgold County Hospital and the present structure modernized? That’s the question that will be answered at Tuesday’s special election in Ringgold County, as voters go to the polls to register their opinions concerning a $425,000 bond issue to be used for those purposes.
J.E. “Joe” Borg, president of the Easter Seal Society for Crippled Children and Adults of Iowa, Inc., announces the appointment of Maralyn R. Schlapia as Ringgold County chairman for the year 1970.
Julie sends letter early-One little Mount Ayr girl must have heard the old saying about the early bird. At any rate, Julianne Yearous, got her letter to Santa Claus in the mail almost a full month before Christmas. According to our North Pole correspondent, Julie’s letter was received by the jolly old gentleman as follows: Dear Santa Claus, my sister and my brother and I have been good. Joni is 1, Jerald is 3, and I am 7. Please bring Joni 6 dishes, a dolly bed, and a dolly. Please bring me a Buffy doll and some dolly clothes and a dolly wig. Please bring Jerald a trencher and a plow and a disc. Thank you, your friend Julianne.
Births: November 4, a daughter, Tamara, to Mr. and Mrs. Gary McCullough…December 1, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Shields of Tingley.
Twenty Five
Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, December 1, 1994.)
To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Masonry in Iowa, the Mount Ayr Faith Lodge No. 179, A.F. & A.M. have presented two videos, “The History of Freemasonry in Iowa” and “Opening the Doors to Freemasonry,” to the Mount Ayr Public Library.
A Mount Ayr Community high school football player has been honored as an all-state selection by the Iowa Newspaper Association. Chip Brundage, a 6’4”, 250 pound defensive tackle was named to the INA’s second team defense in Class 1A.
Births: November 14, a daughter, April, to Mr. and Mrs. David Shields.
Obituaries in this edition: Nancy Elizabeth Moore Roe and Vern Clair Johnston.
Ten Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, November 19, 2009.)
Ringgold County businesses need to be on the lookout for counterfeit bills being passed, Ringgold County sheriff Mike Sobotka warned this week. Monday, November 16, the office received information that counterfeit money was received at a local business. Three counterfeit one dollar bills were recovered during the investigation.
There have been setbacks of one sort or another, but progress is being made and it is now projected that the prototype for the first generation of wind turbines for Heartland Energy Systems will be built by the end of the first quarter of 2010.
A three year old filly named “Viva Blalok” won the featured $28,000 allowance race on November 3 at Zia Park in Hobbs, NM. She is owned by Al Clough of Sun Valley Lake. It was her fourth win and increased her earnings to over $50,000. Clough acquired the filly last summer at Prairie Meadows from country music star, Toby Keith, for $7,500.
Births: November 2, a daughter, Alexandra, to Jeff and Michelle (Hymbaugh) Hines…November 11, a daughter, Emma, to Ryan and Angela Reynolds…October 24, a son, Wynston, to Bill and Sommer Jones.
Obituaries in this edition were: Alice Kay Drake Green and Mary E. Desenberg Baker Stageman.