Looking Back with Lora Stull
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One Hundred Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News, Thursday, January 16, 1920.)
News of the county southeast Athens: Lots of sickness this week, bad colds, chicken pox, mumps and influenza.
Prevalence of the flu has caused to be requisitioned about all the available space on the side track this week. School was dismissed on Wednesday of last week and on Monday morning it was decided that sickness among teachers and pupils was yet so general that it would be better to dismiss for this week. The Parent-Teachers meeting, which was to have been held at the school building Tuesday evening, was called off and many social affairs scheduled for the week have been postponed.
When Germany threw down her challenge to the world and sent her mighty armies through Belgium and on to Paris the whole world was dazed. It was all so sudden that it seemed impossible that anything could be done to check the great gray clad horde of Huns. And that France awoke and unprepared though she was, she checked the armies of Germany with magnificent courage that was never been equaled in all the pages of history. She held the enemy at bay until her allies could train and equip any army large enough to turn the tide of battle. And in that hour it was said that every man had two countries, his own and France. And the French government, in honor of those who gave their lives for freedom and for France, has issued an “Honor Certificate” to be presented to the next of kin of all men who died in service. Washington’s birthday has been chosen by the government as an appropriate occasion for presenting these honor certificates. The local committee has planned an appropriate service of a patriotic and memorial nature with special music by our community choir and an address by a speaker of state and national importance. The near relatives of our honored dead are to be the guests of the occasion. It is planned to have this service on Washington’s birthday, Sunday, February 22. The services will be held, provided the “flu” is under control sufficiently to deem it advisable.
January 24, M. Edward Willey and Belle George were united in marriage.
Obituaries in this edition: Anna Bassett Kelley, David T. Hogue, Wayne Everett Laird, Ruth Pottorff, Lafayette Dudley Sergeant, George Addison Slentz, and Dr. John Hiram White.
Seventy-Five
Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, February 5, 1945.)
Service Selections: Mr. and Mrs. E.B. Troxell of Tingley have received a letter under date of January 20 from their son, Lyle, saying that he is in France. “It is very cold,” Lyle said, “with many places in ruin and people suffering because of the cold and scant clothing. Anyone in the United States should be ashamed to complain about anything as they are very lucky to be living in such a place as America,” he said.
Faced with the news that our fighting men are up against a situation which is harder and tougher than ever, farmers in every community of Ringgold County have scheduled meetings to decide the most efficient means of attack to whip another bumper crop from the soil this year. War Board Chairman, Roy Lepley, says that the week of February 19-24 has been designated as “Food Front Alert Week” throughout Iowa. Farmers will discuss the food production goals and national food requirements. They will also discuss the outlook for feed supplies, machinery, transportation and credit as well as conservation, crop, and livestock practices which will help to achieve the tremendous production which again is being asked of Iowa farmers, Mr. Lepley says.
Sgt. John J. Priest has been missing in action in France since January 19, according to official notification received Thursday by his wife.
Marriages: Rosella Wombacher and John McNerney were united in marriage January 30…February 11, Virginia Beasley and Donald Guthrie were united in marriage.
Obituaries in this edition were: Harriet Grace Ingram Lesan, George Marion German, and Hattie Belle Millsap Gunter.
Fifty Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, January 29, 1970.)
The Mount Ayr low-rent housing project took another step forward last week. That’s when members of the Mount Ayr low-rent housing agency received official word that a program reservation for 26 units had been approved by the Chicago office of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Thieves helped themselves to $700 worth of merchandise, mostly tools, in an early morning robbery at the hardware store in Kellerton owned and operated by Chet Munyon and Charlie Reed.
Better rail freight service is requested. Since a CB & Q bridge burned last fall south of Chariton, rail freight for this area has been routed through St. Joseph, MO. with a consequent delay. The Iowa State Commerce Commission is being urged by Warren and other interested persons to rebuild the 75 foot span in order to restore service.
Mrs. Ralph Rees was chosen Tuesday of last week as the 1970 Ringgold County Farm Bureau Woman of the Year. The award is given each year to an outstanding Farm Bureau woman whose work merits recognition.
Duane Miller, former MACHS standout athlete, was drafted by the New York Giants of the NFL in the annual pro football draft Tuesday. Miller a star defensive back for 3 years with Drake and record setting pass receiver this past season, was chosen in the 6th round by the Giants, their fourth choice.
Marriages: January 3, Linda Kaup and William Creveling were united in marriage…December 13, Cathy Haley and Pvt. Jerald Allen Smith were united in marriage.
Obituary in this edition was, Rosa Anna Baker Pray.
Twenty Five Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, January 26, 1995.)
Hoop shoot winners, four Mount Ayr Community students earned placings at the Elks Club Hoop Shoot contest held in Creston Saturday. Two girls, Sara Wyer (10-11 yr. division) and Shannon McKern (12-13 yr. division), won their division and will advance to district competition in Red Oak. Also placing were BreAnn Weeda, third in the 10-11 year girls division and Ryan Roe second in 10-11 year old boys competition.
No-till takes Ringgold County more and more each year. Many years ago when we talked of no-till, it was a subject that fell on very few ears that were receptive. No-till means you can not use a disk, field cultivator, or chisel in the field just to level it out some. In a no-till system you are expected to plant into the existing residue and with field conditions very similar to what they were immediately following the harvest machine.
Marriages: Jody Cross and David Green were united in marriage on August 27, 1994.
Births: January 17, a son, Austin, to Junior and Angie (Still) Wells…January 19, a son, Avery Alan, to Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Ibbotson.
Obituaries in this edition were: William Allen Stephens and Alois Jewel Kem Pine.
Ten Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, January 14, 2010.)
Diagonal resets homecoming for Friday night. For the second year in a row there has been a hitch in Diagonal homecoming plans and this year it was all related to weather. With the cancellation of school Thursday and Friday from the latest winter storm, homecoming had to be rescheduled as well with activities now set for January 15.
A total of 61 fire calls were made by Mount Ayr volunteer fire department during 2009, according to department statistics. Of the 61 calls, 18 were structure fires, 13 were grass fires, 8 were mutual aid fire calls, with other departments, five were rescue calls, two were vehicle calls, 2 were medical assistance calls and one was a gas leak call, one was a fire drill call, one was a misc. call and nine were false alarms, according to Michael Wimer, fire chief.
Births: January 3, a daughter, Lillieanna, to Braydon Greer and Heather Shaha…January 5, a son, Logan Richard, to Tony and Ashley Mercer…January 6, a son, Hayden Ryan, to Ryan and Pam Still.
Obituaries in this edition were: Charles Morton Cobb, Charles Francis Foster, Anna Margaret Hogue Larson, Richard Dwayne Saville, and Howard Altikruse.