Looking Back with Lora Stull
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One Hundred Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News, Thursday, February 18, 1920.)
For the first time since 1880, February this year will have five Sundays and this will not happen again until 1948. Professor D.W. Morehouse of Drake University says that a similar incident will happen in 1976. A lot of us will not be living at that time. (In order for there to be 5 Sundays in February, February 1st must fall on a Sunday, and it must be a leap year, so that February 29th is the fifth Sunday. Statistically speaking, a given date is associated with a day of the week one out of every seven years. Leap years occur every four years (with a few exceptions). So, the probability of February 1st falling on a Sunday and it being a leap year is 1/7 times 1/4, or 1/28 years. So, there should be 5 Sundays in February roughly every 28 years. The last time there were 5 Sundays in February was in 2004, exactly 28 years ago from 1976; similarly, there will be 5 Sundays in February in 2032, 2060 and 2088. So at least for the next few decades, the 28-year period estimated above is exact.)
Marriages: February 11, Elsie Geringer and Carl O. Hagland…Last Sunday, Inez Lynch and Keith Fisher of Redding were united in marriage…February 4, Myrtle Roudybush and August Novak…February 4, a double wedding of Maye Brown and Bryan Lee, Vesper Yashack and Chall Snodgrass, all of Diagonal…February 4, Porter Havely and Anna Robinson.
Births: A little daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Sarwin Jessup…February 5, a girl, to Mr. and Mrs. A.H. Watts…January 22, a son, Evertt, to Mr. and Mrs. Samuel England.
Obituaries in this edition were: Jeremiah Morford, Grace May Cracraft, Virgil Marie Price Walters, Attie Gleason Schlapia, Richard William Clayton, Cella Fern Deehart, Alma Darlene Stiles, Richard Edmon Wilkerson, and Elizabeth Jane Stuart Wiley.
Seventy-Five
Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, February 22, 1945.)
Service Selections: Staff Sergeant Cecil Staats was killed in action January 26 on Samar Island in the Philippines according to official notification received Friday by his Aunt, Mrs. J.I. Maggard…Pvt. Ralph M. Pottorff was killed in action February 7…Mrs. Nellie Stuart of Kellerton submits the following item concerning her son, Pvt. Leo Stuart: “Mud is an infantryman’s nightmare on most occasions, but it proved to be a boon to a squad of doughboys fighting with the 14th Armored Infantry Battalion near Germany. The second squad of B company second platoon had cursed the European mud many times and were doing it on this occasion as they plodded through the mire on the south side of a town. The fact that the Jerries began getting their range with mortar fire didn’t help the situation any. “The fire was getting too close for comfort, says S-Sgt. Calman Kozma, squad leader, so we all started to dig in. But the German’s didn’t wait for them to get to their precious foxholes, for a minute hadn’t passed when assistant squad leader Harry Roberts shouted “Here comes one right at us!” But no explosion followed his warning. The shell had buried itself in the mud without exploding. A few seconds later, Pfc. Lester Purett, spotted another shell lobbing in. Again no explosion. And another followed in the path of the first 2 dropping between T-5 Millard Brackett, Pvt. Leo Stuart, and still no explosion. Six shells all capable of causallizing every member of the squad, dropped in their midst, but the mud cushioned all of them, making them duds.
Guy Shelden purchased Tuesday the Jack Hutchinson Sandwich Shop on the NE corner of the square in Mount Ayr. Immediate possession was given. Mr. Hutchinson has operated the Sandwich Shop for the past 6 months.
Marriages: Mary Jo King and Junior Oliver of Redding were united in marriage February 18…Majorie Defenbaugh and Sgt. Donald Campbell, both of Diagonal were united in marriage February 15…Vesta Wardrip and Rex Shaha were united in marriage on February 14.
Births: February 13, a daughter, to Mr. and Mrs. Bob Lynch…February 1, a son, to Mr. and Mrs. Howard Knight…February 20, a daughter, to Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Pottorff.
Obituaries: Katherine Dobson Brown, Allen Welch Reynolds, Stella Clark Richardson, and William Marvin Maudlin.
Fifty Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, February 5, 1970.)
A new dump truck has been purchased by the town of Mount Ayr to aid in street work. Announcement was made by Mayor Roy Payne. Payne said the truck is a 1970 International 1600, with 345 cubic inch motor, 7,000 pound front end and 18,000 rear end, for the cost of $4,888. The mayor said additional hauling equipment was needed to take care of the number of elm trees now being felled. More than 100 trees have been or will be taken out in the next few months, victims of Dutch Elm disease.
Four cases of beer were taken Friday night in a break in at Frank Carr’s grocery store in Maloy.
Roger Schnoor of Mount Ayr was named Friday as Ringgold County Outstanding Young Farmer. Schnoor was selected for the honor awarded “to a farmer outstanding in progress of an agricultural career, extent of soil and water conservation and community service” by the Mount Ayr Community JayCees, sponsor of the contest.
Cynthia Sickels and Richard Hill were united in marriage on December 21.
Births: January 31, a son, to Mr. and Mrs. Max Glendenning…January 31, a daughter, to Mr. and Mrs. Doyle Richards…February 2, a daughter, to Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Hall.
Obituaries in this edition: Orville Tine Wood, Lucy K. Ridpath Geiger and Dwight “Dan” Daniels.
Twenty Five Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, February 2, 1995.)
Trish Carson and Ryan Lindblom named queen and king of the Diagonal high school homecoming activities Saturday evening.
Ringgold County population showed growth in 1994 to make up for early decade slumps in population, according to estimates of Iowa population released by the Census Bureau. The estimates show that the county is now just seven residents or .1 percent shy of the official population of 5,420 counted in the 1990 census in the county.
Four MACHS students will be participating in the state large group speech contest in Council Bluffs Saturday. Participants are Elisa Jones, Tiffany Young, Darin Dolecheck, and Aaron Comer.
Knight and Stull win titles at Maryville. A double dual where forfeits cancelled out advantages in the matches wrestled and putting four wrestlers in the finals at Maryville, MO. were chalked up by MACH Raider wrestling team this past week. Jacobs Knight picked up two pins and a 20-3 decision on the way to winning the 152 pound class and Steven Stull pinned his way to first place in three matches in the 145 pound class.
Obituary in this edition was Doris Opal Shields Waddell.
Ten Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, January 21, 2010.)
Six-year old Adalyn Reynolds, daughter of Ryan and Angela Reynolds of Mount Ayr, donated 10 inches of her hair to the Locks of Love program last week. Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization which provides hair pieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 21 suffering from long term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.
Janelle Wortman was crowned queen and Lusekelo Lwesya, exchange student, was crowned king at the Diagonal homecoming activities Friday night.
Caucuses set Saturday for county parties. Precinct caucuses for Republican and Democrats in Ringgold County are scheduled for Saturday, January 23 at 1 p.m. Party members attending will elect delegates and alternates to the county convention, elect precinct committee persons to the county central committee and discuss and adopt resolutions to be added to the county platform for the respective parties.
Obituaries in this edition were: Patricia Ann Hamby Ewalt and Wylene Marie Shipley Stewart.