Looking Back with Lora Stull
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One Hundred Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record News, Thursday, April 21, 1920.)
Jobes brothers of Haywarden, IA purchased last week from C.G. Cooper the Princess Theatre, possession being given Friday. Mr. Cooper has been proprietor of the show house for several months and under his management the business has prospered and high class pictures have been presented.
County contest held at Diagonal. Probably the closest and most interesting high school declamatory contest ever held in this county took place last Friday night in the Diagonal show house. Contestants were entered in three classes: Oratorical, Dramatic and Humorous. The program opened with a piano solo by Miss Irene Zaruba, after which Clifford Oliver, the only contestant entering oratory, delivered his selection “ Spartacus to the Gladiator.” Those entering in the dramatic class were Laura Goodale of Diagonal, who had for her selection, “The Death Disk” and Orr Seaton of Delphos, who read “The Lion and the Mouse.” Following these selections a trio composed of Marie Yaryan, Marie Johnston and Claude Poole sang several selections. Irene Swanson of Mount Ayr read “Jane” for her humorous selection, followed by Juanita Hoff’s reading, “Johnnie Gets Ready for Company,” Miss Hoff is from Ellston. The last reading was that given by Belle Steele of Maloy, “Tom Sawyer’s Love Affair.” The judges, Mr. Heaton of Clearfield, and Mr. McFarland and Mr. Ware, both of Blockton, decided that Clifford Oliver stood first in oratorical class, Orr Seaton first in dramatic and Juanita Hoff, first in humorous class.
Births: April 21, a daughter, Sarah, to Mr. and Mrs. Harry Liggett…March 28, a son, to Mr. and Mrs. L.N. Jacobs…February 28, a daughter, Dorothy, to Mr. and Mrs. Edward Clark…March 6, a son, Arthur, to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bolon…March 31, a daughter, Ruby, to Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Moore…February 27, a daughter, Vera, to Mr. and Mrs. C.E. Main…February 25, a daughter, Ruby, to Mr. and Mrs. E.M.
Goldner…February 11, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Cornwall.
Obituaries: Lucy Ann Lee Moulton and Charles Waddell.
Seventy-Five
Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record News, Thursday, March 26, 1945.)
Service Selections: Pvt. Marvin L. Cavendar was liberated from a German prison camp on April 2, 108 days after his capture. In a letter to his father, Wayne, formerly from Ringgold County, now of Omaha, Pvt. Cavendar said that he had lost 35 pounds in weight. His letter reads, in part, as follows: “Our meals consisted of tea in the morning, one quart of soup at noon (and I mean soup) and 250 grams of bread in the evening and no smokes at all! But we now have everything we need…Pvt. Lyle Sackett, who has been a prisoner of war in Germany since December 20, 1944, was liberated April 2 by advancing allied troops…Pfc. Lloyd L. Whipp, son of Mr. and Mrs. L.A. Whipp, of Lincoln township, former residents of Page County, received word last week of the death of their son at Iwo Jima. Death resulted from chest wounds suffered in action against the enemy March 12.
High losses from predator animals. A survey recently conducted from all counties of Iowa on losses from predator animals (wolves, foxes, dogs) for the year 1944. A questionnaire was sent to the county auditor in all counties asking the following: number of sheep killed by predator animals for which a claim was filed (18,282). Amount paid out for wolf and dog losses ($191,302). Number of wolves or coyotes for which bounty paid (1,335). Amount of money paid out for wolf bounty ($4,393).
Fifty Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record News, Thursday, April 9, 1970.)
Robert E. Shay of Maloy has been awarded the Purple Heart for wrist and hand wounds suffered in action while serving on an air supply flight in Vietnam.
Operation clean-up will be launched in Mount Ayr community this weekend. Civic organizations, the town council, and various businesses and individuals are joining in a community-wide push for a cleaner town. April has been declared by Mayor Roy Payne as the time for the effort.
Collus Lawhead was among the 28 Old Gold Singers who returned Tuesday to Iowa City from a 11 day concert tour in Mexico. Serving as goodwill ambassadors for the Iowa Yucatan Partners, a cultural exchange program, the singers were guests of Yucatean families during their tour.
Marriages: March 30, Peggy Munyon and John Pilkinton.
Births: April 6, a daughter, Dawn, to Mr. and Mr. John Euritt…April 1, a daughter, to Mr. and Mrs. Francis Karl…April 2, a daughter, to Mr. and Mrs. James Ridge…April 2, a daughter, to Mr. and Mrs. Lonnie Huntsman…April 6, a daughter, to Mr. and Mrs. Fred Stark…March 30, a daughter, Kimberly, to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wiegand.
Obituaries: Kellly Sue King and Sylvia Dale Seaton Kemintz.
Twenty Five Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record News, Thursday, April 6, 1995.)
One Mount Ayr building was coming down last week while another was going up. The old Hy-Vee building is being torn down to make way for the new municipal parking lot in Mount Ayr. Beyond the Hy-Vee building is the empty lot where Hawkeye Lumber Company originally was located. That will be the site of the new Place’s Store. Work also began this week on the addition to the Mount Ayr Community high school building.
Torpedoman’s Mate First Class, Thomas R. Terry of the US Navy, retired Tuesday March 14, 1995 after 20 years of service. The retirement ceremony was held on his ship, the USS L.Y. Speer, in Norfolk, VA.
Mount Ayr Chamber of Commerce welcomed two new businesses with a ribbon cutting ceremony recently. Welcomed were the Farmstead, the new restaurant along Hwy 2 & 169 and Bib’s Lanes, the new bowling alley on the east side of the square.
Marriages: December 10, 1994, Erin Barker and Bruce Brumm.
Obituaries: John William Shields, Bonnie Kay Reed Ross, Mary Milligan Terwilliger and Georgia Maxine Dinkel.
Ten Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record News, Thursday, April 1, 2010.)
A six day search for a missing Clearfield man ended on a positive note when Gregory Crittenden, 56, of Clearfield was found at 9 a.m. Thursday, March 25. Crittenden went missing Friday, March 19. About 10 a.m. that morning he volunteered to take off work early from Fansteel/Wellman Dynamics plant in Creston. Crittenden was seen about noon that day in Corning, but then went missing. A snow storm had moved across the county Friday night, dumping 5” of snow or so on the area. Taylor County sheriff’s department officers patrolled the gravel roads in the county and Iowa Hwy. Patrol provided a plane for aerial search of the area early in the week, but Crittenden’s vehicle was not found. Thursday morning at 9 a.m. Nathan Nickel of Clearfield found Crittenden walking along Hwy 25 near the intersection with 200th Street near the home of Fred and Lisa Wilson. From what the sheriff’s department officials have pieced together, Crittenden became disoriented and drove down the dirt road. He became stuck in the mud there, in a spot out of site of vehicles traveling on Hwy 25. He chose to stay with his vehicle because of the snow storm. He ran his vehicle off and on to keep warm until he ran out of gasoline.
Obituaries: Kenneth Ray Creveling, Dorothy Elaine Stearns Erickson and Max Wilbert Glen