Looking Back with Lora Stull
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send your username and password to you.
One Hundred Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record News,Thursday, May 19, 1920.)
Saturday was an ideal day for the first annual track and field meet of Ringgold County high school held in this city. Eight schools of the county had entered men for the events but Benton and Maloy didn’t show up. Special features worthy of special mention were the speed of McLaughlin and Price and the stability of Galloway of Mount Ayr, who won individual honors and the “rag chewing” of disinterested parties, who seemed to know as much about a track meet as a hog does about Sunday. After the close of the events the prizes were awarded by Painter of Redding. Silver loving cups were awarded to Diagonal and Mount Ayr schools who won first and second places in the meet, respectively, Diagonal with 47 points and Mount Ayr with 42. Following is complete summary: 100 yard dash, 1st McLaughlin, 2nd Flynn, 3rd P. Dolecheck; time 10 seconds flat. Pole Vault, 1st Lesan, 2nd Jackson; height 9 feet. Mile Run: 1st C. Simpson, 2nd Murphy, 3rd P. Anderson; time 6:11. High Hurdles: 1st Galloway, 2nd Horne, 3rd L. Sefrit; time .17:2. Discus, 1st Price, 2nd C. Jackson, 3rd Galloway; distance 93’ 2”. 220 yard dash, 1st McLaughlin, 2nd, Price, 3rd Flynn; time .24:02. Running high jump, 1st McGrath, tie for 2nd Manner and P. Dolecheck.
Shot put, 1st Jackson, 2nd L. Baird, 3rd P. Dolecheck; 34’2.5”. Half mile relay, 1st Diagonal, 2nd Delphos, 3rd Mount Ayr; time .60:55. Running broad jump, 1st Galloway, 2nd L. Baird, 3rd Jackson; distance 17’ 11.5”. Half mile run, 1st McLaughlin, 2nd Murphy, 3rd M. Spencer. 220 yd hurdles, 1st Galloway, 2nd Flynn, 3rd L. Seifrit; time .30:04. 440 yard dash, 1st Price, 2nd McLaughlin, 3rd Galloway; time .60:01
Obituary in this edition was, Henry L. Seevers.
Seventy-Five
Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record News, Thursday, May 24, 1945.)
A molar tooth of a mastodon, a prehistoric mammal resembling the elephant, was found recently by Franklin Mosier on the Sim Mosier forty in Poe Township, where the Oakland Church was formerly located. The tooth weighs 6 1/2 pounds and must be over 100,000 years old as the mastodon became extinct about that many years ago. The tooth has been presented to the Ringgold County Historical Society and is on exhibit in the historical display case on the second floor of the county court house.
Cpl. Robert McDowell, formerly of Beaconsfield, who was killed in action March 11 at Iwo Jima, has been awarded the purple heart…Staff Sgt. Clifford Randolph, who has been overseas for the past 38 months and is now stationed in the Philippines, has been awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in action…Mr. and Mrs. Guy Norris of Redding received a telegram from the War Department Friday, informing them that their son, Pfc. Lawrence Norris was seriously wounded on Okinawa on April 19.
Marriages: May 3, Jeannie Kimball and Clyde Morrell …May 22, Faye Marrs and Sgt. Howard Townsend.
Births: May 20, a boy, to Mr. and Mrs. Mace German.
Obituaries in this edition were: Jennie C. Kohal Butler, Eva Head Putney, Floyd C. Clark, Mary Jane Smith Yowell and Fred Cloyd Skinner.
Fifty Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record News, Thursday, May 7, 1970.)
Anne Harover, daughter of Bill and Kathleen Harover of Mount Ayr, received the Arion Award as the outstanding senior musician in the Mount Ayr Community high school concert band.
Merchandise valued at between four and five thousand dollars was taken early Thursday morning during break-ins at the Gunter Jewelry Store and Horne Rexall Pharmacy in Mount Ayr.
Mrs. Barton Abarr of Redding has been selected as the 1970 Rural Homemaker for Ringgold County and will receive recognition for her leadership at the annual Rural Homemakers Leadership Day today in Omaha.
News of Men in the Armed Services: Sgt. Paul Long wrote his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Long of Mount Ayr, from Tay Ninh, South Viet Nam in a letter dated April 4, that he had just been through what C.B.S. News in Viet Nam said was one of the most vicious attacks on a Fire Support Base thus far in the Viet Nam War. He was located at Fire Support Base Illingworth in that portion of Viet Nam west of Saigon that is shaped like an elephant’s ear and juts into Cambodia. Paul is at a Fire Base at Tay Ninh, (a village) which seems a wonderful place after being in the field for almost four months since his arrival in Viet Nam. They still fire, have new guns, but he doesn’t think it will be as bad there.
Marriages: April 11, Deanna Blagg and Larry Busby.
Births: May 1, a son, to Mr. and Mrs. Gary Buell…May 3, a son, to Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Stanley.
Obituaries in this edition were: Carrie Florence O’Neal Gordon, George Burton Draper and John Nelson Hanks.
Twenty Five Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record News, Thursday, May 4, 1995.)
Burma Shave type signs will soon be erected here to promote magazine. Years after the disappelookingarance of his fixture in the American landscape, Burma-Shave type signs are making a come back and Mount Ayr will be Iowa’s only site for one set of the signs reading: “In Small Towns, Then Things Were So Tame, We Even Knew The Dogs By Name.”
News From the Armed Services: Army Staff Sgt. Harold L. Ness, Jr. has been decorated with the Army Commendation Medal. The medal is awarded to those individuals who demonstrate outstanding achievement or meritorious service in the performance of their duties on behalf of the Army. Ness, a motor and platoon sergeant, is the son of Harold and Retha Ness of Mount Ayr. His wife Linda, is the daughter of Lloyd and Muriel Johnson of Mount Ayr.
Births: Jeff and Amy Sickels are the proud parents of a son, Jeffrey Zane, born April 24.
Obituaries in this edition are: Wilber Wagenknecht and Margaret Regina Tennant.
Ten Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record News, Thursday, April 29, 2010.)
A horse drawn wagon made it’s way across Ringgold County early this week. A Kentucky couple and their son are testing out Horace Greeley’s suggesting that there maybe more opportunity in the west as they travel to Nebraska by horse drawn wagon. The Carlton’s, formerly of Liberty, KY, went through Mount Ayr Monday morning on their trip to find work in Nebraska. They usually make 20-25 miles a day, depending on where they can find a place to stay.
An investigation continues into the death of a 32 year old Mount Ayr man, Adrian Garcia, whose body was found in an out building behind a residence on East Adams Street. The cause of death was not released pending autopsy results and was termed an “unattended death.” Foul play is not suspected.
The Mount Ayr Lions Club Arion Award was given to two senior band recipients this year for outstanding musical ability. Those receiving the award were Karl Kerns of Clearfield and Alex Wallace of Mount Ayr.
Births: April 22, a daughter, Brodie Ann, to Mr. and Mrs. Jeremiah Howell.
Obituaries in this edition were: Thelma Lea Maudlin Drake, Howard R. Faust, Adrian John Garcia, Helen Jessie Nickle Straight, Trevor Ray Wasson and Salina E. Mast.