Looking Back with Lora Stull
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One Hundred Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record News, Thursday, July 21, 1920.)
Diagonal Robbery:
The local post office was robbed of about fifty dollars on last Thursday evening between the hours of seven and nine o’clock. Our local post master had left the building open in front and also the side door which enters the room north. It looks like it would have been impossible for anyone to have opened the general delivery window and reach in and get the money but the money disappeared and the guilty party or parties either secured the money in the above way or else they entered the hallway and then into the post office room which would have taken a lot of nerve. No definite manner in which the money disappeared has been reported or found out.
Ralph Baker, of near Beaconsfield, plead guilty yesterday before Judge Fuller to a charge of malicious mischief and was fined $300 and costs. The Judge remitted $200 on good behavior and that the total amount paid was $114.85. About two months ago a pony mare belonging to Mr. Baker’s neighbor, John Culver, got out and ran into his grain field. He got his shot gun and fired point blank at the pony severely wounding it but not fatally. Information was sworn out by Mr. Culver and after a preliminary trial Mr. Baker was bound over and plead guilty.
Marriage: July 12, Lynn Judy and Esther Jensen were united in marriage.
Births: Twin daughters were born Saturday to Mr. and Mrs. John Hamblin.
Obituaries: Fern Beulah Anderson Spurrier and John Hetzel.
Seventy-Five
Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record News, Thursday, July 26, 1945.)
John Harker, 22, of St. Joesph, MO, who admittedly robbed the D.D. Dolecheck grocery and general store in Diagonal on July 1, was sentenced by Judge Charles Lewis last week to a term not to exceed ten years in the state penitentiary at Fort Madison.
Mrs. Mabel McCullough became the first Ringgold County civilian to be granted a private pilot’s license last Friday following a C.A.A. flight test which she passed at Atlanta, GA. Mrs. McCullough now is privileged to carry passengers in any one-engined airplane and instruct other students, but not until she receives a commercial pilot’s license will she be allowed to accept money for these services. Previous to going to Atlanta for the government flying test, Mrs. McCullough had already passed the required written tests and had attained the necessary number of solo hours.
Home ownership in Ringgold County has increased to 140 percent of the total of 1,336 as recorded in the records of County Auditor, Chas. Hetzel in the year 1937 soon after enactment into law of the Homestead Credit Act. Eight years ago 1,336 persons owned their homes as compared with 1,873 today. (Homestead Act provided 160 acres of public land free of charge (except for a small filing fee) to anyone who was either 21 years of age or head of a family, who was a citizen or person who had filed for citizenship, and who had lived on and cultivated the land for at least five years. By the turn of the century, more than 80 million acres had been claimed by homesteaders.)
Births: July 19, a son, Chris, to Mr. and Mrs. Clark Vansickle…July 19, a son, to Mr. and Mrs. Earl Roudybush.
Obituaries: Viola Jane Cain Hutchinson…George Bruce Smith…Cora Myrtle Hall Short…Orrel Almina Long White.
Fifty Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record News, Thursday, July 9, 1970.)
That once-in-a-lifetime thrill came to a young Mount Ayr golfer last week…a hole-in-one. David McNeill, 15 year old son of Joe and Betty McNeill is the lucky boy. Witnessing the drive on the 120 yard sixth hole at Creston were Dave Henderson, Kurt Nichols, Larry Bishop, Joe McNeill, Jim McIntosh, Larry Giles and Terry Myers.
News of Men in the Armed Service: SSG Paul Long was withdrawn from Cambodia June 22 to the Fire Support Base Katum in South Vietnam. Paul stated that his battery had moved six times since January 30 and was to move again soon. He was recently promoted from E-5 to E-6.
Obituaries: Maud Elsie Dugan Todd and Amanda Jane Johnson Beck.
Twenty Five Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record News, Thursday, July 6, 1995.)
Council hears report on police investigation. Following a closed session of the Mount Ayr city council, a statement was released dealing with an incident where police chief Todd Jackson arrested a Mount Ayr resident on a operating while intoxicated charge. The special session was held Thursday night and the purpose was to hear a report on an investigation of an incident between Mount Ayr police officer and Phillip Yoder of Mount Ayr.
Dr. Duane Mitchell was honored at a retirement open house at Mount Ayr Medical Clinic this past week after 42 years of service to the community.
Obituaries: Evelyn Arlene Black Shum and Vernon L. Maudlin.
Ten Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record News, Thursday, July 1, 2010.)
As members of Iowa National Guards 734th Agri-Business Development Team (ADT) prepare for a year long mission to Kunar Province in Afghanistan, ISU faculty and ISU Extension specialists are explaining techniques and methods that will help them improve agribusiness half a world away. Traveling as part of the ADT will be Lucas Smith of Mount Ayr, but his role will be in providing security for the other members of the team who will actually be working with the Afghanistan farmers.
Ringgold County gave a warm welcome to the “Sea to Shining Sea” wounded veterans who stopped through Mount Ayr Monday night on their 63 day, 4,000 mile bicycle ride across United States.
A new restaurant is opening today (Thursday) in the former Breadeaux Pizza location along Hwy 2 & 169. Romano’s Pizza is the name of the restaurant owned by Kahled and Rhonda Abdalla.
Obituaries: Charolette Milton Christensen, Sanford Dwane Handy, Karen Carr Lorence, Charles “Chuck” Ellis Meacham, Oliver Mark Parker and Floyd LeRoy Ross.