Looking Back with Lora Stull
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One Hundred Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, March 3, 1921.)
Burr Kuder, charged with bootlegging and held in Ringgold County jail to wait action of the grand jury at the March term of the district court, escaped from his cell and by digging through the brick wall under the east window on the north side of the jail.
Kuder had been kept in a cell while Forest Miller, who is serving a five month’s sentence for illegal sale of liquor, was treated as a “trusty” and given the freedom of the jail.
When the officers went into the jail Tuesday morning they found the prisoner who had been most securely locked in had made his escape while the other was still serving his sentence. Questioned as to how Kuder escaped, Miller had little to say except that he did not know he was a guard.
Kuder left a note in which he said the door to the cell had been left unlocked by an attendant, but the others do not give credence to the statement. Later developments may furnish some information relative to how the door to the cell was unlocked.
“L.O.K.” was the heading of a column in one Iowa housewife’s account book and much to the amazement of both herself and husband, it had the greatest number of items of expense every month. Upon being questioned as to what L.O.K. stood for in the household budget, the wife replied, “Lord Only Knows,” that’s where I put all items that I can’t possibly or honorably put elsewhere.
Marriage: February 2, Marguerite Hardaway and Russell Free.
Births: A daughter, Virginia Fern, to Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Comer.
Obituary in this edition was, Hattie Jane Goff.
Seventy-Five
Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, February 28, 1946.)
After serving the U.S. through a great war, material for pots and pans are again going back to their old jobs. You will be able to buy again those much needed kitchen utinsils. May be not all kinds but more than we have had for a long time. That pressure cooker you needed so badly was making it possible for a P.T. boat to be in action in the Pacific.
A portrait of one of the oldest settlers of Ringgold County has been added to the articles of historical significance on the second floor of the courthouse in Mount Ayr.
It is a portrait of John B. Fisher at the age of 90 years, painted by his grandson, Orr Fisher, in 1921. The picture is 36”x42” in size and hangs on one of the pillars in the courthouse just above an oxen yoke used by Mr. Fisher in the early days of Clinton Township.
Service Selections: Miss Phyllis Morrison who served for 22 months with the WAVES, received her honorable discharge February 16, and at present is visiting her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Morrison of Tingley.
Marriages: Feb. 10, Agnes Blakesley and Clifford Schrot…Feb. 15, Olive Adams and Edwin Theilig…Feb. 19, Lucille Dillenburg and Charles Butler…Feb. 6, Carmalita Savage and Robert Graham.
Births: Feb. 22, a son, Timothy, to Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Gamble…Feb. 17, a son, Larry, to Mr. and Mrs. Verne Duncan…Feb. 26, a son, Keith, to Mr. and Mrs. Sam Adams…Feb. 20, a daughter, Vicky, to Mr. and Mrs. Lester Whitmore…Feb. 26, a daughter, Barbara, to Mr. and Mrs. Burl Dickerson…Feb. 7, a daughter, Barbara, to Mr. and Mrs. Ken Lynch.
Obituaries in this edition were: Dorothy Alice Hill Smith, Barbara Anna Tobiska Jezek, Mary Etheleen Dain Rich, Albert Cassady, and Mary Ellen Doughty Nicola.
Fifty Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, March 4, 1971.)
Carl Riggs, president of Tingley State Savings Bank of Tingley, announces that the board of directors recently voted unanimously in favor of a major expansion program. The bank has negotiated with Cecil Allen for the purchase of the adjoining building with additional space will be utilized for 2 private offices and storage area.
Ordered to report to Ringgold County Local Board of the Selective Service System and forwarded to Fort Des Moines for induction February 23 were Randall E. Sobotka, son of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Sobotka of Mount Ayr and David Shiflett, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Shiflett of Maloy.
Kent Blunck, Mount Ayr’s premier 105 lb. wrestler, finished 4th in his weight class at the AA Class state wrestling tournament in Ames over the weekend.
This weeks Hy-Vee weekly specials: Hy-Vee sliced bacon, 49 cents a pound: 3 lb. can Folger’s Coffee, $2.39; five 10 oz pkgs. frozen corn or peas for $1.00; Hy-Vee bread, 4 loaves for $1.00; Pork Roast, 49 cents a pound; Gerber’s Baby Food, 10 cents a jar; and Wheaties 12 oz box for 29 cents.
Marriages: December 7, 1970, Susan Peugh and John Main.
Births: Feb. 23, a son, to Mr. and Mrs. Edward Pridgen…Feb. 27, a daughter, to Mr. and Mrs. Mike Ward…Feb. 28, a son, to Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Jones.
Twenty Five Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, February 29, 1996.)
Iowa’s only drive-through animal park was discussed when the Ringgold County Tourism Committee met Monday, February 26 at Small’s Corral in Mount Ayr.
Bob Strange, who owns the park north of Mount Ayr, told committee that his park has been compared to the Des Moines Zoo. Right now the park has over 250 animals including tigers, bears, buffalo, camels, and even an albino raccoon. Price of admission for the attraction is $2 for adults and $1.25 for children. Groups of 10 or more get in at half price.
Three MACH school wrestlers have been named to the Pride of Iowa all conference wrestling team announced this week. Junior, Jamie King,Raider 171 pound wrestler, was named to the all conference first team. Named to the second team were junior, Andy Shields who wrestles at 145 pounds and senior, Steven Stull who wrestles at 160 pounds.
Obituaries in this edition were, George Thomas Hingeley and Edith Kay Poore DeHaan.
Ten Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, February 29, 1996.)
When the final buzzer sounded and the MACH Raiderettes had taken a one-point overtime victory over Treynor, 61-60 Friday night in Shenandoah, the floodgates of emotion opened for the girls, who are going back to the state tournament for the second time in two years…
Shannon Fox and Ian Abarr will advance to the state bowling tournament today at Plaza Lanes in Des Moines.
At the Mount Ayr Mealsite, Valentine king and queen were Dave and Darlene Irving. Runner-ups were Freda Shields and Duane Poore.
Robert Bentley of Diagonal has been selected as a winner in the America’s Farmers Grow Communities program, which gives farmers the opportunity to win $2,500 for their favorite local non-profit organizations. The Monsanto Fund sponsors the program and winning farmers designate a local non-profit organization to benefit from the donation. Bentley has designated the Twin River Tornadoes 4-H Club, located in Diagonal to receive the donation.
Obituaries in this editon were: Chris Christensen, Roy Eugene Fell, Judy Arlene Rummans Keep, Ruth Blanchard Knudson, Joseph W. Rusk and Zelma Mae Roberts Woollums.