Looking Back with Lora Stull
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One Hundred Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record News, Thursday, August 10, 1921.)
It is expected that at least 100 Italians will leave Des Moines for sunny Italy during the month of August.
For several months the better class of Italians have been arranging their affairs, getting their money together and planning to return to their native country. They are mostly American citizens, having taken out naturalization papers some years ago.
The majority of the emigrants are prosperous business men who have collected two or three thousand dollars and are going to spend the rest of their lives in ease in the sunny climate of the homeland.
Two thousand dollars will buy 50,000 lire here. In Italy, due to the rate of exchange, it is worth 250,000 lire, or $10,000. This is a respectable fortune in the old country.
Marriages: Last Thursday night Florence Merritt and C.P. Mickleson were united in marriage.
Births: August 4, a son, Robert, to Mr. and Mrs. Glen Lesan.
No obituaries in this edition.
Seventy-Five
Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, August 8, 1946.)
The odds are against you that you can be a champion fisherman at Loch Ayr for more than 48 hours.
The title changed hands at least five times during the past week.
It all started when Dr. T.I. Moffett caught a Blue Cat weighing 6 1/2 pounds. Moffett’s record was shattered when T.S. Rhoades landed one a pound heavier. Then Perry Kaster went out to challenge the title holder and successfully won the crown by landing two big ones 7 1/2 and 8 pounds each.
Perry’s record fell when Alfred Pierson, a retired oil man from Creston, landed one weighing 8 1/2 pounds. Then W.W. Stewart captured the title by catching a 9 3/4 pounds. But his record was exceeded by Carl Brower who is credited with landing a ten pounder yesterday morning.
Since we started mentioning a few of the many good pieces of soybeans in the county this year, here are a couple more worthy of mention.
Gene Sickels, 16 year old son of Cecil Sickels, has 35 acres of really outstanding beans in land he has rented from George Vance.
There are beans on both sides of east Grand River east of Mount Ayr on Hwy. 2.
Although the Sickelses were exceptionally hard hit by hail, this place was not touched.
Another real field of beans is on the Glen Dixon farm just east of Benton. This piece which is on the west Grand River bottom is really beautiful.
Marriages: July 20, Virginia Stuck and Henry Campuzano…July 23, Betty Harris and Earl Stuart…August 4, Lois Brand and Ainslee Triggs.
Births: August 4, a son, Elton, to Mr. and Mrs. Ray Mercer…August 1, a son, to Mr. and Mrs. Kermit Saville…July 20, a son, to Mr. and Mrs. A. Jones…July 31, a son to Mr. and Mrs. Marion Sheldon…July 30, a son, to Mr. and Mrs. Ellie Stephens.
Obituaries in this edition were: Woodson Levi Swope, Guy Raymond Drake, John Fred Onstot and Cora Blanche Benway.
Fifty Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record News, Thursday, August 12, 1971.)
The biggest fair ever held in Ringgold County. Thats how Ringgold County Fair secretary, Merritt Triggs, described the annual mid-summer event which closed Saturday night.
An estimated 8,000 persons filed through the gates to see fine livestock exhibits, 4-H boys and girls projects and entertainment features.
Joy Kiburz had grand champion market beef, Leigh Pollock had grand champion market pig and Bryon Cook had grand champion market lamb.
Crowned queen for the 1971 Ringgold County fair was Rosann Wurster and fair princess was Cindy Henderson.
Marriages: May 22, Teena Morrow and Gary Petersohn.
Births: August 9, a daughter, to Mr. and Mrs. Kyle Shaha…August 9, twin girls, to Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hunt…August 10, a daughter, to Mr. and Mrs. Jim Blessman.
Obituaries in this edition were: Flornence Agnes Cornwall Miller, Melvin A. Smith, Harvey F. Maudlin.
Twenty-Five Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record News, Thursday, August 8, 1996.)
Iowa’s smallest town hosts big sesquicentennial festival.
Sunday was your last chance to shop at the Beaconsfield Hy-Vee. The town of Beaconsfield, which is currently the smallest in Iowa, was host to more than 425 people Sunday, August 4 at their sesquicentennial Food Festival. It included the opportunity to “pick up a few items” at the old first Hy-Vee Store on Main Street, Dwight Vredenburg, son of one of Hy-Vee’s founders was on hand to help with several special events.
Lyle Minnick, Ringgold County sheriff, and Mike Doubleday, Iowa Highway Patrolman, were among the approximately 4,000 law enforcement officers volunteering for service at the 1996 Olympics held in Atlanta, GA. and surrounding area.
Seven school records set in 33-7 softball season for the Raiderettes.
Seven school records were set, five of them by pitcher Tara Groves, as the Mount Ayr Raiderettes finished up another successful season.
The Raiderettes tied the school record for wins in a season with 33 wins this year as the girls placed 2nd in conference, won the district title and then fell in the regional tournament.
Tara Groves set records for most career shut outs, with 37; most career games, with 184; most career assists, with 328; most career sacrifices, with 37 and most careering pitching wins, with 125.
The other two records came in the defense category. Outfielder, Jill Denney and catcher, Brandie Shields, had perfect 1.000 fielding averages for the season.
Obituaries in this edition were: Janet Isabel Tidrick, Anna Evelyn Jackson James, and James Franklin “Red” Mickael.
TenYears Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record News, Thursday, August 4, 2011.)
When the Brooke Barber memorial poker run was held over the weekend, 105 motorcycles and 40 bus riders, playing 190 hands in the poker run, took part. The event is held each year in memory of Brooke Barber, daughter of Dan and Christy Barber of Mount Ayr, who was killed in a motorcycle accident several years ago.
All but two post offices in the Ringgold County area are on a list of 178 Iowa post offices that the US Postal Service may close.
The US Postal Service said it may close as many as 3,700 of its post offices across the country, or 12 percent of the total. The closures are part of the announcement of an “expanded access program” which would put more locations in businesses, town halls, grocery stores and community centers.
Obituaries in this edition were: Frank Alvin Dredge, Mamie Neola “Betty” Norton Norris, Vera Maude Miller Wilkens, Hope E. Thayer Wynes.