Looking Back by Lora Stull

One Hundred Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, July 19, 1922.)
Kendall Warns Striers: Governor Kendall tonight gave out for publication the following statement: “It is reported to me tonight that in some sections of the state threats of violence are being employed to prevent men from performing certain kinds of labor. If such tactics are resorted to, they will not be tolerated in Iowa.
The right of any man to quit work at his pleasure is equally the right of any man to engage in legitimate labor is guaranteed by the constitution and laws, and he will be fully protected in the enjoyment of this right by every power which the State can command.”
(The Great Railroad Strike of 1922, commonly known as the Railway Shopmen’s Strike, was a nationwide strike of railroad workers in the United States.
Launched on July 1, 1922, by seven of the sixteen railroad labor organizations in existence at the time, the strike continued into the month of August before collapsing.
At least ten people, most of them strikers or family members, were killed in connection with the strike. The collective action of some 400,000 workers in the summer of 1922 was the largest railroad work stoppage since the American Railway Union’s Pullman Strike of 1894 and the biggest American strike of any kind since the Great Steel Strike of 1919.)
In the following story Hugh Fullerton, writing for the Chicago Tribune, tells how Frank Jackson, of Kellerton, trimmed all corners in barnyard golf in Chicago recently; “Chicago is no match for Kellerton, Iowa at horseshoes.
Yesterday Frank Jackson of Kellerton, horseshoe champion of the world, played barnyard golf with all the aspirants for honors who tackled him on the courts of the Edgewater Barnyard Golf Club on Broadway and gave them a lesson.
What Tilden is to tennis, Hagen to golf, Dempsey to boxing, Jackson is to pitching horseshoes. He simply swept away his rivals, his game being so perfect that he seldom even gave them a chance to score. Class, supposed to exist in all sports, shows and more plainly perhaps in the horseshoe game than in almost any other. Jackson’s control was so perfect that in 3 games against three opponents in the afternoon he allowed them but 3 points, scored on one pitch. In one game he threw 19 ringers, including 4 doubles and he repeated that performance in the next.”
Marriage: Sunday Viola Mickelson be came the bride of Ivan Jackson…July 9, Richard Matthews and Zeta Colver.
Births: July 11, a son, Jimmy, to Mr.and Mrs. Lyle Spencer.
Obituary in this edition was: Joseph Teale.
Seventy-Five
Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, July 17, 1947.)
Damage estimated at thousands of dollars, was caused by a windstorm which struck the county late Saturday evening and continued until early Sunday morning.
Sharp lightening accompanied the high winds, but only a trace of rainfall was reported.
Extensive damage was done at the Chester Wallace farm, one and a quarter miles northwest of Benton on Hwy 2. The roof of the barn was torn off, the granary, hog house, and cattle shed demolished and shingles were stripped off the scale house and house. The damage at the Wallace farm was estimated at $2,000.
At the Harold Taylor farm, 4 miles north of the Wallace place, a large picture window was blown in on the south side of the house with such force that particles of glass were driven into the woodwork.
A large maple tree was blown down and carried over the front gate at the John Denhart farm, about a mile northwest of the Taylor home.
In Mount Ayr window panes were broken, many large trees were up rooted, shingles were stripped from roofs and half of the lawns were covered with small and large tree limbs and other debris.
Marriages: July 4, Barbara Webb and William Yaeger…June 28, Patsy Hogue and Norman Ferber…June 28, Doris Smith and Donald Lawrence…June 28, Anna Holm and Harold Searles…Doris Dunt and N.H.Jennings.
Births: A daughter, Ruth, to Mr. and Mrs. Horace Nelson…July 12, a son, James, to Mr. and Mrs. Robert McCreary…July14, a son, Carleton, to Mr. and Mrs. Alvin Varner…July 11, a son, Brian, to Mr. and Mrs, Doyle Hunter…July 11, a daughter, Sharon, to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lesan…July 13, a son, Keith, to Mr. and Mrs. Marion Freestone…July 9, a son, Gary, to Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Munyon.
Obituaries in this editon were: Roy Amos Hart, George Washington Lasswell and Mrs. Elmo (Hall) Hicks.
Fifty Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, July 27, 1972.)
Nine boys recently completed their citizenship for the Community Merit Badge with Mrs. Willis Hood as instructor.
Boys who completed this class were, Tim Warren, Kurt Shaha, Rodney White, Maurice Greene, Mark Erickson, Mack Greene, Jeff Warren, Buddy Powell and Chuck Long.
The town of Mount Ayr is planning a crack down on unlicensed motor vehicles and drivers. That’s the word from Mayor Raymond Hutchinson and members of the town council, who report a number of complaints from citizens regarding unauthorized use of vehicles by under-age drivers. Crux of the matter, according to the council is the use of so-called mini bikes on public streets and sidewalks.
Eldon C. Main of Mount Ayr has been appointed to the Farmers Home Administration Ringgold County committee, according to Russell K. Booth, local FHA supervisor.
News of Men in the Armed Services: Mr. and Mrs. Hollis Butler of Benton received recently from Calvin Landow, Colonel FA, commanding, the following letter, which concerns their son, Hal, who is stationed at Fort Sill, OK. “On June 6, 1972, Pfc. Hal Butler was selected as Colonel’s Orderly of Fort Sill, OK. In Army terms, this means your son was selected over all other soldiers as the outstanding soldier of his training cycle.
Births: July 20, a son, to Mr. and Mrs. Eldon Starmer…July 20, a daughter, to Mr. and Mrs. Steven Swigart…July 21, a son, Christopher, to Mr. and Mrs. Ed Dugan…July 21, a son, to Mr. and Mrs. David Cool.
Obituary in this edition was, Doyle Blaine Barnett.
Twenty Five Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, July 10, 1997.)
Jason Foland, 17, son of Ted and Barbara Foland of Grant City, MO., and grandson of the late Arthur and Ollie Kibbee of Mount Ayr, won the Missouri high school rodeo steer wrestling championship at Ozark, MO. recently. He was the number one steer wrestler for the season that included 24 rodeos during the year.
A new bread and breakfast has opened just off the courthouse square in Mount Ayr. A ribbon cutting for “Charlie & Jane’s” was held Thursday, July 3 by the Mount Ayr Chamber of Commerce. The house offered to people who want to stay overnight in the area is owned by Dr. Collus and Jane Lawhead. They have lived in the two story home since 1976.
Births: July 3, a daughter, Ashton, to Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Quick.
Obituary in this edition was: Dorothy M. Payton Walter.
Ten Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News, Thursday, July 19, 2012.)
There were no pillars to block the view of people in the livestock exhibition ring when the Ringgold County Fair was held this year–Thanks to an effort in memory of Konner Klommhaus, who died in a traffic accident last year. A steer that Klommhaus had picked out to show at the fair this year was shown instead by Zane Sickels.
Before the fair, new trusses were put in the building so the poles in the ring could be removed and a fund raising effort started that raised $5,700. At the fair, the Sickels steer was sold as a fund-raiser as well, with the amount for the project swelling to at least $9,800.
Megan Doubleday was named queen and Kianna Paxson was named princess of the 2012 Ringgold County Fair on Wednesday night, July 11.
Crooked Creek 4-Hers announce cook-off winner: The Crooked Creek chili/salsa cook-off winners were, chili winner–Judge’s Choice, Abby Schafer and People’s Choice, Kasey Dredge. Salsa winners were–Judge’s Choice: Elsie Schafer and People’s Choice, tie between Elsie Schafer and Gina Still.
Marriage: June 16, Jeremy England and Jaclyn Shimmer.
Births: July 7, a son, Braden, to Mr. and Mrs. Brad Johnson.
Obituaries in this edition were: Larry Dwayne Buckingham Sr. and Faye Lucille Siple.