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, December 27, 1922.)
Jarnagins Weekly: That “good name is more precious than rubies” is the opinion of the Iowa supreme court as well as of Solomon of old.
In handing down a decision in the case of Mrs. Christena Stageman against Claus Paulsen, appealed from the Ida County district court by defendant Paulsen, the supreme court sustained the decision of the lower court in granting Mrs. Stageman, who is Ida Grove’s corresponding secretary of the Brotherhood of American Yeoman, sued Claus Paulsen for $4,000 for slander.
He had publicly accussed her of unchasity and called her a vile name according to the record. The jury in Judge E. G. Alberts’s court awarded her $1,000 “Money damages is a poor compensatory equivalent for injury sustained by and unwarranted challenge that destroys or tends to destroy a person’s standing in the social or business world,” the opinion says. Furthermore Judge DeGraff declared in the decision that “the most priceless thing that one possesses is his reputation and it should be protected from the poisonous tongue of slander.”
Marriage: Margaret Spurrier and Carl Tennant were united in marriage.
Births: December 18, a son, to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Twombly.
Obituaries in this edition were: Jesse Everett Snedaker, Mary J. Harden, Norval Whisler and Theodore Parkins.
Seventy-Five
Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, December 25, 1947.)
The Sandwich Shop, on the northeast corner of the square, was sold Tuesday morning to Glen Pratt of Redding. The shop has been operated for the past 10 months by Donald “Mickey” Snedeker.
The Mount Ayr Cafe, owned and operated by Darrell and Bill Johnston for one year, was sold last week to Sam Adams, a local farmer southeast of Mount Ayr.
Abbreviation, Xmas of Greek origin-There has been much unfavorable comment on the abbreviated form for Christmas that is commonly used. Many think it inappropriate and undignified to use the shortened form, Xmas.
The explanation of it’s origin is that the initial letter of the Greek name for Christ is X and the coincidence of its cruiciform shape led to an early adoption of this letter s the figure and symbol of Christ. X is frequently found on walls of the catacombs. When the early Christians wished to make a representation of the Trinity, they would place either a crosss or X beside the names of the Father and Holy Ghost. From this came the shortened form Xmas, instead of Christmas.
Christmas Oddities: Norwegian farmers give their cattle, tubs of home-brewed ale on Christmas Eve…Sweden and Finland, the Christmas tree is kept standing for some time, usually until January13, Canute’s Day when the neighborhood children are invited in to “plunder” it. It is a matter of great pride to the average youngster to have attended a large number of “plunderings.” (A thousand years ago in Sweden, King Canute declared that Christmas would last a month, from December 13, the feast of St. Lucia until January 13, or Tjugondag Knut (St. Canute’s Day). In Aland St Canute’s Day is definitely looked upon as the day when the Christmas tree is thrown out, burned and the decorations tucked away. This special tradition is still very much alive.)
Marriage: December 8, Kathryn Rybolt and Glenn Morgan.
Births: December 15, a daughter, Janet, to Mr. and Mrs. Dale Schlapia…Decemeber 16, a daughter, to Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Guthrie…December 17, a daughter, Mary Ann to Mr. and Mrs. Wayne McGehee.
Obituaries in this edition were: Alta R. Rains Benson and Pfc. Wrex Hill.
Fifty Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, Will be back in next week, trying to get the weeks in sync.)
Twenty Five Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, December 11 & 18, 1997.)
11th: It’s beginning to look like it could be a very White Christmas in Ringgold County as a series of snow storms have left several inches of snow on the ground this past week. At least 5” of snow had fallen before Tuesday and Wednesday snow was added to the total.
A new good conduct policy proposal was debated and board members backed away from a football sharing proposal with Diagonal when the Mount Ayr Community school board met Monday night.
Obituaries in this edition were: Ira John Campbell, Lyle Cavin, Harold Laverne Foltz, Dennis Frederick Neal.
18th: Over 70 people gathered in the Ringgold County courthouse assembly room to discuss information on ordinances regarding hog confinements with Ringgold County Supervisors.
New doctor in practice at Mount Ayr Medical Clinic, he is Dr. Ramesh Ashwathnarayan. Dr. Ashwathnaraya comes to Mount Ayr from Chicago where he has lived since 1994, he attended medical college in India.
An official count on the amount of materials that were collected during the Ringgold County toxic cleanup day was released this week by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. There were over 4 tons of hazardous waste safely disposed of during the day long event.
Obituaries in this edition were: Eula Jean Nevill Gaule, Ora Marie Walter Price and Dale E. Downie.
Ten Years Ago
(From the Mount Ayr Record News, Thursday, December 27, 2012.)
Farmland values in Ringgold County increased 18.97 percent in 2012 to set another all-time high, according to the annual survey of farmland value conducted by Iowa State University.
Farmland across the state showed an average 23.7 percent increase in value.The average acre of farmland in Ringgold County is now worth $4,124.
Jim Uhlenkamp graduated recently with a doctor of education from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Uhlenkamp is a former Mount Ayr high school teacher and member of the board of education. Uhlenkamp is currently teaching at Graceland University in Lamoni, IA.
Obituaries in this edition were, Grace Arlene Jackson Foster, Robert Wayne Richards, Norma Sara Bickel Weehler, and Mildred “Millie” Selma Storhoff.