Looking Back – December 7, 2023

(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, December 12, 1923.)

At the regular monthly meeting of the town council last Wednesday evening it was voted to provide all night light service around the square and on the street leading to the depot; also to have a beacon light placed on top of the water tower.

During the week the street lights in all parts of the city have been kept on, but a cut off will be installed soon and the lights except around the square and the one street will be turned off at midnight.

The Public Welfare Bureau and Iowa Humane Society are jointly planning to sponsor a change in Iowa’s educational laws embodying the following: “There shall be taught in public schools of Iowa in addition to other branches on study now prescribed a system of humane treatment of animals as embodied in the statues of Iowa, such instructions to consist of two lessons of not less than ten minutes each week. The principal, or teacher of every school shall certify in his or her report that such instructions have been given.”

The Hoff car was badly smashed up Wednesday evening as the boys were going to attend a basketball game at Grand River. Their lights went out on the Neham hill and the car jumped the ditch. Paul Adam’s knee was injured and the other boys escaped being hurt.

Births: December 10, a son, to Mr. and Mrs. Russell Walker…December 9, a daughter, to Mr. and Mrs. Boyd Hunt…December 1, a son Marion, to Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Cavendar.

Obituary in this edition was: Elucas Nelson Dewitt.

(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, December 9, 1948.)

Between 300-400 dollars in cash were stolen early Monday morning from the Princess Theater in Mount Ayr.

The robbery was discovered about 11 o’clock Monday morning when J.H. Eddy, manager, opened the theater. The fire proof safe, only about 2 feet by one and a half foot in size, was taken from the ticket office to the rear of the building and the bottom was ripped open with a large pick.

Carl LeRoy Wiley, 45 years old, was found dead about 5 a.m. Saturday morning in his light pickup truck, one mile west of Ringgold-Taylor county Hwy 2.

Officers said cause of death was caused from carbon monoxide poisoning. It is concluded by officials that while Wiley was attempting to turn around, on rear wheel had gone over the edge of a culvert and the vehicle was stalled. The motor was still running and the lights burning at the time he was found.

Marriage: Walter Lisle and Phyllis Callison.

Births: December 3, a daughter, Linda Lee to Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Waugh…Born Tuesday a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Marion Eurritt…December 5 a daughter, Toni, to Mr. and Mrs. W.A. Stephens.

Obituaries in this edition: Jesse Clarence Foltz, Albert Lyle Kelley, Alvin Perry, Lottie Marie Trimble Kidney, Emmaline Angeline Anderson Blattenburg Evison, Sarah Francis Burchett Allen, Sarah P. Deskins Smith.

(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday,  December 13, 1973.)

Marla Wilkins was named junior division winner in Iowa State make it with wool contest held in Ames Friday. Mrs. Duane Triggs was named second in the adult division.

Francis Virden receives 25 year safe driving award presented by Kellerton postmaster Sam Merrill, awards are issued by the National Safety Council for years of accident-free driving.

Virden made his first mail delivery on August 1, 1947. Since that time he has driven more than 560,000 miles delivering mail to families in the Kellerton community.

A 32 year-old Runnells man was killed Sunday morning in a hunting accident on the Raymond Shields farm seven miles north and 1 mile west of Mount Ayr.

Dead from a shotgun wound at the scene of the accident is John Robbins, who was hunting in company with his brother-in-law, Robert Ellis and 12 year old son, Jeff, of Des Moines.

Marriage: August 8, Kathy Merrill and David Bollinger…October 27 Sheila McFarland and Gary Carlson.

Births: December 10, a son, to Mr. and Mrs. Don Henson…December 10, a daughter, to Mr. and Mrs. Lester Troster…December 10, a son, to Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Cloud…December 11, a daughter, to Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Overholser…November 24, a daughter, Janelle, to Mr. and Mrs. Rex Walters.

(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, December 3, 1998.)

Customers of TCI of the Heartlands will see an increase in prices beginning January 1.

The price will increase by $1.49 a month from $25.30 to $26.79 according to Velma Scharder, general manager of the Red Oak office of the company which serves a number of communities in southwest Iowa, including Mount Ayr.

A traditional event this time of year is the annual Mount Ayr Community FFA fruit and cheese sale. Hundreds of boxes of fruit are sorted by the FFA students to be delivered to area residents as a part of a fund raising project that has sales totaling over $20,000.

A former Ringgold county resident has been honored by the Arizona Newspaper Association for his writing.

Curtis Riggs, who works for Western Newspapers, a chain of newspapers headquartered in Yuma, AZ, received recognition for stories written for the Kingman Daily Miner in Kingman, AZ.

The Iowa Cafe in Mesa, AZ, owned by former Mount Ayr residents, was featured in an article in the Houston Chronicle from Houston, TX.

The newspaper ran the article about the restaurant run by Iowa sisters Ruth Cavendar and Shirley Woollums, featuring Iowa “home cooking.”

Births: November 23, a daughter, Laura Rose, to Candi Campbell…November 24, a son, Gabriel, to Jim and Tami Sickels.

Obituaries in this edition were: Ellen Elizabeth Warrick Dredge, Ruth Louise Linn Faust and Margaret Hunter.

(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday,  December 12, 2013.)

The Mount Ayr Sparks drill team captured the state championship with their novelty routine at the Iowa State Drill Team Assoc. Dance Championships held in Des Moines last week.

Members of the team include, Allison Wallace, Kirsten Dolecheck, Laura Davison, Haylea England, Hannah Glendenning, Sadie Frost, Ashton Quick and Megan Warin.

Bill and Sandy Armstrong are pleased to welcome Joe Saville to the staff of Watson Armstrong Funeral Home. Saville is the son of Tim and Lesa Saville of Delphos and graduated from MACHS class of 1996. He went on to graduate from DMACC in 2005 with a degree in Mortuary.

Births: December 2, a daughter, Kamryn, to Camron Collier and Shayla Greene…December 3, a daughter, Brooklyn, to Ryan Kissell and Ahdri Evans.

Obituaries in this edition were: Shirley Mae Blauer Martin and G. Doyle Murphy.