Looking Back

(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, June 11, 1924.)

Dale Richards, who was jointly indicted with his brother Earl for stealing wool at the Charles Schlapia farm and who was arrested in Omaha two weeks ago, was brought by Sheriff Marion Stephens to Mount Ayr May 30 and that evening entered a plea of guilty in the district court and was sentenced by Judge Fuller to five years in the penitentiary at Fort Madison.

The elimination of trains on branch railroads because of automobile traffic and the use the public makes of motor buses has greatly disorganized mail service along such railway lines.

Now it is proposed to revive the old star route system (An Act of March 3, 1845, took steps to reduce mail transportation costs.

Congress abandoned its preference for stagecoaches, with contracts to be awarded to the lowest bidder for what “may be necessary to provide for the due celerity, certainty and security of such transportation.”  These were known as “celerity, certainty and security” bids. Postal clerks shortened the phrase to three asterisks or stars (***). The bids became known as star bids, and the routes became known as star routes.) and organize motor truck transportation of mails.

There was an auto accident about midnight Friday at the corner west of town.

The driver failing to notice the turn in the road ran through the fence into William Bischoff’s field, the car turning over a time or two but landed right side up. (We bet it was a Ford.) Fortunately no one was seriously injured. Moral, don’t drive so fast.

Marriage: May 28, Jay McMullin and Phoebe Tharnish…May 24, Mary Thompson and Don Jones.

Birth: June 4, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Bert Creveling… Friday, a daughter, Mary, to Mr. and Mrs. Guy Dugan.

Obituaries in this edition were: Joseph Walters, William Arthur Burch and John Agnew Buchanan.

(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, June 9, 1949.)

The town council of Mount Ayr in session Tuesday afternoon rejected all sealed proposals for furnishing labor and materials for the town’s street improvement program following discovery of the fact that the engineers failed to include more than one type of surfacing in the specifications to prospective bidders.

Hayes Main retired yesterday from 43 years of continuous business life in Mount Ayr following the sale of his building on Depot Street to Darrell Johnston, who plans to establish living quarters in the upstairs rooms and offers the down stairs rooms for rent.

Mr. Main has been in the restaurant business continuously since 1906, when he first established on the east side of Depot Street. In 1916 he moved across the street to the present location.

Marriage: May 28, Rose Shay and Joe McFarland…May 30, John Kiburz and Barbara Hoover…June 3, Marilyn Butler and Russell Sweeney…May 26, Bettie Reynard and James Braby…Saturday Elizabeth Montano and Ernest Hartman.

Births: June 5, a daughter, Connie, to Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Sobotka…May 29, a daughter, Anita, to Mr. and Mrs. Roy Sheumaker.

Obituary in this edition was, Charles Grant Stranahan.

(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday,  June 13, 1974.)

Mike Zarr, son of Rev. and Mrs. Walter Zarr of Kellerton, is one of the young people chosen on Teen Missions Team to Columbia, South America.

The team is made up of twenty teens plus sponsors and will construct an airstrip for the new base of New Tribes Mission in Villavicencio.

Another deluge of torrential rain hit Ringgold county Saturday evening, leaving widespread destruction in its wake.

Reports range from 3-6 inches throughout the county.

It was any port in a storm for 70 year-old Glen McKee of Tingley Saturday night. And that port turned out to be a small tree along Hackberry Creek, where McKee spent four hours battling against flood-swollen waters, waiting for rescuers.

It was 3 hours later that Mr. and Mrs. David Hill, neighbors of McKee’s, were returning home from their square dance club and spotted the McKee car. Recognizing the vehicle, they back tracked to check at his home. When they did not find him, they called the Tingley fire department. Firemen sped to the scene, but because of strong currents didn’t start rescue operations at once. When the water receded a bit, Charles Jackson and Jim McIntosh waded to McKee’s tree to take him to safety, apparently unharmed after his ordeal. Births: June 4, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Terry Steele…June 8, a son to Mr. and Mrs. James Hetherington.

Obituary in this edition was, Frank Carl Kirkman.

(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, June 3, 1999.)

Ringgold County’s first murder trial in many years has been set back until August.

The first degree murder trial of Aaron Hays, 21, of Creston, was set to begin Tuesday, January 8, but has been rescheduled to Monday August 9. Hays is charged in the death of 15 month-old Bailey Graham in an incident July 18, 1998 at a home north of Diagonal. Graham was the daughter of Jolene Sobotka of Diagonal and Mitchell Graham of Creston.

Family Practice Clinic closing June 30. The closing of a medical clinic in Mount Ayr due to the illness of owner was announced this week.

Guy Stines M.D., announced this week that the Family Practice Assoc. Clinic in Mount Ayr will be closing effective June 30.

An award for ten years of service was presented recently to Edward (Eugene) McAlexander of Beaconsfield for completing 10 years as weather observer.

Students in Diagonal elementary school have a new computer lab in place. Thanks to a Technology literacy challenge fund grant of $47,000 from the state. A dozen new Power MacG3 computers are networked together in the new lab and programs and software were also purchased.

Elliott sets record with 3rd in state. Brad Elliott covered 800 meters in 1:59:01 to break the school record set by Curt Eason of 1:59.5 in 1978. Elliott took third place in the 800 meter dash, it was the highest placing for the Raiders in the state track meet.

Zach Lynch, 10 year old son of Bill and Debbie Lynch of Redding, shot his first wild turkey while on a hunting excursion with his uncle Mike Kemery.

Birth: May 25, a son, Andrew, to Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Chiusano.

Obituaries in this edition, Clifford Milo Bosworth…Marjorie Marie Sundesrman Pickinpaugh.

(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, June 5, 2014.)

A series of strong thunderstorms rumbled across Ringgold County Tuesday evening bringing heavy rain, wind and property damage. At least two tornado warnings and repeated severe thunderstorm warnings were issued by the National Weather Service.

When Beverly Tipling, 78 of Mount Ayr, entered the Air Force at the age of 18 in 1954, she had no idea that her most fulfilling part of her service would come some 60 years later,. May 21, 2014. That’s the date Tipling joined 80 men that had served from WWII to Vietnam on an “Honor Flight” from Cedar Rapids airport to Washington, D. C.

Births: May 27, a daughter, Greylsi,  to Mr. and Mrs. James Wellins…May 14 a son, Garrison, to Mr. and Mrs. Garrett Reynolds…May 1, a son, Timothy, to Mr. and Mrs. Matt Fahnlander.

Obituaries in this edition were: Lyle Leo Hull, Judith Elaine Jobe Pottorff.