LOOKING BACK in the Early Files by Lora Stull

The Mount Ayr high school mile team composed of Johnston, Morse, Davis and Keating placed third in their section of the Class B high school event in the Drake relays at Des Moines Friday afternoon.

The commencement exercises of the Kellerton high school will be held May 21. Twenty-three students will graduate this year, being fifteen boys and eight girls. They are: Albert Allen, Luther Allen, Louise Bassett, Clifton Brown, Francis Brown, Lee Brown, Howard Burchett, Acil Coy, Trenola Coy, Leo Gibson, Jennie Gibson, Wayne Gibson, Opal Johnson, Wayne Jones, Vonnie Lutz, Kenneth McCullough, Lowell Meadow, Marceline Rogers, Mildred Rogers, Maxine Stetzle, Francis Swigart, Verne Troxell and Marvin Walter. Lee Gibson was the valedictorian.

C.E. Hollopeter, Leo Laird, J.E. Bradley and Cecil Funkhouser motored yesterday to Des Moines to witness the opening baseball game of the season between the Des Moines Demons and Tulsa Oilers, which resulted in a 5 to 4 victory for the Demons.

Marriage: April 24, Roy Esler and Isabel Thompson..April 25, Ruth Shields and Clyde Scott..April 14, Agnes Slavik and Frank Straeble.

Birth: April 26, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Harry Hull. .

The Midway Cafe opened for business Tuesday under ownership of Lucille Trower.

Mrs. Frank Clarke and Royce Davis were elected chairman of the women’s division and president respectively, of the Mount Ayr Golf and Country Club, at the annual meeting held Friday evening.

Mrs. Irene Hood, of Mount Ayr, won first, second and third place honors in three divisions of the annual state-wide writers’ contest sponsored by Iowa Press Women, Inc.

Mr. and Mrs. Roy Hill spent Sunday with relatives at St. Joseph and Maryville,MO. They also viewed the scene of the terrible explosion which occured at Maryville last week.

Marriage: April 22, Joan Hanks and Wayne George.

Births: Born Saturday, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Art Pedersen..Born Monday, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth McAlexander..April 30, a daughter, Virginia, to Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Hudson..April 25, a son, Richard, to Mr. and Mrs. Richard Knapp.

Obituaries in this edition were: Rosa Ann Coughennower McHenry, Clarence Homer Beasley and James B. Glendenning.

April rains total 6.76 inches. Ringgold  County residents that have boat building may be the smartest folks around this spring. If the rains keep coming they can turn their hobby into practical use.

A former Ringgold County resident has returned to the county to establish a veterinary practice in Tingley.

He is Dr. Mack Sickels, son of Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Sickels of Mount Ayr, who opened a veterinary office in Tingley.

He has practiced for 11 years in Fairfield, IA, and eight months in Tampa, FL.

An oil painting by Ruby Jackson of Kellerton was awarded one of five blue ribbons given at an amateur Iowa artists area 10 regional show held Saturday, April 24, at Osceola.

Joyce Maudlin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ellis Maudlin was selected by members of the Mount Ayr American Legion Auxiliary to attend Girls State to be held June 5-15th a University of Northern Iowa.

Steve Mitchell will begin work Monday, May 3, as a pharmacist at McNeiley Drug in Mount Ayr. He will be assisting Mrs. Corrine Bailey, pharmacist, and owner of the store.

Mount Ayr Raider golf squad captured the Tall Corn Conference crown Saturday at Villisca by a 27 stroke margin. Wayne Ward took runner-up honors in the medalist department with 76.

Members of the winning Mount Ayr team and their scores are: Wayne Ward 36-40, Scott Johnson 35-42, Jay Moore 38-41, and David Allen 43-43.

Marriage: April 17, Joni Pritchard and Steve Sunderman.

Births: April 21, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Kelley and April 19 a son, Michael, to Mr. and Mrs. Jon Hove.

Obituaries in this edition were: Ottis Lawrence Hanks and John Lorenzo Schoenmann.

The new Kellerton Bird Conservation Area,  a 740 acre area of ground two miles west and one mile south of Kellerton, was dedicated in ceremonies Wednesday, April 25. Over 50 people were on hand for the ceremony at the site which is the primary prairie chicken site in the state.

A former Ringgold County resident has been named sheriff of Louisa County in southeast Iowa.

Curt Braby of Morning Sun, formerly of Mount Ayr. He is the son of Jane and Roland Buck of Mount Ayr and a Mount Ayr Community high school graduare.

Mekenze Bishop of Mount Ayr has been chosen by American Legion Auxiliary Unit #172 of Mount Ayr to attend the annual session of the Iowa American Legion Auxiliary Girls State to be held June 10-15.

What’s the next golf extravaganza dreamed up by Jay Watson and Lynn Rinehart of Jay-Lynn-O Tours of Mount Ayr.

How about the “Boats, Bikes, Buses, Planes, Vans, Horses, Harleys and Trains 2001 tour.

All proceeds will go to Camp Courageous of Iowa, the camp for people with special needs near Monticello.

Birth: April 25, a daughter, Caroline, to Tim and Sarah McAlexander.

Obituary in this edition was Veda Merle Green Stone.

A Mount Ayr man returned from the adventure of a lifetime far above the Artic Circle in northern Canada.

Jeff Haugland traveled 3,500 mile to Ulukhaktok, Canada, located on Victoria Island in the northwest territories to hunt muskox.

The Tingley “T” club held a surprise birthday party for Marjorie Ibbotson’s 100th birthday Friday afternoon at Maple Ridge Assisted Living.

The Arion Award for the top senior music student was given to Alex Young at Monday’s spring band concert.

Obituaries in this edition were: Nina Ruth Holtzman Powell, Betty Jo French Ruby, Raymond “Shorty” Umbarger, J. Ilene Stanley Tull.

Birth: April 12, a daughter, Joslyn, to Joe and Lindsey Catanzareti.