LOOKING BACK in the Early Files by Lora Stull

The trial of man charged with murder of union county sheriff opened Monday.

The trial of “Big George” Gibson, of Thayer, charged with the murder of Sheriff Fred Collins of Union County March 8, was begun in the district court at Creston Monday afternoon. Judge Homer A. Fuller, of Mount Ayr, is presiding at the hearing. Motion for change of venue, filed by the defendant’s brother, who is serving as his attorney, was argued Monday and promptly overruled by the court. The work of selecting a jury for the trial was begun yesterday and will probably be concluded today. The case is attracting wide attention.

J.E. Nichols enters plea of “Guilty” and Is Sentenced By Judge Fuller.

J.E. Nichols, who last week was brought from Springfield, Ill., as a suspect in connection with the attempt to rob the First National Bank of Diagonal, and who made written confession before County Attorney Grant L. Hayes and Cashier D. V. Ferris, entered a plea of guilty in the district court Thursday afternoon and was sentenced by Judge Homer A. Fuller to not less than ten years in the penitentiary at Fort Madison. Sheriff Stephens took the prisoner to Fort Madison Monday.

For the first time in the history of the local high school track teams, members of the team took part in the Iowa state high school track and field meet at Des Moines Saturday.

This year the district system of qualifying contestants was used for the meet. Until this year not over seventy of the Iowa high schools had ever taken part, but with the new method over 130 schools were represented.

The mile relay team of Mount Ayr high school, composed of Johnston, Morse, Davis and Keating, finished a good sixth from a field of fourteen teams all of whom had finished first, second or third in their district meet the week before.

The Carroll high school team won the event in the fast time of three minutes, thirty-one and nine-tenths seconds.

Summers took part in the high jump but his jump of five feet seven inches failed to place him.

Marriage: May 12, Hazel Ellis and John Nichol..May 1, Nedra Vance and Clay Ogle.

Obituaries in this edition were: Francis Hughes, Nancy W. Cook Haley and Mary Ellen Warner.

Oral Miller, 56 years of age, was struck and instantly killed by lightning Friday afternoon during an electrical storm, while returning to his home, about four miles northwest of Grand River. Miller and his wife had been in Grand River during the afternoon and had started for their home as the thunderstorm approached. Soon afterwards it started to rain and their car became stuck in the mud. Leaving the car he and Mrs. Miller started to walk to their home when they were struck. Miller was walking a short distance behind his wife when he was struck and killed. Mrs. Miller was knocked down by the bolt and stunned, and was later taken to the Decatur County Hospital at Leon. Funeral services were held Monday afternoon from the Methodist church in Ellston, conducted by the Rev. A. R. Weed, janitor of the church. Interment was in the Ellston cemetery.

Johnnie Benton of Creston who recently purchased the Skelly Service Station on the south side of the square in Mount Ayr took possession of the business Monday of this week.

Marriage: May 22, Marilyn Kester and Forest McCleary.

Births: May 23, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Collins..May 21, a daughter, Virginia, to Mr. and Mrs. Pearl Barker.

Obituariies in this edition were: Addie Spitznogle, May Anna Agnes Husske Novak, Irma Lucille Wells, John Newton Morris and Alice Mary Poutney Foster.

Eight boys representing Mount Ayr Community in the state ClassB boys track meet at Drake Stadium in Des Moines this Friday and Saturday, May 28-29.

Competing in individual events will be Curt Eason in the high jump and Curt Braby in the discus. Eason has a season’s best of 6’ in the high jump and Braby’s best discus throw is 144’101/2”. Both were second in the district.

The medley relay team of Roger Robison, Rich Sickels, Scott Taylor and Earl McAlexander will be in action. They won the district in 3:47.7.

Also participating will be the 440 relay team of Taylor, Rich Combs, Mike and Rich Sickels.

They have a season’s best of :46.7 and were second in the district.

Winners in each of their respective classes of the Ringgold County soil essay contest are Tim Minnick of Kellerton and Rodney Hintz of Mount Ayr.

Tim Minnick was first place winner of $25.00 and a Bible in the senior high category and Rodney Hintz in the junior high class also won a Bible and $25.00.

The essay contest is held annually and sponsored jointly by the Soil Conservation Commission and the Ringgold County Ministerial Association.

Marriage: May 17, Myra Downie and John Van Uxem.

Birth: May 20, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Spencer Lumbard..May 18, a son to Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Corll.

Grant received to build restrooms at lake near Diagonal.The city of Diagonal recently received a grant of $24,445 through the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. The grant will provide 50 percent of the project cost to install separate, handicap accessible men’s and women’s restrooms and showers and one waste water improvement system at the Marlin E. Fogle Recreation Area.

Redding second in state golf: Mount Ayr Community Raider junior T. J. Redding brought home second place in the state golf meet as an individual when he was runner-up medalist at the class 2A golf meet held in Ankeny Friday and Saturday. Redding shot a three over par 74 the first day and a one over par 72 the second day for a total of 146, three shots behind the state champion.

The jury verdict in favor of a Ringgold County plaintiff for injuries suffered when helping a neighbor work cattle was overturned by the Iowa Court of Appeals in a verdict announced last week. John D. Walkup of Redding had been awarded damages of $11,400 for injuries received when a cow kicked him while he was helping David Maudlin of Redding work cattle by a Ringgold County jury.

Birth: May 15, a son,  Cade, to Mr. and Mrs. Clint Housh.

Obituaries in this edition were: Eva Luceal Link Knight, Major Blaine Allison Herren and Charley A. Miller.

State Champion Relay Team. In a time of 3:36.01, the Raider distance medley relay team of Trevor Anderson, Kyle

Dolecheck, Jacob Taylor and Cal Daughton captured the gold medal at the State Track Meet in

Des Moines last week. Dolecheck also claimed his third straight state title in the 800 meter dash,

becoming only the fifth Iowa boy in history to claim three 800m titles. Anderson also placed fifth

in the 800 meters.

Southwestern Community College electrical technology student Daniel Leonard of Mount Ayr and auto collision repair/refinish student Shelby Woods from Madison, MO took home first place honors at the Iowa SkillsUSA 2016 competition in Ankeny on April 29.

Abbey Schafer chips onto the green in the Regional Final Tournament in Anita. Schafe was the only Raiderette to qualify for state after scoring 91.

The Sprint Medley team of Caylie Hickman, Alyssa Johnson, Keirston Klommhaus and Bailey Anderson set a new school record breaking the 43 year old record of 1:54.84 that was set in 1973 with a time of 1:54.72.

Birth: May 19, son, Brantley to Mr. and Mrs. Cody Morrison..May 18, son, Liam, to Lindsy Reeser and Ryker Carruthers.

Obituaries in this edition were: Myna Ione Hughes Gibbens, Margaret Louise Moore Reynolds, and Cecil Davenport.