LOOKING BACK in the Early Files

Sam Goodwin, 54 years of age, was killed by lightening on his farm 2 miles east of Denver, MO, during the electric storm Monday afternoon.

Mr. Goodwin had gone to the pasture to look after a pair of newly born twin mules and take them to shelter to protect them from the approaching storm.

Last week we failed to mention a hail storm which covered quite a little strip of country just east of Kellerton a week ago last Wednesday evening. All who were in the path of the storm are unanimous in declaring that the hail stones were by far the largest they had ever seen, as they were the size of baseballs and larger.

Through the untiring efforts of Sheriff Marion Stephens and County Attorney Grant Hayes, the young man who the night of May 13 was found lying near the Great Western track in Diagonal and who gave his name as Victor Renault, has been identified as Walter Baker, an escaped convict from the state penitentiary at Chester, IL.

The largest tomato farm in Iowa is near Muscatine where the Heinz people have 1,500 acres planted to this vegetable, or is it fruit? When the killing frost struck that locality on the night of May 24 it played havoc with at least 700 acres so that replanting is necessary and plants for this purpose are very scarce, especially in such large quantities.

Marriage: May 27, Ruby Brown and Maline McChesney.

Birth: May 27, a daughter, to Mr. and Mrs. Carroll Merritt…May 27, a daughter, Carolyn, to Mr. and Mrs. William Warrick…May 26, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Mason Ranck…May 30, a son to Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hargin.

Obituaries in this edition were: W. H. Scott, Clarence Cronin, George B. Seaton, Rebecca Lyons Mustard Neely, and Francis Edward Ferber.

  Seventy-Five

Years Ago

(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, June 8, 1950.)

Lanore Bullock, of the Jolly Jinglers 4-H club, won top honors in the better groomed girl revue which was staged at the annual girl’s 4-H rally day, June 6 at the schoolhouse in Mount Ayr.

Flames swept the workshop of the Roe Implement Co. Tuesday just before noon, causing an estimated $600 damage to a tractor and undetermined loss to the building and other equipment.

The fire was started when a spark from a bare wire on a tractor ignited gasoline around the segment bulb, which soon broke, causing a constant flow of gas which fed the flames.

Marriage: May 14, Goldie Burchett and Ronald Wilkerson…May 28, Perry Langer and Eva McDowell.

Births: May 28, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Jake Moore…May 29, a son, Terry Rex, to Mr. and Mrs. R.E. Mosier…May 25, a daughter, Freida, to Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Beck.

Fifty Years Ago

(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, June 5, 1975.)

Business at Cole True Value Hardware, located on the northwest corner of the square, was brought to a complete halt early Monday morning when the southwest corner of the building collapsed. The mishap occurred about 4:30 a.m., Mr. and Mrs. Dan Day, who live one-half block west were awakened by the burglar alarm sounding at the building. They reported the collapse to deputy sheriff LaVerne Worthington, who contacted the Cole’s .

Evidentially the south half of the west wall collapsed allowing the second floor to fall in on the first.

News of men in the armed services: Tom Terry, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Terry of Mount Ayr, is now taking basic training at the naval training station in San Diego, CA.

Navy Seaman recruits Darrell James and Vernon Millsap of Mount Ayr have reported for duty aboard the destroyer tender, USS Samuel Gompers.

Marriage: April 4, Paul Long and Bonnie Alford.

Births: May 28, a son to Mr. and Mrs. Charles Adams Jr…May 31 a son to Mr. and Mrs. Mike Noel.

Kenny Markley of Lamoni won the annual Mount Ayr open golf tournament played Sunday when he shot a 99 which was seven under par. Ed Hutchinson placed second, Dave Weekland third and Andy Sackett fourth.

Obituaries in this edition were: John William White and Vera Eunice Davis Henry.

Twenty-Five

Years Ago

(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, June 8, 1997.)

A new attraction is in place at Judge Lewis Park in Mount Ayr just in time for summer use. Paving of a half mile walking trail around the park was completed this past week by TEK Builders of Mount Ayr.

For the first time in fifty-three years Mount Ayr will soon not have a store with the Place’s name on it. ShopKo Stores Inc., of Green Bay, WI, is purchasing the Place’s Discount Stores and will run them under the Pamida name, one of the company’s other retail division..

Ten Years Ago

(From the Mount Ayr Record-News,Thursday, June 11, 2015.)

Mount Ayr is excited to welcome Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz and Antique Archeology to the area. Beginning next month the team will film episodes of their hit series America Pickers throughout Iowa.

The second time was the charm for a Mount Ayr Community graduate who was recently honored as the recipient of the prestigious Edison Award from the General Electric Corp. After being among the award nominees last year, David McDainel, a 1969 Mount Ayr graduate, was named the 2015 winner of the award that recognizes excellence in new product and service development, marketing, human centered design and innovation.

Obituaries in this edition were: Harlan D. Layton, John Rolla Brown, Katherine Louise Webb Wion, Raymond Edward Uresk, Gilbert Samuel Webb Jr.