LOOKING BACK in the Early Files

Narrow Escape From Death: Turning a flip flop in a Ford coupe, tumbling down a 30 foot embankment over a rocky surface into the water below~just like they do to produce thrillers for the movies, except at a higher rate of speed~was the experience of Ed Baker, engineer employed on the improvement project now under way at the Mount Ayr water works last Thursday about 10 o’clock.

Two foot-sore and trail-weary hikers made their arduous way into the city of Mount Ayr Tuesday morning, begrimed with the dust of the trail and with belts drawn to the last notch through failure of their “hobo” efforts.

They seemed without definite sense of direction as they entered the city limits. To the casual observer just two more “knights of the road” had come to try their luck at bumming in town.

Births: Friday a son to Mr. and Mrs. Walt Mickelson..July 20, a son to Mr. and Mrs. George Blunck and July 18, a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Corwin Main.

Obituary in this edition was, Iva S. Brown.

Duane McClintock of Redding pleaded guilty Saturday evening before justice of the peace, C.E. Thompson, to charges of reckless driving. He paid a fine of $100 and his Missouri drivers license was suspended for 30 days. His Iowa license had expired in May. The charges were filed following the death of Mrs. Dorothy Deardorff, of Maryville, MO., who was struck by the McClintock auto west of Maloy early in the morning of July 23.

Lew Reynolds took 2nd place honors with his team in the team pulling contest held Friday night as a climax to the Elliott celebraton. In their final pull the Reynolds’ team moved the sled and 6,000 pounds a distance of seventeen feet and nine inches.

Two young men from Mount Ayr left last week for service with the U.S. Navy.

Charles “Red” Saville, son of Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Saville, went to Des Moines where he enlisted, and the following day left for San Diego, CA, where he will receive training.

Tommy Richards , who served during World War II, went Friday to Des Moines for re-enlistment. From Des Moines he continued to Chicago, IL, where he will be assigned to duty.

Marriage: April 23, Irma Robinson and William Klinge..July 5, Mr. and Mrs. John Michaels.

Births: July 27, a daughter, Sharon, to Mr. and Mrs. Albert Shoemaker..July 27, a son to Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Smith..July 28, a daughter, Susan, to Mr. and Mrs. Velmar Stephens.

Obituaries in this edition were: Mary Ann Jenkins Osborn, George Defenbaugh, John Stephen O’Grady, and George Richardson.

A new form of bridge construction, first of its kind in Iowa is expected to be completed in the next few days in Ringgold county.

County Engineer Paul Hixson said the bridge located about 2.5 miles northeast of Diagonal on Squaw Creek features glue-laminated pressure treated wood stringers in place of the more conventional steel construction.

Permission of a district court judge will be needed before an Iowa marriage license will be issued to any couple in which one or both persons are under 18 years of age, under a new law passed by the 1975 Iowa General Assembly and recently signed by Gov. Ray.

Mount Ayr volunteer firemen were called to the Eugene Comer farm home about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday when flames were discovered on the second floor of the house.

Marriage: June 21, Diana O’Dell and Douglas Wegner..June 14, Catherine Lawlor and Philip Stone.

Obituaries in this edition were: William Alden “Tommy” Thompson and Fredrick Franklin Morse.

Charles Mander of Ellston named Iowan for a Day honor set for August 19. Each day of the Iowa State Fair an Iowan will be honored as Iowan of th Day. After reviewing many deserving nominations, a panel of judges named Mander due to his dedicated involvement in Ellston and and the surrounding area.

Terri Main, president of TEK Builders in Mount Ayr, is the featured contractor profile in the July 2000 issue of the AGC Iowa constructor, published by the Associated General Contractors of Iowa.

Josh Egly of Red Oak, formerly of Redding and son of John and Marlee Egly, placed 3rd in Southwest Iowa Arm Wrestling Tournament July 4 in Malvern, IA.

Birth: July 25, a daughter, Felicia, to Mr. and Mrs. L.J. Hembry..July 29, a son, Jake, to Mr. and Mrs. Ronnie Landphair.

Obituaries in this edition: Viola Velva Godden Beck..Ruth Eurritt Harris.

Early in 2014, the Wishard Chapel Com. Church and United Baptist Presbyterian Church of Mount Ayr embarked on a donation drive to build two new churches in the country of Nepal.

The two new churches that were built through the local Mount Ayr congregations were erected in two small mountain villages, Binaya Biruwater and Birenchoek, located near Pokhara in western Nepal. In November 2014 Pastor Mike Maddy of the UBP church and Connie Richards of the Wishard Chapel congregation traveled to Nepal to represent their individual churches at the dedication services.

Goats to help clear Prairie Rose Park. This week, about 20 goats will arrive to chow down on non-native honeysuckle and other nuisance vegetation threatening to crowd-out native plants in the park’s woodlands.

Sixteen new foods will debut at this year’s Iowa State Fair, including sweet treats like Apple Pie on a Stick and Toasted Coconut Caramel Cluster as well as hearty snacks like the Ultimate Bacon Brisket Bomb and Deep Fried Nacho Balls.

Obituary in this edition was, Lawrence James.