Mount Ayr Record-News
Mount Ayr, Ringgold County, Iowa

BEACONSFIELD, Loretta Rotert:

Thursday, March 16, 2006:

March 13 - Tess MYER, a student in the Mount Ayr Community school district, was honored for her historical essay that she wrote about her aunt, Astronaut Peggy WHITSON. Tess is the daughter of Jackie and Hugh WHITSON. Tess and her teacher, Faye HOWIE, and grandmother, Beth WHITSON, went to the capitol in Des Moines to attend the award ceremony on Wednesday.

BENTON, by Mary Swank:

Thursday, May 25, 2006:
On May 10, Junior and Mary SWANK took Howard and Wilma WHITE of Greenfield to bingo and congregate meals and helped Howard celebrate his 96th birthday anniversary.

Thursday, June 01, 2006:
Bob and Lucy RICKER and Patty and Wallace SOBOTKA attended the Diagonal alumni banquet Saturday evening.

Skip and Tina LANE of Michigan and Kristopher LANE of Creston are visiting a few days with Ann and Dick BAKRE. A family get-together was held Sunday with the whole clan present.

Mary GEPNER went to an open house Saturday afternoon in the home of Ellen and Craig ELLIOTT. The open house was to introduce everyone to their new granddaughter, Jessica.

Some of those attending the Benton alumni banquet Sunday evening were Mary GEPNER, Don and Joan STRINGHAM, Bob ANDREWS and Bill and Phyllis ANDREWS.

Bill and Virginia REES had family guests over the Memorial weekend. Their houseguest were Mark and Debbie ECHIART of Clinton and John ECHIART of Iowa City. Other guests in their home were Helen BLUNCK, Joann TRULLINGER of Muscatine, Judy and Don SNEDEKRE, Eric and Cathy SNEDEKER and Courtney, all of Des Moines, Jill of Des Moines, David and Nancy STEPHENS of Norwalk, Bill and Kathi BLUNCK, Larry and Linda SICKELS of Mount Ayr, Duane and Jean DAVENPORT of Aurora, CO and Bill BLUNCK and Meagan McCANN of the Kansas City area.

Twenty of the BLUNCK family attended the Benton alumni banquet Sunday evening. They enjoyed visiting with Benton graduates and others.

BLACKMORE CORNER, by Connie Huff:

Thursday, June 01, 2006:
Linda SWANSON attended the 50th anniversary party for Bill and Rosa FIFER at the Christian Church in kellerton. On Sunday she attended the 65th anniversary of Buck and May LEEPER at their home south of Kellerton. She also visited with her aunt, Edna GIBSON, and her family at her farm near Kellerton. Linda also enjoyed having lunch with Dave and Stacy JONES and Cody to help her sister, Cathy COULSON, celebrate her birthday.

Don and Connie HUFF had a busy holiday weekend. Connie's sister Raola GILES of Nevada, came on Saturday to visit and spend the night. On Sunday Willis HUFF and son, Heath, of Ankeny were dinner guests and helped Don with some odd jobs. R. K. WALLER of Kansas City was a Monday morning caller and Don's sister, Janet MERCER, and Don and Connie's granddaughter, LeAnn HUFF, were Monday afternoon visitors. LeAnn was down for a last visit with her grandparetns before moving to Dallas, TX where she has employment.

Thursday, June 08, 2006:
Jack and Louise COTHRON celebrated their 51st anniversary on Sunday by going out for the smorgasboard at Quilt Country in Lamoni. The actual date of their anniversary was June 3.

Bob and Linda SWANSON attended the visitation for Nadine HOSFIELD Sunday evening.

Those from this area attending funeral services Monday were Hester DERSCHEID, Louise COTHRON and Neil and Cindy MORGAN.

Thursday, June 15, 2006:
Linda SWANSON visited with her nephew, Mark HIGDAY, the mayor of Caledonia. On Saturday, she and Bob attended the wedding of Mitch DOOLITTLE and Lacy ASKLAND at Three Mile Lake Lodge at Afton. Outside of a brief, heavy downpour, which sent everyone running for cover, Linda said it was a beautiful wedding. Mitch is the grandson of Gary and Kay DOOLITTLE of Mount Ayr.

CALEDONIA, by Brenda Karr:

Thursday, February 02, 2006:
Congratulations to Jodi CLAIR (ROBERTS). She graduated fromcosmetology school in Saint Joseph, MO. Those attending the ceremony were John and Rosemary ROBERTS, Valerie FLETCHALL, Dave WOOLUM and Ross and Gerry KING.

Thursday, March 16, 2006:

Deepest sympathy goes out to teh family of Pearl SICKELS (Shirley's stepmom) who passed away this week.

DELPHOS, by June Steinman:

Thursday, June 02, 2006:

Theron and Marilyn JOHNSON went to the high school alumni dinner Saturday night. Sunday afternoon visitors of the JOHNSON were Ivalle COFFEY and Russell and Janette WEST of Manteca, CA.

Mr. and Mrs. Harold STEPHENSON went to Albany, MO to visit Dick STEPHENSON and family. Harold took Dick to Liberty, MO hospital to take a shot necessary to him after his last chemo therapy treatment. Dick will go to Houston, TX next week for stem cell surgery at the M D Anderson Cancer Hospital.

Thursday, June 15, 2006:
June SEINMAN celebrated her 83rd birthday with her daughters, Judy PICKER and Sharon BOWEN, and granddaughter, Kendra BEIRMANN. They enjoyed lunch at Ruby Tuesdays in Omaha, NE. That evening they had supper at the home of Judy PICKER of Glenwood. Others joining the celebration were Matt BEIRMANN and great-grandchildren, Sydney and Gavin BEIRMANN.

HICKORY GROVE, by Rose James:

Thursday, May 25, 2006:
Driving home on a narrow dirt road close to my home and topping a hill, I saw something I never would have anticipated in a lifetime. At the bottom of the hill in the road was a pair of wild geese and six little fuzz ball goslings walking as if they owned the road. The mother goose, (I prseume it was the mother) was in front of them with the gander behind making sure I was not getting close enough to get them. There was no way I could do that without running over the goslings as they were scattering out in the road when I got too close.

Besides that, the gander was staying in front of the pickup, regardless of where I was driving on the road. This went on for a quarter of a mile until the gander must have decided he had had enough and flew to the left into a pasture. He tried his best to "talk" the mother goose into coming to him but she apparently was determined to stay on the road. Finally, the dirt road ended at a gravel cross road and I was hoping she would go to the right as I wanted to turn left. But no, with the gander in the pasture, she stayed on the side that he was, which meant turning to the left. So there I was, still trying to get around them.

Finally, my chance came as she and the goslings clustered on the left side of the road and I was able to go around hoping they wouldn't scatter and be run over by the pickup. I did go around and the mother goose must have decided I was still a threat as she ran alongside of me and then took off flying low to the ground. When she decided I was not a threat anymore, she took off and circled around toward her family. Looking in the rear view mirror, I saw the little ones run into the grass in the ditch. There was no sign of any of them when I returned driving that same road a little while later.

Thursday, June 15, 2006:
Congratulations goes out from the Hickory Grove/Middle Fork neighborhoods to Mr. and Mrs. Denzil [Scocorro] WAUGH for celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. Mr. and Mrs. Gene MOTSINGER, Neil JOHNSTON and Rose JAMES attended the open house at the Mount Ayr Country Club in honor of the anniversary couple.

KELLERTON, by Rose Merrill:

Thursday, May 25, 2006:
Congratulations to all the high school graduates near and far. The community wishes the best to seven students from Kellerton: Camron COLLIER, Mitchell GILLILAND, Ashley BROBST, Megan STARK, Andrew MERCER, Brandon STILL and Nicole MINNICK.

The Kellerton community was saddened to learn of the passing of Erbon NEWTON. He grew up in Kellerton. His parents were Walter and Bessie NEWTON.

Megan STARK and her parents, Mike and Brenda STARK, hosted a reception on Saturday at the Mount Ayr Christian Church. Relatives who attended were great-grandmothers, Goldie STARK and Loreen REED, grandparents, Marion and Donna STARK, uncle and aunt, Melvin and Judy DOOLITTLE, all of Kellerton. Sunday brought Megan STARK'S graduation at Mount Ayr and all the same relatives attended once again.

MALOY, by Liz Lynch:

Thursday, February 02, 2006:
Word was received by friends and 1940 classmates last week that Thelma COURTNER DICKERSON had passed away. Thelma was a registered nurse and lived in Tulsa, OK. She had been married to George "Buss" DICKERSON.

Thursday, June 01, 2006:
Sympathy is extended to Myrna LUKO in the passing of her mother, Dale JARRED. Dale had been a resident of Clearview many years and Myrna came from Des Moines every Sunday to visit her.

Congratulations to Pattie and Phil FOLTZ who celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Sunday. Pattie CULVER was a Maloy girl.

Congratulations to Joyce WEEHLER who retired from her duties as an aide at the Mount Ayr Community school after 14 years.

Randall LYNCH came down Sunday mid-morning and he and his mother left on a trip to decorate garves in five cemeteries. First, the Fletchall, northeast of Grant City, MO, where the LYNCHES are and then to the Isabelle, south of Allendale, MO, where his mom has been told that everyone in the cemetery is related and Grandpa HILLS are buried there. Next they went northeast of Allendale to Lotts Grove where the BUTLERS and ancestors are buried and then on east through Hatfield, MO to Lone Rock to decorated teh JONES relatives' graves. Lastly, they went to Rose Hill in Mount Ayr. Randy took lots of pictures of the ancestors' stones to get the names and dates. Liz told Randy how the relatives came togther. He took a picture of his mother beside her great-grandfather, Abraham BUTLER'S stone. He and his wife and older children came from Ohio to Worth county [Missouri] in the 1860s and also a picture with her grandmother, Emma MURPHY BUTLER'S stone, who died when her children, Murray was five, Jessie was three and little Emma was three weeks.

Her parents, Louisa and George MURRAY, are also buried there but the lettering had worn too badly to read. At Lone Rock the great-grandparents' ancestors came from Wales to Connecticut and a son, Ahira JONES, moved on to New York and to Wisconsin and then to Decatur county [IA] and Harrison county [MO]. Ahira and wife are buried in Wisconsin. I hope you enjoyed my little trip back in time. I get a little carried away. I would enjoy your story I am sure.

On May 10 the Indianola paper had this second headline across the front page of the paper, "Butler lands dream internship." Peter BUTLER, an Indianola gradaute and a Simpson [College] sophomore, will be one of four student athletic trainers for the Green Bay Packers. He will be gone for one week in June to get acquainted with, what happens to be, his favorite NFL team and go back from July 25 until the first of September for mini-camp and the pre-season. Pete was one of about 94 applicants for this position. The other three student athletic trainers are all returning from last year. The Packers hired just one new spot, Pete BUTLER. Taping 100 ankles and wrists a day and hanging around for two-a-day practices may sound tedious. Pete BUTLER cannot wait to get started. He is the son of Bradley BUTLER and the grandson of Phyllis and the late Bud BUTLER.

The DAILEYS had lots of company over the long weekend including Jake's brother, Frank, of Fargo, ND, their daughter, Diane and Kenny WOOD, and their family from Oklahoma. The occasion was Memorial Day and they all attended the open house for Ronnie LANDPHAIR, husband of Martha DAILEY. He is retiring from teaching in the Mount Ayr Community school system. Everyone wishes him well in his retirement.

Thursday, June 22, 2006:
Liz had a letter from Marjorie PUTNEY with a check to support the care of the Platte River Cemetery. She reports that she is recuperating from lumpectomy surgery and radiation treatment. Everyone wishes her well.

A check was also received from Mr. James NEWTON. He told Liz that when they were at the Platte River Cemetery his daughter, Marilyn, played a tribute to her great-great-grandfather's gave on her bagpipe. She wore the appropriate Scottish military uniform. She will be retired from the United States Air Force as M/Sgt in July. She is a veteran of the Gulf War. The family plans to attend the ceremony at Scott's Air Force Base in July.

REDDING:

Thursday, June 15, 2006:
Leo and Gerry McDANIEL attended the 50th wedding anniversary celebration for Denzil and Socorro WAUGH Sunday at the Mount Ayr Country Club.

Don and Darlene BEAR attended the Solomon BEAR family reunion over the weekend. Thirty-seven of the family met at Smith's Sports & Spirits in Mount Ayr on Friday night for supper. The reunion continued at the Ellston community hall on Saturday and Sunday with 67 BEARS from California, Missouri, New York, Michigan, Texas and Minnesota as well as several towns from Iowa meeting to visit and eat together.

Down REDDING WAY by Mary Troyer:

Thursday, February 02, 2006:
The MAST sisters had a comfort-knotting last Wednesday held in Robert DETWEILER'S shop. Twenty-some women and girls had gathered, seven comforters were knotted and a quilt put in a frame for Mrs. Robert. She makes and sells beautiful quits.

Thursday, May 25, 2006:
Born to Alvin and Mary BONTRAGER, a son, David, May 15. Grandparents are Mose and Katie BONTRAGER of Bloomfield and Monroe SCHROCKS of LaPlata, MO.

Alma DETWEILER had a two-day quiliting last week for the church women and girls. It was a fun, social and enjoyable day for everybody from the youngest to the oldest and with a good full-course meal to boot.

The young folks gathered at Junior MILLERS Thursday evening. They boys chopped firewood and dug postholes. The girls chopped up rhubarb and cut some carpet rags. The usual snacks and volleyball followed after the work.

Thursday, June 15, 2006:
The Allen DETWEILER family, Eli MASTS and Barbara and Lena YODER, Mary BONTRAGER, Aden PLANK and Alton BEECHY attended the wedding in Bloomfield of Marvin BEECHY and Malinda MAST.

The MAST sisters, Salina, Anna and Mattie, also went to Bloomfield to be with their brothers, Menno and family as well as Eli and martha, who were there from Windsor.

Levi and Rosa also went to Bloomfield to get supplies for his window shop. Rosa visited with former acquaintances, the Andy LAPPS of Hartville, OH, who are stying at Vernon TROYERS at this time.

Guests of Herman MASTS Sunday evening when they had their Kentucky guests were local cousins, Juniors, Joes and Sams, all MILLERS, Paul, Reubens and Jonases, all TROYERS and Lester BEECHYS. They had a covered dish meal.

Several families and young folks had gone to the Diagonal area for the wedding of Mattie BONTRAGER and Ezra MILLER on Thursday.

TINGLEY:

Thursday, June 15, 2006:
Being fewer in number sure didn't hurt the sound of the Friday Singers Friday. Comments were heard from several present that they thought they sounded the best they have for awhile. Members this day included Darlene MORGAN, their pianist, Bonnie MATTHEWS, their director, Wilmoth NICHOLS, Dorothy CLOUGH, Harold BROWN, George HOSFIELD, Wilmina and Dave JENNINGS, Marge and Dave PATCH and Darlene and Don WIMMER. Charlie MANDERS and Dave JENNINGS brought jokes to tell to add a bit of humor to the day.

Transcriptions by Sharon R. Becker, 2012