The Odebolt History Pages
www.rootsweb.com/~iaohms/
Monument Circle – a winter view,
probably from the early 1920's.
(Click photo to enlarge and read the
meaning of this WWI monument.)
The Chronicle, Vol. 118, No. 5
Jan. 29, 2009
Photos in this week’s Chronicle:
--Elaine Rex recently celebrated her 50th year as a member of Chapter
DS, P.E.O. Sisterhood, and was honored by Chapter DS on January 22.
Elaine is pictured with Alice Hemphill, president of Chapter DS in
1958, and Corinne Down, a member in 1958.
--An Iowa Department of Transportation snow blower is
pictured clearing packed snow drifts along Iowa Highway 39 in front of
Odebolt Cemetery.
Odebolt Public Library
Donations and memorials received July 2008 through December 2008 are
listed in this week’s Chronicle.
Odebolt Museum
Donations and memorials for 2008 are listed in this week’s Chronicle.
This week’s Chronicle includes a supplement, the
2009 Bridal Magazine. Included are photos and the story of lovely
garden wedding at the Prairie Pedlar north of Odebolt in July 2008.
FOR SALE
Chronicle Family Cookbooks
Only $10
Supply is limited, so stop in today!
 |
The Trojan/Falcon
Frontline
Read sports & school
news in this special section of
The Chronicle each week.
|
--Falcons place 2nd in OABCIG invitational,
capture 2 more conference duals.
--OA-BCIG Bowling Girls and Junior Varsity lose against Denison
and Sgt. Bluff-Luton.
--Trojans win against Schaller-Crestland and Kingsley-Pierson,
fall to MVAO in Mapleton and to ArWeVa in Westside.
--Trojanettes win over Kingsley-Pierson and in Mapleton; lose in
Westside.
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ODEBOLT.NET NEWS
B. Horak & B. Ekse, Webnews Editors
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Odebolt History Pages
www.rootsweb.com/~iaohms/
WINTER
It's been a cold winter, but we can turn up the
thermostats in our homes and drive in heated vehicles. It wasn't so
easy for pioneer families. They didn't even have the benefit of a
weather forecast to warn them that a blizzard was on its way.
One day Mr. Olney made a trip to Westside to do some trading and he
was overtaken by a blizzard on his way home. His team gave out from
wallowing through the snow drifts and he unhitched them and turned
them loose, leaving the load behind, but the horses brought him home
safe about daylight. In the meantime the folks at home had their share
of troubles. There was no wood cut and the snow had covered up the ax.
To keep from freezing they shoved a long pole through the window and
used a blade of a scythe, which happened to be inside, to chop it into
short lengths.
Click for more
of the Olney Pioneer Story!
FROM THE
IDA COUNTY
COURIER
1/21/2009 O-A board okays early retirements --
(Excerpt)
The Odebolt-Arthur School Board approved three
early retirement applications and three resignations Jan. 13.
The early retirement applications and resignations
(effective at the conclusion of the 2008-09 school year) were for Ray
Leege-high school math, 26 years; Carolyn Menage-Title I instructor
and curriculum director, 35 years; and Karen Sampers-family and
consumer science, 29 years.
Board president Paul Neumann, on behalf of the board
and district, thanked the individuals for their years of service to
the school district.
(Read more from the Ida County Courier paper or
subscribe to the on-line edition.)
Clarissa G. Veit, age 87, of Odebolt,
Iowa, passed away on Saturday, January 17, 2009 at Regency Park Nursing &
Rehab in Carroll.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday,
January 21st, at St. Martin’s Catholic Church in Odebolt with Father John
McGuirk officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery under the
direction of the Farber & Otteman Funeral Home in Odebolt.
Visitation will be prior to the funeral, Wednesday,
beginning at 9:00 a.m. at the church.
Read her obituary at Farber & Otteman web site.
Adams Ranch barn featured in
"Our Iowa" magazine
The holiday issue of "Our Iowa" magazine featured a
photo and article about the former Adams Ranch's huge barn and
excerpts of interviews with Doug & LaVola Stenoien, by Lynn Betts.
The article is entitled "The Granddaddy of Grand Old Barns". Here is a
link to
the magazine's web site.
The Chronicle, Vol. 118, No. 4
January 22, 2009
The
Mayor Sez...
I was going to comment on how much the price of crude
oil has dropped in the last month or two, but then I see where the price
of gasoline has been going just the opposite direction.........up! Can
some one enlighten me on the above phenomenon? Is gasoline not made from
crude oil? Folks, it's time to accelerate our usage of ethanol. I hear one
reason not to use ethanol is "I don't get as good gas mileage with
ethanol". So what! It's good for the farmer and that makes it good for
Iowa.
Someone said that the secret to happiness is a good
sense of humor and a bad memory.
From the 'Bolt,
R. J. Rex, Mayor
www.odebolt.net/council.html
Photos in this week's Chronicle:
Over 50 beef producers attended the Sac County
Cattlemen's Beef Quality Assurance program held at Kevin and Terri
Carstensen's on January 13.
Book Bingo is a big hit at the Odebolt Public
Library again this year. About 30 kindergarten through 5th grade
children have been participating in the activity each Thursday after
school.
Odebolt Library -- See this week's Chronicle
for the list of new books acquired in December 2008.
OBITUARY
VIRGINIA BROCKMAN
Virginia Brockman died at the Marquis Place
Nursing Home in Elkhorn, Nebraska on January 11, 2009.
Virginia was born October 15, 1920 to Otto and Anna (Blass) Brockman on a
farm near Early, Iowa. She received her education in Odebolt. After
graduating she attended Iowa State Teachers College for a year, then
decided to go to AIB in Des Moines.
She entered Civil Service of USA and was in Washington, D.C. for two
years. She moved to Denver to be with her family and worked as a
medical secretary to several surgeons at Fitzsimmons Army Medical
Center for a number of years.
She retired to Aurora, Colorado in June 1972, then she found time to
travel all over the world with her sister, Lillian.
Virginia was a faithful care-giver to her sisters, Genevea and Lillian
and her mother for a number of years.
She moved to Omaha in August 2006 and was there until her death.
She is survived by her niece, Kay Clanton; nephew, Mike Brockman of
Omaha; and a sister-in-law, Margaret Brockman of Odebolt.
Virginia was preceded in death by her brother, Slater of Odebolt; her
sisters, Geneva and Lillian of Aurora, Colorado; and a niece, Joan Dee
Rottler of Des Moines, Iowa.
|
|
The Trojan/Falcon
Frontline
Read sports & school
news in this special section of
The Chronicle each week.
|
--'Netttes win three Western Valleys road games,
lose at home to Schaller-Crestland.
--Trojans drop three conference games, have tight win over
Schaller-Crestland.
--OA-BCIG bowling varsity lose to LeMars, junior varsity win.
--Falcons win two more Western Valleys Conference duals.
Photo of Superintendent Dani Trimble speaking
about the O-A school-based mentoring program at the Sac County
Appreciation Dinner January 11.
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ODEBOLT.NET NEWS
B. Horak & B. Ekse, Webnews Editors
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Iowa Cattlemen's Association News
(Excerpt) Kevin Carstensen will hand over the reins of the Iowa Cattlemen's
Association to Kent Pruismann at the ICA Annual Meeting January 7, in
Ames after serving two terms. ..... Kevin has been a great
representative and spokesman for the ICA and will be missed; however
we are fairly certain we have not heard the last of Kevin or his wife,
Terri, who serves on the Iowa Beef Industry Council board. Kevin and
Terri are both looking forward to less leadership time and more time
for leisure and travel.
Read the whole story at
Iowa Cattlemen's Association
Lundell Plastics Introduces QuickHinge
Harlan, IA- Most farmers know that dealing with the
lids on planter boxes can be a cumbersome and time-consuming affair.
Implement dealer Roger Sorensen was hearing the complaints of farmers
so frequently that he decided to enlist some outside help to find a
solution. In response, Lundell Plastics created the QuickHinge, a new
design for box planters which employs a simple solution to solve a
frustrating problem.
Planter box lids are traditionally removed for filling
the boxes, and sometimes removed undesirably by wind gusts on the
field. The new QuickHinge installs to allow farmers to fill their
planter boxes more quickly and easily- they simply flip the lid open,
fill the box, and then snap the lid back into place. QuickHinge
also prevents lids from being blown off during transport.
Lundell Plastics designed the QuickHinge to last
farmers through many seasons of tough use. It features all-steel
construction and is protected by a durable powder-coat finish. The
company says the device will install simply in minutes. Vance Lundell,
founder and owner of the company, said, “We’re always trying to
innovate new ways to make work smarter and easier. The QuickHinge is a
great solution to save farmers time and money.”
Lundell Plastics is perhaps best known for pioneering
in the auger market, replacing traditional steel flighting with
hi-tech plastic flighting that is very durable and handles seed more
gently. From their headquarters in Odebolt, Iowa they manufacture and
ship products internationally.
More information about Lundell Plastics and their
products is available at
www.lundellplastics.com
Read
Lundell Plastics page on
odebolt.net
The Odebolt History Pages
www.rootsweb.com/~iaohms/
In 1918 many young men from the area were serving in
the armed services during World War I. Here is some news extracted
from their letters home.
The Odebolt Chronicle, VOLUME XXXI, NUMBER 39,
JANUARY 17, 1918
OUR SAMMIES
From John Ketterer.
Dear Father and All:--
I suppose you think we left this place last Monday but
on account of transportation we could not get away, but am sure we
will be on our way to New York before you receive this letter. We are
all packed and can leave on 15 minutes notice. We have been working
like blazes getting ourselves in shape, also have lots of lectures and
classes, in fact I am cutting a lecture so I can write this note to
you.
We are having our first real cold spell. It snowed all
night and now its a regular Iowa blizzard outside. I like it myself
for a change.
I must close for this time and go over to school. Will write you more
from N. Y.
With love to all, your loving son,
John C.
Floyd Rex writes his mother, Mrs. Eleanor
Chalmers, that he is in quarantine for measles at Camp Cody. He does
not say whether it is his company, his messmates or who. Floyd has had
the measles so is not sick himself. He says they have plenty of good
reading and amusements and that they had a minister who gave them fine
addresses. These things come to them through the Y. M. C. A. Floyd is
driving motor trucks and has exercise and drill every day.
Ralph Cunningham writes local friends that he
is still in the hospital at Fort Logan.
Raymond Halling, who was one of the drafted men from this
county, son of Mr. and Mrs. John Halling, and was sent to Camp Pike,
has entered the Signal corps.
Also read the
WWI Letters of John E. Kuhl
from The Odebolt History Pages.
Have you ever visited The Odebolt History Pages
History and Genealogy Message Board?
People post questions about
history and families there and receive answers.
Check it out!
The Chronicle, Vol. 118, No. 3
January 15, 2009
The Mayor Sez…
I checked my calendar the other day and
discovered that there are only sixty-five days left until Spring. If
you really want those sixty-five days to fly by simply go to the bank,
borrow say $10,000.00, payment due March 21st, 2009. Just wait and see
how fast those days will evaporate.
Dec. of 2008 will probably go down as one of the most
harsh winter months on record (so will our heating bills). Anyway, the
City appreciates everyone’s cooperation in letting our snow removal
crews do their job. I don’t know of one vehicle that had to be towed.
We appreciate! Now the, shoveling sidewalks has left something to be
desired. Letters have gone out to the perpetrators.
Another item high on the list of things not to do is
ride an ATV on the street. That is an Iowa law, not a City ordinance.
The fine is around 80 bucks. High on the list of things to remember is
when riding your snowmobile use the designated entries/exits.
From the ‘Bolt,
R. J. Rex, Mayor
www.odebolt.net/council.html
Photo in this week’s Chronicle:
Cubby’s Biggest Stocking was so big that the winner had to have her
big brother hold up the stocking in the photo.
Letter to the Editor
Some readers may be interested in the rest of the
story about Santa’s visit to Caroll’s Kitchen. Caroll was reluctant to
consent to Roger’s insistence to share the Santa story in the first
place. Caroll felt the attention was not warranted. It seems almost
everyone else thought differently. The Sioux City Journal was the
first to grab on to it for publication. The local Chronicle felt that
it was a story to share. Lastly we received a copy of the story
printed in the Pilot Tribune of Storm Lake. Topping it all off, we, or
I should say Caroll, was sent a letter actually from “Santa”.
It seems that he was pleased by all the articles about
his visit to Caroll’s Kitchen. He apparently is a member of the A.R.K.
Acts of Random Kindness. “Pass it on:” reads his calling card. The
back side of the card states “remember God loves you.”
Believe it or not, Santa sent another $100 bill along
with a printed letter.
His letter said: “What a thoughtful thing to do, the paper
had a nice article. I did appreciate the fine meal you served on your
off hours. It isn’t the gifts you have but ones you give away that are
important. You are apparently a super giver. Have a good year.” Santa
I, Roger, believe that Caroll deserved to have her bucket
filled, so to speak, by this stranger but she feels that this Santa
story has overshadowed all the many Christmas cards with the
unbelievable generous gifts of money from her regular customers. She
is humbled by it all. “How can I ever quit and leave here?” she
wonders.
As for myself, Roger, so many people commented as to what a
great Christmas story this was.
The readers were from Sioux City; really from all
northwest Iowa. A few new customers came into the cafe just to see
where Santa showed up. Perhaps everyone needed a warm story in this
cold winter; perhaps a happy story was needed in this bad economy. I
certainly have a hard time believing the interest in the Santa story.
And that is the rest of the story!
Roger Kies, Odebolt
OBITUARY
ELAINE LARSON
Elaine Marjorie Larson died Saturday
afternoon at the Odebolt Nursing and Rehab Center in Odebolt, Iowa. At
the time of her death she had been blessed with 83 years, 3 months and
21 days.
Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday,
January 13, 2009, at the First Baptist Church, Kiron, Iowa, with
Pastor John Aiken officiating. Music for the service included the
congregation singing, ”Blessed Assurance” and soloist, Chad Larson,
singing, “Day by Day” with Mrs. John W. Larson serving as accompanist.
Those serving as pallbearers included Clayton Larson, Curtis Larson,
Conwell Larson, Chad Larson, John Larson, Jr. and David Larson.
Interment was at the Kiron Cemetery, Kiron, Iowa. Following the
interment all were invited to return to the church and join the family
in fellowship and a luncheon prepared and served by the Kiron Baptist
Social Committee. The Pfannebecker Funeral Home,
www.pfannebecker.com,
Denison, Iowa was in charge of arrangements.
Elaine Marjorie Larson was born September 19, 1925 at
her Kiron farm home to Clifford and Ethel (Turin) Larson. She began
country school at the age of four and graduated from the Kiron High
School with the class of 1941. Elaine always loved listening to or
performing music. She and her sister, Lucille, kept house for her
father and two brothers after their mother’s untimely death in 1939.
In 1965 they moved into Kiron. Elaine worked at
Nelson’s Drug Store and sang in a trio with Virginia Nelson and Wilma
Anderson called “Andy’s Girls”. She later was a waitress at the Kiron
Food Palace.
Elaine accepted Christ as her personal Savior and was
baptized at the Kiron Baptist Church. She taught Sunday School for
most of her life and enjoyed being with the children. The church choir
was also one of her favorite places of ministry. During her later
years she spent some summers working at the Okoboji Bible Conference.
She was a playful aunt to her niece and nephews.
Elaine had a very active part in the Denison Christian
Women’s Club and the Kiron American Auxiliary.
Left to remember her are her brother, John Wesley (Roby)
Larson of Kiron, sister-in-law, Wanda Larson of Kiron, nephews,
Clayton (Kathy) Larson and family of Odebolt, Curtis (Kim) Larson and
family of Arthur, Conwell (Sheryl) Larson and daughters of Kiron, Chad
(Wendy) Larson and sons of Denver, Colorado, John (Julie) Larson and
sons of Des Moines, Iowa, and niece Bethany (Pat) Duthie and sons of
New York, New York, plus numerous cousins and friends.
Preceding her to heaven were her parents, Clifford and
Ethel Larson, her sister, Lucille and a brother, Lewellyn Larson.
See this week’s Chronicle for details of the upcoming celebration
of Keith & Beth Reinhart’s 40th wedding anniversary.
Needed for 2009…
Lifeguards & Basket Persons
Pick up applications at the City Clerk’s office, Odebolt.
Return applications by February 2, 2009.
CITY OF ODEBOLT
CLOSINGS, MONDAY, JANUARY
19,
- Sac County Courthouse will be closed on Monday, January 19, in
observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- The United Bank of Iowa offices will be
CLOSED on Monday, January 19, 2009 in observance of
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Normal business hours will
resume on Tuesday, January 20th. UNITED BANK of IOWA,
Member FDIC
|
|
The Trojan/Falcon
Frontline
Read sports & school
news in this special section of
The Chronicle each week.
|
Photos:
Middle School Choir, High School Choir
Twelve high school and sixteen middle school
vocal music students, under the direction of Linda Johnson, will
be participating the new Western Valley Conference Vocal Music
Festival on January 19 at Westwood High School in Sloan. The
students will rehearse with their guest directors all day and
present a concert at 7 p.m. that evening.
--Trojans lose close calls to Southern Cal
Mustangs, Remsen-Union Rockets.
--Trojanettes top Galva-Holstein.
--Falcons win Paul Fuhrmann Invitational Dual Tournament in
Cherokee.
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ODEBOLT.NET NEWS
B. Horak & B. Ekse, Webnews Editors
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ODEBOLT BETTERMENT
COMMITTEE NEWS
January 8, 2009 - MATCHING GRANT!
We received word that we have qualified for a $1000.00
matching grant from MidAmerican's Trees Please Program. We have
other applications in the process and are hopeful for landscaping
items. As the timing is not ours to choose, things might not happen
until the fall of 2009 or even the spring of 2010. We are continuing
to push forward.
The Odebolt History Pages
www.rootsweb.com/~iaohms/
A LOOK BACK - 1950s and 60s
In 1955 black and white television sets were the norm
for home viewing. This 1955 photo taken in an Odebolt place of
business showcases the new star, color television. Do you recognize
anyone in the photo?
1955 PHOTO
Take a stroll down memory lane; view other photos of Odebolt
businesses from the 1950’s and 1960’s.
ODEBOLT BUSINESSES
Fire destroys rural
Ida County
home & church
Firefighters from four communities, including Kiron,
fought a blaze that burned a house, garage and an adjacent old church
building, located four miles south of Arthur, early Tuesday morning.
See the rest of the story at the
Denison "Bulletin Review"
Read more of the story at KTIV
The church that was burned was the old Arthur Baptist
Church. Read
its history at Kiron Kountry, a history website
by Glenn Gustafson about Kiron and surrounding rural areas. Also
check out the
MAIN INDEX of this amazing web site!
Article on Caroll's Kitchen
and a visit by a
mysterious "Santa Claus"
from the Sioux City Journal
Some months ago I was
contacted by Claire Crawford, a woman in the Davenport, Iowa area.
She is a friend of Barbara (Adams) Searles and had searched on the
internet to see if she could find anything about the Adams Ranch.
She found the Odebolt History Pages and was delighted to read
about the ranch and view the photos. She saw there that the
ranch had been featured in Odebolt's history books and emailed me to
find out if there were any copies available, especially of the booklet
compiled by Kyle Hustedt, "Fairview Farm History". She wanted to
give it, or any other ranch information available, to Barbara as a
Christmas gift.
After asking around Odebolt and checking with the museum, I found
that there were no copies for sale, or extra used copies. I
decided to post a note on odebolt.net in the hope someone would have
an extra copy.
It wasn't long before I received a phone call from Fred
"Bud" Frevert, a former Odeboltian who lives in Seattle, WA. He
was willing to part with his copy. Shortly he sent it to me and
I forwarded it to Claire in Davenport, just in time for Christmas!
The day after Christmas I received an email from Claire
about Barbara's reaction to the gift. She said, "I wanted you to
know that it was a huge success. She had tears in her eyes and said it
looks just like it did. She was thrilled! It makes you feel
good. ... Many thanks for all you did. You brightened
someone's Christmas beyond belief!"
I want to personally thank and recognize Bud Frevert
for his thoughtfulness & generosity. The Christmas Spirit lives
in him and he has helped Claire make an 89-year-old woman very happy
as she looked back at her childhood home.
Kudos to Kyle Hustedt for compiling this wonderful
booklet and making the history of the ranch available!
- Barb Horak
odebolt.net web editor
P.S. I might add that Bud is very interested in
Odebolt history and has contributed history items to the Odebolt
History Pages.
Roose Post 313 has been a live organization from its beginning. In
1920 an enthusiastic group of Veterans met in the I.O.O.F. Hall on the
evening of January 2, to organize the Post, and their interest has
been maintained through the intervening years. It is, and always has
been the aim of the Post members to make Odebolt and the community a
better place in which to live. Roose Post is proud of its record of
service to the community, state, and nation.
