This is a Blog site created by Bob Reed (in Florida) for folks who live--or used to live--in Marcus, Iowa. Its purpose is to exchange notes, news, remembrances, and thoughts about life in and about Marcus, or news about one's family, friends or acquaintances.
Friday, May 02, 2008
May-June Discussion
This discussion thread now closed, but take a look at Where in Iowa is Jeff? found by Kurt Door...
I am one of those occasional 'silent visitors' to this blog who has been inspired to break my silence with my fond memories of the bowling alley. It was almost like my own back yard, with my grandparents living right across the alley from it. I loved it when my cousins were visiting and we got to go in there for a cool drink or a quick game of pinball. If the bowling alley wasn't open, we'd have to go north a half a block to the laundromat for a 10-cent Ne-Hi in a glass bottle out of the pop machine. And Grandma always had fresh cookies for us, or, if you were lucky, a half-a-tablespoon of leftover frosting that she would save for us in her tiny tupperware container(waste not, want not).
I'd also like to mention that I enjoyed the Holy Name video, too, even though I watched it through tears. It was such a reminder of the carefree childhoods we had in Marcus, the likes of which no one seems to know anymore.
Thanks for this site, all you loyal bloggers! And Good Luck to Bonnie and Willie!
A simple idea for the fair -- or for the Historical Society -- would be a Marcus Story Hour where long-time Marcus residents could swap stories about their best memories of the past in Marcus ... their own personal recollections ... and we could all listen in. Kind of like Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion in person! It would be a wonderful way to make a personal past come alive.
The track kids all had their best times of the season. Jay Welp broke the school record for the 3200. The 4x100 boys finished 21 out of 24, The 4x 100 girls finished 17 out of 24, Will Hansen and Jorden Boekhout finished 10th out of 24 in their races. It was a beatiful day for a track meet. All these kids will be back next year.
Thanks for the color re the track program. U r blessed to have some wonderful children and I can't wait to see your son and that group of young men tear it up in high school football. They should be a force to reckon with considering that Brad Cave is gonna be the head coach. Marcus football is poised to be really good again in a big way in my opinion. Brad Cave is a really talented coach for those of you who don't know this and likewise for the older group on here he is the grandson of Mr. & Mrs. Jim Cave and the son of Gene and Patti "Smith" Cave. Great young man and Marcus is fortunate to have him leading the football program. Support this program in any way you can Marcus cause the leadership is there!!!!
If you ever want to see a great coach----coach----then spend a few minutes in the fall watching Brad do his thing. He is really good!
To all that graduated from the class of 1978 we are having a class reuion which will be held August 9th which is the saturday during the Marcus Fair. We are having it a JB's Bar and grill. Hope you all can make it. Invitations are going out soon.
Thanks for using this board for keeping all of us informed re activities back home. This message gets out to many people much more quickly and accurately than the local paper unfortunately. I do love to read Thelma's column and trust she never retires fyi but other than that it doesn't do much for me anymore. I have never seen a paper that has more pictures with NO names to identify who is who than the local paper. Again, thanks for your recent post and please share any other local items of interest re HOME so we can put things on our calendars on a timely basis to take advantage of these items if we are so able to do so!
The high school gym floor will soon be history. The athletic boostors divided the floor into sections and then put it up for silent auction. They had some bids and who ever was high bidder must have their section out of the gym by June 8th. My brother Bob and I were successful in bidding for the two lane areas along with the 3 point line area. We are going to put this in the upper floor in my Dad's barn. It will be nice to have for our young kids to play on.
That is so very cool!! Before the barn came down where we used to live, I climbed back into the barn where my brothers had nailed up a basketball hoop on the upper floor and took photos.
It's hard for others to imagine how those old farm buildings were such great places to play. I guess basketball in the barn was/is more common than I once throught!
Anybody else have any great memories of playing in old farm buildings? I remember my grandmom and grandpa transformed an old chicken coop into the most wonderful playhouse when we played with cousins at their farm. Then we did something similar with an old pighouse at our farm.
My dad also turned a corner of the grove into a little outdoor playhouse (complete with a whole array of Watkins bottles and containers). Nothing to buy ... just filled with imagination.
I'm sure your kids will love the basketball floor!
And I'm sure you'll get a great turnout for your Class of 1978 class reunion -- your class was a big one!!
(Lurch's sister ... I don't know if he likes that name or not...)
The best basketball barn in the county had to be the Schwartz family barn just 2 miles east of the Junction on highway 3. Almost any night of the week and on the weekends that big old barn had some good basketball games going on inside it......and you didn't need many other players if all of the Schwartz kids were around!!!!
My prayers are with the Morgenthaler family. I didn't know Bonnie personally, but we were connected through the many people we both knew and a small town in Iowa. She shared wonderful memories at this site. Her love of Marcus and a way of life were obvious.
I have to agree with "Anonymous" (how can that be?? introduce yourself!) that the Schwarz barn was the best. It was sooo big!! It was also the first place that I ever got to try to milk a cow!
I was privileged to have Bonnie as a student in the Junior Class I taught. She was bright and attractive and remained so all of her life. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't she Homecoming Queen and Loren Stowater the King when both were juniors the fall of 1943? I can't seem to find that long-ago photo album, but it seems to me that's the way it was--unusual having juniors instead of seniors.
On another matter -- Why do some of you insist on posting anonymously? The rest of us always want to know who's speaking. Margaret Dorr
Many a night the Carlson boys would be at the Schwarz barn playing ball in the hayloft and the straw bales would be the out of bounds. Didn't hurt much getting knocked out of bounds in that amazing grand old barn. If you have never been in it one should stop by and ask to see inside that barn. I have no doubt the Schwarz family would gladly show you around and your kids would love it if you have any with you.
Gosh, that sparks another idea. A night of great old barn tours before they are all gone. Letting kids climb around, play games while the parents learn its history or find out more about how things were done. A map could be handed out or everyone could load up on a school bus to visit a few farms. Oh well, ideas need backs and arms and feet and, most of all, time. As to the anonymous thing. I can't seem to drop my name in with my google account. It won't accept my name and password (which I KNOW is correct) so I do have to remember to "sign" my name at the end.
Do any of yoo remember makeing tunnels in the straw and hay that was in the barn. We would play for hours doing that. How many of you had a rope that swung out into the open barn loft. Yes those old barns have many stories to tell.
My dad wants to thank the all-volunteer Marcus Rescue Squad who came to the house late on Saturday to take mom to Floyd Valley. He thinks they are all amazing people to volunteer to help others at all hours of the night and day. Marcus is lucky to have such a professional rescue unit. Thanks to you all.
With all of this crazy weather in Marcus area lately made me think about the days when after the big tornado threats and wild rain storms bunches of kids from the Holy Name neighborhood would run the bases and slide in the bases filled with water and come up covered with mud. For the days of the Haines boys, Eberts, Roeses,Gates, Nelsons, and the Dorr boys to be tearing that part of town up. This wild storm coming through Marcus tonight just made me think back about those days........too many boys and too much fun after we were scared out of our minds about the TORNADO. Anyone ever get to go looking for the tornados like we did with our dad and scared but filled with adrenaline at the same time? What was he thinking? Who ever had a tornado hit their farm or acreage?
I remember the one tornado that got the Remsen area one summer pretty good. Think it was mostly rural damage but it was more Remsen way than Marcus. "BEER CITY" survived FORTUNATELY!
Okay, so we didn't get to chase tornadoes, but we DID pile into the car after any big storm and go look at "the damage" -- downed trees, after effects of hail on corn plants, the hit or miss insanity a heavy wind left behind.
I remember once riding on the Holy Name "north of town" bus and Jack Dunn pointing out a funnel cloud with a tail way off in the distance towards Granville. We kids thought it was pretty cool. I'm sure Jack had other thoughts, but wisely kept them to himself and got us all home safe and sound.
Another time, I spent the summer in Ames in college and it was the dryest summer -- barely a drop of rain through early August. Finally, a torrential storm came through (along with the final insult -- hail) and all the students on frat row came out with sheets of plastic and sluiced down the center of the street to the bottom of hill like a giant Slip and Slide.
As hot as it is tonight just made me think back on the many nights we went swimming late at night in the Marcus pool "AFTER HOURS."
Man I am so grateful Marcus has had some cops over the years that just weren't blessed with good eye site. Anyone else ever scale the fences and go for a late night swim to cool off?
I remember going around town looking at downed tree branches after big storms. One time, we 'swam' in the street in front of the swimming pool. The gutters were clogged, and the water was at least 3 feet deep there. I thought it was a blast, but I'm sure home owners in the area weren't as thrilled. Karen Brady
It's fun! Upbeat! And different from any magazine you've ever seen! Welcome to Our Iowa, the magazine that celebrates all that's great about living in Iowa.
Basically, Our Iowa allows Iowans to "talk to each other". Reading each issue will be like sitting at your kitchen table and chatting with new friends over coffee, all of whom have interests similar to yours.
Karen Pallesen Brady sent me this link to a new magazine about Iowa. Looks great, so I thought I'd pass it along here...
http://www.ouriowamagazine.com/
There'll be jaw-dropping photos of our beautiful land as well as some in-depth features. But the bulk of each issue will be conversational, light-hearted "Here's what I think..." contributions shared by Iowans... people just like you.
I know Marcus people have friends and relatives all over the state. Karen Brady sent photos of area around UI campus in Iowa City. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Bonnie was the eldest of "The Garlow Girls," the town's three beauties in the 1940s. Every boy in town had a crush on them.
Now she's gone. She passed away on May 31 in California, her adopted state, after a stroke. She was 80.
Bonnie (LaVonne) was an effervescent, lovely person of remarkable joy. In addition to her beauty, she possessed a personality that made her the most popular girl at old MHS. She graduated in 1945.
Bonnie was homecoming queen and a majorette. Marching right behind her as an eighth-grader, the spit valve on my trombone suddenly froze and I became a man.
After high school, she worked for a year as the Society Editor of the Marcus News. But she was meant to bloom in a bigger garden with a longer growing season. She and a cousin embarked for an unknown future in California, where they found adventure and love. She married her boss in the aerospace industry.
Throughout all of her life was the laughter. She lit up a room with hearty, well-rounded bursts of joy. It was if she was subscribing to the old wisdom that counsels
"There are three things that are real: God, human folly, and laughter. The first two are beyond our comprehension So we must do the best we can with the third."
Bonnie did more than her best with the third. Her laughter was infectious, heart-warming, and full of joie de vivre!
Bonne maintained her love of her roots in Marcus. She came back for centennials, fairs, and other celebrations. And she became a life member of the Marcus Historical Society.
Now she's off to dwell with the morning stars. She leaves behind her two sons, her little sister Jean, and a host of friends who were warmed by her fire and found joy in her laughter. They were—and are—the beings through which God loved her.
I imagine her using the words of an old Indian prophet to tell us all:
"I sing a happy song now happier than the sunrise on another shore happier than the smile a birthday child smiles happier than a new kiss Of death and life. I shall a happy/sad, sad/happy, song sing."
And I imagine her advising us with Socrates' last words: "Please the Gods, may the laughter keep breaking through."
Apologies for gatecrashing yoiur site. I am over in the UK and am just trying to find apen friend from Marcus who I wrote to in the 1960s! Her name then was Gayle Ames, and I am hoping someone ove rthere will be able to tell me how I can get in touch. Thanks very much
What a small world and thanks for crashing the Marcus blog site. I trust that Bonnie Husman or such who reads this site can tell you how to get in touch with Gayle Ames. FYI, it was reported not to long ago that Gayle's mother "PEG" passed away at her California home but the family had a memorial service or such in Marcus at a later date to honor their mother. I hope this helps and if memory serves me correctly Gayle is in the Iowa City, Iowa area but I am not 100% certain....BONNIE??????
I have Gayle's address: Gayle Gallo 17 Valley View Ln NE Iowa City, IA. 52240
I have both her home phone and cell phone numbers---but I do not wish to post them. Rosemary, if you want them --e-mail me at wbhusman@evertek.net and I'll get them to you.
Dale Brady lives in the Cedar Rapids area. He is Leo and Bernice Brady's oldest son. It has been a wrenching spring for everyone there. He offered this on our class of 1975 website:
I am really tired of the devastation. We are still working thru the Memorial Day tornado,and just getting our feet under us and then the floods!!!! I've seen and know people affected by all of this. One close young couple we know lost their house in the tornado, moved and bought another only to have it flood. My business was affected as we were hit by the rising water. We sent everybody home, and evacuated our shop. All of our electrical supply houses were out of business until today, almost a week. We couldn't get parts if we wanted to. Tried to pull in material from Des Moines, and Dubuque, but the roads were shut down and trucks couldn't get thru. We are going to get through this. It is a mess and it is going to take time. All of my family is safe. Good luck to all others!!!!!
Good Morning Marcus, Andy and Susie in Massachusetts, are looking for any relatives ,to call Andy as soon as possible-, or e-mail Susie-We are concerned for you and would like addresses, or telephone numbers-- Be safe-- Love Susie carsfour@yahoo 413-323-8653
Good Morning Marcus, I have decided to actually post the names of the relatives, that Andy and Susie, are needing to hear from- MIKE ELY and Family JOANNE ELY and Family
If you send me your e-mail address, I can have the site send you a password. It's through myfamily.com. Next year the site will be ten years old -- and still going strong. We have gone from posting photos of high school graduations to weddings to new grandchildren. It has kept our class connected across the country.
I agree, Bob's tribute to Bonnie must have a wider audience. With his permission, I am printing it in the Gray Maatter collumn for June 25. Google Cherokee Chronicle Times and click on the Gray Matter icon. Margaret Dorr
The Community Center is a big part of Marcus with fond memories for many people. Just wanted to let the people outside of Marcus know that the Community Center will be under going some major changes this year. A Handicap Accessible addition be will built late August or first part of Septmeber. The building to the south of the Community Center (the cafe) was torn down in 2007 and will be made into a court yard with benches and tables. Anyone wishing to donate money in memory of a freind or family member may do so but contacting Margaret Rohwer Treasurer for the Community Center Board. Some of the old gym floor was purchased with plans of making a dance floor and redoing the stage. The board is working very hard to update the Community Center and make it more useable. Thanks Steve Gettner President of the Marcus Community Center Board
The class of 1968 is celebrating its 40th reunion during the Marcus Fair and would like to announce the following.
"Back in 1961 Mike Hoover, Chuck Nielsen and Mark Baumgartner decided to start a band after hearing the latest rock tunes on KOMA, an Oklahoma City 1000-watt clear channel radio station that one could only hear at night. They recruited Jim Brownmiller, his dad had an extra drum set, but later turned to Dick Nielsen for rhythm guitar. Besides, Dick had a car, was old enough to drive and had all the latest rock records. After all the guys were first exposed to rock and roll (KOMA) while riding around in his car.
"Initially the guys called themselves 'The Avengers'. They had some posters printed up and played their first dance in Granville, Iowa. They later changed their name to 'The Charades' because a group from Sutherland started using the name 'The Scavengers', (Avengers with an SC?).
"Over the desires of the power that be in Marcus at the time, The Charades played in the old shelter house during the 1962 Marcus Fair. They charged a dollar a head, took in over $300 and there were hundreds more who stood outside looking in from every window. This was Marcus' first rock concert.
"In 1964 Mark went to college and Denny Delaney was recruited to play bass. They played many tours in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota over the next two years. In 1965 they opened for the Everly Brothers at the Roof Garden at Okoboji, played on tour with Miss Iowa and got to party with the Dave Clark Five in Des Moines after a concert.
"In 1989 The Charades had a reunion concert at the Marcus Fair which drew a large crowd. Young and old were dancing to their town's favorite rock band.
"On Friday, August 8, at 8:00pm The Charades will perform their second reunion concert, and their first official concert since 1990, at the Grand Meadow Heritage Center. The stage and dance floor are in the wonderfully converted barn. The particulars are still being worked out but there should be three sets. The first with Charades favorites, the next with some local musicians 'sitting in' to add to the fun, and the third an open request time.
"There will be some tables set up with lots of memorabilia (original bumper stickers that read I DANCED TO THE CHARADES, for instance) and plenty of stories told during the evening by the band members. We hope to spend lots of time reminiscing as well as listen and visiting.
"There will be further updates. Hope to see you there.
Class of 1968 reunion committee Vickie Rainboth, JoEllen Puttmann, Dave Nielsen and Jon Dorr
Why would anyone want to go to Grand Meadow when the rest of the fair is in Marcus? Wished the class of '68 would have made this available in one of the buildings at the fair grounds or at the minimum up on Main Street.
Many months ago when this idea was first being talked about it was offered to the Fair Board. As a result of their decision and after recognition that the members of The Charades weren't getting any younger, and were perhaps going to be inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this summer, it was decided to move forward at the Grand Meadow location. Many in our class had attended that school, after all. We also knew that the Grand Meadow Heritage folks had been actively promoting their facility as a great place for local summer time dances so we thought this was a good mix. Likewise, the decision to start the dance at 8:00pm was out of consideration for the other activities at the Fair.
I love the idea that it's at Grand Meadow. Given it's the class of 1968's reunion, quite frankly they have the right to put it on the moon if they like.
In my opinion the Fair Board should be thanking the Class of 1968 for even having their reunion during the fair. Afterall they could have had it in July. Now they will have more folks home attending the fair than they would have otherwise.
I am not a member of the class of 1968 in case anyone wondered.
Don't know if you visit this site, but if you do, could you play "Harlem Shuffle" during your Second Reunion Concert? That would bring back lots of great 60's memories. Thanks to you guys for agreeing to do this performance. Appreciate it a great deal. It should be lots of fun hearing "The Charades" one more time. (I was at the dance at the Marcus Fair in the early 60's in the old shelter house. It was a great evening.)
Class of '68 Reunion Committee: Great idea. Nice of you guys to organize this for all of us to enjoy. Thanks.
Fred Dorr
p.s. The reference to KOMA (Oklahoma City) also brought back memories of KAAY (Little Rock) and WLS (Chicago)all rock 'n roll radio stations we could only listen to on our little transistor and car radios at night.
My brothers Bob and Ken, Chad Maxwell and I have started a new company called Natural Farrowing System.(NFS) This is an alternative way to raise pigs. We use hoop structures which we farrow in year round. We have designed a Nesting Box that we put inside this hoop structure and the female animal will pick and choose which box is hers and she will then proceed to have her litter of pigs. These animals are not confined. They are free to come and go as they see fit. This is all done with a deep bedded pack of straw or corn stalks. The oder is more like a county fair smell.
The reason why I'm mentioning this is that I would like to invite you to visit our web site naturalfarrowingsystem.com This gives you some idea of what we do. I also would like to invite anyone for a tour when they are visiting Marcus. We do have some procedures to follow if you want to come out to the farm so you must call us first. You can get this information fron our web site.
Looking for a place to rent in Marcus starting June 1st.
ReplyDeleteTook a tour of the new addition of the school yesterday. It's a great improvement and was nice to see how our tax dollars are being spent.
ReplyDeleteMike Knudsen's old home (upstairs apartment) on North Elm Street.
ReplyDeleteYoung lady owns the home now and lives in the lower part of the home. Great location, good neighborhood and close to downtown!
Call city hall and they will tell you the owners name and probably give you a phone number.
I am one of those occasional 'silent visitors' to this blog who has been inspired to break my silence with my fond memories of the bowling alley. It was almost like my own back yard, with my grandparents living right across the alley from it. I loved it when my cousins were visiting and we got to go in there for a cool drink or a quick game of pinball. If the bowling alley wasn't open, we'd have to go north a half a block to the laundromat for a 10-cent Ne-Hi in a glass bottle out of the pop machine. And Grandma always had fresh cookies for us, or, if you were lucky, a half-a-tablespoon of leftover frosting that she would save for us in her tiny tupperware container(waste not, want not).
ReplyDeleteI'd also like to mention that I enjoyed the Holy Name video, too, even though I watched it through tears. It was such a reminder of the carefree childhoods we had in Marcus, the likes of which no one seems to know anymore.
Thanks for this site, all you loyal bloggers! And Good Luck to Bonnie and Willie!
Karen Pallesen Brady
A simple idea for the fair -- or for the Historical Society -- would be a Marcus Story Hour where long-time Marcus residents could swap stories about their best memories of the past in Marcus ... their own personal recollections ... and we could all listen in. Kind of like Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion in person! It would be a wonderful way to make a personal past come alive.
ReplyDeleteHi Karen!
ReplyDeleteP.S. Best, funniest, Main Street, schools, farm, hard times, etc. It could be all kinds of memories ...
The boys and girls tack teams are sending some athelics to state.
ReplyDeleteJay Welp -- 2 mile
Jordan Boekhout -- 400 hurdles
Will Hansen -- 110 m high hurdles
4x100 relay --Jacob Lenhoff
Blaine Dammann
Blake Erdman
Lucus Nelson
4x 100 relay -- Amanda Hoefling
Rachal McDermott
Ashley Schneider
Jena Mittelstadt
Al, post their results from state, if you don't mind.
ReplyDeleteThe track kids all had their best times of the season. Jay Welp broke the school record for the 3200.
ReplyDeleteThe 4x100 boys finished 21 out of 24, The 4x 100 girls finished 17 out of 24, Will Hansen and Jorden Boekhout finished 10th out of 24 in their races. It was a beatiful day for a track meet. All these kids will be back next year.
Al:
ReplyDeleteThanks for the color re the track program. U r blessed to have some wonderful children and I can't wait to see your son and that group of young men tear it up in high school football. They should be a force to reckon with considering that Brad Cave is gonna be the head coach. Marcus football is poised to be really good again in a big way in my opinion. Brad Cave is a really talented coach for those of you who don't know this and likewise for the older group on here he is the grandson of Mr. & Mrs. Jim Cave and the son of Gene and Patti "Smith" Cave. Great young man and Marcus is fortunate to have him leading the football program. Support this program in any way you can Marcus cause the leadership is there!!!!
If you ever want to see a great coach----coach----then spend a few minutes in the fall watching Brad do his thing. He is really good!
http://www.chronicletimes.com/story/1407385.html
ReplyDeleteA portion of the gym flooring might make an interesting donation to the Historical Society?!
ReplyDeleteI may have a nice upstairs apt available July 1st or thereabout. Single person or married couple, no pets. 376-2552
ReplyDeleteLet's all send our prayers and positive thoughts out to Bonnie Morgenthaler. Bonnie....the folks back home are thinking of you!!!
ReplyDeleteJanette and Bill Woodall
To all that graduated from the class of 1978 we are having a class reuion which will be held August 9th which is the saturday during the Marcus Fair. We are having it a JB's Bar and grill. Hope you all can make it. Invitations are going out soon.
ReplyDeleteAL:
ReplyDeleteThanks for using this board for keeping all of us informed re activities back home. This message gets out to many people much more quickly and accurately than the local paper unfortunately. I do love to read Thelma's column and trust she never retires fyi but other than that it doesn't do much for me anymore. I have never seen a paper that has more pictures with NO names to identify who is who than the local paper. Again, thanks for your recent post and please share any other local items of interest re HOME so we can put things on our calendars on a timely basis to take advantage of these items if we are so able to do so!
The high school gym floor will soon be history. The athletic boostors divided the floor into sections and then put it up for silent auction. They had some bids and who ever was high bidder must have their section out of the gym by June 8th. My brother Bob and I were successful in bidding for the two lane areas along with the 3 point line area. We are going to put this in the upper floor in my Dad's barn. It will be nice to have for our young kids to play on.
ReplyDeleteAl,
ReplyDeleteThat is so very cool!! Before the barn came down where we used to live, I climbed back into the barn where my brothers had nailed up a basketball hoop on the upper floor and took photos.
It's hard for others to imagine how those old farm buildings were such great places to play. I guess basketball in the barn was/is more common than I once throught!
Anybody else have any great memories of playing in old farm buildings? I remember my grandmom and grandpa transformed an old chicken coop into the most wonderful playhouse when we played with cousins at their farm. Then we did something similar with an old pighouse at our farm.
My dad also turned a corner of the grove into a little outdoor playhouse (complete with a whole array of Watkins bottles and containers). Nothing to buy ... just filled with imagination.
I'm sure your kids will love the basketball floor!
And I'm sure you'll get a great turnout for your Class of 1978 class reunion -- your class was a big one!!
(Lurch's sister ... I don't know if he likes that name or not...)
The best basketball barn in the county had to be the Schwartz family barn just 2 miles east of the Junction on highway 3. Almost any night of the week and on the weekends that big old barn had some good basketball games going on inside it......and you didn't need many other players if all of the Schwartz kids were around!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis from Bonnie's family:
ReplyDeleteHELLO IT IS MY SAD DUTY TO INFORM YOU THE GREAT LADY
BONNIE MORGENTHALER LEFT THIS WORLD THIS MORNING 31 MAY
She will be greatly missed.
My prayers are with the Morgenthaler family. I didn't know Bonnie personally, but we were connected through the many people we both knew and a small town in Iowa. She shared wonderful memories at this site. Her love of Marcus and a way of life were obvious.
ReplyDeleteJulie Meylor Simpson
I have to agree with "Anonymous" (how can that be?? introduce yourself!) that the Schwarz barn was the best. It was sooo big!! It was also the first place that I ever got to try to milk a cow!
ReplyDeleteJ. Simpson
I too did not know Bonnie except through this site. Please accept my condolences. We will miss her post on this blog!
ReplyDeleteKurt Dorr
I was privileged to have Bonnie as a student in the Junior Class I taught. She was bright and attractive and remained so all of her life. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't she Homecoming Queen and Loren Stowater the King when both were juniors the fall of 1943? I can't seem to find that long-ago photo album, but it seems to me that's the way it was--unusual having juniors instead of seniors.
ReplyDeleteOn another matter -- Why do some of you insist on posting anonymously? The rest of us always want to know who's speaking.
Margaret Dorr
Many a night the Carlson boys would be at the Schwarz barn playing ball in the hayloft and the straw bales would be the out of bounds. Didn't hurt much getting knocked out of bounds in that amazing grand old barn. If you have never been in it one should stop by and ask to see inside that barn. I have no doubt the Schwarz family would gladly show you around and your kids would love it if you have any with you.
ReplyDeleteGosh, that sparks another idea. A night of great old barn tours before they are all gone. Letting kids climb around, play games while the parents learn its history or find out more about how things were done. A map could be handed out or everyone could load up on a school bus to visit a few farms. Oh well, ideas need backs and arms and feet and, most of all, time.
ReplyDeleteAs to the anonymous thing. I can't seem to drop my name in with my google account. It won't accept my name and password (which I KNOW is correct) so I do have to remember to "sign" my name at the end.
Julie Simpson
Do any of yoo remember makeing tunnels in the straw and hay that was in the barn. We would play for hours doing that. How many of you had a rope that swung out into the open barn loft. Yes those old barns have many stories to tell.
ReplyDeleteI remember that Al. Used to do that all time with Richard Haines and other friends.
ReplyDeleteKurt Dorr
My dad wants to thank the all-volunteer Marcus Rescue Squad who came to the house late on Saturday to take mom to Floyd Valley. He thinks they are all amazing people to volunteer to help others at all hours of the night and day. Marcus is lucky to have such a professional rescue unit. Thanks to you all.
ReplyDeleteadded for Jerry Meylor
With all of this crazy weather in Marcus area lately made me think about the days when after the big tornado threats and wild rain storms bunches of kids from the Holy Name neighborhood would run the bases and slide in the bases filled with water and come up covered with mud. For the days of the Haines boys, Eberts, Roeses,Gates, Nelsons, and the Dorr boys to be tearing that part of town up. This wild storm coming through Marcus tonight just made me think back about those days........too many boys and too much fun after we were scared out of our minds about the TORNADO. Anyone ever get to go looking for the tornados like we did with our dad and scared but filled with adrenaline at the same time? What was he thinking?
ReplyDeleteWho ever had a tornado hit their farm or acreage?
I remember the one tornado that got the Remsen area one summer pretty good. Think it was mostly rural damage but it was more Remsen way than Marcus. "BEER CITY" survived FORTUNATELY!
P.S. I trust Jerry is ok and will keep him in our prayers!
ReplyDeleteOkay, so we didn't get to chase tornadoes, but we DID pile into the car after any big storm and go look at "the damage" -- downed trees, after effects of hail on corn plants, the hit or miss insanity a heavy wind left behind.
ReplyDeleteI remember once riding on the Holy Name "north of town" bus and Jack Dunn pointing out a funnel cloud with a tail way off in the distance towards Granville. We kids thought it was pretty cool. I'm sure Jack had other thoughts, but wisely kept them to himself and got us all home safe and sound.
Another time, I spent the summer in Ames in college and it was the dryest summer -- barely a drop of rain through early August. Finally, a torrential storm came through (along with the final insult -- hail) and all the students on frat row came out with sheets of plastic and sluiced down the center of the street to the bottom of hill like a giant Slip and Slide.
Other stories??
As hot as it is tonight just made me think back on the many nights we went swimming late at night in the Marcus pool "AFTER HOURS."
ReplyDeleteMan I am so grateful Marcus has had some cops over the years that just weren't blessed with good eye site. Anyone else ever scale the fences and go for a late night swim to cool off?
I remember going around town looking at downed tree branches after big storms. One time, we 'swam' in the street in front of the swimming pool. The gutters were clogged, and the water was at least 3 feet deep there. I thought it was a blast, but I'm sure home owners in the area weren't as thrilled.
ReplyDeleteKaren Brady
It's fun! Upbeat! And different from any magazine you've ever seen! Welcome to Our Iowa, the magazine that celebrates all that's great about living in Iowa.
ReplyDeleteBasically, Our Iowa allows Iowans to "talk to each other". Reading each issue will be like sitting at your kitchen table and chatting with new friends over coffee, all of whom have interests similar to yours.
Karen Pallesen Brady sent me this link to a new magazine about Iowa. Looks great, so I thought I'd pass it along here...
http://www.ouriowamagazine.com/
There'll be jaw-dropping photos of our beautiful land as well as some in-depth features. But the bulk of each issue will be conversational, light-hearted "Here's what I think..." contributions shared by Iowans... people just like you.
Storms looked bad in Marcus tonight. Anyone have a report? Saw some boy scouts were killed in Western Iowa tonight too. Very sad.
ReplyDeleteK Dorr
I know Marcus people have friends and relatives all over the state. Karen Brady sent photos of area around UI campus in Iowa City. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
ReplyDeleteJ. Simpson
BONNIE MORGENTHALER
ReplyDeleteBonnie was the eldest of "The Garlow Girls," the town's three beauties in the 1940s. Every boy in town had a crush on them.
Now she's gone. She passed away on May 31 in California, her adopted state, after a stroke. She was 80.
Bonnie (LaVonne) was an effervescent, lovely person of remarkable joy. In addition to her beauty, she possessed a personality that made her the most popular girl at old MHS. She graduated in 1945.
Bonnie was homecoming queen and a majorette. Marching right behind her as an eighth-grader, the spit valve on my trombone suddenly froze and I became a man.
After high school, she worked for a year as the Society Editor of the Marcus News. But she was meant to bloom in a bigger garden with a longer growing season. She and a cousin embarked for an unknown future in California, where they found adventure and love. She married her boss in the aerospace industry.
Throughout all of her life was the laughter. She lit up a room with hearty, well-rounded bursts of joy. It was if she was subscribing to the old wisdom that counsels
"There are three things that are real:
God, human folly, and laughter.
The first two are beyond our comprehension
So we must do the best we can with the third."
Bonnie did more than her best with the third. Her laughter was infectious, heart-warming, and full of joie de vivre!
Bonne maintained her love of her roots in Marcus. She came back for centennials, fairs, and other celebrations. And she became a life member of the Marcus Historical Society.
Now she's off to dwell with the morning stars. She leaves behind her two sons, her little sister Jean, and a host of friends who were warmed by her fire and found joy in her laughter. They were—and are—the beings through which God loved her.
I imagine her using the words of an old Indian prophet to tell us all:
"I sing a happy song now
happier than the sunrise
on another shore
happier than the smile
a birthday child smiles
happier than a new kiss
Of death and life. I shall
a happy/sad, sad/happy, song sing."
And I imagine her advising us with Socrates' last words: "Please the Gods, may the laughter keep breaking through."
Bob Reed
It would be nice to see Bob's tribute to Bonnie Morgenthaler reprinted in the Marcus News ... many will remember her.
ReplyDeleteI'd like Bob Reed to stick around long enough to write my obit!!!!
ReplyDeleteK Dorr
Apologies for gatecrashing yoiur site. I am over in the UK and am just trying to find apen friend from Marcus who I wrote to in the 1960s! Her name then was Gayle Ames, and I am hoping someone ove rthere will be able to tell me how I can get in touch. Thanks very much
ReplyDeleteRosemary:
ReplyDeleteWhat a small world and thanks for crashing the Marcus blog site. I trust that Bonnie Husman or such who reads this site can tell you how to get in touch with Gayle Ames.
FYI, it was reported not to long ago that Gayle's mother "PEG" passed away at her California home but the family had a memorial service or such in Marcus at a later date to honor their mother. I hope this helps and if memory serves me correctly Gayle is in the Iowa City, Iowa area but I am not 100% certain....BONNIE??????
http://gizmodo.com/5016814/why-you-should-carry-a-digital-camera-at-all-times
ReplyDeleteCheck out this picture!!
Kurt Dorr
I have Gayle's address:
ReplyDeleteGayle Gallo
17 Valley View Ln NE
Iowa City, IA. 52240
I have both her home phone and cell phone numbers---but I do not wish to post them. Rosemary, if you want them --e-mail me at wbhusman@evertek.net and I'll get them to you.
Peg, Gayle's mother ,was a dear friend of mine
BH
Dale Brady lives in the Cedar Rapids area. He is Leo and Bernice Brady's oldest son. It has been a wrenching spring for everyone there. He offered this on our class of 1975 website:
ReplyDeleteI am really tired of the devastation. We are still working thru the Memorial Day tornado,and just getting our feet under us and then the floods!!!! I've seen and know people affected by all of this. One close young couple we know lost their house in the tornado, moved and bought another only to have it flood. My business was affected as we were hit by the rising water. We sent everybody home, and evacuated our shop. All of our electrical supply houses were out of business until today, almost a week. We couldn't get parts if we wanted to. Tried to pull in material from Des Moines, and Dubuque, but the roads were shut down and trucks couldn't get thru. We are going to get through this. It is a mess and it is going to take time. All of my family is safe. Good luck to all others!!!!!
Good Morning Marcus,
ReplyDeleteAndy and Susie in Massachusetts, are looking for any relatives ,to call Andy as soon as possible-, or e-mail Susie-We are concerned for you and would like addresses, or telephone numbers-- Be safe-- Love Susie carsfour@yahoo 413-323-8653
Good Morning Marcus,
ReplyDeleteI have decided to actually post the names of the relatives, that Andy and Susie, are needing to hear from-
MIKE ELY and Family
JOANNE ELY and Family
Thank you for any response
Is the Marcus High Class of 1975 an open site? If so, I'd like to read it. Can you post the link to it?
ReplyDeleteIf you send me your e-mail address, I can have the site send you a password. It's through myfamily.com. Next year the site will be ten years old -- and still going strong. We have gone from posting photos of high school graduations to weddings to new grandchildren. It has kept our class connected across the country.
ReplyDeletejmsimpson@cox.net
I agree, Bob's tribute to Bonnie must have a wider audience. With his permission, I am printing it in the Gray Maatter collumn for June 25. Google Cherokee Chronicle Times and click on the Gray Matter icon. Margaret Dorr
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know any Ely family in Marcus? Could they have the wrong Marcus in posting above?
ReplyDeleteJulie--
ReplyDeleteI have already taken care of this connection. They live in Marcus--
Bonnie H
The Community Center is a big part of Marcus with fond memories for many people. Just wanted to let the people outside of Marcus know that the Community Center will be under going some major changes this year.
ReplyDeleteA Handicap Accessible addition be will built late August or first part of Septmeber. The building to the south of the Community Center (the cafe) was torn down in 2007 and will be made into a court yard with benches and tables. Anyone wishing to donate money in memory of a freind or family member may do so but contacting Margaret Rohwer Treasurer for the Community Center Board. Some of the old gym floor was purchased with plans of making a dance floor and redoing the stage. The board is working very hard to update the Community Center and make it more useable.
Thanks
Steve Gettner President of the Marcus Community Center Board
Did you have your wedding or anniversary dance at the Marcus Community Center? A donation might make that memory even more special!
ReplyDeleteThe class of 1968 is celebrating its 40th reunion during the Marcus Fair and would like to announce the following.
ReplyDelete"Back in 1961 Mike Hoover, Chuck Nielsen and Mark Baumgartner decided to start a band after hearing the latest rock tunes on KOMA, an Oklahoma City 1000-watt clear channel radio station that one could only hear at night. They recruited Jim Brownmiller, his dad had an extra drum set, but later turned to Dick Nielsen for rhythm guitar. Besides, Dick had a car, was old enough to drive and had all the latest rock records. After all the guys were first exposed to rock and roll (KOMA) while riding around in his car.
"Initially the guys called themselves 'The Avengers'. They had some posters printed up and played their first dance in Granville, Iowa. They later changed their name to 'The Charades' because a group from Sutherland started using the name 'The Scavengers', (Avengers with an SC?).
"Over the desires of the power that be in Marcus at the time, The Charades played in the old shelter house during the 1962 Marcus Fair. They charged a dollar a head, took in over $300 and there were hundreds more who stood outside looking in from every window. This was Marcus' first rock concert.
"In 1964 Mark went to college and Denny Delaney was recruited to play bass. They played many tours in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota over the next two years. In 1965 they opened for the Everly Brothers at the Roof Garden at Okoboji, played on tour with Miss Iowa and got to party with the Dave Clark Five in Des Moines after a concert.
"In 1989 The Charades had a reunion concert at the Marcus Fair which drew a large crowd. Young and old were dancing to their town's favorite rock band.
"On Friday, August 8, at 8:00pm The Charades will perform their second reunion concert, and their first official concert since 1990, at the Grand Meadow Heritage Center. The stage and dance floor are in the wonderfully converted barn. The particulars are still being worked out but there should be three sets. The first with Charades favorites, the next with some local musicians 'sitting in' to add to the fun, and the third an open request time.
"There will be some tables set up with lots of memorabilia (original bumper stickers that read I DANCED TO THE CHARADES, for instance) and plenty of stories told during the evening by the band members. We hope to spend lots of time reminiscing as well as listen and visiting.
"There will be further updates. Hope to see you there.
Class of 1968 reunion committee Vickie Rainboth, JoEllen Puttmann, Dave Nielsen and Jon Dorr
Class of 1968, now that sounds like fun. I will definitely check it out. Wish my class had half the brains to organize a class reunion this fun.
ReplyDeleteI'm not typing my name for obvious reasons.
Why would anyone want to go to Grand Meadow when the rest of the fair is in Marcus? Wished the class of '68 would have made this available in one of the buildings at the fair grounds or at the minimum up on Main Street.
ReplyDeleteMany months ago when this idea was first being talked about it was offered to the Fair Board. As a result of their decision and after recognition that the members of The Charades weren't getting any younger, and were perhaps going to be inducted into the Iowa Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this summer, it was decided to move forward at the Grand Meadow location. Many in our class had attended that school, after all. We also knew that the Grand Meadow Heritage folks had been actively promoting their facility as a great place for local summer time dances so we thought this was a good mix. Likewise, the decision to start the dance at 8:00pm was out of consideration for the other activities at the Fair.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea that it's at Grand Meadow. Given it's the class of 1968's reunion, quite frankly they have the right to put it on the moon if they like.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion the Fair Board should be thanking the Class of 1968 for even having their reunion during the fair. Afterall they could have had it in July. Now they will have more folks home attending the fair than they would have otherwise.
I am not a member of the class of 1968 in case anyone wondered.
Chuck, Denny and Mike:
ReplyDeleteDon't know if you visit this site, but if you do, could you play "Harlem Shuffle" during your Second Reunion Concert? That would bring back lots of great 60's memories. Thanks to you guys for agreeing to do this performance. Appreciate it a great deal. It should be lots of fun hearing "The Charades" one more time. (I was at the dance at the Marcus Fair in the early 60's in the old shelter house. It was a great evening.)
Class of '68 Reunion Committee: Great idea. Nice of you guys to organize this for all of us to enjoy. Thanks.
Fred Dorr
p.s. The reference to KOMA (Oklahoma City) also brought back memories of KAAY (Little Rock) and WLS (Chicago)all rock 'n roll radio stations we could only listen to on our little transistor and car radios at night.
My brothers Bob and Ken, Chad Maxwell and I have started a new company called Natural Farrowing System.(NFS) This is an alternative way to raise pigs. We use hoop structures which we farrow in year round. We have designed a Nesting Box that we put inside this hoop structure and the female animal will pick and choose which box is hers and she will then proceed to have her litter of pigs. These animals are not confined. They are free to come and go as they see fit. This is all done with a deep bedded pack of straw or corn stalks. The oder is more like a county fair smell.
ReplyDeleteThe reason why I'm mentioning this is that I would like to invite you to visit our web site naturalfarrowingsystem.com This gives you some idea of what we do. I also would like to invite anyone for a tour when they are visiting Marcus. We do have some procedures to follow if you want to come out to the farm so you must call us first. You can get this information fron our web site.
Alan
Where in Iowa is Jeff?
ReplyDeleteIf you love Iowa you will enjoy this video. I loved the music by Joe Satriani.
Make sure to watch it in High Quality if your internet speed supports it.
Kurt Dorr