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.
The Annual Marcus Picnic will be held on Feb. 15, 2009 11:45 PM at the Hometown Buffet , 1312 N Scottsdale Rd.,Scottsdale,AZ
We have reserved the meeting room from 11:45 AM to 3:00 Pm. Dinner will be smorgasbord style so you will be able to eat as you arrive. A short program will follow the meal .The attendance has been pushing the capacity so this year we have reserved the larger room again. That room will not be available until 11 45 AM. The best part here is we do not have to pay extra to guarantee the room ). There will be time to visit after lunch. Bring your memories to share with old friends. PLEASE NOTE TIME CHANGE !!!!!!!!!!!
Back from an enjoyable experience at the Outback Bowl where the Hawkeyes bashed South Carolina 31-10. This was our third visit to a Florida bowl featuring the Hawks in the six years we have been in Orlando. A reported 15,000 Iowans swamped Tampa hotels and the stadium. Some drove twenty-eight hours to cheer. It had all the trappings of a home game.
While the attendance was down from previous years due to the economy, we fans partied hearty, and the black and gold striped bib overalls were nearly overcome by the black and gold striped miniskirts. The Iowa folks wore shorts while the locals bundled up, shivering in the 65-degree morning weather.
One slim beauty in a “Corn Fed” T-shirt vied with another who had no edges. She was rounded and melted like an unwrapped Hershey Kiss left in the summer sun. Her contours exuded Iowa home cooking.
After all the post game celebrations, we retreated to our hotel room to recover and fall asleep watching the Vienna Philharmonic concert on my old network, PBS. It made me wonder about classical music and current education.
In the 1930s in Marcus, we elementary/junior high school kids were exposed to classical music in the old school building in the center of town. Whether we liked it or not, we listened to Tchaikovsky‘s “1812 Overture” or a Rachmaninoff piano concerto or the “Nutcracker Suite” at least once a week. We heard Dvorak’s “New World Symphony” because it had been partially composed in Iowa and the main melody was a familiar hymn
The selections were played on 78-inch discs on a record player in the front of the room after a short lecture by the teacher. That would have been the strict Miss Wachtler or her tall, bony assistant.
Some spent much of the time looking out the window and struggling to keep awake. Others simply welcomed the respite from challenging studies and let their minds wander, while pulling the pony tales of the girls in front of them. A few enjoyed.
But all of us were exposed to—miracle of miracles—violins and violas and timpani—strangers in Marcus. The sound was so different from our high school band.
And we town and country kids were given access to the language of classical music and the themes and melodies that were familiar to everyone in the western world and became, at the least, acquaintances to us. There was a commonality of subconscious assimilation in our group listening. We were being introduced to the canon and musical literacy.
And a lot of it has been maintained over the years by this generation. We recognize and nod appreciably at now-familiar classical music, because of our early brief introduction to it.
As I drifted off to sleep to the lovely “Blue Danube Waltz” by Strauss, I wondered whether such classical music exposure is offered today to the kids at the elementary/middle school in Cleghorn.
I served on the West Des Moines School Board during the late 80's and early 90's. One of the initiatives I tried to encourage our junior highs to consider was playing classical music over the public address system during the mid-day lunch periods.
As you undoubtedly know, there is research literature around suggesting that exposure to classical music is good on lots of levels, not the least of which is cognitive development.
I was never able to convince my 6 fellow board members, nor our district's administrators, that at least a trial run in one of our junior highs would be worth the effort. So it never happened.
I agree with you, though. There is a place for exposure to classical music in our public schools. With every other form of music providing a backdrop to virtually our every waking minute, especially so with teens, we should be able to carve out at least a few minutes for something so timeless and worthy.
Does anyone know if or when Marcus is having city wide garage sales? I know the Marc-Ettes used to organize that, but I am not sure anymore. I just want to know if it is worth holding on to the ever-growing pile of stuff through June or if I should just take it to Goodwill. Any info would be helpful. Thank you.
I am not sure if this has been posted already or not. If it has been please forgive me. My mom told me that Mickey Treinen passed away a couple of days ago. He was almost 94. I have many good memories of Mickey. He was a great guy and will be missed.
Oh no, I'm sorry to hear that. He was one of my favorite Marcus people. I always enjoyed seeing him. He was our CCD teacher for the seniors at Holy Name. He surprised us in many ways -- and taught us about life.
Mick Treinen was a cousin of mine (through the Means family.) As a child I remember many the long road trips to visit the "Iowa cousins." We always stayed at Mick and Wilma's and their hospitality was endless. No matter how many people were staying at their home, they always found room for one more. Of course, I appreciate these trips more now than when I was 7, but even then I understood that Mick and Wilma were a special breed of people.
Mick was a kind and generous man, who never had a harsh word to say about anybody. He was a true American, farmer, husband and father. Mick was the epitome of a gentleman. After such a long and gracious life that has touched so many, Marcus will not be the only place in this world that will feel the loss of Mick Treinen.
Sounds like a beautiful place to go to work to every day! I'm sure she has some great stories ... that she can't pass along.
Another (not as impressive but interesting) connection to our new President: A small, but respected, woodworking shop right down the road has been making Obama's tiger maple bed and will be delivering it to DC this weekend.
Interesting sidelight, about a dozen young guys played touch football on saturday mornings (we were jr. highers)so I never heard the program, but my mom used to listen to WHO on those sat. mornings broadcasting the NY Met Opera performances. Then in 1983, I'm playing golf in SD with Tom Shive (he was CEO of Fisher Controls,Marshalltown), and his company sponsored those programs.
Im wondering about poeple ages cu15-65, here in SD we see "Jersey Boys" a couple of weeks later we see the SD Sympanthy and the similar age attendees--the very large majority appear to be over 65--wonder if our chldren (mine are in late 40s)do not enjoy great entertainment. Don Peters
Maybe someone can report on the Annual Marcus Picnic here and/or pass around this blog address so that other former Marcusites can find their way here.
In the latest addition of the Cherokee Chronicles. The town of Marcus (as noted already) is gonna miss Mickey Treinen and the Marcus Fair will never be the same without Mickey and Charlie Addy around. Two "WONDERFUL" and kind men.
P.S. How she does it is beyond me but thanks for writing this great piece re Mickey!
Gray Matters:The Death of a Remarkable Man Margaret Dorr Monday, January 19, 2009
There are a few individuals in every community who seem, almost automatically, to assume the leadership roles. When those remarkable folks leave us, the loss is deeply felt. We, here in western Cherokee County, are experiencing just such a loss. A few days ago, ninety-three-year-old Merle Treinen passed away. Member of a pioneer family, husband, father, farmer, leader and friend, he leaves an indelible imprint. Merle, known to most as "Mickey," was a warm, witty, guy, with scarcely an enemy in the world. If you couldn't warm up to Mick, it was you who had a problem.
His grandfather, Nicholas Treinen, born in Luxembourg, came to northwest Iowa, by way of Red Wing, MN, not long after the town of Marcus was platted. Merle's parents, Felix and Pearl, farmed only briefly before moving into town where Felix was first a carpenter and then operated the Marcus Oil filling station out at the mile corner. So Merle grew up in town and graduated from Marcus High School in 1932.
His deep roots drew him back to the original Treinen family farm and he and his wife, Wilma, cultivated that land for 69 years. That is where they raised their remarkable family of one son and seven daughters. One of their girls was a special needs child. To many of us it seemed the Almighty had a unique purpose in giving her to them.
Merle had been elected to the public school board at about the time this little one reached school age. With an outstanding superintendent and progressive fellow board members, the county's very first special education classes were offered in our little town. From that beginning, the entire Cherokee County system of special education developed.
Beyond that, working at the state level, Merle became involved in the establishment of Iowa's outstanding system of Group Homes and Sheltered Workshops. It's impossible to calculate the number of lives that were positively affected by those institutions, both directly and indirectly.
As we remember Merle, Rotarian, fair board member, avid conservationist, and community volunteer, it would take a great many Gray Matters to acknowledge all of his and Wilma's contributions. But in these brief lines, I hope I have been able to give you a bit of a feeling for the character of this remarkable man whose long life of service we are honoring.
Every community has its own such special leaders. Most of them probably won't be with you for ninety three years, but I urge you to acknowledge and appreciate those you have as long as they are around.
To many of you younger readers I'm sure ninety three years seems like forever, but I can assure you it is not. So I will leave you with the admonition to follow the example of Merle Treinen and make the most of every one of the years you have been allotted.
To Bob and Don and others who remember being introduced to Great Music at a tender age: When I was in grade school our music teacher gathered us in our little box-like gym one morning each week to listen to Walter Damrosch's Music Appreciation Hour on the radio. At home my Mom had records of Caruso, Schumann-Heink, and others, and we listened to The Music Shop from WOI Ames each morning. (I believe Howard Johnson from Marcus played those classical records while he was a student there.) We never missed the Metropolitan Opera broadcasts on Saturday afternoons, either. I appreciate the other side of the coin, as well. I concluded a column on the matter some years ago by saying, "I enjoy everything from Wolfgang Mozart to Willie Nelson; from George Frederic Handel to George Strait. I seem to have been wired to love it all, and I'm glad." I agree, guys, something has been lost and I find it very sad. ---- Margaret Dorr
February 3: It's "the day the music died," the day in 1959 when Buddy Holly was killed in a plane crash in Clear Lake, Iowa, along with Ritchie Valens (who sang "La Bamba") and J.P. Richardson (known as "The Big Bopper"). Buddy Holly's career as a rock star only lasted a year and a half, but he recorded "Peggy Sue," "Everyday," "That'll Be the Day," "Oh, Boy!" and many more hits. Buddy Holly was 22 years old when he died.
I think I saw something that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Ohio has added the ballroom in Clear Lake to its list of famous places in music history.
There has been lots of coverage of this in the Register, as it is the 50th Anniversary of the events. Buddy Holly's widow was present for the dance last night in Clear Lake, as were a few other "notables" - Richie Valens' brother, Graham Nash, etc. She [Mrs. Holly] thanked the crowd for keeping his memory alive.
The standing rumor was that Paul McCartney was going to show, as he owns all of Buddy's material now. He didn't. (Many may already know but - the "Beatles" decided on their name out of regard for the "Crickets" in Buddy's group.)
One of the many funny stories surrounding the 1959 events is that if The Surf Ballroom had all the people in it the night of the fateful concert, as now claim were there, it would have had to have held about 20,000 dancers. (The Surf's capacity is about 2,000 - max.)
Young Waylon Jennings was present that night and gave up his seat on the plane based on losing a coin toss.
And the stories go on...
It's a great old ballroom, but sure has struggled of late. Hope it makes it. These kind of events help.
Gerald Pallesen is our retired postmaster and the area’s resident bugler. Learning that he sounds taps more than100 times annually, I wondered if he might have set some sort of lifetime record. When I asked, he soon set me straight. Though he first sounded that touching bugle call 65 years ago and is still doing it, there were those years of dedicated postal service intervening when time did not permit. So, though not record-setting, Jerry’s story is still most fascinating. His brother, Kenny, had sounded taps locally until he left for college. That fall, the Legion commander came to their father, desperate to find a replacement. Mr. Pallesen calmly assured him that Jerry, a high school sophomore, could probably do it, and he did, for the first time, on Nov.11, 1943.
He and a group of friends enlisted three months after high school graduation. His determination to play in a military band led him, by a circuitous route, to the band of the 9th Air Force Training Command Headquarters at Greenville, SC. It covered the musical needs of that Command from Langley Field, VA all across the south, including bases in Texas. His principal instrument was the trumpet, but he also played baritone and sometimes served as drum major. As such, he experienced one of his most memorable moments. The Marine Band, which is known as the ‘president’s own,’ happened to be out of Washington when, through some last-minute change of plans, the president was scheduled to arrive. So their band, stationed nearby, was called to do the honors. They rehearsed Ruffles and Flourishes and Hail to the Chief and did quite an admirable job, followed by a couple of rousing Sousa marches. Upon deplaning, President Truman turned and walked over to the drum major, shook his hand, and thanked him profusely. Truly a moment to remember! Very seriously, Jerry went on to say that he considers it an even rarer privilege each time he pays tribute to one of these true heroes who so nobly served our country.
In the year 2000, Congress enacted the Military Funeral Honors Law which makes certain that two uniformed members from the branch in which the deceased served, attend each funeral to present the flag. It also mandates that taps always be sounded, by tape or an electronic device if a live bugler were not available. Jerry voiced his total disapproval of those systems which often malfunctioned. He then told of his delight when a man named Tom Day, from Berwyn, IL, initiated the organization of Bugles Across America. He became involved immediately and is now a regional director of that group of 5000 volunteers. All funeral directors have an 800 number for each branch of service enabling them to verify the honorable discharge of the deceased veteran. That done, Bugles Across America is alerted and, through a remarkably efficient on-line process, they are immediately able to provide a live bugler to sound taps with competence and dignity. Now I am running out of space to tell you of Pallesen’s fascinating experiences with military burials in the Ho Chunk and Omaha nations, or to mention his daughter, June, who is also a Bugles Across America volunteer. In Legion Auxiliary uniform, she sounds taps, on her own, or in echo formation with her Dad.
But, before I close, I want to include one final touching story. Recently, the family of a veteran from Sutherland contacted Jerry with an unusual request. Their deceased father had asked that Taps be sounded, followed by thirty seconds of complete silence after which the bugler should sound Reveille. He played those calls just as indicated, and it turned out so beautifully that he has been asked to do it several times since. Isn’t that incredible musical symbolism with which to denote the earthly endings and new beginnings for a believing Christian?
How fortunate we are here around Marcus! Trinity, rural Marcus, a Missouri Synod Lutheran Church,and rural Evangelical Free Churces, Meriden E. Free and Oakdale E. Free, are robust and growing. Trinity has a very active daughter congregation, Pilgrim Lutheran in Quimby. These two churches have been fortunate in having an extremely dedicated and tireless pastor in recent years. They also added a vicarage program, in cooperation with Concordia Seminary, Ft. Wayne, IN, this past year. That required increased giving but it is proving well worth it. The brilliant young vicar contributes so much to both congregations and, in turn, is receiving excellent training. He promises to turn into a great rural pastor. There are some definite bright spots amidst all of the gloom and doom of the above posts. Happily, the Marcus area is one of them. Margaret Dorr
We're hoping that you and a large group of friends were able to enjoy the 50th anniversary of the Winter Dance Party at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake (Feb 4,5,6,7,8 and 9 this year). In addition to the Crickets, Bobby Vee, Wanda Jackson, Graham Nash and Maria Elena Holly, there were plenty of other 'celebs' on hand--many of them from the major news networks.
Nope, No Paul McCartney--rumor, indeed. No NASCAR Driver, either (the other Big Rumor). (By; the way, Kevin Costner, was "just around the corner" so to speak, about 35 miles away in a barn, performing with a band in Leland, Iowa just prior to the Winter Dance Party.)
A large contingent representing the British Buddy Holly Society was seen in and around this small town of about 8,000. Other visitors flocked in from as far away as Cypress and Australia.
The event is pure FUN with 50's music, 50's fashion, 50's food and an opportunity to meet very nice people from all over the world. The live performances are magic. If you've not seen the astounding keyboard styles of Jason D. Williams, you're missing out more than you can imagine (think Jerry Lee Lewis!)
Most impressive is watching the townspeople, the hotel and business owners, the visitors, the Surf staff, the Chamber... absolutely everyone working together to make sure a "fun time is had by all."
We have had the opportunity to attend two other Winter Dance Parties, but not this year. Think about coming over to Clear Lake, Iowa. Plan ahead (limited motel space), get tickets early!
The Surf Ballroom, by the way, has had a struggle to be sure in the past few years, but a local family and their construction company stepped in to save this landmark. Many updates have been made. Thousands of photos are on display (this year, the collection includes photos that had been hidden away at the Surf). There is a lovely wooden dance floor, original booths where you or your parents probably sat. You may be surprised at what a beautiful facility still stands in Clear Lake. It's not the original (that was across the street on the lake side, and was destroyed in a fire many years ago).
We're proud and happy to call Marcus our original hometown, but now also proud and happy to be a part of the Clear Lake Community, (Home of the Surf Ballroom) where we have lived for almost 37 years.
If any of our dear readers was jumpin' and jivin', rockin' and rollin' at this year's 50's event, we'd love to read all about it on the Marcus Blog.
David Snyder (Holy Name, Class of 1964 and Patti (Wallin) Snyder
I didn't go this year, but have attended about three other of these Winter Dance Reunions. They are always great fun, as you describe. The main event was on a Monday night this year, which made it impossible for me to be there.
Jason D. Williams is a terrific piano player. (I have heard all kinds of rumors over the years about his personal life which, if true puts him right up there with Jerry Lee, but he sure can play.) Our group which goes to Clear Lake first saw him perform at the Iowa State Fair. I'd never heard of him before. When he plays with his feet, backwards, laying on top of the piano and finally pitches the bench and starts banging away with his forearms and elbows it is great fun to listen to and more fun to watch.
We did make it to your town this year for "Christmas On The Lake" though. Loved the atmosphere. Lighted, nightime parade, followed by fireworks over the lake, surrounded by all kinds of businesses and groups pitching in to make it a success. I draw the line, though, on the Polar Plunge. The morning that the participants did that was incredibly cold. Watching people trek down to the lake in swim suits about did me in - and I was in a heated vehicle simply watching.
Congrats to your community. It is obviously a town that refuses to give up and fade away. Certainly it has suffered its setbacks, but it is obvious that the people who live there care about the community and want to make it relevant and attractive to others. From what I have seen, it works.
Time was when a lot of the citizens of Marcus went to “the picture show” down at the Lyric Theatre. It was located (in the ’30s and ’40s) on Main Street—where the Community Center is now.
The bill changed weekly and the films were sometimes nearly six months old. But the venue offered an escape from the ordinary. And there was something about the communal viewing that sort of brought the community together.
This was—I’m told—particularly so during the Great Depression in the ’30s, when I was not yet ten years old. It was in that decade that the movies’ hold on the popular imagination solidified and grew. But it’s easy to forget just how new the cinema was back then, and how uncertain its fate.
When the stock market crashed in 1929, sound film was younger than YouTube today. And I have read that audience attendance fell from ninety million in 1930 to sixty million in 1934. But things began to turn around that year.
The mythology of the era includes the idea that Americans went to the movies because the movies gave them what they needed. Hard-pressed folks gratefully lost themselves in satiny comedies that helped ease the sting of desperation and want.
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers danced in snazzy New York settings. And even the Jimmy Cagney stories of crime attracted audiences—especially after the Production Code went into effect in 1934. That industry-wide pledge made sure that each pic closed with a redemptive, morally affirming ending.
And the only competition to a night at the movies was the radio, with you and maybe one or two other listeners—not like the large, friendly crowds in a theater. During the blizzards of 1936, when everything in town was closed for a week, my teenage sister and her girl friend trudged through three-foot drifts to join other friends at the Lyric. Sure—it was open.
In 1939, I joined my buddies in the benches at the front of the theater to cheer and stomp as the cavalry raced to rescue the settlers from the Indians. Our outbursts annoyed the hell out of the adult patrons, as did our screaming laughter at the antics in the Bugs Bunny cartoons. That year was a golden one for it saw the release of two now-classics—"Gone with the Wind" and "The Wizard of Oz" (’course we didn’t see them until some time later).
This was before the ratings system, and any kid could go to any movie. That year I was so terrified by Lon Chaney’s portrayal of Quasimodo in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" that I ran up the aisle, burst past the astonished proprietor (what WAS his name?), and fled home—crying. My mother met me at the door, having received a phone call from him. It takes a village to raise a child.
Attendance increased even more in the 1940s, they say, because of WW II. People seemed to want to be together. And at the Lyric it was date night as you faked a yawn and struggled to act casual as you tentatively put your arm around her shoulder. It was followed by a Coke at Lage’s.
The Lyric had a fire and was closed (when?) and there was a Quonset hut community theater operating in Sjostrom Park for awhile. But now the only near-by venue is in Paullina or Cherokee.
And in the immediate past, they say that theater attendance has been shrinking. We are again in a recession/depression. Will the Hollywood studio bosses be the next executives to come to Washington pleading for a bail out?
Will the movies themselves still be there for us and will Americans need them in a time when there are so many other entertainments that are cheaper? Some of my friends say “YES!”
They maintain that in hard times, people go to the movies to confront their troubles or escape from them. They still want to be lulled by romance or tickled by comedy.
Mostly, I guess, there is a universal appetite to see the world within the familiar order of the language of film on a big screen. For each flick is really an escape into someone else’s story.
The movies remain a popular together art. The communal experience is unlike the solitary iPods or computers or video games.
This may be the legacy of the Great Depression. For back then everyone went to the picture show, because whatever else was going on, everyone was in it together.
Bob, I certainly enjoyed your latest "thread" about the motion pictures. I beleive there is truth to folks wanting an escape during difficult economic times. On the Harlem Globetrotters' current 2009 North American Tour, we have already set 28 all-time box office records in the first 50 days of the tour. Keep in mind, the Globetrotters are in their 83rd consecutive season of play. Thankfully, the Globetrotters truly are a total family entertainment option.
As the PR guy for the Trotters, I get hundreds of emails from fans inquiring about many topics, including historic dates. Unfortunately, during the 83-year history of the team, the ownership has changed hands six times, so there are certian periods that are a bit shady. I mention that, as I am curious of anyone has early memories of the Harlem Globetrotters playing in Marucs or any surrounding towns other than Sioux City? Keep in mind, there were many knock-off teams that tweaked the original name to sell tickets.
Hi Brett! As you know there was an interesting piece in the NEW YORK TIMES recently about the Globetrotters--most particularily about their opposing team-in my day--The Washington Generals. Seems the Trotters have only lost once to an opposing team in 87 years of playing. For all their delightful shenanigans, it's still good basketball. Remarkable! Bob Reed
Anyone watch PBS tonight? That would have been Monday February 16th. They were doing a story on Walter Freeman and his lobotomies in the early 50's. His most famous was done on Rosemary Kennedy. What caught my attention was the mention of Dr. Freeman killing three patients at Cherokee State Hospital in Iowa. I did some checking on google and sure enough it was the hospital I grew up calling the Cherokee Mental Health Institute. I had no idea they did lobotomies there let alone killed 3 patients during the procedure. Can anyone add anything to this story?
I posted "Goin' to the Movies" on the MHS Class of 75 site (which has been going strong for almost ten years now). We've had a great time passing stories back and forth about our own experiences at the Marland, which was a great hangout for pre-teen baby boomers back in the late 60s. It was a place where ... a big sister dragged her little sister to a showing of "The Birds" and the little sister ran out of the theater screaming ... where first kisses occurred in the dark ... where 25 cent candy bars went for a mistaken bargain rate of 5 cents ... where friends got to help change the reels ... where "Love Story" and "The Love Bug" and "The Blob" all came to life and stayed with us.
For those of you that have not heard, Robert Kranig passed away Thursday February 19th at his home in Yankton, SD. Bob was a Marcus resident since 1967 when my father, Melvin Dorr, hired him to work on our farm. As you can see there are two links above. One is Bob's obituary and the other is a link to the funeral home in Yankton.
Second only to my father and grandfather, Bob Kranig taught me more about hard work, dedication and loyalty than any other person in my childhood. And he also taught me a few good cuss words and dirty jokes!
I'll always cherish the memories of his fried Christmas turkeys, the times he tried to teach me how to fish (rather unsuccessfully...) and late nights listening to him on the CB during harvest.
My prayers go out to Tiny, Robert, Brian, Kim, Cameron and William. We're all going to miss a very important piece of our extended family.
If every farmer in America planted corn and soybeans as straight as Bob Kranig did there would have never been a need for the GPS system on farmer's tractors during planting season. Bob Kranig was the original "GPS" and will be missed.
My condolences go out to Tiny and the family at this time.
The Marcus Picnic was held at 11:45 on Sunday, Feb. 15 at the Home Town Buffet in Scottsdale, AZ. 38 people registered from a variety of locations but they all had a Marcus connection. We were all glad to see Chuck Beaton attending as he had been in ill health since the first of the year. We appreciate him setting up the picnic site each year. Marcia Beaton led us in introducing ourselves and giving any news since last year. We spent time visiting, We'll be meeting again in February, 2010. Former Marcus residents, we urge you to attend the picnic next year. There is plenty of room, the food is good, and we'd love to see you. Watch for the date to be announced in January, 2010.
hey it's Manda again. I just recently had a chance to check back from the August/September conversation when I was informed that my comments regarding the Westernaires in Marcus was put into the newspaper. anonymous mentioned that someone could scan a copy of it and send it to me. is it too late now, or does someone still have access to a paper? Mr. Keller (our instructor and the head of Westernaires) would enjoy having it! :D Thanks! Manda
24 hours earlier the younger Robert Duane lost his wife(Mary Borgheiinck-Kranig) as well. To loose your wife and father within 24 hours is more than anyone should have to deal with. We will keep these families in our prayers
Hey Manda, I'm working on your request. Give me a few days to find the article back. I will try to scan and e-mail it to you. Thanks again for the great performances! Paul
Does anyone connected to Marcus know how to manage a web site? the Marcus Historical Society web page is in dire need of updating and the person that usually does this is not keep it up. I talked to Midlands and they said it can be managed from any where but I think it may be above my head. Arlene Hollenbeck hygienistmom@hotmail.com
Does anyone connected to Marcus know how to manage a web site? the Marcus Historical Society web page is in dire need of updating and the person that usually does this is not keep it up. I talked to Midlands and they said it can be managed from any where but I think it may be above my head. Arlene Hollenbeck hygienistmom@hotmail.com
Hey Manda, I've found what your looking for, and a couple more local articles. Please e-mail me a shipping address. I have a box to ship to you. Thanks Paul Paul@sandsofiowa.com
A front page article in the New York Times on Sunday, March 1st,was headlined "Americans Are Flocking to the Movies". It observed that folks are seeking a silver screen lining. Attendance has jumped nearly 16% and ticket revenues are up 17% this year. "It's not rocket science" said Martin Kaplan, of the University of Southern California "People want to forget their troubles and want to be with other people". Bob Reed
ANNUAL MARCUS PICNIC FEB 15,2009
ReplyDeleteThe Annual Marcus Picnic will be held on Feb. 15, 2009 11:45 PM
at the Hometown Buffet , 1312 N Scottsdale Rd.,Scottsdale,AZ
We have reserved the meeting room from 11:45 AM to 3:00 Pm. Dinner will be smorgasbord style so you will be able to eat as you arrive. A short program will follow the meal .The attendance has been pushing the capacity so this year we have reserved the larger room again.
That room will not be available until 11 45 AM. The best part here is we do not have to pay extra to guarantee the room ). There will be time to visit after lunch.
Bring your memories to share with old friends.
PLEASE NOTE TIME CHANGE !!!!!!!!!!!
from Bob Reed
ReplyDeleteFOOTBALL AND CLASICAL MUSIC
Back from an enjoyable experience at the Outback Bowl where the Hawkeyes bashed South Carolina 31-10. This was our third visit to a Florida bowl featuring the Hawks in the six years we have been in Orlando. A reported 15,000 Iowans swamped Tampa hotels and the stadium. Some drove twenty-eight hours to cheer. It had all the trappings of a home game.
While the attendance was down from previous years due to the economy, we fans partied hearty, and the black and gold striped bib overalls were nearly overcome by the black and gold striped miniskirts. The Iowa folks wore shorts while the locals bundled up, shivering in the 65-degree morning weather.
One slim beauty in a “Corn Fed” T-shirt vied with another who had no edges. She was rounded and melted like an unwrapped Hershey Kiss left in the summer sun. Her contours exuded Iowa home cooking.
After all the post game celebrations, we retreated to our hotel room to recover and fall asleep watching the Vienna Philharmonic concert on my old network, PBS. It made me wonder about classical music and current education.
In the 1930s in Marcus, we elementary/junior high school kids were exposed to classical music in the old school building in the center of town. Whether we liked it or not, we listened to Tchaikovsky‘s “1812 Overture” or a Rachmaninoff piano concerto or the “Nutcracker Suite” at least once a week. We heard Dvorak’s “New World Symphony” because it had been partially composed in Iowa and the main melody was a familiar hymn
The selections were played on 78-inch discs on a record player in the front of the room after a short lecture by the teacher. That would have been the strict Miss Wachtler or her tall, bony assistant.
Some spent much of the time looking out the window and struggling to keep awake. Others simply welcomed the respite from challenging studies and let their minds wander, while pulling the pony tales of the girls in front of them. A few enjoyed.
But all of us were exposed to—miracle of miracles—violins and violas and timpani—strangers in Marcus. The sound was so different from our high school band.
And we town and country kids were given access to the language of classical music and the themes and melodies that were familiar to everyone in the western world and became, at the least, acquaintances to us. There was a commonality of subconscious assimilation in our group listening. We were being introduced to the canon and musical literacy.
And a lot of it has been maintained over the years by this generation. We recognize and nod appreciably at now-familiar classical music, because of our early brief introduction to it.
As I drifted off to sleep to the lovely “Blue Danube Waltz” by Strauss, I wondered whether such classical music exposure is offered today to the kids at the elementary/middle school in Cleghorn.
Anyone know?
Bob Reed
Bob:
ReplyDeleteI served on the West Des Moines School Board during the late 80's and early 90's. One of the initiatives I tried to encourage our junior highs to consider was playing classical music over the public address system during the mid-day lunch periods.
As you undoubtedly know, there is research literature around suggesting that exposure to classical music is good on lots of levels, not the least of which is cognitive development.
I was never able to convince my 6 fellow board members, nor our district's administrators, that at least a trial run in one of our junior highs would be worth the effort. So it never happened.
I agree with you, though. There is a place for exposure to classical music in our public schools. With every other form of music providing a backdrop to virtually our every waking minute, especially so with teens, we should be able to carve out at least a few minutes for something so timeless and worthy.
Fred
Does anyone know if or when Marcus is having city wide garage sales? I know the Marc-Ettes used to organize that, but I am not sure anymore. I just want to know if it is worth holding on to the ever-growing pile of stuff through June or if I should just take it to Goodwill. Any info would be helpful. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if this has been posted already or not. If it has been please forgive me. My mom told me that Mickey Treinen passed away a couple of days ago. He was almost 94. I have many good memories of Mickey. He was a great guy and will be missed.
ReplyDeleteKurt Dorr
Oh no, I'm sorry to hear that. He was one of my favorite Marcus people. I always enjoyed seeing him. He was our CCD teacher for the seniors at Holy Name. He surprised us in many ways -- and taught us about life.
ReplyDeleteMickey Treinen and Charlie Addy
ReplyDeleteMarcus will surely never see the likes of these two gentlemen again.
Couldn't find finer men.
Mick Treinen was a cousin of mine (through the Means family.) As a child I remember many the long road trips to visit the "Iowa cousins." We always stayed at Mick and Wilma's and their hospitality was endless. No matter how many people were staying at their home, they always found room for one more. Of course, I appreciate these trips more now than when I was 7, but even then I understood that Mick and Wilma were a special breed of people.
ReplyDeleteMick was a kind and generous man, who never had a harsh word to say about anybody. He was a true American, farmer, husband and father. Mick was the epitome of a gentleman. After such a long and gracious life that has touched so many, Marcus will not be the only place in this world that will feel the loss of Mick Treinen.
Bobbi (Perion) Carroll
Welcome, Bobbi,
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful tribute! Where do you live now and what do you remember about Marcus "back in the day"?
In case anyone cares to read this.
ReplyDeleteAnn Dorr in Washington Post
Sounds like a beautiful place to go to work to every day! I'm sure she has some great stories ... that she can't pass along.
ReplyDeleteAnother (not as impressive but interesting) connection to our new President: A small, but respected, woodworking shop right down the road has been making Obama's tiger maple bed and will be delivering it to DC this weekend.
To Bob Reed From: Don Peters
ReplyDeleteInteresting sidelight, about a dozen young guys played touch football on saturday mornings (we were jr. highers)so I never heard the program, but my mom used to listen to WHO on those sat. mornings broadcasting the NY Met Opera performances. Then in 1983, I'm playing golf in SD with Tom Shive (he was CEO of Fisher Controls,Marshalltown), and his company sponsored those programs.
Im wondering about poeple ages cu15-65, here in SD we see "Jersey Boys" a couple of weeks later we see the SD Sympanthy and the similar age attendees--the very large majority appear to be over 65--wonder if our chldren (mine are in late 40s)do not enjoy great entertainment.
Don Peters
Maybe someone can report on the Annual Marcus Picnic here and/or pass around this blog address so that other former Marcusites can find their way here.
ReplyDeleteIn the latest addition of the Cherokee Chronicles. The town of Marcus (as noted already) is gonna miss Mickey Treinen and the Marcus Fair will never be the same without Mickey and Charlie Addy around. Two "WONDERFUL" and kind men.
ReplyDeleteP.S. How she does it is beyond me but thanks for writing this great piece re Mickey!
Gray Matters:The Death of a Remarkable Man
Margaret Dorr
Monday, January 19, 2009
There are a few individuals in every community who seem, almost automatically, to assume the leadership roles. When those remarkable folks leave us, the loss is deeply felt. We, here in western Cherokee County, are experiencing just such a loss.
A few days ago, ninety-three-year-old Merle Treinen passed away. Member of a pioneer family, husband, father, farmer, leader and friend, he leaves an indelible imprint. Merle, known to most as "Mickey," was a warm, witty, guy, with scarcely an enemy in the world. If you couldn't warm up to Mick, it was you who had a problem.
His grandfather, Nicholas Treinen, born in Luxembourg, came to northwest Iowa, by way of Red Wing, MN, not long after the town of Marcus was platted. Merle's parents, Felix and Pearl, farmed only briefly before moving into town where Felix was first a carpenter and then operated the Marcus Oil filling station out at the mile corner. So Merle grew up in town and graduated from Marcus High School in 1932.
His deep roots drew him back to the original Treinen family farm and he and his wife, Wilma, cultivated that land for 69 years. That is where they raised their remarkable family of one son and seven daughters. One of their girls was a special needs child. To many of us it seemed the Almighty had a unique purpose in giving her to them.
Merle had been elected to the public school board at about the time this little one reached school age. With an outstanding superintendent and progressive fellow board members, the county's very first special education classes were offered in our little town. From that beginning, the entire Cherokee County system of special education developed.
Beyond that, working at the state level, Merle became involved in the establishment of Iowa's outstanding system of Group Homes and Sheltered Workshops. It's impossible to calculate the number of lives that were positively affected by those institutions, both directly and indirectly.
As we remember Merle, Rotarian, fair board member, avid conservationist, and community volunteer, it would take a great many Gray Matters to acknowledge all of his and Wilma's contributions. But in these brief lines, I hope I have been able to give you a bit of a feeling for the character of this remarkable man whose long life of service we are honoring.
Every community has its own such special leaders. Most of them probably won't be with you for ninety three years, but I urge you to acknowledge and appreciate those you have as long as they are around.
To many of you younger readers I'm sure ninety three years seems like forever, but I can assure you it is not. So I will leave you with the admonition to follow the example of Merle Treinen and make the most of every one of the years you have been allotted.
May God Rest His Immortal Soul!
Margaret
ReplyDeleteThat brought tears
to my eyes.
Thank you for sharing
that with us.
From Margaret Dorr:
ReplyDeleteTo Bob and Don and others who remember being introduced to Great Music at a tender age:
When I was in grade school our music teacher gathered us in our little box-like gym one morning each week to listen to Walter Damrosch's Music Appreciation Hour on the radio. At home my Mom had records of Caruso, Schumann-Heink, and others, and we listened to The Music Shop from WOI Ames each morning. (I believe Howard Johnson from Marcus played those classical records while he was a student there.)
We never missed the Metropolitan Opera broadcasts on Saturday afternoons, either. I appreciate the other side of the coin, as well. I concluded a column on the matter some years
ago by saying, "I enjoy everything from Wolfgang Mozart to Willie Nelson; from George Frederic Handel to George Strait. I seem to have been wired to love it all, and I'm glad."
I agree, guys, something has been lost and I find it very sad.
---- Margaret Dorr
But classical music hasn't been lost in the home-school movement.
ReplyDeleteOften the Sioux City Concert Course is occupied on a Fall or Spring Saturday night with gray-hairs and then large families of home-school children.
http://www.concertcourse.com
February 3: It's "the day the music died," the day in 1959 when Buddy Holly was killed in a plane crash in Clear Lake, Iowa, along with Ritchie Valens (who sang "La Bamba") and J.P. Richardson (known as "The Big Bopper"). Buddy Holly's career as a rock star only lasted a year and a half, but he recorded "Peggy Sue," "Everyday," "That'll Be the Day," "Oh, Boy!" and many more hits. Buddy Holly was 22 years old when he died.
ReplyDeleteI think I saw something that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Ohio has added the ballroom in Clear Lake to its list of famous places in music history.
Julie:
ReplyDeleteThere has been lots of coverage of this in the Register, as it is the 50th Anniversary of the events. Buddy Holly's widow was present for the dance last night in Clear Lake, as were a few other "notables" - Richie Valens' brother, Graham Nash, etc. She [Mrs. Holly] thanked the crowd for keeping his memory alive.
The standing rumor was that Paul McCartney was going to show, as he owns all of Buddy's material now. He didn't. (Many may already know but - the "Beatles" decided on their name out of regard for the "Crickets" in Buddy's group.)
One of the many funny stories surrounding the 1959 events is that if The Surf Ballroom had all the people in it the night of the fateful concert, as now claim were there, it would have had to have held about 20,000 dancers. (The Surf's capacity is about 2,000 - max.)
Young Waylon Jennings was present that night and gave up his seat on the plane based on losing a coin toss.
And the stories go on...
It's a great old ballroom, but sure has struggled of late. Hope it makes it. These kind of events help.
Fred
#4 Taps and Reveille
ReplyDeleteGerald Pallesen is our retired postmaster and the area’s resident bugler. Learning that he sounds taps more than100 times annually, I wondered if he might have set some sort of lifetime record. When I asked, he soon set me straight.
Though he first sounded that touching bugle call 65 years ago and is still doing it, there were those years of dedicated postal service intervening when time did not permit. So, though not record-setting, Jerry’s story is still most fascinating.
His brother, Kenny, had sounded taps locally until he left for college. That fall, the Legion commander came to their father, desperate to find a replacement. Mr. Pallesen calmly assured him that Jerry, a high school sophomore, could probably do it, and he did, for the first time, on Nov.11, 1943.
He and a group of friends enlisted three months after high school graduation. His determination to play in a military band led him, by a circuitous route, to the band of the 9th Air Force Training Command Headquarters at Greenville, SC. It covered the musical needs of that Command from Langley Field, VA all across the south, including bases in Texas. His principal instrument was the trumpet, but he also played baritone and sometimes served as drum major. As such, he experienced one of his most memorable moments. The Marine Band, which is known as the ‘president’s own,’ happened to be out of Washington when, through some last-minute change of plans, the president was scheduled to arrive. So their band, stationed nearby, was called to do the honors. They rehearsed Ruffles and Flourishes and Hail to the Chief and did quite an admirable job, followed by a couple of rousing Sousa marches. Upon deplaning, President Truman turned and walked over to the drum major, shook his hand, and thanked him profusely. Truly a moment to remember! Very seriously, Jerry went on to say that he considers it an even rarer privilege each time he pays tribute to one of these true heroes who so nobly served our country.
In the year 2000, Congress enacted the Military Funeral Honors Law which makes certain that two uniformed members from the branch in which the deceased served, attend each funeral to present the flag. It also mandates that taps always be sounded, by tape or an electronic device if a live bugler were not available.
Jerry voiced his total disapproval of those systems which often malfunctioned. He then told of his delight when a man named Tom Day, from Berwyn, IL, initiated the organization of Bugles Across America. He became involved immediately and is now a regional director of that group of 5000 volunteers.
All funeral directors have an 800 number for each branch of service enabling them to verify the honorable discharge of the deceased veteran. That done, Bugles Across America is alerted and, through a remarkably efficient on-line process, they are immediately able to provide a live bugler to sound taps with competence and dignity.
Now I am running out of space to tell you of Pallesen’s fascinating experiences with military burials in the Ho Chunk and Omaha nations, or to mention his daughter, June, who is also a Bugles Across America volunteer. In Legion Auxiliary uniform, she sounds taps, on her own, or in echo formation with her Dad.
But, before I close, I want to include one final touching story. Recently, the family of a veteran from Sutherland contacted Jerry with an unusual request. Their deceased father had asked that Taps be sounded, followed by thirty seconds of complete silence after which the bugler should sound Reveille. He played those calls just as indicated, and it turned out so beautifully that he has been asked to do it several times since. Isn’t that incredible musical symbolism with which to denote the earthly endings and new beginnings for a believing Christian?
Evolution of Dance 2
ReplyDeleteKurt Dorr
Rural Churches Grapple With Pastor Exodus
ReplyDeleteKurt Dorr
Video of Rural Pastor Exodus
ReplyDeleteKurt Dorr
How fortunate we are here around Marcus! Trinity, rural Marcus, a Missouri Synod Lutheran Church,and rural Evangelical Free Churces, Meriden E. Free and Oakdale E. Free, are robust and growing. Trinity has a very active daughter congregation, Pilgrim Lutheran in Quimby. These two churches have been fortunate in having an extremely dedicated and tireless pastor in recent years. They also added a vicarage program, in cooperation with Concordia Seminary, Ft. Wayne, IN, this past year. That required increased giving but it is proving well worth it. The brilliant young vicar contributes so much to both congregations and, in turn, is receiving excellent training. He promises to turn into a great rural pastor.
ReplyDeleteThere are some definite bright spots amidst all of the gloom and doom of the above posts. Happily, the Marcus area is one of them. Margaret Dorr
Best Rural Places to Live
ReplyDeleteCheck out who made no. 3 !!!
Kurt Dorr
This is a better link to best rural places to live
ReplyDeleteKurt Dorr
We're hoping that you and a large group of friends were able to enjoy the 50th anniversary of the Winter Dance Party at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake (Feb 4,5,6,7,8 and 9 this year). In addition to the Crickets, Bobby Vee, Wanda Jackson, Graham Nash and Maria Elena Holly, there were plenty of other 'celebs' on hand--many of them from the major news networks.
ReplyDeleteNope, No Paul McCartney--rumor, indeed. No NASCAR Driver, either (the other Big Rumor). (By; the way, Kevin Costner, was "just around the corner" so to speak, about 35 miles away in a barn, performing with a band in Leland, Iowa just prior to the Winter Dance Party.)
A large contingent representing the British Buddy Holly Society was seen in and around this small town of about 8,000. Other visitors flocked in from as far away as Cypress and Australia.
The event is pure FUN with 50's music, 50's fashion, 50's food and an opportunity to meet very nice people from all over the world. The live performances are magic. If you've not seen the astounding keyboard styles of Jason D. Williams, you're missing out more than you can imagine (think Jerry Lee Lewis!)
Most impressive is watching the townspeople, the hotel and business owners, the visitors, the Surf staff, the Chamber... absolutely everyone working together to make sure a "fun time is had by all."
We have had the opportunity to attend two other Winter Dance Parties, but not this year.
Think about coming over to Clear Lake, Iowa. Plan ahead (limited motel space), get tickets early!
The Surf Ballroom, by the way, has had a struggle to be sure in the past few years, but a local family and their construction company stepped in to save this landmark. Many updates have been made. Thousands of photos are on display (this year, the collection includes photos that had been hidden away at the Surf). There is a lovely wooden dance floor, original booths where you or your parents probably sat. You may be surprised at what a beautiful facility still stands in Clear Lake. It's not the original (that was across the street on the lake side, and was destroyed in a fire many years ago).
We're proud and happy to call Marcus our original hometown, but now also proud and happy to be a part of the Clear Lake Community, (Home of the Surf Ballroom) where we have lived for almost 37 years.
If any of our dear readers was jumpin' and jivin', rockin' and rollin' at this year's 50's event, we'd love to read all about it on the Marcus Blog.
David Snyder (Holy Name, Class of 1964 and Patti (Wallin) Snyder
David and Patti:
ReplyDeleteI didn't go this year, but have attended about three other of these Winter Dance Reunions. They are always great fun, as you describe. The main event was on a Monday night this year, which made it impossible for me to be there.
Jason D. Williams is a terrific piano player. (I have heard all kinds of rumors over the years about his personal life which, if true puts him right up there with Jerry Lee, but he sure can play.) Our group which goes to Clear Lake first saw him perform at the Iowa State Fair. I'd never heard of him before. When he plays with his feet, backwards, laying on top of the piano and finally pitches the bench and starts banging away with his forearms and elbows it is great fun to listen to and more fun to watch.
We did make it to your town this year for "Christmas On The Lake" though. Loved the atmosphere. Lighted, nightime parade, followed by fireworks over the lake, surrounded by all kinds of businesses and groups pitching in to make it a success. I draw the line, though, on the Polar Plunge. The morning that the participants did that was incredibly cold. Watching people trek down to the lake in swim suits about did me in - and I was in a heated vehicle simply watching.
Congrats to your community. It is obviously a town that refuses to give up and fade away. Certainly it has suffered its setbacks, but it is obvious that the people who live there care about the community and want to make it relevant and attractive to others. From what I have seen, it works.
Fred
from Bob Reed
ReplyDeleteGOIN’ TO THE MOVIES
Time was when a lot of the citizens of Marcus went to “the picture show” down at the Lyric Theatre. It was located (in the ’30s and ’40s) on Main Street—where the Community Center is now.
The bill changed weekly and the films were sometimes nearly six months old. But the venue offered an escape from the ordinary. And there was something about the communal viewing that sort of brought the community together.
This was—I’m told—particularly so during the Great Depression in the ’30s, when I was not yet ten years old. It was in that decade that the movies’ hold on the popular imagination solidified and grew. But it’s easy to forget just how new the cinema was back then, and how uncertain its fate.
When the stock market crashed in 1929, sound film was younger than YouTube today. And I have read that audience attendance fell from ninety million in 1930 to sixty million in 1934. But things began to turn around that year.
The mythology of the era includes the idea that Americans went to the movies because the movies gave them what they needed. Hard-pressed folks gratefully lost themselves in satiny comedies that helped ease the sting of desperation and want.
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers danced in snazzy New York settings. And even the Jimmy Cagney stories of crime attracted audiences—especially after the Production Code went into effect in 1934. That industry-wide pledge made sure that each pic closed with a redemptive, morally affirming ending.
And the only competition to a night at the movies was the radio, with you and maybe one or two other listeners—not like the large, friendly crowds in a theater. During the blizzards of 1936, when everything in town was closed for a week, my teenage sister and her girl friend trudged through three-foot drifts to join other friends at the Lyric. Sure—it was open.
In 1939, I joined my buddies in the benches at the front of the theater to cheer and stomp as the cavalry raced to rescue the settlers from the Indians. Our outbursts annoyed the hell out of the adult patrons, as did our screaming laughter at the antics in the Bugs Bunny cartoons. That year was a golden one for it saw the release of two now-classics—"Gone with the Wind" and "The Wizard of Oz" (’course we didn’t see them until some time later).
This was before the ratings system, and any kid could go to any movie. That year I was so terrified by Lon Chaney’s portrayal of Quasimodo in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" that I ran up the aisle, burst past the astonished proprietor (what WAS his name?), and fled home—crying. My mother met me at the door, having received a phone call from him. It takes a village to raise a child.
Attendance increased even more in the 1940s, they say, because of WW II. People seemed to want to be together. And at the Lyric it was date night as you faked a yawn and struggled to act casual as you tentatively put your arm around her shoulder. It was followed by a Coke at Lage’s.
The Lyric had a fire and was closed (when?) and there was a Quonset hut community theater operating in Sjostrom Park for awhile. But now the only near-by venue is in Paullina or Cherokee.
And in the immediate past, they say that theater attendance has been shrinking. We are again in a recession/depression. Will the Hollywood studio bosses be the next executives to come to Washington pleading for a bail out?
Will the movies themselves still be there for us and will Americans need them in a time when there are so many other entertainments that are cheaper? Some of my friends say “YES!”
They maintain that in hard times, people go to the movies to confront their troubles or escape from them. They still want to be lulled by romance or tickled by comedy.
Mostly, I guess, there is a universal appetite to see the world within the familiar order of the language of film on a big screen. For each flick is really an escape into someone else’s story.
The movies remain a popular together art. The communal experience is unlike the solitary iPods or computers or video games.
This may be the legacy of the Great Depression. For back then everyone went to the picture show, because whatever else was going on, everyone was in it together.
Will that happen again?
Bob Reed
Bob, I certainly enjoyed your latest "thread" about the motion pictures. I beleive there is truth to folks wanting an escape during difficult economic times. On the Harlem Globetrotters' current 2009 North American Tour, we have already set 28 all-time box office records in the first 50 days of the tour. Keep in mind, the Globetrotters are in their 83rd consecutive season of play.
ReplyDeleteThankfully, the Globetrotters truly are a total family entertainment option.
As the PR guy for the Trotters, I get hundreds of emails from fans inquiring about many topics, including historic dates. Unfortunately, during the 83-year history of the team, the ownership has changed hands six times, so there are certian periods that are a bit shady. I mention that, as I am curious of anyone has early memories of the Harlem Globetrotters playing in Marucs or any surrounding towns other than Sioux City? Keep in mind, there were many knock-off teams that tweaked the original name to sell tickets.
Brett Meister
Hi Brett!
ReplyDeleteAs you know there was an interesting piece in the NEW YORK TIMES recently about the Globetrotters--most particularily about their opposing team-in my day--The Washington Generals. Seems the Trotters have only lost once to an opposing team in 87 years of playing. For all their delightful shenanigans, it's still good basketball. Remarkable!
Bob Reed
Anyone watch PBS tonight? That would have been Monday February 16th. They were doing a story on Walter Freeman and his lobotomies in the early 50's. His most famous was done on Rosemary Kennedy. What caught my attention was the mention of Dr. Freeman killing three patients at Cherokee State Hospital in Iowa. I did some checking on google and sure enough it was the hospital I grew up calling the Cherokee Mental Health Institute. I had no idea they did lobotomies there let alone killed 3 patients during the procedure. Can anyone add anything to this story?
ReplyDeleteKurt Dorr
The Lobotomist
ReplyDeleteHere is a link to the PBS site.
Kurt Dorr
I posted "Goin' to the Movies" on the MHS Class of 75 site (which has been going strong for almost ten years now). We've had a great time passing stories back and forth about our own experiences at the Marland, which was a great hangout for pre-teen baby boomers back in the late 60s. It was a place where ... a big sister dragged her little sister to a showing of "The Birds" and the little sister ran out of the theater screaming ... where first kisses occurred in the dark ... where 25 cent candy bars went for a mistaken bargain rate of 5 cents ... where friends got to help change the reels ... where "Love Story" and "The Love Bug" and "The Blob" all came to life and stayed with us.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure someone out there can tell us about the doings at the Marcus Picnic.
ReplyDeleteRobert Kranig Obituary
ReplyDeleteFuneral Home
For those of you that have not heard, Robert Kranig passed away Thursday February 19th at his home in Yankton, SD. Bob was a Marcus resident since 1967 when my father, Melvin Dorr, hired him to work on our farm. As you can see there are two links above. One is Bob's obituary and the other is a link to the funeral home in Yankton.
Complete obituary for Robert Kranig
ReplyDeleteA complete obituary for Robert Kranig has been posted at the link above.
Kurt Dorr
Second only to my father and grandfather, Bob Kranig taught me more about hard work, dedication and loyalty than any other person in my childhood. And he also taught me a few good cuss words and dirty jokes!
ReplyDeleteI'll always cherish the memories of his fried Christmas turkeys, the times he tried to teach me how to fish (rather unsuccessfully...) and late nights listening to him on the CB during harvest.
My prayers go out to Tiny, Robert, Brian, Kim, Cameron and William. We're all going to miss a very important piece of our extended family.
Andrew Dorr
If every farmer in America planted corn and soybeans as straight as Bob Kranig did there would have never been a need for the GPS system on farmer's tractors during planting season. Bob Kranig was the original "GPS" and will be missed.
ReplyDeleteMy condolences go out to Tiny and the family at this time.
Philip M. Dorr
The Marcus Picnic was held at 11:45 on Sunday, Feb. 15 at the Home Town Buffet in Scottsdale, AZ. 38 people registered from a variety of locations but they all had a Marcus connection. We were all glad to see Chuck Beaton attending as he had been in ill health since the first of the year. We appreciate him setting up the picnic site each year. Marcia Beaton led us in introducing ourselves and giving any news since last year. We spent time visiting, We'll be meeting again in February, 2010. Former Marcus residents, we urge you to attend the picnic next year. There is plenty of room, the food is good, and we'd love to see you. Watch for the date to be announced in January, 2010.
ReplyDeletehey it's Manda again.
ReplyDeleteI just recently had a chance to check back from the August/September conversation when I was informed that my comments regarding the Westernaires in Marcus was put into the newspaper. anonymous mentioned that someone could scan a copy of it and send it to me. is it too late now, or does someone still have access to a paper? Mr. Keller (our instructor and the head of Westernaires) would enjoy having it! :D
Thanks!
Manda
my email is mccarthynumber2@yahoo.com
Can someone help this young friend of Marcus out or could someone pass the request on to The Marcus News staff?
ReplyDelete24 hours earlier the younger Robert Duane lost his wife(Mary Borgheiinck-Kranig) as well. To loose your wife and father within 24 hours is more than anyone should have to deal with. We will keep these families in our prayers
ReplyDeleteHey Manda,
ReplyDeleteI'm working on your request. Give me a few days to find the article back. I will try to scan and e-mail it to you.
Thanks again for the great performances! Paul
Does anyone connected to Marcus know how to manage a web site? the Marcus Historical Society web page is in dire need of updating and the person that usually does this is not keep it up. I talked to Midlands and they said it can be managed from any where but I think it may be above my head.
ReplyDeleteArlene Hollenbeck
hygienistmom@hotmail.com
Does anyone connected to Marcus know how to manage a web site? the Marcus Historical Society web page is in dire need of updating and the person that usually does this is not keep it up. I talked to Midlands and they said it can be managed from any where but I think it may be above my head.
ReplyDeleteArlene Hollenbeck
hygienistmom@hotmail.com
Hey Manda,
ReplyDeleteI've found what your looking for, and a couple more local articles. Please e-mail me a shipping address. I have a box to ship to you. Thanks Paul
Paul@sandsofiowa.com
Arlene, contact Jamie Johnson about doing/hosting a website for the Historical Society
ReplyDeleteLife Imitates Art
ReplyDeleteA front page article in the New York Times on
Sunday, March 1st,was headlined "Americans Are Flocking to the Movies". It observed that folks are seeking a silver screen lining. Attendance has jumped nearly 16% and ticket revenues are up 17% this year. "It's not rocket science" said Martin Kaplan, of the University of Southern California "People want to forget their troubles and want to be with other people".
Bob Reed