Summer Rec Mention Evokes Memories

     John Kueck wrote, "your summer rec mention brought back great memories of the program at Lowell. I attended almost every day. It was my summer highlight. It was where I first gained by love for softball. I pitched and loved it. It was also my first experience of getting hit in the face with a bat. Although I played Babe Ruth and high school baseball, I never quite gave up softball and played in summer leagues in Boone during college and then coed kitten ball in Minneapolis until my mid-forties. Slow pitch has certain restrictions on the arc of the pitch. My summer rec days of pitching carried through to where I was able to place the ball better than most while maintaining the maximum, but legal arc and I often struck out opponents, even in a slow pitch game."
     John added, "Rich Byerly and either Sonja or Elna Reedholm were the counselors at summer rec I remember most. I idolized Rich who was a big football star in my mind. This was circa 1955. When were you there? Another great rec memory was the craft activity to make lanyards. There were multiple colors of the plastic lacing cord that you wove together with a box stitch at the end where the clip went. With all the comments about ball, I was wondering if Boone has developed a Little league softball division for young girls? Thanks so much for bringing back my Boone memories."
    The Kornerman replies, "I was a summer rec counselor in the early 50's........probably about 1950. And yes, Boone has, for quite some time, had equal opportunity for Little League girls softball and, in fact, the girls have successfully held their own with the boys regarding all-star tournament play."
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     In reply to Dick Longworth who wondered recently why there was such a dearth of Boone baseball activity in the 40's, Janelle Henry came through our haze with a terrific thought. Janelle wrote, "It was probably because in the mid to late 40's we were at war or just ending the war. Most young men were either serving overseas or working in some industry related to the war. Not many men around to coach the teams. Then, they came home, started families, and by the early 50's, started the ball teams up again. Just a thought."
     And a brilliant one, the Kornerman would say. Thanks Janelle for opening our eyes a bit with a simple but very incisive answer.
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     It seemed about time for Vern Modeland to "kick in." Vern wrote, "Okay, so Richard Longworth knows and remembers a heck of a lot more sports than I do. I was one of those dragged to football, basketball and such. My interests in competition had wheels under them or wings on them (Iowa spawned some remarkable race plane designers among its crafty farmers.) But local baseball, I will never forget. Beverly Myers Modeland shared life-long memories here in the OK Rubber Welders softball league, circa the 1940's. I recall it as a statewide circuit. Anybody refresh my memory? And all of us Myers extended clan showed up when Alan or Denny Wilson were playing slow pitch at McHose Park. Or else what? Two big uncles and the boys cheerleading mother (and major league cook), Helen, could be a very effective plan-changer. Don't you wish it still could be that kind of a world?"
     The Kornerman remembers the Wilson boys from Babe Ruth baseball. At least one of them was a star pitcher on one of my teams........I think it was Denny.
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     That feisty BHS 1944 class that refuses to bow to their age, is getting quite a schedule together for their reunion  in late September. It would be their 70TH reunion, which is believed to be a first time fete for a Boone class and, perhaps, other classes statewide. In fact, its known that some state news outlets are planning some coverage. We'll provide more details as the time arrives.
     The 1951 class has a reunion September 20  and the 1959 class October 18, tentatively, and those two along with the '44 class September 26-28 will wrap up such gatherings for another year.
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     Boone Area Deaths: Marilyn Coffman, 82, Boone. Formerly of Ogden. OHS-50. Worked at the Boone County Courthouse from 1967 to retirement in 1994. Boone area survivors include her husband, Roy and son Curt of Boone and sisters Rosella Morgan and Rosalie of Ogden................
Stephen Seeman, 65, Van Wert, IA.............Charles Stumpenhorst, 90, Nebraska and formerly of Ogden. Moved to Ogden in 1946. Farmed until 1953 and then moved to Colorado. Boone area survivors include his sister, Eldora Heineman of Ogden, brother Marvin of Boone, brothers-in-law Dean Youngren of Ogden and Ed Heldt of Boone.........Linda Steward, 60, Boone................Arthur Buechler, 89, Boone. BHS-43. Longtime and very successful Boone County farmer. Boone area survivor is his wife, Martha, and foster children Eugene and Ruth Merrill all of Boone...........Marie Crandell, 94, Ames but formerly of Boone. BHS-38. Graduate of nurses school, was a military nurse and then a longtime Boone County nurse serving Drs. Puntenny, Neil Johnson and John Wall. Boone area survivors include son Steve of Ames.
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     Worldwide Korner headquarters are located at 710 Aldrich, Boone, Iowa 50036-4703. Phone number is 515-432-1530. To email your stories/memories/comments.......
kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.