It Took Time to Complete A Sad Story

     Locals may already know about this but "outsiders," the Kornerman is sure, may be unaware. And, the story goes back almost 10 years.........a time when some of you may have still been in this area and, thus, may have a recollection of the individual involved.
     In October of 2005, the body of a man was pulled from the Des Moines River in Des Moines near a homeless camp. There was $10 in the man's pocket but no identification was present. In the nine years since, officials have still not been able to pin an identity on the individual.........until now.
     In a story on cold cases on a local television station in 2010, an autopsy picture of the man was shown and a lady notified police she thought it might be a picture of her ex-husband. However, police, initially, thought that the body was that of a hispanic male. The lady, not to be denied, contacted police again four years later, even more certain that the individual was her ex-husband.
     It has now been confirmed that the individual was, indeed, Robert Brian McMahon and his remains have been presented to his family.
     If that name sounds familiar it's because McMahon, at one time, had a restaurant in the Livery in Boone. He had increased his culinary skills by attending a school in France prior to coming to Boone. Brian  was part of a family that once operated the Chef's Inn, located on old Highway 30 west of Ames. It is reported that alcoholism robbed him of his business, family and his life. Survivors include his ex-wife, two grown children and two sisters.
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     A Korner viewer sent an interesting tidbit about football fans. Taken from facebook, it shows the percentage of football fans in each state who like certain football teams.
     According to this report, Alabama fans top the list at 34-percent, followed by Nebraska at 28, Oklahoma 27, Arkansas and Iowa at 26-percent.
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     The internet provides tons of material that could provide columns and columns of Korner "fill." Normally, I bypass that type of material unless it had a local "tie." However, on occasion, something will "strike" the Kornerman sufficiently that I decide to use it. This was interesting to me.
     A very successful businessman disclosed three things he thought were his best tips for success. They are (1) read something nobody else is reading. (2) think something nobody else is thinking and (3) do something nobody else is doing.
     He stated, "the best sermons are lived, not preached."
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     You  still have time. The Kornerman is sure that some of you viewers had contact with Gordon Severson,  perhaps as a student/athlete of his at Luther or United Community High. He has also served his Luther community in many positive ways.
     Gordon has his 90th birthday Monday. What a good guy. Please consider sending him a greeting at 8 Boone Street, Luther, IA 50152.
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     With the help of the Korner, Mike Loehrer has made contact with a pair of individuals, Gary Long and Patty Harris, he was interested in visiting with.
     In sorting through some memorabilia, Mike came across a program from the very first Shrine Bowl football game (1973) ever played in Iowa and he noted that former Toreador Gary Long played in that game. The Kornerman provided Gary's address etc., Mike contacted him and they had a nice visit as Mike volunteered to send Gary a copy of that program.
     Mike had also wanted to share some information with Patty Harris about her late dad, Merle, the former Boone High School football coach.
     Loehrer was coaching at Rock Island, Alleman High School when they played a game at Geneseo High School in Illinois. He noticed that some of the pre-game drills looked familiar........like the ones Coach Harris used at BHS. He then discovered that the Geneseo coach was Bob Reade who had been an assistant coach to Merle Harris when both were at Maquoketa High School.
     After a super spectacular career as the head coach at Geneseo, Reade became the longtime and very successful coach at Augustana College in Illinois. His teams there won four consecutive national championships and was runnerup on another occasion.
    After Coach Reade retired, he was honored via a huge reception in Rock Island and used that occasion to speak mostly about Merle Harris and that he "owed him (Harris) everything for any success I have achieved." He talked of Coach Harris character and how much his family mean't to him........not speaking a word of his own success.  Coach Reade indicated he knew nothing about football until he became an assistant to Harris.
     Loehrer didn't think Patty or any of the other Harris siblings knew about this story so he wanted to relate it to them, personally, and by including some newspaper clippings of Coach Reade's reception.
     How many times can the Kornerman say it..........we love it when we can "match" viewers together for positive purposes.
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     Boone Area Deaths: Norma Jean Nelson Wright, 87, rural Jefferson. Farmed with her husband for 50 years. Boone survivors include her daughter, Marcia Buckner, and a sister, Phyliss Pevestorf both of  Boone.
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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