Selling Boone

     For those of you who love Boone as I, the Kornerman does, this is a real feel-good story.
     Received an email this week from a former Boone resident, Michael Boyle, who wrote, "Coach Kelley, I played for you in the Boone Babe Ruth League. I found your blog and have been reading it all weekend. Love it. So many great memories from the 14 years I lived in Boone. My parents first home in Boone was at 1240 Garst. Thank you for your coaching years ago and your blog today."
    The Kornerman says, " just to be called "coach" 60 years later is a thrill for this oldtimer. However, there's more to this story ahead and those details also provide some extra excitement."
     The Kornerman replied to Michael with some questions about the families stay in Boone and you won't believe how that all started.
     Michael answered, "my father, George, worked for I.T. Verdin of Cincinnati. The company wanted dad to move to Omaha to sell and service church bells. My parents went to Omaha in 1959. My mom was not impressed with that city. They were returning to Ohio on the old Lincoln Highway and stopped at a motel at Fourth and Story in Boone. My family enjoyed bowling and they went out to the Imperial Lanes. Paul Ward (now deceased), owner of Imperial, convinced my parents to stay the next day and he would "show them around town". My mother fell in love with Boone. They rented the house on Garst and left for Cincy. I remember them telling us about Boone and mom kept talking about McHose Park. She was amazed a small town could have such nice parks. That is how we got to Boone Iowa."
     Michael added, "I turned 13 in late September of 1963, so I think my Babe Ruth seasons were 1964, 65 and 66. Teammates were Roger Martin, Hal Lyness, Tom Dawdy and Ted Deal. I have good memories of Memorial Park days. Bobbi and I live in Spring, TX, a burb of Houston. We have retired from McDonald's Corp after 30 years. Looking forward to reading more about Boone. Thank you.
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     Hey 10 minutes ago I was a star on WHO radio's Van and Bonnie morning show. Wife Jo said Van was asking if anyone listening was from LaMoille, IA. He claimed he thought he knew every town in Iowa but was unfamilar with LaMoille.
     The Kornerman had to answer that one with a call to the station. In the 1940's, the Kornerman started school in LaMoille, where my dad served as Superintendent of Schools.
     Van asked me a question or two about LaMoille, which is located in Marshall County, a few miles north off Highway 30 about midway between Marshalltown on the east and State Center on the west. There's a sign on Highway 30 pointing the way. The LaMoille area school age kids now attend school in State Center.
     Actually, Van and I have a good connection. We were both radio-mentored by Thomas A. Quinlan, Van at KDLS in Perry and I at KWBG in Boone.
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     Some quick notes from John Kueck, BHS-61. He wrote that the Iowa State University Alumni Association and ISU Foundation have announced the names of their 2016 Distinguished Awards honorees and one of those to be honored is a former Toreador.
     Delbert (Hank) Harris, BHS-61, will receive a Distinguished Alumni Award at 1:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall, April 15. Hank has received the following degrees from ISU......pre-vet med, 1963; DVM, 1967 and PhD, 1970 in vet microbiology.
     John also answered our recent mention of high school basketball referees Benny Beckerman and Jack North. John wrote, "while his first name escapes me, I am sure you may recall Mr. Quinn, who umpired Little League games and took it very, very seriously and had a serious flair to his calls. If anyone challenged him, they received "the look."
     The Kornerman says that was probably Chuck Quinn who "worked" other sports as well, especially basketball.
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     Boone Connected Deaths: Joy Bartley, 77, Boone. Boone area survivor is her husband, Paul, of Boone..........Hubert Peter, 92, Boone. Born in Boone County.Was a meat cutter at Boone Super Value and operated a service station for several years. Returned to meat cutting when he owned and operated the Stanhope Locker. Boone survivor is a brother-in-law, Deane Eckley............Helen Erb,87, Luther High-47. Worked at the Boone News and was a farm wife/homemaker. Boone area survivors include her husband, Donald, sons, Steve, Bob, Dennis and Jeff and daughters, Barb Dohrman and Brenda Stanley all of Boone...........Donald Lager, 73, Moingona. Worked for the railroad for 29 years. His wife, Judy, and several children and siblings survive...........Randy Ray, 57, Bouton. Formerly of Boone and Pilot Mound. Grand H.S.-77. Was a housekeeper at the Boone County Hospital, a truck driver and delivered newspapers. Boone area survivors include daughters, Kerry Myers and Kelsey Ray of Boone, brothers  Leo of Ogden and Darwin of Boone..........Bob Peterson, 83, Boone. Moved to Boone in 1960. Owned and operated a body shop in Ogden, then was co-owner of Top and Body Repair in Boone. Later, worked as a painter at ISU. Boone area survivors include his wife, Sandra, of Boone and daughters, Rhonda Peterson of Beaver and Luanna Peterson of Boone..........Betty Callery, 94, Buffalo, MN. Formerly of Boone. Lived with her husband, Charlie, in Boone for over 50 years. Worked at KWBG and managed an apartment building complex..........Dorothee Merkle, 65, Boone. Boone area survivor is her husband, Phillip..........Norma Henrichs, 84, Boxholm. Husband, Shorty, is deceased. Norma worked at the Farmers Co-op Elevator. Boone area survivor is a sister-in-law, Dorothy Henrichs of Boxholm............Missey Sundberg, 25, Grinnell. Formerly of Boone. Attended school in Ogden and Boone Alternative High School. Boone area survivors include her children, Shaymus and Alex Sundberg, father-in-law Matt Sundberg, sisters-in-law, Jenna and Hope Sundberg all of Boone, mother-in-law, Drew Sundberg of Madrid, and grandparents, Dencil and Sharon Acuff of Boone and Dr. Steven Sundberg and Bonnie of Grinnell.
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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/support........
kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.