Wednesday, May 24, 2017

I'm an Octogenarian (Is that good?)

     When something becomes fuzzy in my mind, no, I don't take it as a pain, I take it as a challenge, a way to gain additional knowledge. To do so, I needed to visit with my good friend, Dick Shenary.
      Another good friend, Colonel LaVerne Anderson, BHS-54, had initiated this ruckus by  sending me some information about the United Flying Octogenarians organization. What? Octogenarians.
Friend Dick explained that an octogenarian is a person who is 80 to 89 years of age. Hey, I am one and didn't even know it.
     LaVerne included a letter from the UFO (what a coincidence huh?) congratulating him for becoming a member of their organization.........one of only six such members in the entire state of Iowa.
     The UFO claims they are one of the most exclusive international aviation organizations. To gain eligibility, you must have flown legally after your 80th birthday.
     LaVerne has apparently done that, he's joined the group, has received the 2017 Friendship Directory and has been encouraged to send a picture and biography for use in the "Slipstream," which is the organizations quarterly newsletter.
    Hey, this lad has come a long way from those days in the back rooms of Boyd's Dairy.
    Congratulations LaVerne.
K-----K
     Why is someone who is feeling great "on cloud nine?"
     BECAUSE, types of clouds are numbered according to the altitudes they attain, with nine being the highest cloud. If someone is said to be on cloud nine, that person is floating well above worldly cares.
K-----K
     The old Kornerman was surprised to see the Musser boys, Bob, BHS-58, and Dick, BHS-64, at my doorstep Saturday afternoon.
     The Kornerman has to tell you, the three of us pretty well fill up a room.
     Dick gets to town quite often from his base in the Minneapolis area but Bob lives out east in Virginia and doesn't come this way too often. A graduate of Grinnell College and a member of the school's Board of Trustees, he was back for the Grinnell graduation ceremony.
     He said he's been retired for 20 years after employment with Mobil.
     Brothers Chuck, BHS-57, and John, BHS-52, and sister Janet Musser Linn, BHS-54, are all deceased.  All of that Musser clan were outstanding Toreadors athletes, especially proficient on the basketball floor.
K-----K
     Why is shifting responsibility to someone else called "passing the buck?"
     BECAUSE, in card games, it was once customary to pass an item, called a buck, from player to player to indicate whose turn it was to deal. If a player did not wish to assume the responsibility of dealing, he would "pass the buck" to the next player.
K-----K
     This should be fun. Tom Peterson, BHS-67, tells the Korner that the Boone Merchants softball players will have a reunion at the Adobe Lounge here at 5 p.m. this coming Friday.
     That covers a lot of territory. There were many, many Boone Merchant teams including a 1958 edition that won the state fast pitch championship.
K-----K
     DID YOU KNOW? That McDonald's sells 75 hamburgers every second of every day.
K-----K
     Barry Wills, BHS-58, informed the Korner of the death of Larry Blaker, 82, Saturday. After graduation from the University of Northern Iowa, Larry began his teaching/coaching career at Boone High School. He served BHS until 1970 when he moved to Perry to become a school administrator. Later, he became Principal of the Woodward-Granger schools until his retirement in 1995.
     In addition to classroom teaching, Larry was an assistant football coach and the head wrestling coach of the Toreadors. In fact, he led a resurgence of the wrestling program at Boone High. There was a very successful wrestling program at BHS in the 1920's but the sport was eventually dropped. It began again under Larry's guidance. Survivors include his wife, Pat, three sons including, Joe Blaker, of Woodward, and a sister.
     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: Michael Westaby, 67, Madrid Home........Elaine Jondall, 88, Ames. Born in Boone. Boone area survivor is a sister, Colette Williams, of Boone........Marie Harris, 95, Boone........Michelle Whyte, 46, Des Moines. Born in Boone. BHS-89. Worked as a chef at the Marriott Hotel in Des Moines. Boone area survivors include her parents, Tom and Sandy Whyte, and sister, Sheri Reutter, all of Boone. She is also survived by another sister, Sheila Whyte, of Des Moines and a brother, Tom, of Omaha.........Estel Prouty, 89, Ogden. Graduated in 1946 from Washington Township school located south of Perry. He farmed in the Woodward/Perry area, worked at John Deere, was a truck driver, worked at Ag-Serve in Ogden and helped build Honey Creek golf course. Boone area survivors include his wife, LaVerda, of Ogden, sons, Jeff and Randy Prouty, of Boone and Marty Prouty of Fraser.
K-----K
     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.

     
    

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