Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Happy, Happy Thanksgiving

     The Kornerman, in the last edition, made a first attempt at naming everyone I worked with at the Boone News Republican through some 17 years. It was inevitable that some would be missed and I am still seeking help from viewers who could add to the list.
     Bernie Lewiston, Ross Hanson, BHS-74, and Dianna Sutton, UCHS, had some ideas.
     Bernie wrote, "How could you forget Harlan Weeks? Also, there was a fellow named Francis? He had red hair and we both covered meetings. His parents lived in Boone but I can't remember his last name."
     The Kornerman answered.......questioning whether I had ever worked with Harlan and then Bernie answered back, "I thought you were doing double-duty when I was at KWBG from 1966-67 and Harlan was there then. Seems like Francis had a last name like Mohle. I used to give up on covering some of the marathon school board meetings, and would call Harlan the next morning to get filled in as to what happened after 10 p.m.. Sometimes, the meetings went until 1 a.m.. I had a good working relationship with him, and we used to swap stories when I wrote news for KWBG. One of the guys who replaced me when I left in 1967 was Al Johnson, and I think he went over to the BNR after working for KWBG for a time"
     Ross Hanson also kicked in. He wrote, "we had a neighbor who lived behind us on Carroll Street. His name was Harlan Weeks, not sure if he worked with you or not. I remember he had a weather box in his back yard and would check it each morning for the barometer, temperature and humidity figures. He also had a rain gauge"
     The Kornerman says, "hey, Harlan Weeks was a consummate news man of his time. Everybody knew Harlan Weeks. Still, I can't picture directly working with him at the BNR. Maybe I was doing BNR sports then but that's really a late day-into the evening job compared to Harlan's early morning shift so maybe we were there at the BNR at the same time but didn't often cross paths. Regarding the Francis, I'm thinking of Moul but I thought maybe it was like John Moul."
     "Harlan was the phone companies best friend.......constantly on the phone, calling the funeral homes, calling the police, fire and sheriff's office and hospital and covering anything happening newsworthy. He was strictly hands-on.......nothing like much of today's coverage which is obtained by a finger or two on a computer or other similar device. As long as I'm mentioning that, I'll give Jim Turbes, the current KWBG News Director, credit for seeming to be very much like Harlan Weeks, although in a much different era. Jim seems to be everywhere. When does the guy sleep? Oh yah,  the Kornerman remembers those days."
    "Dianna Sutton wanted to mention that her late sister, Skip Larson, worked for R.P. Brown in the BNR circulation department in the early 1950's. Skip is another former employee the Kornerman certainly does remember but, she was a bit ahead of my employment at the newspaper."
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     The Korner's highly unpaid quizmaster, Tony Crandell, BHS-59, mentioned that, at one time, there were four Boone dairies that processed and bottled milk and three of the four were located within a block of each other. He wondered if our viewers could recall this.
     The Korner received some replies. Jon Wilson, BHS-62, wrote, "Peerless Dairy, which was located on Eighth Street east of the city hall on the alley, Boone Dairy, which was across the street from Peerless, Boyd's Dairy at Fifth and Story (east side) next to Boone Blank Book and Ripley's Dairy at 11th and Story between a gas station and Standley Transfer. Boyds later bought and operated from the Ripley location and also had a store in West Boone, a block east of the courthouse."
     Holden Stradlater, BHS-58, wrote, "seems like Ripley's was on the North Story, Peerless and Boone Dairy on Eighth Street near the city hall and Boyds across from the current police station."
     Tom Matt, BSH-60, gets the prize. The key to the puzzle was Otis Dairy, located at the southeast corner of Eighth and Runyon, across the street and east of Boone Dairy. So, Tom was the only one that mentioned the three within the same block, Peerless, Boone Dairy and Otis Dairy.
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     We've got some catching up to do. (1) Thanks to Roger and Lou Oxenford, BHS-45. They sent a beautiful Thanksgiving card and said they are now fully transferred to California and enjoying their much closer relationship to their children and families. They do miss Boone and all but are happily moved. (2) Thanks to Mike Loehrer, BHS-63, for sending a listing of old time radio shows, 50 or more, that are easily obtainable via computer for use on a "rainy, snowy day." You just pick out your favorite old time show, tab it and receive it in total for great listening. (3) Thanks to Kathleen Wheelock who sent a marvelous picture of one of those forest fire scenes that shows lots of destruction but also shows a huge cross, seemingly untouched and towering above the ruins. (4) Thanks to Mark Tompkins, BHS-60, for a couple items. One was an audio of a speech made by famous football coach, Lou Holtz, at a graduation ceremony. Humorous but certainly on point. As Mark said, "everyone should have an opportunity to hear this." Then too, Mark has been visiting his friend and classmate, Tom Grasso, in Arizona. They pulled out a 1979 TV special program that Tom had directed which featured Tennessee Ernie Ford and the late Della Reese, who just passed away the other day. It is a 90-minute special that features good gospel music and they enjoyed watching and listening to it. Mark sent me the ability to watch it later at my leisure. Tom, of course, did lots of TV directing for some of this country's biggest stars, including several specials with Tennessee Ernie.
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     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: Inez Sesker, 92, Maxwell. Luther HS-42. Married Nelland Sesker in Boone. Worked at an ordinance plant during World War II. Farmed with her husband for 43 years.........Steven Nugent, 68, rural Boone. Served as a telecommunications engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad until retirement in 2009. Boone area survivors include his wife, Deborah, and a daughter, Darci Newcomb, both of Boone. Two other daughters also survive..........Marjorie Teeters, 94, Boone. Boone area survivors include three daughters including Mary Sealine of Stratford. A daughter-in-law, Veva Teeters, of Ogden also survives.........Dorothe Mae Smith, 88, Stratford, formerly of Boone. Born in Harrison Township. Worked at George Rolfes Company for 30 years. Boone area survivors include two daughters, Dixie McCombs and Sheryl Robinson, a brother, Dean Miller, and two sisters, Mary Jo Duncan, and Barbara Lemke, all of Boone. One other brother and two other sisters also survive.
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     Worldwide Korner headquarters are located at 928 South Jackson, Boone, Iowa 50036-4932. Phone number is 515-432-1530. To email your stories/memories/comments/SUPPORT.......
kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.
   
    
    

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