BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS

     They've had some struggles the last two seasons but prior to that, everyone in Iowa knew about the strength of the Madrid High School football program. State championships and runnerup finishes, for a time, were common.
     Most recently, the late Randy Hinkel was the coach who guided those powerful Madrid teams. However, the Kornerman is going many years beyond the Hinkel seasons.......back to the 50's and 60's.
     At that time, I was the Sports Editor of the Boone News Republican and I have fond memories of some great Tiger teams of those years.
     The head coach at that time was John Mills. John was a graduate of Redfield High School and a Navy vet. After his service time, he graduated from Simpson College with a teaching degree. At Simpson, he was a small college All-American football player and he is an inductee of the Simpson College Hall of Fame.
     In addition to Madrid, he was a teacher/coach at Panora, Griswold, Pleasant Valley and Saydel. He retired in 1989. Eventually, he was installed in the Iowa Baseball Hall of Fame and the Iowa High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame.
     In addition to being an outstanding coach, he was one of the state's top baseball umpires, not only in high school but at the collegiate level in the Big Ten, Iowa and Big Eight Conferences.
     Oh, how the Kornerman remembers those great Mills coached Madrid teams.......Denny Ford and many other outstanding Tiger athletes groomed by Coach John Mills. That was before the state playoffs were installed in 1972. Nevertheless, Coach Mills and his teams were very well known and admired throughout the state.
     John passed away in Ankeny at age 91, September 20. He and his wife, Carolyn Killan, were blessed with six children. Carolyn has passed away but his children, three boys and three girls, survive.
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     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: LaVerne Leininger, 97, Boone. He was a Boone County farmer and a corn sheller for well over 40 years. He married his wife, Chloe, in 1944 in Boone.
She passed away last year. In 1969, the couple quit farming and moved to Boone. Five children survive, two boys and three girls..........Charlene Crocheck, 77, Boone. She married Raymond Crocheck  in Boone in 1965. She worked at Hach Chemical and Holub Greenhouse. Her husband and two sons survive, including, Justin, of Boone.........Roger Schoelkoph, 98, Boone. A resident of the Eastern Star Home.
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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.........
kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.