STILL CONNECTED WITH HAWK BASKETBALL

     Former Boone Toreador boys basketball coach, Frank "Bucky" O'Conner, still has connections with University of Iowa basketball. That's 50 plus years after he was head coach of the Hawkeyes in the 1950's.
     Here's the skinny: During a recent 31-year period, one of Bucky's grand nephews, Jim O'Conner, was a walk-on UOI player, 1988-92, and three more of his great-nephews served as student managers for the Hawkeye team.......Tom O'Conner, 2009-14; Pat O'Conner, 2013-17; and Brendan O'Conner, 2015, to the present.
     Bucky, who died in a tragic auto accident, April 22, 1958, at the age of 44 was married to Jane O'Conner and the couple had one daughter, Kathy.
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     If you viewers know the Kornerman, you know that there will be "more" to this story. Its an exciting story to relate.
     Bucky O'Conner was a graduate of Newton High School, who played basketball at both Newton and at Drake University where he served as team captain his senior year.
     O'Conner coached at BHS, with some service also at Boone Junior College, from 1940-42. In 1943, during the late stages of World War II, he joined the Army Air Corps, eventually serving in Japan and attaining the rank of captain.
     In 1947, after the war had ended, he returned to BHS/BJC and in 1948, guided the Toreador boys basketball team to the state tournament where they defeated Carroll but lost to Ankeny.
     Later, in 1948, he joined the State University of Iowa athletic staff as freshman basketball coach and head men's golf coach. When he went to Iowa City, Bucky's star BHS player, Bob "Pinky"  Clifton, BHS-48, followed him. Later, another Toreador, Paul Stark, BHS-50, joined the Hawkeye team.
     Both Rollie Williams and "Pop's" Harrison served as head coach of the Hawkeye men's basketball squad in the 1950-51 season but both were forced to step away due to illness. O'Conner was tabbed to take over for the final 11 games of the 1950 season. His team posted a 6-5 record.
     Beginning with the 1951-52 season, O'Conner was named the "official" head Hawkeye coach. His final season prior to his death was the 1957-58 campaign.
     Hawkeye basketball fans surely remember Hall of Fame coaches Ralph Miller, Lute Olson and George Raveling, along with Sharm Scheuerman, Dr. Tom Davis, Steve Alford and Fran McCaffrey. BUT, the Kornerman is here to ask, "despite the fact he had a shortened career, shouldn't Bucky O'Conner be given consideration when trying to select the Iowa men's basketball best all-time coach?"
     Here are some facts: Percentagewise, O'Conner registered a .659, 114-59. Just two Iowa coaches surpassed that......"Pops" Harrison was .700 from 1943-50 and Ed Rule was .696 from 1902-07. Dr. Tom Davis was just shy of  O'Conner at .658 on a record of 269-140 in 13 years.
     O'Conner worked 7 1/2 years, Harrison seven and Rule five. Granted, Davis longer tenure, and almost as good a win percentage, would be a plus for him.
     But remember too, that Iowa has had just three men's teams in history earn a berth in the NCAA Final Four. O'Conner coached two of those three. Olson had the other. In the Big Ten, three Iowa coaches each won two conference championships......Miller, Sam Barry and O'Conner. Two of Bucky's teams also finished second in  the Big Ten. Two Big Ten titles and two runnerup finishes in his 7 1/2 years.......not too shabby.
     O'Conner's 1955 team, the Fabulous Five of Scheuerman, Bill Seaberg, Carl "Raisin" Cain, Bill Schoof and Bill Logan, earned a berth in the NCAA Final Four. They lost the third place contest, 75-54 to Colorado. A year later, the same group faced Bill Russell and San Francisco in  the NCAA title game and lost, 83-71.
     In still another Boone connection, believe it or not, the star of that Colorado team that defeated the Hawks in 1955 was Jim Ranglos, who, later, in the 1960's, became another Boone High School basketball coach.
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     Heard from Pam Claussen this week. She was seeking information on what used to be a funeral home built in 1870 and located at 728 Linn Street.
     The Kornerman replied that Elsie M. Lawrence was associated with Wallen and Roland Undertaking Co. prior to purchasing the home of Judge Stevens at 728 Linn in May of 1925 and making it into a funeral home. By 1927, Elsie was the only licensed undertaker in Boone County.
     Pam lives in Marshalltown so we had to ask about her tornado experience. She replied, "I did escape. I woke up from a nap at 3 p.m., glanced out the south windows and saw my neighbors outside watching the sky. I didn't hear the siren. So, I went outside to see what was going on. No place to hide, except in the bathtub. Just a crawl space below our apartments. The tornado missed us by three blocks."
     In further study, Pam discovered that Elsie Lawrence died in 1959 at age 88 in Boone and is buried in Linwood. In 1895, her family had moved near Pilot Mound and a year later, settled in Boone. She had the proper credentials.....graduating from an embalming school in Des Moines and taking post grad work in Chicago.
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     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: Ronald Bayes, 61, Boone. Army vet. Earned a welding certificate and worked for AB Salvage of Boone as a welder. Survivors include his mother, a companion, Tonya Conine, of Boone and two brothers.......Geneva McManimon, 91,Boone....Berva Mills, 93, Boone. Earned a teaching certificate and a B.A. in education from Drake. Married Duane Doolittle in 1946 and the couple had three daughters. Duane passed away in 1970. In 1972, Berva married Willis Mills. He died in 1979. Berva taught school for 38 years and in retirement in Boone, she was active in the Open Bible Church, mainly in the church library. A sister and three daughters,  including Denise Bravard of Boone, survive.........LaVonne Johnson Coulter, 90, Boone. Born in Stratford. Stratford HS-46. Was a secretary in Des Moines, worked as a bank teller in Mesa, AZ and returned to Stratford as Office Manager of the Stratford Elevator. Married Dean Coulter in 1949 and the couple farmed in the Stratford area. Two daughters and a son survive.........Darrell Coy, 88, Ames. Earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from ISU. Married Janice Louise Rinker in Grand Junction in 1954. Worked at the DOT for 36 years. His wife, Janice, of Ames, two daughters and a son survive..........Ray Magnani, 81, Johnston. Madrid HS grad. Army vet. Married Carolyn Sue Gannon in 1959 and they made their home in Madrid. In 1986, the couple moved to Johnston where Ray worked for Pirelli/Armstrong Tire for 32 years. Survivors include his wife, Carolyn of Johnston, daughter Sherry Drake of Madrid, three brothers and three sisters.
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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.