BIG IDEAS

     How many of you viewers, in your lifetime, thought you had a special idea that might net you a good return BUT.........failed to act, due to various factors.....lack of funding......lack of time......lack of the proper determination etc. etc.?
     As it turned out, most of us never "followed through enough" to become a Henry Ford or Colonel Sanders or Sam Walton or Richard and Maurice McDonald, who founded their first restaurant in 1940. By the way, our new McDonald's in Boone Iowa is beautiful.......a wonderful addition to our community.
     O.K., to the point.........and, on a much smaller scale than those successes just mentioned. However,  remember, they all started on a  small scale as well.
     Anyway, Mike Loehrer, BHS-64, wrote, "I wonder if kids do anything like this anymore or maybe its because Dick Musser, BHS-64, and I were a "little weird."
     He explained, "the summer after our sophomore year, when we were 16, Dick and I came up with a money making idea. Why not have a golf tournament of our own? So, we came up with the idea of the LoMuss Open. We set up a nine-hole course in Dick's back yard using soup cans as hole liners. On some of the shots, the players had to bank off the garage next door. In other words, we came up with an early miniature golf course. Entry fee was $1. We bought soda bottles from the local bottling company for 10 cents and sold them for 15 cents. We gave out first, second and third place prize money and yes, we made a profit."
     Mike said he was thinking of good memories of his time growing up in Boone and that came to mind. "I doubt kids do these sort of ventures in this age. That's too bad," he concluded.
     Now, wait just a minute.......
     To add to Mike's story. I, the Kornerman, know that I've mentioned this before in this very blog.
     When I was a teen......and remember, in the days we're talking about, we didn't have cars, we didn't have I-pads and all that current corruption. Life was much simpler and we had to make our own fun to fill a lot of spare time.
     When I was a teen, I played a baseball game on my desk using dice for hour after hour.
     I rolled the three dice and if the numbers 3 or 18 came up, I had launched a home run. If I recall correctly, 5 was a triple, 8 was a flyout, 10 was a strikeout etc. etc. and for some of the numbers, a run batted in was added if there was someone already on base.
      I kept a scorecard and announced the action as it occurred, batter by batter. And, I had a complete eight-team league made up of fictitious towns.........Benkelman Braves, the Moville Mud Hens and each featured a roster of fictitious players........Dee Moyne, Marti Graw, Ben Down, Benito Gracias, Stewart (Stu) Pover and others.
     I played game after game after game.......and kept league standings and even kept individual stats on each player......their at bats, their hits, their homers, their RBI's, pitchers strikeouts, earned runs etc. etc.
     AND, at the end of the season, after the regular season and playoffs, I made up a league summary book. It had advertisements, all the various stats that I had kept during the year on a page devoted to each team. Players autographs were even included.
     Guess what? I still have all that in my archives........and it will, no doubt, follow me to my final days.
     Yup! I guess I was one of those "weird guys" too.
     P.S. Another "crazy" idea I never followed up on. When I eat in a restaurant, I bet I'm not the only person that's ever had trouble keeping that darn cloth napkin on my lap. It consistently finds the floor.
     Why hasn't someone decided those cloth napkins need a small strip of velcro or some other such substance attached.......just enough to pin the napkin to the customers apparel?
K-----K
     Brian "Mike" Claussen, 59, of Boone was operating a motorcycle north of Boone in the Ridgeport area September 17 when a deer darted in front of him. Brian was seriously injured, taken to a Des Moines hospital and passed away.
     When that occurred, we mentioned it in the Korner but with very few details.
     Brian's sister, Pam Claussen of Marshalltown, has provided more information. She wrote, "My brother Mike always loved his music. Pink Floyd, Led Zepplin, Stevie Ray Vaughn. He enjoyed R & B. CD's would litter his living room floor. His second love was his motorcycles. His 1980 Low-rider Shovelhead, he worked tirelessly on. He was in construction most of his life: concrete, roofing, drywall, and finally, finish carpenter. He paid attention to detail. Didn't want his name on sloppy work. He has one son, who is an electrician/foreman in Colorado. Mike was very proud of him."
K-----K
     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: June Williams Galletich, 95, Madrid. Born in Luther. Madrid HS. Married Emil Galetich in 1946. Was a homemaker, worked at Madrid Telephone and for Federal Prescription. Volunteered at the Boone County Hospital. Three daughters survive.........Nancy Courson, 74, Minnesota. Attended Boone Community College and then Bernel Cosmetology. Was a hair stylist and also worked in advertising sales and as a realtor.........Linda Coy, 72, Boone. Was a CNA at Eastern Star for many years. Survivors include sons Mark and Troy Coy both of Boone. Three siblings, John and David Coleman and Carol Steininger, also survive........Bonnie Wayne Reimers Ahrens, 84, Ogden. Ogden HS. Married Ronald Reimers in 1956. The couple farmed south of Boxholm for 37 years. Ronald passed away in 1993. Bonnie worked as a dental assistant for Dr. James Pollard in Boone and Dr. Mark Plath in Ogden. In 2003, she married Jean Richard Ahrens. Survivors include her husband, Jean Richard, of Stratford, a daughter, son, Kent Reimers, of Ogden and step-children, Rachele Cahill and Jeff Ahrens both of Stratford and another step-son and step-daughter.......Betty Swanson Meis, 88, Longmont, CO. Formerly of Boone. Born in Boone. Attended schools in Boone and California. Was a dietician manager and seamstress. Survivors include two sisters, a son and four daughters. Boone area survivor is one of three step-children, Sandra Monen, of Boone.
K-----K
     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.