BOONE WELCOME TRAIN

     It wasn't the Pufferbilly parade......it just had that feel.......minus a marching band.
     A crowd of wide-eyed youngsters and lots of oldsters, many retaining a railroad DNA, crowded the way as the Boone Rotary Club's long awaited Welcome Train completed a solid 3-mile journey from its former home base at 11th and Division to its new location, the northeast corner of the South Story/Highway 30 intersection, Wednesday/Thursday.
     A passenger car and coal tender, after much coaxing, made the trip Wednesday and the historic steam locomotive followed on Thursday.
     How often in this world can a community brag about watching a 300,000 pound steam engine travel down it's main drag? Its half a football field long and seems almost that high.
    Some three, maybe four years or longer ago, the Boone Rotary Club sought some type of "one of a kind" project  to celebrate the club's centennial celebration and " to give back to the Boone community."
     Its no secret. Boone has always been tabbed a railroad community and Dave Cook, one of the Rotarians who helped spearhead the project, explained, "many Iowans associate Boone with trains, railroad history, and the Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad. This welcome train builds on that long established railroad connection."
     It was expected that the steam engine move would be the most challenging but, actually, it was the passenger car/coal tender move.....or quick lack thereof, that provided the most angst. Due to various load problems, the start time Wednesday was long delayed. In fact, those two cars were not in place in South Boone until 2 p.m. or so Thursday morning.
     Thursday, enroute, a few tree branches needed cutting and various wires needed elevating but "the big boy" moved right along at kind of a steady snail's pace and completed its trip without incident.
     This weekend promises all those involved, and there were many, some R and R and the promise of renewed "breath."
     So, things are in place. However, there's more to be done.
     The Rotary Club will continue fundraising, so a walkway around the train, some lighting and landscaping can be added. There are also plans for a way of providing visitor information and even donor recognition.
     In addition, sometime this summer, "Welcome to Boone" will be painted on the tender and the locomotive will receive its final paint and seal coat.
     By the way, that former caboose, located a bit further north on South Story, that acted as an information center, is on its way to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Its been sold.
     Anyone wishing to contribute to this continuing project can mail a tax deductible donation to Rotary Welcome Train, P.O. Box 532, Boone, IA 50036. And, if you choose to do so, you might mention you heard about it via Kelley's Korner.
     You out-of-town visitors will be surprised and impressed next time you're here by our new entrance to your "home" community.
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     CATCHIN' UP: (1) Joyce McPherson Jensen, BHS-55, appreciated the Bumble B clipping we sent regarding her basketball prowess. "That was one I'd never seen," she claimed. (2) It must be time to renew memberships to the Boone County Historical Society.....at least we received our new form. For individuals, the fee is $25, $40 for families and $75 for businesses and organizations. The address is Boone County Historical Society, Box 172, Boone, Iowa 50036. They also have some special offers you may wish to inquire about. Phone 515-432-1907. P.S. It was nice to hear that the Boone City Council, at their last meeting, released $4.000 to the Historical Society. The funding had been on "hold" for quite some time while the Society was going through its changes/litigations etc. (3) This pandemic time, with its much slower opportunities for activity,  is a good time to renew those relationships that you've been "too busy" to acknowledge for some time. The Kornerman has mentioned that I've been doing that......catching up with viewers/friends that I haven't touched base with for some time. I mentioned some I've contacted with in the last edition. Since then, I've talked by phone to my 30-year IHSAA co-worker, Ruth Ingalls, BHS-47, another co-worker, Rick Wulkow, and to Bob Fisher, BHS-46. I hope they enjoyed the renewal as much as I did. (4) Something happened last Tuesday, July 21, 2020, that will never happen again in any of our lifetimes. In military time, at 8:20.20 p.m., Tuesday, it was 20:20:20; 2020.
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     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: Denise Majors, 96, Ankeny..........LaVonne Payne Alsin, 85, Boone. BHS-54. Married Joseph Alsin in 1958. The couple lived in Boone, then Ankeny and Hudson. Joe died in 1985 and LaVonne married Robert Dolleslager and the couple moved to Boone. Survivors include her husband, Robert, and a daughter, Jodi Alsin-Fauts, both of Boone and three step-sons.........Geno Bertini, 85, Madrid. U.S. Army vet. Married Marlene Crouse, BHS-56, of Boone. She passed away in 2012. Was a farmer, worked at Firestone and for Boone County as a mechanic. Survivors include two daughters, a son, a brother and two sisters......Jack H. Cowen II, 73, Bondurant. Two sisters survive. Burial in Boone beside his parents, Jack and Frances Cowen.........Emogene Snyder Daniels, 88, Perry. Born in Boone. Grew up on the family farm near Boxholm. Boxholm HS-49. Married Keith Daniels in Boone in 1950. Was a homemaker. The couple sold the farm in 1978 and moved to Perry. Survivors include a daughter, two sons and a cousin, Rosalie Harrison, of Boone........Kathleen Anderson Steffensmeier, 60, Corvallis, OR. Grew up on a farm in Boone County. ISU grad. Married Gordon Steffensmeier in Boone in 1986. Survivors include her husband, two daughters, a brother and her Boone parents, David and Shirley Anderson.........Ronald Anderson, 82, Ankeny. Grew up in Madrid. MHS-56. Married Sonja Williams in 1958. Graduated from York College in Nebraska in 1958. Preached the gospel for over 50 years. Survivors include his wife, a daughter and three sons.........Noel Friday, 88, Osceola. Born in Madrid.
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     Worldwide Korner headquarters are located at 928 South Jackson, Boone, Iowa. 50036-4932. Phone number is 515-432-1530. Leave a message. To email your stories/memories/comments.......
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