FINALLY..............

     As you, perhaps, know, the Mamie Eisenhower Birthplace Foundation, which, originally, owned Mamie's Birthplace, sold it to the Boone County Historical Society for $1.00 back in 2016.

     After months of all kinds of distractions, the MEBF let it be known that they would like this property returned to them for $1.00.

     At the Society's annual meeting on May 11, it was unanimous........the Foundation again became the owner of the birthplace at a cost of $1.00.

     Hip....hip.....hooray. 

     But, what is the happy result of this action? Lots of long awaited dreams.

     Board President Jessica Stanley put it this way in her annual report. "On Tuesday, June 1, the Mamie Dowd Eisenhower birthplace will open its doors again for visitors and return to its posted open hours. The Foundation deserves all the credit for the work done at that site. They've put in many hours of hard work into doing much needed improvements, cultivating its beautiful landscape, and setting the Mamie and Ike exhibits back up, exhibits that had resided at the History Center while the birthplace was closed."

     And, there's even more positive news.

     (1) All those nagging and ugly legal issues that have hounded and been hanging over the Society for way too many months and fueled before this board's time, have been settled. A final act, a $50,000 payment to the former Executive Director, has been made with an out-of-court settlement. The board felt the cost of more litigation on this matter would be in excess of $200,000 and it was more fiscally responsible to make the smaller payment for a much desired "end-all."

     (2) The Society's financial picture is much brighter, much more solid than in recent years, for three main reasons. (a) The $316,000 CAT grant received a few years ago to physically improve the History Center has finally been fulfilled. (b) The Society has been greatly blessed by a recent estate donation from the Wayne Erickson estate that has allowed them to start focusing on physical needs of the center. (c) Application was made and $24,000 has been received in grant money from various organizations.

     (3) The Boone History Center will reopen on June 19 and will be open four hours, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Thursday's, Friday's and Saturday's, which includes the new Kate's Shoppe, featuring crafts and art pieces for sale by local artists. There's a brand new Fareway exhibit and the Kate Shelley and Ledges/Carl Fritz Henning exhibits have been redesigned.

     (4) Its hoped that by the end of the summer, the new outdoor walking exhibit set up at the Kate Shelley Railroad Museum and Memorial Park will be operable.

     In more annual meeting business, the Society's bylaws have now been revised and changes approved. Deb Duncan, who has acted as board secretary through all these recent, turbulent times, has resigned as of May 25 and Vice President Janet Krengel completed her board work as of May 11. Sue Kruckenberg and Mike Hammond have been selected as new board members.

     PERHAPS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT: The ball is finally rolling in the right direction. However, a reminder that these, the Foundation and the History Center, are very much volunteer oriented. Help is always needed in many various areas......even if just a hour or two, now and then is available. These are great assets for this community we all love so much and we should all do our part in making sure they are successful.

K-----K

     EDITOR'S NOTE: I think I've exhausted, after all these weeks, all the Boone High School athletic history I can detail and forward. Perhaps I've failed in some area........or made some mistakes .......or left out some vital material. I don't know......unless you viewers point something out or make a correction etc. etc. Anyway, thanks for your patience during this project........As I get older, and after my many hours of research over a 60-year period, I hated to think of what would happen to this info when I'm gone. So, I will forward a copy of all this material to the BHS athletic office and I will feel some personal relief that its still pertinent and available to "others" for their observation.

K-----K

     I did hear from Lester Ross, BHS-67, on this BHS research subject. He wrote, "Don Jaschke, my half-brother, BHS-54, Drake-58. Moved to Boone around 1946 at age 10 or 11. He tried to play American Legion baseball in Boone as a boy. He was not good enough, according to Boone coaches at the time, and, sat on the bench most of the time. The White Sox had a tryout camp at Memorial American Legion Park and he was the only Boone player they offered a contract too. He turned them down to finish high school and went to Drake on a football scholarship. He would speculate to me what would have happened if he had made a different choice? The charm he received and later gave to his daughter is hard to read. I think he said he was offered $400 a month....not much, but it was the early 50's. I believe he did manage the Boone swimming pool in 1954 for $700."

     The Kornerman says, "I can certainly remember Don. He was such a tough football player. In high school AND even at Drake, though he was normally a lineman, they would put him in the backfield when they got close to the opponents goal line......knowing he would power drive into the end zone.  I don't remember all the details but I'm sure he led Drake to a win over Iowa State one football season and did score a touchdown in that game on one of those "close to the end zone" power runs."

K-----K

     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: Gary Lindgren, 82, Ogden. Born in Ogden. Attended Ogden schools. Married Donna Tilley in Ogden in 1965. Was a truck driver for Archway for 13 years and then for Fareway for over 30 years. Retired in 2000 but continued to drive part-time for Fareway. Survivors include his wife, Donna, a daughter and three boys, including Jeff  Lindgren of Ogden..........Marvin Davis, 90, Madrid. A Nebraska native and Navy vet. Married Lucy Malone in 1956. Marvin served as a farm hand in several Iowa communities. When Lucy died in 1997, he moved to Stratford. He farmed in the Stratford/Boone area and also worked at Stratford Kids Academy Day Care. He moved to Cambridge and then in 2014 to Madrid  Survivors include a daughter, Mitzi Schoening, of Madrid, a son, sister and three brothers.

K-----K

     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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