In a recent edition, we caught up with news of Mike Ahlstrom's working life that included some up and close encounters with many various national celebrities.
But there's more!
Mike, BHS-61, also provided some local memories which, in turn, provided the Kornerman also with some local memories.
He wrote, "it was a lucky day for Boone when the Kelley family arrived and it was lucky for me that I got to know your parents. In about ninth grade, I was working at Fergie's neighborhood grocery store on 16th street, stocking shelves on weekends, when your dad, Clint, made me an offer I couldn't refuse. I was making 50-cents an hour, and he offered me a 30% increase to work at Kelley's Superette on 17th street. That's right....15 cents an hour more. It was the first corporate personnel raid I ever heard of. I've thought about that through the years and I've never known how he knew about my shelf-stocking talents. I learned a lot from your folks during that time, and have always held them in such high esteem."
Mike went on, "when I finally wrote about a few of the things I had a chance to do during my assignments with Sears it was to keep John Hinz, BHS-64, to stop nagging me about it. Then, I finally agreed it would be alright for John to share that with you. Even then, I never gave it a thought that it would end up in Kelley's Korner. When someone forwarded that Korner to me, I was surprised and flattered by your interest and then, hopeful, that people would realize I've just been a lucky and very appreciative guy."
He concluded, "I think maybe luck begins with having good parents, friends and teachers. I certainly have had those. Also, by having other adults reach out, take an interest, make a difference in young lives like scoutmasters, Little League and Babe Ruth coaches, or a Charlie Updegraff or Bob Fisher or Mo Kelley and his parents to share and pass on a life-long passion, I've certainly had all those. Indeed, having been born in Boone, Iowa, I've been lucky from the get-go."
EDITOR'S COMMENTS: Mike's memories sure supplied a mouthful of memories for me..................especially the talk of Fergie's and the Superette. After graduating from Ames High School and Iowa State Teacher's College (now UNI) and working in the educational field, my dad and his brother, Kenneth, both ended up in Boone Iowa (some Boone ladies had something to do with that.). And the two brothers both became neighborhood grocers AND had competing stores within a couple blocks of each other. My uncle, Kenneth, operated what later became Fergie's, on 16th street, just west off of Story and my dad had the Superette on 17th street, between Crawford and Carroll streets.
Ken, eventually, moved his family to Colorado while my dad finished out a nice business career as a neighborhood grocer before seven final years on the staff at BHS.
Lots of stories could be told about those days at the Superette but the best memory, by far, is the recollection of all the people we connected with there through those years. Once in awhile, people will still say,"I remember etc".......and often, the talk is about the huge penny candy display right at the front door of the store.
K-----K
Things are progressing.
The crops are "in" and from now on, the yard back of the Kelley's backyard will be seeing lots of activity the remainder of the fall season and the beginning of the spring season.
This very day, equipment is moving into the area for the movement of dirt as a first phase of the construction of a new elementary school building.
Then, on October 22, at 2 p.m., a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the official start of construction for the new Boone Early Childhood Center will take place. The winter season will follow......later rather than sooner we hope.......and then in the spring, all kinds of construction activity will "break out" there.
Last March, the voters in the Boone Community School District approved a $23 million referendum to construct, finish and equip a new elementary building and to improve the site. The referendum passed with 80.54% approval, well above the state requirement of 60%.
The building is slated to open for the 2023-24 school year. Students from Preschool to First Grade will attend the new building. It will replace the current Page and Lincoln Elementary schools. School Board members, district staff, DLR Group, Lang Construction, ConStruct, Boone City Council members and Boone Chamber members will take part in the official groundbreaking.
K-----K
BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS
Diane Martin Riffel, 76. Born in Boone. BHS-62. Lived in numerous communities for 30 years as the wife of a military pilot. Returned to Boone in 2014 but moved to Texas in 2019 to be close to her children. Survivors include a brother, Bill Martin, sisters Alice Whittlesey and Hazel Peterson, and sister-in-law, Betty Martin, all of Boone. Two daughters also survive.
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/death notices......kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.
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