A good Boone man, Bob Olson, passed away last week and the Kornerman couldn't help but think about his contributions to our Boone Little League program AND to Iowa's Fast Pitch softball program.
Bob was an important contributor when our famous Little League program got started in the 1950's.
Fast pitch? Yes, that competition in Iowa these days is just a trickle compared to what it was in the 1940's, 50's, 60's and Boone was pretty much a central figure in that statewide program in those days.
Contributions? Well Bob and, in fact, the entire Olson family, were heavily involved. The family probably holds an all-time record that may never be broken. Four of them, four of the Olson family, are Hall of Fame inductees.
Bob's two sons, Mike, in 2019, and Tim, in 2021, were accorded those honors most recently BUT, prior to that, two of Bob's brothers, Dean, in 1986, and Gene, in 1997, were also given the ultimate honor. Dean is deceased.
Yes, four from one family.....the Olson's of Boone.
Tom Peterson, BHS-67, another Hall of Famer, 1994, had this idea......"must be in the genes," he said.
Talk about Boone being a central figure in that Fast Pitch program, hey, we're just getting started. Ten other Booneites are also Hall of Fame members.
The "Hall" was started in 1972 and, as an indication of Boone's dominance in the program, four residents were initiated into the Hall in that first year........Pete Canakes, Don Carlson, Don Kruse and Maurice Reid. Two more, Ray Burlingame and Nyall Davis were inducted in 1973. Everett Long joined them in 1984, Ken Berg in 1993, Peterson in 1994 and Clyde "Tuffy" Reid in 2007, for a grand total of 14. Most of the inductees were outstanding players but Ev Long was a long time team manager who guided his Boone Merchants to the state championship in both 1958 and 1960 while Don Kruse was a Commissioner of one of the Fast Pitch districts and successfully guided the state championship tournament Boone's way for 10 years.. Nyall (Curly) Davis was a well known Fast Pitch umpire.
Many of those inductees, of course, are now deceased.
Just for the record, Boone also boasted two other state Fast Pitch championship teams, Boone Patty Anne in 1934 and the Boone Nite Hawks in 1937.
Perhaps you're thinking negatively.......did Boone have the ONLY Fast Pitch team in Iowa......or were they just one of a very small handful?
No way! In those mentioned years, there were numerous outstanding teams all over the state and competition was extremely spirited. The fast-paced sport earned lots of followers and, believe it not, that good old ballpark, still standing, south of the swimming pool in Boone's McHose park was the host to the State Fast Pitch tournament, under the direction of Commissioner Kruse, for 10 years, 1949-59.
The crowds were always huge, concessionaires were happy and you had to get there very early to find a parking spot.
The Kornerman couldn't feel this story was complete without mentioning another storied Boone County Fast Pitch team. The Boxholm Swedes earned a gigantic history of their own with many seasons of championships and outstanding play.
Darrell Zunkel, a 1981 Hall of Fame inductee, Steve Fagan, inducted in 2007, and John Muench in 2012, as well as Dean and Gene Olson all "cut their teeth" with the Swedes and also played with other successful teams, including Boone teams, during their career. The Swedes were state runnerup in 1957.
The Kornerman remembers the Starks and the Peterson's and Chuck Will, Billy Hendricks, the Reutter's and the Reimers and if I remember right .....Webb Haase?
One final shoutout. The late Dave Temple was a popular Ames guy but he married a Boone girl and was always heavily involved in Fast Pitch in every way possible..........player, manager, promoter. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001 and was the epitome of the many who brought great dedication and inspiration to what was a period of great competition and excitement.
K-----K
The Kornerman remembers it vividly. We were in the car coming home from the Iowa-Purdue football game and then it came on the radio.......something about an Iowa soldier from Boone being killed in Korea.
It was October 18, 1969 and, eventually, we heard verification that the victim was Specialist Four Jack Morris, BHS-67......the Kornerman's cousin.
Jack was attached to 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment,7th Infantry Division, Company C.
He was killed when North Korean infiltrators ambushed his truck in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
That zone, supposedly, was a combat free zone but......some North Korean soldiers didn't get the memo. A couple other soldiers were killed also and it became an international incident because the rules of a free zone were badly broken. It was a real tragedy.
Jack's parents were George and Mary Morris and he had a brother, George (Buddy) Jr.. They are also now deceased.
K-----K
BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS
Lois Ann Berg, 93, Ames. Born in Boone. BHS. Married Fred Berg in 1945. Worked at the University Book Store at Memorial Union at ISU for 26 years. Retired in 1991. Survivors include a daughter, two sons, including Rick Berg of rural Boone County.
Scott Valo Lewis, 64, Boone. Graduate of a Missouri High School, 1975. Married Robin Wilburn. Was a diesel mechanic and retired from Housby Mack of Des Moines in 2021 via health reasons. Survivors include his mother, a sister and two sons, including Galen Lewis of Boone. His girlfriend, Karen Shepard also survives.
Hans Hall Goeppinger, 81, Boone. BHS-58. Iowa State University. Married Wanda Eklund. Farmed near Boone and managed farms in Boone and Hamilton counties until his passing. Survivors include his wife, Wanda, of Boone, two daughters, Krista Moffitt of Boone and Sheila Anderson of Ames. Also surviving is a brother, Neal, of Boone.
Paul Ray Ouverson, 80, Boone. Fertile IA HS. Attended ISU in broadcasting communications. Married Carol Wallen in 1964. Earned a broadcasting degee from Michigan State University. Moved to Iowa in 1965 to become a broadcaster and salesman at KDSN radio in Denison. Was a member of the U.S. Army Signal Corps, serving in Saigon, 1968-69, before returning to KDSN. In 1977, purchased All Star Sporting Goods in Boone. Sold that business in 1984 and established Adventures, a business in video production. Survivors include his wife, Carol, a son, Matthew, of Boone, a daughter and a brother.
Robert Dean Brown, 88, Boone. Born in Boone. BHS-52. Married Norma Beals in 1952. Army vet. Worked at Duffy Appliance and then, Iowa Electric, now Alliant Energy. Survivors include a daughter, Debbie Hasstedt, and a son, Perry Brown, both of Boone, and a brother-in-law.
William L. Sudderberg, 81, Boone. Air Force vet. A brother, Eric Sudderberg, of Boone survives.
Dr. Maynard (Mac) Jones, 78. University of Iowa med school. Residency in radiology. Air Force vet. He practiced in Boone until moving to Mississippi.
Lawrence Bice, 87, Ogden. Woodward HS-52. Army vet. Married Helen Jean Hansen, now deceased. Lifelong farmer. Survivors include three daughters, a sister and two 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/death notice.........kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment