Saturday, March 26, 2022

A BOONE LIFE IN THE MID-1900's

   I've almost decided.

   Maybe it is true that I, the Kornerman, "undersell" this very small blip of a very large world. Maybe I really don't give the Korner the credit it deserves. It seems about the time I ponder "why?"  something will happen that will amaze me about this twice-a-week offering that we throw out there for public consumption.

   This time the catalyst for moving forward was correspondence with Boone native, Nancy Jean Westfall Gurrola, BHS-60. Somehow the internet directed her to the Korner. She reached out and I, in turn, discovered a nice story with lots of good Boone memories. You know that I, the Kornerman, loves that type of scenario AND the opportunity to "pass those memories on."

   Nancy's had an interesting life. The daughter of Dr. R.W. (Bill) Westfall, the family moved to Boone in 1945 when Bill began his medical practice with his dad, Dr. Ralph P. Westfall. The family first lived on Tama Street before moving to 227 Story Street.

   Attending Page elementary, she remembers teachers Miss Moore, Dorothy Loomis and Wilma Johnson and still remains in contact with classmates, Joan Harvey Nelson, Ann Senholz Amey, Charlotte Ashbaugh Battey, Susanne Frohardt Dodder, Cynthia Case Tracy, Jim Veale and Steve Miller.

  In fifth grade, the class was treated to a World Series game on television. "Yankee fans sat on one side and Dodger fans on the other. I was the only one on the Yankee side and they won the series, 4-3." She hated tumbling class probably because, "I thought it was undignified and I wasn't good at it." She did enjoy books and worked at the children's section of the Ericson Pubic Library after school until entering junior high.

   Yes, she was one of Betty Mae Harris dancers. "Not for long though....I wasn't very good at that either." She took eight years of piano lessons from Mrs Gunn, was a Girl Scout and Brownie.

   Several "wonderful " summers were spent at the Y-Camp....but her favorite was the Double A Bar S ranch in Ogden, owned by Agnes and Art Skone. Her favorite horse was "snicker." She had lots of jobs....as a junior camp counselor leading trail rides, at Barstad's Bakery, Hamilton Hardware, being a waitress at Arnold's Park in Okoboji and selling clothes at a dress shop in Clear Lake.

  At BHS she was an officer of Quill and Scroll and enjoyed the French and Dolphin Clubs. A Goeppinger Award recipient, she was the Editor-in-Chief of the Bumble Bee and was thankful for all the wonderful teachers she had including....Arvid Stock, Miss Linderblood and H.L. Cunningham. "I took driver's ed but really learned to drive and "double clutch" in Alan "Shep" Roeder's Model A Ford," she said.

  Nancy still keeps contact with 1960 BHS classmates....Dixie Enslow Francis, Barb Fetzer Bryant, Jean Goeppinger, LuAnn Hauge Miller, Sandy Keech Madden, Lynne Hohanshelt Miller, Lynda Berglund Calonkey, Birger Nelson, Donna Pesek, Joe Russell, Ken Shafer and Janet Smith Maynard.

  Lots of names and events there from her Boone days for Korner viewers to recall.

   But, that's just part of the story. After graduating from ISU, a trip to Mexico followed and as Nancy said, "my life in Mexico has been exciting....living in a developing nation and one of the largest cities in the world is challenging but also stiumulating and rewarding"

   So, sometime soon, the Kornerman will dig into that phase of her life's journey.

K-----K

   BOONE AREA DEATHS

   None to report.
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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