VERY WELL DESERVED

     GREAT NEWS: Jan Murken Love, BHS-64, emailed to inform me that her brother, Mel Murken, BHS-59, will have an Ankeny High School baseball field named after him....."Mel Murken Field."

     I've lost track, I don't even know, for sure, how many high schools there are in Ankeny these days but when Mel coached baseball at Ankeny High School some time back, in the 80's and 90's, that was it.......it was just AHS.

     It seems the current coach was reviewing previous seasons and was convinced it was Mel who made that program so strong for such a long period of time. He guided the Hawks for 32 years, his teams earned 620 victories, won the first ever AHS state championship in 1992 and he is an Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame member.

     Mel played baseball for the Toreadors and for Drake University. In those early days, he was involved in the Boone Babe Ruth program and, in fact, he joined me as co-manager of that great 1962 Boone Babe Ruth team that became one of the eight best  Ruth teams in the WORLD, winning state and regional championships and competing in the National Babe Ruth World Series in New Jersey.

    Hearing the news, I immediately contacted Mel and he indicated that he hasn't really heard much yet about this honor. "I  think maybe its going to take place June 7," he told me. He promised he would keep me informed.

   Mel lives in Rippey and baseball has been and always will be a big part of his life. In recent years, he has led a small group of volunteers in revitalizing the Rippey Ball Park which features lots of summer games......many of them high school contests.

K-----K

   BACK TO FORMER BOYDS EMPLOYEES

   Former List....as of last week.

   Jim Boyd, Leona Boyd, Gene Boyd, Linda Boyd, Tolley Boyd, Ruth Johnston, Alan Bice, Sheila Anondson, Lila Swain, LaVerne Anderson, Judy Appenzeller, Ann McDermott, Jim Farley, Tom Matt, Loren Frazier, Margaret Frazier, Ron Schmickley, Dennis Schmickley, Verne Schmickley, Bonnie Pestotnik, Caryl Achenbach, Laurel Rans, Jo Ellen Sparks and Ruth Ann Ripley. 

   New Additions

   Mark Campbell added, "Denny Halpin and Bill Wiebe, both BHS-66, and himself, BHS-67. He wrote, "In the two months I worked there, I gained 15 pounds. Jim told me I could have all the ice cream I wanted but no nuts or bananas. He said, "In two days, you'll be sick of it (ice cream)." "He was wrong and my mother made me quit," Mark concluded.

  Then too, good friend Ann Anonymous mailed in three more names.....Mary Lou Nelson, Irene Nelson and Joyce Nelson.

  Finally, Linda Boyd Bravard herself, BHS-61, dug deep and tried to come up with other former employees she could think of .

  The first employee, Mary Jane Taylor Downey Echternach and Mike Scheuermann, Joyce Alsin, Dave Elsner, Donovan Olson, Dr. John Cook, Mike Rardin, Bud Druger, Dorothy Halling, Chester Booth's mother, Jody Cotton, Doris Simmons, Dick Anderson, Pearl McCambridge, Craig Angstrom, Paula Olson, Penny Elsner Davis, Scott Johnson, Becky Johnson, Jennifer Finestead, Kathy Nutt and Bessie???

   That brings us up to date.......any more? Don't those names bring back memories....even beyond their work at Boyds.

K-----K 

   Some closing notes: (1) Ron Hopkins, BSH-59, wrote, "just returned from a very pleasant 5000 mile road trip, including a nice visit with sister, Linda Nutt, in Boone. Tried to catch you at McDonald's but learned you were in  the hospital. Sorry I missed you but glad to know you're doing well. Good to be back in Boone briefly, after a pandemic induced hiatus, though I recognize less with each visit." (2) John Kueck, BHS-61, wrote, "years ago, when I was in Dallas and staying at the Fairmont Hotel, I entered the elevator,and three gentlemen were standing there talking.....Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player......I was speechless." (3) Classmate Margaret (Peg) Oxenford Kooser wrote, "Nelson Lumber Yard is the reason our family moved to Boone. My sister married Isabell Nelson's brother, Allen Dunlap. My dad came to work for Nelson's as a carpenter in about 1940. Kae and my nephews were cousins. When in high school, I took a bookkeeping job for school credit at Nelson's. Our families were close until I graduated but then, unable to find work, we moved away."

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