BOONE/AREA COMMUNITY DEATHS

     Judith A. (Judy) Hare Overbeck, 85, Des Moines/Suncrest Hospice/Kavanaugh House. BHS-58. Survivors include her children, Joe Hare of Colorado and Katie (Brett) Jackson of Urbandale and her pet parrott, Mikey. A COL will be planned later.

     Helen Ilene Walters Hopkins, 86, Boone. Born in Boone. Married Ray Dean Hopkins in Nevada in 1955. The couple owned and operated Hopkins Trucking and Excavating until retirement in 2001. They made trips on their Harley all over the U.S. and even to Canada. Helen was a homemaker, business bookkeeper, active bowler and member of the Elks Lodge. Survivors include children, Darcy (Dwight) Bosch, Tim (Lori) Hopkins and Jean (Randy) Cartee, all of Boone. Siblings Thomas (Karla) Walters of Boone and both Kenneth Paul (Mary Jane) Walters and Beverly (Randy) Kathman, of Ogden also survive. Services in Boone.

      Marley Jo (Mary Jo)  Fritch Majors Woodard, 82, Boone. Born in Boone. BHS-60. Began work as a caretaker in Boone and then a business owner in Missouri. Returning to Boone, she worked in business administration at the DOT and retired after working for the Department of Human Services in Boone. She was active in Women's Club, the Moose Lodge and her church. Entertainment was received via music, western movies, wrestling, "Wheel of Fortune" and the "Price is Right" TV shows. Survivors include a son, Joseph Kramer, and a daughter, Deborah Jo Jensen.

BOONE/AREA COMMUNITY DEATHS

       Sonya Lynn Thompson, 56, Orlando, FL. BHS-87. DMACC. Iowa State. Was very creative. Enjoyed drawing and crafts. Worked several years in property management and served on the board for the Autism Society of Iowa. She had a keen mind and lively spirit. Survivors include two sons, Christian and Connor, four siblings, Marsha and Don Thompson, Rhonda Nelson and Pam Brown, and her partner, Tom. No arrangements at this time.    

       Jo Lynn Cady Cook, 78, Dayton/Eastern Star. Born in Illinois. Cedar Rapids Washington HS-65. University of Central Missouri. Jo held various positions in the bioscience industry, including at Kemin Industries and the Fort Dodge laboratories. Since the 1980's, she served as education director at National Education Centers in Des Moines. Married Roger Cook in Florida in 1984. The couple, eventually, settled in Dayton. Jo loved collecting antiques, loved animals and crafting jewelry. In the 1990's, she and a close friend, started a small business in Dayton called Anjewels, crafting necklaces, pins and earrings. Survivors include her husband, Roger, a former longtime teacher/coach at Boone High School, a daughter, Amy Priest of Boone, a son, and step-children, Cindy, BHS-79; Craig, BHS-82; Julie, BHS-83; and Tracey, BHS-87. A COL will be held in Boone.

       Darlene Blue Bullard, 98, Boone/Westhaven. Born in Hampton. Married Douglas Ross Bullard in Hospers, IA in 1948. Earned a teaching certificate from Omaha University and taught English and business classes. Three children survive. A private family graveside service at Linwood at a later date.

THINGS OF INTEREST

     As I've mentioned before, much of the material we include in the Korner is "old hat" to local readers but, many, perhaps, even a majority, who browse the Korner are former residents and now wake up each morning quite some distance from the Central Iowa area.

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     BREAKING NEWS: For years there have been rumors of an Olive Garden restaurant, a fan favorite, coming to Ames but the talk has always been rejected as just a "bad joke." No more. They say now it will definitely be happening in the near future.

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     Remember Ankeny, that little burg just north of Des Moines? That city requested a special census recently and the results are astounding.

     Since the 2020 census, little old Ankeny has grown by a double digit percentage, 12.3%. The population is now 76,200, which edges out Iowa City as the fifth largest city in Iowa. 

     The special census request cost the city $1.4 million....HOWEVER. The city will now receive more than $1.1 million more in additional road use tax funds every year. A pretty successful result I'd say.

     P.S. As the entire Des Moines metro area continues to grow, another good example is Bondurant, which has reached a population of 9,393, a 27.5% increase since 2020.

     I, the Kornerman, remembers when Ankeny, that little bump in the road enroute to Des Moines, defeated our Toreadors in the 1948 State Boys Basketball Tournament. We had a great all-state player in Pinky Clifton but Ankeny had the THREE Fontana brothers.

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     Picked this news of former residents up off the wire.....Caryl Achenbach Poshusta, BHS-56, said she and her husband, Ron Schmickley, BHS-54, have lived in a retirement community for five years, with good health and are happy they made the move when they did. They enjoy the Northwest and Spokane. Two of her children and lots of grandchildren live close by and there are others in Colorado and the Northwest U.S..Caryl's sister, Roma Achenbach, was a classmate of mine, BHS-53.

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      The State University of Iowa has a new men's basketball coach, Ben McCollum, and there's a Boone connection.

     When McCollum played collegiate basketball from 1999-2001 at North Iowa Area Community College, he was coached by Boone resident Steve Krafcisin.

     After coaching the men's team at NIACC, Krafcisin came to DMACC, Boone Campus to coach the Bears women's team from 2005-2022. He's remained here in retirement.

     Krafcisin thinks McCollum will be successful as the Hawkeye coach. He told Mike Hlas of the Cedar Rapids Gazette that, "I think he's definitely ready for this. I think people will love him and the guys will love him. A lot of kids will want to play there." 

     Krafcisin has always been part of a head scratching trivia question. What college basketball player/s played in two Final Fours for two different teams? Two is the correct answer. Bob Bender played for Duke and Indiana in Final Four play and Krafcisin played for North Carolina and Iowa, 1979-80, in the Final Four.

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     The Kornerman received some information about a Pilot Mound Midgets Legion baseball team of years past. A photo was also included.

     The story mentions several familiar Pilot area names, Loel Johnson and Bill Caldwell, who were members of and pictured in the story on the Midgets. Both played later on some outstanding  basketball and baseball teams there through their high school days. Both are now deceased.

     A couple other players pictured were Bob Harris and Billy Parrish. Neither finished high school at Pilot. Harris, BHS-58, graduated from Boone High and Parrish moved away from the Pilot Mound community.

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       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......https://kelleyskorner1@blogspot.com.

     

      

BOONE/AREA COMMUNITY DEATHS

     Naomi (Noni) Fern Folsom Givens, 97, Richmond, VA/Sunrise Senior Living. Born in Boone. BHS-45. Married Robert Givens Jr. and the couple made their home in Boone. She worked for Bourns until that company closed. Noni enjoyed rug hooking, quilting, needle pointing and was a wonderful cook who made great candy for the holidays. A daughter, Janelle, BHS-70, in Richmond and a sister are among the survivors. A memorial service will be held later at Linwood Cemetery.

BOONE/AREA COMMUNITY DEATHS

      Lois Ann Kennedy Guldenpfennig, 83, Ogden/Windsor Manor/Nevada. Born in Jefferson. Grand Junction HS. Earned a Bachelor's Degree in Education from State College of Iowa (UNI) in 1963. Married Donald Guldenpfennig in Grand Junction in 1962. Lois taught at Ogden and then for 25 years at Boone Sacred Heart. The couple, Lois and Donald, also owned and operated the Golden Penny Restaurant and Lounge for over four years and Don's Energy Conservation Services for many years. Active in church, she also served on the Boone Story Reading Council, the Iowa and International Reading Council and the Beginning Experience for Des Moines Diocese. Five children Steven, Mark, Susan, Jim and Marcia survive. Services in Ogden. 

     Janet Lou Maas Reutter, 87, Boone. Born in Ogden. Raised and educated in Ogden. Married Randall Reutter in Ogden in 1973. The couple lived in Pilot Mound, working side by side farming. Active in church, P.E.O. and Questers. An excellent gardener, the couple also enjoyed traveling, especially attending Neil Diamond concerts. Survivors include her husband, Randy Reutter, and two children, Julie Pounds and Brenda (Eddie) Hellyer. Services in Boxholm and Ogden.

      Robert E. Uthe, 101, Boone/Westhaven. Born in rural Boone. Jordan HS-42. Married Pauline Lawler in Ogden in 1948. The couple farmed near Ogden for 20 years and southeast of Boone until retirement. Robert was a former member of the Knights of Columbus and Boone County Farm Bureau. Pauline passed in 2019. Three sons survive, David Uthe of Boone; Richard Uthe of Ames and Bruce (Michelle) Uthe of Ogden. Two daughters, Joann Uthe of Boone and Diana (Bob) McLaren of Omaha, also survive. A sister, Mary Wirth, of Ames and a sister-in-law, Kate Uthe of Boone, are other survivors. Services in Boone and Ogden.

MADRID CHAMPIONSHIP AND MEMORIES

     No, its not football, not this time. 

     The 2024-25 Madrid High School boys basketball team is a state champion and its the first title ever for a Tiger basketball team.

    State championship competition is not completely new to MHS. Eight times, the Tiger gridders have finished one or two in the state finals. They were number one, state champions, in 1991.

     Three state tournament victories propelled the basketball five to a Class 1-A championship win over Bellevue, Marquette, 59-57, to complete a 28-0 record under Coach Brian Surratt. Going into that final contest, Marquette was top rated, while the Tigers were number two. The earlier state victories were over Boyden-Hull, 68-57 and  Fort Dodge St Edmond's, 71-58.

     This current Madrid success story ignites many memories of that community that I regularly covered as Sports Editor of the Boone News Republican in the 1950's and 60's.

     Along the way there were some tremendous coaches that became good friends, football guys John Mills and Randy Hinkel and basketball coach Keith Peterson. I loved the connection I had with so many other fine people like the Lawrence Jensen's and the late Superintendent Dr. Marion and his wife, Linda Romitti.

     I see Barry Wills, BHS-58, every so often, either at the Madrid fish fries or when his high school group gets together enroute to the Drake Relays. Barry lives in Madrid in retirement. Then too, there's Jeri McLeod,  a former Madrid High cheerleader who is a good Boone church friend. I've been blessed to have had so many great associations with the Madrid school and the community residents.

     A top individual star I had the pleasure of broadcasting and writing about was the Jensen's son, Dick Jensen, who, at 6-8, was a high school standout in basketball and cross country running, all state in each. Later, Jensen became the starting center on some outstanding Iowa Hawkeye basketball teams.

     The starting unit of Chad Calabria, John Johnson, Jensen, Fred Brown and Glen Vidnovick was coached by Ralph Miller and was unbeaten in Big 10 play,14-0, while compiling an overall record of 20-5.

     Incidentally, in 1989 at the Innisbrook Golf Resort at Palm Harbor, Florida,  as the Master of Ceremonies for the National High School Sports Hall of Fame, I had the personal pleasure of inducting Miller into that prestigious Hall.

     I'd be remiss if, in recounting many Madrid memories, I didn't mention some of the great baseball players in Madrid history.......and this goes way back to the 1940's. 

     Boone semi-pro baseball teams of that era often locked up with the Madrid team composed of outstanding players like catcher Willie Galetich, who was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals. His battery mate was a left-hander,Joe Radosovich, and there were other standouts like Londie Ceretti and Emil Bozich.

     Then too, a good friend was Madrid native Lou Galetich who, in 1953, coached a Clinton St. Mary's team to the Iowa High School Boys State championship, 61-44, over Ottumwa and that was when there were no classifications, just one state champion. His team finished the season at 25-5.

    Later, Lou came home to Madrid and served the community as Mayor for several years.

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     The Iowa High School Athletic Association has announced the District football assignments for the next two year period. I don't have any dates or locations yet but here are the teams involved in the districts involving the Boone County schools.

     In class 4-A, Boone will be playing ADM-Adel; Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson; Denison-Schleswig, Glenwood and Lewis Central of Council Bluffs.

     In class 1-A, Ogden will oppose Interstate 35-Truro; Panorama-Panora; Pleasantville; West Central-Stuart and West Marshall state Center.

     In class A, it will be Madrid opposing Brooklyn-BGM; Colfax-Mingo; Earlham; Lynnville Sully; Martinsdale St. Marys and North Mahaska-New Sharon. 

     Then, of course, other opponents will fill out the schedules with non-district games.

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     Worldwide Korner headquarters are still located at 928 South Jackson, Boone, Iowa 50036-4732. Phone number is 515-432-1530. Leave a message. To email your stories/memories/comments; death notices........httsp://kelleyskorner1@blogspot.com.

    

     

     

BOONE/AREA COMMUNITY DEATHS

       Raymond E. Moorman, 89, Boone/Eastern Star. Born in Linden. BHS-54. Married Rosemary Phelan in Boone in 1959. He worked for Brown Brothers Electric until retirement in 1997. Loved to tinker with   gas engines and could get anything running. He was always there for others in any way he could help. The couple enjoyed traveling to Arizona in retirement. Rosemary died in 2020. Survivors include three daughters, Lisa (Dan) Dillavou, Jean (Mike) Dubberke and Stephanie (Jim) Pulse. Also surviving are six siblings, Ronnie, Jack and Denny Moorman, Janice Swain, Joyce Elsberry and Donna Myers. Services in Boone.    

       Lori Rueber Tingwald, 63, Boone. Born in Oelwein. Clear Lake HS-80. Married Kevin Buseman in 1983. They divorced. Lori worked for UPS in Mount Pleasant for 25 years before moving to Omaha to work for the Union Pacific as a Train Dispatcher. Health issues, eventually, forced her to take early disability retirement and she moved to Boone. Married John G. Tingwald in 2011. He passed. Survivors include a daughter, Erin Jackson, and a son, Charles Buseman. Her dad, James L. Rueber, of Boone also survives. Services pending. Burial in Oelwein/Hazleton.  

       LATE REPORT: William Dean Pike, 87, passed away in Peoria, AZ. Feb.24. Formerly of Ames. Born in Nevada. BHS-56. Army vet. Worked 22 years for Oharco. Survivors include his partner, Karen Crary, and  four adult children. Bill had many friends and relatives in the Boone area. Memorial service will be held in Sun City, AZ.