A Death and a Reminder of a Plane Crash

     Gene Keys, BHS-61, Loveland, CO., passed on some sad news this week and the death of a well known former area resident revived talk of the crash of a B24 bomber that went down southeast of Ogden in August of 1943.
     Gene wrote, "I got a call from Mike Christensen informing me that his father, Warren (Warnie as he was called), had passed away. He was 98 years young and an Army Air Corps veteran who worked on B24 bombers. Warren and his wife, Ruth, owned the skating rink in Ogden and, over the years, touched the lives of many area kids. Ruth had passed away in November of 2017 at age 94. The Christensen's had moved out to Loveland several years ago to be near their only son, Mike."
     Probably due to his military connection with the B24, Warren and a friend were instrumental in getting a memorial placed at that crash site.
     Gene continued, "he had told me about it and when Karen (Gene's wife) and I were back in Boone, along with my brother, Mike, we found the site. After pulling all the weeds from around it and sprucing it up a bit, we took lots of pictures. One of Warren's friends built the wood model of the B24 that sits on the post at the memorial. I passed the information about the monument on to the Boone Historical Society and to you, who wrote about it in the Korner. However, lots of people, even in the crash area, weren't aware of it. We stopped by several farms for directions and only one family was familiar with it. Warren had given me copies of the original newspaper article about the crash and it included many pictures, along with an interview with the Grady family who lived on the farm where the plane had crashed."
     He concluded, "I'm sure there are some Booneites who spent time at the skating rink in Ogden and remember Warren and Ruth."
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     In the last edition, we solved Tony Crandell's latest Korner quiz.......about Ben Mesenbrink's Boone Valley Shows.
     Here's some additional info Tony, BHS-59, provided.  One of the first locations the shows would play in the summer was an area known as the West Boone Free Show grounds. The grounds name was derived in the early 40's, during World War II, when the West Boone Community Club sponsored free movies there. There was a large screen on four telephone poles, much like a drive-in theatre screen, on the southwest corner of Fourth and Fremont Streets. A 16mm movie projector was set up on  a small stage to show the movies. The lady, who was the Secretary/Treasurer of the Community Club, was Fannie Peacock. After the free show and other activities ceased, the club continued to use its remaining funds to support local youth. For instance, they bought uniforms and sent needy scouts to Camp Mitigwa from the West Boone Troop 146.
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     This goes back a few short years..........raise your hand if you remember Harold Hagge? I, the Kornerman, remember him.
     Harold was a longtime member of the Boone community, an Iowa National Guard alumnus and we're happy to report he was given a significant honor recently.
     The main man, himself, Major General Tim Orr, the Iowa National Guard Adjutant General, along with Command Sergeant Major Rachel Fails, visited Harold to honor him in recognition of his decades of National Guard service to Iowa and the nation.
     Major General Orr (BHS-79), of course, is, himself, a former Boone resident, and the two officers came to Harold's current residence, the Bishop Drumm Retirement Center in the Metro, to make the presentation before family and friends.
     As part of his duties, Major General Orr will, in the coming days, speak before the newly installed Iowa legislature, presenting his annual "State of the Guard" address.
     EDITOR'S NOTE: Somehow that "raise your hand" bit came to mind. Who was the guy that was on the radio in our very youthful days urging us to get ready for school etc. etc. while indicating that he had a real "view," via an imaginery camera, of our preparation? He'd make remarks like, "hey Johnny, don't throw those night clothes on the floor" or "Tom, I see you haven't gone in to brush your teeth yet" or "Mary, your hair looks nice, quit combing it and get down for breakfast."
     The Kornerman can't imagine any of our Boone area youth falling for this tomfoolery but ?
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     Speaking of remembering..........remember when a cardboard box was the "best toy" ever? Remember when our Google was Britannica? Didn't you just love those orange cream push-up pops? Anybody still have those pickup sticks? Remember those cans that required a key-like thing to twist around the can to open it? I'm sure you were one that waited until after 7 p.m. to make a long distance call. Cheaper then. Remember?
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     BOONE CONNECTED DEATHS: Helen Ewals, 76, Pilot Mound.........David Haub, 65, Boone. OHS-72. Worked in elevator construction. Then, in 1977, with his father, Ralph, Haub Dairy Farm was started in rural Boone. Boone area survivors include his wife, Kathleen, sons, Jeremiah and Matt, all of Boone and one brother...........Dorothy Johnson, 98, Boone. Born in Boone. Jordan HS, then AIB. Worked for many years as a bookkeeper at the Iowa High School Athletic Association. A sister, nieces and nephews survive.........Frances Cowan, 92, Des Moines. Was a musician. Tutored reading disability adults for DMACC and helped her late husband, Marlow, when he directed the YMCA camp north of Boone for 16 years..........Maynard Lind, 95, Boone. Pilot Mound HS-39. Lived in Pilot Mound until moving to Boone in 1958. Helped local farmers, then worked for 25 years for International Harvester dealers in Boone, Ogden and Nevada. Managed a Boone service station and then worked for Miller Oil Company of Boone. Boone area survivors include a son, Richard, of Ames, daughters, Dianne Eppert and Lori Wildeman, brother Jim, brothers-in-law, Gary and Duane Anderson, and sister-in-law, Helen (Peg) Bielfelt all of Boone. Also surviving is a brother, Carol, of Ogden and a sister, Velma Feagins, of Fraser.
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     Worldwide Korner headquarters are located at 928 South Jackson, Boone, Iowa, 50036-4932. Phone number is 515-432-1530. To email your stories/memories/comments/SUPPORT.....
kelleyskorner1@gmail.com.