​        Montezuma’s Eddie Burgess with the Upper Iowa University Peacocks gains extra yards in a game against McKendree University at Harms-Eischeid Stadium in Fayette on Saturday, Nov. 1.

​J.O. Parker
 
         Montezuma’s Eddie Burgess is tackling a new chapter in life.
        After capping off a four-year football career at Upper Iowa University in Fayette, Burgess, 22, is gaining real-life student teaching experience in Ms. Carrie Lowry’s first grade classroom at Lynnville-Sully.
         “I’m starting to teach math, reading, writing, social studies and science,” he said.
         When asked about his time at UIU, Burgess said the relationships he built there will last a lifetime.
      “That place has really been special to me,” said Burgess. “I don’t have any regrets attending UIU and playing football.”
         Burgess was recruited to UIU by Tim Morrison, a Montezuma graduate and former coach at UIU.
      Morrison has since been named as offensive coordinator at the University of South Dakota, after spending two seasons as the tight ends coach at UIU.
        Throughout his football career, Burgess has been a difference maker for the Peacocks.
       At the close of his senior campaign, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) named Burgess to the All-American Second Team. He joins Alex Wahl (2015) as the only Peacocks to be named on an AFCA All-American Team.
       During the 2025 season, Burgess finished the season with 641 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He started all 12 games for the Peacocks. Before the bowl game, Burgess had recorded the fifth-most receiving yards by any tight end in the country. He also earned All-GLVC First Team accolades for the second time in his career.        
       The Montezuma native has put up 1,681 yards and 19 touchdowns in his career. His 641 yards this season were the most for him in a single season. Burgess ranks 15th all-time in program history in career receiving yards and is tied for eighth in receiving touchdowns.
       Burgess helped the Peacocks win their first bowl game in program history at the Albanese Candy Bowl. Upper Iowa won nine games for its most in a single season. 
        “We are pretty proud of the work this kid put in and look forward to watching him become a teacher in the future,” said his dad, Tim Burgess.
        “Our entire family has enjoyed watching Eddie grow into a hardworking, driven young many,” noted his mom, Janel. “He will make a great teacher someday and all his students will be blessed to have him impact them all. He has learned so much through his experience at Upper Iowa, which will help him so much as he heads into his next chapter of life.”
         In addition to his AFCA honor, Burgess, along with Upper Iowa’s Connor Andresen earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American Second Team selections. They are the first Peacocks football players to earn the honor since Nate Skare in 2018.
         Burgess is quick to point out that his success wouldn’t have happened without the support of his family.    His grandparents on his dad’s side, who live in Michigan, attended many of his high school football and basketball games and his college football games.
         “They only missed one game during my college career,” said Burgess.
       And his grandparents on his mom’s side, who live near Millersburg, have also been strong supporters, attending not only his high school games, but his college games.
        “Montezuma is a special place to me,” said Burgess. “I have met some amazing people along the way who have helped guide me and shape me into the man I am today.”
      “College football is a different beast,” added Burgess. “It is an opportunity that I will always be grateful for.”
      As for the future, Burgess hopes to teach and coach at the high school level and just positively impact student’s lives.
       “That is the end goal, to make a difference,” he said.

​       Caio Araujo, 15, a foreign exchange student from Maceio, Brazil is enjoying spending the school year in Montezuma. Araujo is staying with Brian and Liesl Roorda. He played football and ran cross country in the fall and is currently playing junior varsity basketball for the Braves. He plans to participate in speech and drama this winter and run the 800 and 400 meter races in track in the spring.

J.O. Parker
 
      Caio Araujo, 15, a foreign exchange student from Maceio, Brazil is enjoying spending the school year in Montezuma.
        Araugjo, arrived in Montezuma on Aug. 24 and will return home at the close of the school year in May. Araugjo is in 10th grade at Montezuma.
         He is living with Brian and Liesl Roorda and family of rural Deep River.
         “They are a very good family,” said Araugjo of the Roorda family.
       In the fall, Araugjo participated in football and cross country and he is currently playing junior varsity basketball with plans to run the 400 and 800 meter races in track.
         He is participating on the radio broadcast team now in speech.
      He is currently enjoying taking AP computer science classes and integrated technology from Mrs. Pargeon.
Those are two classes I don’t have in Brazil,” he said.
         “I have been learning English as a second language for seven years,” added Araugjo.
       In addition to his school activities, Araugjo helped Brian with harvesting operations in the fall. He also played golf at the Montezuma Country Club for the first time and also went bowling at Star Lanes. One of his goals is to improve his golf scores.
         “I attended a church youth group in Des Moines just before Thanksgiving where we studied God’s word,” he said. “I got to stay in a motel and played a lot of games with the other youth.”
         And recently, he flew to Florida where he spent a few days with his uncle and aunt who live there.
      Maceio, Brazil has just under a million residents. Araugjo said his school has 1,000 students with 300 students in his graduating class. 
        When asked about the cold Iowa weather, Araugjo said it is always warm or hot all year in Brazil.
        “It is very challenging for me,” he said of the cold.
     When asked what led him to participate in a foreign exchange program, Araugjo said his family encouraged him to sign up for the experience.
         He said his sister participated in a six-month foreign exchange program in 2024 in Canada.
         His dad is a software engineer and his mom is a dentist.
         He’s enjoying eating Iowa food and said Liesl is a good cook.
        “Caio has been the perfect match for our family,” noted Liesl. “We have really enjoyed having him here. He is eager to be a part of everything he can and experience it all. We have learned so much from him about his home country and we have had great conversations about the U.S. and Brazil and many of the happenings in the world. His time here has been very special for us and he has become a part of our family.”
          He said the best part of the experience is learning about Iowa culture and meeting new people.
        As for his future, after graduating high school, Araugjo plans to return to Iowa or the United States and earn his bachelor’s degree in computer science.

J.O. & Debbie Parker
 
        Two long-time Montezuma educators will be retiring at the end of the 2025 - 26 school year. The board approved the notice of retirement from kindergarten teacher, Kris Ferguson, and high school teacher and FFA advisor Rick Swenson.           
         The board also approved the request of Janelle Burgess to step down as the Junior High softball coach.
        The move came during the regular meeting of the Montezuma Community School Board on Wednesday, Jan. 21, which was held in the school cafeteria.
       In another move, the board reviewed policy 904.3R1 regarding sexual offenders who have been convicted of crimes in any school district against a minor as to whether they can be on school property. Superintendent Rich Schulte outlined the policy and how the district handles requests from individuals with a conviction who may want to attend a school event. After looking at their options, the board voted to have zero tolerance on allowing these individuals to be on school grounds or attend a school event on school property. Prior to that time, requests were handled case by case. The move became active following the vote.
       In a related matter, two Montezuma residents addressed the school board regarding their decision to name the Grinnell Herald Register as the school’s legal newspaper. First to speak was Kathy Gorsuch, who noted that the owner of The Record, Derek Bates, has served his time and needed to be given a second chance. Jacki Bolen also spoke in support of The Record. She noted that The Record worked hard and was instrumental in getting the bond issue passed and that we need to support our community and local businesses.
        In good news, Superintendent Schulte praised the great job of the honor choir at their latest competition. He also sent kudos to the DECA students and Mr. Gartman for all of their hard work and their success competing against larger schools. He also presented a Certificate of Achievement to board member, Cori Henkle, who successfully completed some board training. 
      In other business, the board heard a short presentation from athletic director, Tim Burgess, regarding scheduling of athletic events. No decision was made at the meeting.
      The board approved an agreement with Denovo, a general contractor from Des Moines, regarding the upcoming district improvements. 
        They also discussed a construction timeline. In November, Montezuma residents approved a bond issue in the amount of $12.55 million. 
        The board’s next regular meeting will take place on Feb. 18 at 5:30 p.m. in the school cafeteria.

​     Al Rabenold, a long-time teacher and coach at Montezuma, recently published a book of his life’s adventures. He talks in his book about the late Chris Street, a standout basketball player from Indianola at the University of Iowa, who was a guest at a basketball clinic at Montezuma in 1992. Pictured are Rabenold, right, Street, middle and Rabenold’s son, Scott. Street was killed in an auto accident about six months following the camp. The book project was a gift from Rabenold’s daughter, Marie, given to him during Christmas 2022.

by J.O. & Debbie Parker
 
       Long-time former Montezuma educator and coach Al Rabenold recently put together a book sharing stories about his life including the importance of family, memories of sports and love for the Montezuma community and school. The opportunity to write the book was a Christmas gift in 2022 from his daughter, Marie Boulton, who wanted to give her father a chance to write down his memories for his family and friends to share and cherish.
      “I wrote the book the way I like to read books,” Rabenold said. The chapters in “A Collection of Life Stories” by Al Rabenold are the questions that Rabenold answered when prompted by Storyworth, the company who he worked with to create the book. 
         Storyworth is a service that helps people capture and preserve personal life stories by sending weekly email prompts and compiling their answers into a beautiful hardcover keepsake. It's designed to help families document their histories, with options to add photos, write or voice record stories and customize the final book for a meaningful family heirloom.
        “I had seen Storyworth advertised on Facebook and thought it would be a perfect gift for my dad,” said Boulton. “He’s a great writer and it would be a good way to get him to put our family history and stories written down so that we can treasure them for future generations. I picked out some of the questions to begin with but after a while he began finding the questions to fit the stories he wanted to share. Being able to add pictures to each chapter made the stories even better. Our three children, dad’s grandchildren, have all read his book as well. Some stories they were already familiar with, but others were new to them.”
         The chapters/questions in Rabenold’s book include: What was your Dad like when you were a child?; What people have been the kindest to you?; What are your favorite memories of each of your children growing up?; Did you have a car in high school?; Outside of class, what were you involved with in college?; How did you choose your children’s names?; Be Like Mike? Or Be Like Mary? and Who was your Montezuma Mentor? 
         Another chapter of Rabenold’s book is What were your grandparents like? Rabenold wrote: “Another good memory about Grandma Marie is paying me a quarter a week for sweeping the front walk of the Rabenolds Department store on the corner of North Third & Main. Once a week she would walk me to the State Bank, to deposit the 25 cents in the savings account she had opened in my name. After I had saved up $12, she and Grandpa Harry drove me to a major league baseball game in Kansas City to watch the Yankees play! What a treat!”
       The Chapter Tell me about a great moment you had playing sports? started with “Baseball was my sport as a youngster and I remember being the bat boy for the Pony League boys who were all a year or two older. We rode the bus to New Sharon and late in the game, Coach Jerome Stripling told me to get the catcher’s equipment on! That was a surprise but I was ready.” He also shared “After my playing days were done, I became a coach that provided me with so many wonderful opportunities. My favorites were coaching Junior High football with the late Coach Creswell and of course boys’ basketball. The pinnacle was winning the 1990 boys’ state basketball championship at Vets Auditorium with the help of Coach Digger Phelps and my high school basketball coach, Darrell Brand, with me on the bench. Son Scott was a freshman and earned quality playing time, so the father-son thing was another special time. But my favorite memory was as the clock was ticking down, we coaches looked over at our wives on the front row and saw their happiness. When the buzzer went off, rather than shake the hand of the opposing coach, I ran across the playing floor to Denise, giving her a big hug! The policemen held everyone else back but her. Then I sprinted back to shake the hand of the West Marshall coach. Coaching boys’ basketball at Montezuma was a family affair. Thanks to Digger, Coach Brand, Scott, Denise and daughter Marie, we have great memories!”
         In the chapter, Do you remember Chris Street?, Rabenold wrote: “In the summer of 1992, over 90 campers, grades 5th thru 9th were treated to a special workout with the Hawkeye basketball star Chris Street at the Montezuma gym. To the delight of onlookers and coaches, campers Bret Grier of Monroe and Casey Hopkins of Troy, Missouri, “challenged” the 6’8” Street and Monte 5th grader Jordan Fraker to a game of 2-on-2. A former all-stater in three different sports while prepping at Indianola High School, Street played his role to perfection, making sure the boys had a wonderful and memorable experience.”
          “I had a lot of tears when writing about my dad, John, and mom, Doris,” said Rabenold. “They trusted me so much. They were great parents. Growing up in the 1950s was so simple and safe. I could ride my bicycle all over town without Mom worrying about me. We didn’t lock our doors at night. My dad was a WWII veteran. I didn’t worry about anybody breaking in because Dad would take care of them. I was safe all the time and didn’t worry about anything.” 
        In the Chapter, What was your Mom like when you were a child?, Rabenold wrote, “Doris Marcene (Peppers) was a devoted, faithful wife to my father, John Rabenold. That is the first thing I think about regarding Mom. There was never any questions about her love for John. Dad had been shot down over the Baltic Sea during a bombing raid over Germany in 1944 with Mom receiving a telegram that he was missing in action. Dad was a prisoner of war for 13 months. Mom told me (she) never, never gave up in believing that her husband would someday return. Mom loved Dad every day.”
          “As I wrote the book, I realized how blessed my life has been,” added Rabenold.

Al and Denise Rabenold have played a big part in the lives of many young people in 

​      Stacie Geary serves a bowl of chili to Spencer Roorda during the Community Hope Church Mission Trip fundraiser on Sunday, Jan. 11. Youth group members will be traveling to Nashville, Tenn. in June and Jamacia in late July to help with hurricane recovery efforts.

by J.O. Parker
 
       The Community Hope Church Fellowship Hall was filled with church and community members on Sunday, Jan. 11 who were there to support area youth mission trips. Guests were treated to delicious chicken noodle and chili soups along with grilled cheese sandwiches and all the fixings at the event. Youth group members are raising money to take part in two different mission trips planned for this summer.
         There are a total of 48 students going on the mission trips. Twenty-three of the students are traveling to Nashville, Tenn. from June 22-27. The youth will help feed the homeless and perform small home improvement tasks such as painting or building a wheelchair ramp. Youth group members will be traveling to Nashville by bus and each needs to raise $600 for lodging, food and ministry materials. 
         Ava DeWeese, an 8th grader, will be traveling to Nashville for her first mission trip. “It is very sad how many homeless people there are in Nashville,” said DeWeese. “I’m looking forward to this trip and making a difference.”
       Seventh grader Elijah Ahrens is also traveling to Nashville for his first mission trip. “I’m looking forward to learning and understanding what people in need are going through,” said Ahrens. “I’ve always wanted to go on a mission trip because I want to help where I can.”
        Twenty-five students will be traveling to Jamaica from July 19-25. The youth will be performing clean-up work from damage left behind by Hurricane Melissa, one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes on record and the strongest to ever hit Jamaica. It made landfall on Oct. 28, 2025, near New Hope, in Westmoreland, Jamaica with sustained winds at 185 mph. This will be a first-time experience for many of the youth group members to learn about and understand what people who have suffered through the hurricanes are going through. Youth group members traveling to Jamaica need to raise $2000 each for the trip which includes airline expenses, lodging, food and ministry materials. 
        Letisia Wilson, an 11th grader, is going to Jamaica to help with clean-up. She said, “I’m looking forward to going on this mission trip and being a mentor for the youth that haven’t gone before.” 
       “I’m looking forward to learning about different people’s experiences and spreading the word of God to people in need,” said Ethan Desrochers, a 10th grader, who is going to Jamaica.
        Isaiah Wilson, a 10th grader, is also going to Jamaica. He said, “This is the first out of country mission trip that our youth group is taking part in. I’m looking forward to helping a lot of people experience God and helping improve their living arrangements.”
       Paige Wilson, youth group director, said that the youth will learn more about what they will be doing to help once they arrive at the locations. 
       If you would like to donate to the mission fund, please send checks to: Community Hope Church, 501 N. Front St., Montezuma, Iowa 50171. Please write “Youth Misson Trip 2026” in the memo line.
    The church is working with Mission Discovery, based in Nashville, Tenn., to help organize the two mission trips.

      Coyce McNaul, right, a Community Hope Church youth member, hands out grilled cheese sandwiches while Emersyn VanKooten, left, and Vivian VerMeer, middle, fill their plates during the church mission trips soup luncheon fundraiser on Sunday, Jan. 11. The event was held to raise funds for summer youth mission trips to Nashville and Jamacia. Twenty-three youth will travel to Nashville in June and 25 youth are planning to fly to Jamacia in late July to do hurricane relief projects.

By J.O. Parker
 
      The Montezuma Dance program earned top honors in Division 1 at the 50th Annual State Dance/Drill Team Association’s (ISDTA) Championships, Dec. 3 – 5, at the Casey’s Center.
         Montezuma competed in the following classes:
         Class I Pom, earning a Division I and seventh place finish
         Class 1 Hip Hop, earning a Division 1 and third place finish
         The dance team had two soloists compete in the state solo qualifier in October, but neither one of them qualified for the top 10! Those were freshmen Tinsley Stowell and Mackenzie Clayton.
     The Iowa State Dance/Drill Team Association’s Iowa High School and College State Dance Team Championship was held Dec. 3 - 5 at the Casey’s Center in Des Moines.
         Dance team members included: Marley Stowell, Karsen Ahrens, Hayden Sutherland, Ella Pierce, Mallory Warden, Alanna Hutchinson, Kelsie Mostek, Tinsley Stowell, Sydney Nicholson, Ryanne Williams, Lauryn Larmore, Vivian Cook, Sophia Semprini, Gracie Wilson, Grace Burnett, Mackenzie Clayton, Haileah Eichenberger, Lindsey Henry, Lily Ferry, Krista Cheney, Claire Erselius, Kami Mathes, Olivia Latcham, Analeece Kercheval, Kamryn Schmidt and Lily Moyer.
        This was another great season,” said Dance Coach Macy Taylor Richards. “The girls had a challenging season and we had to dig deep to clean our routines, work hard in technique and execution skills, along with facials and energy. They did such a great job at the state competition and I’m so incredibly proud of them.”
           More than 250 high school and college teams with 5,000 plus dancers perform more than 600 routines in the three days of competition, making this the largest state dance competition in the United States.
Teams are divided into classes based on school enrollment and are evaluated and judged by industry professionals.

     Montezuma's Brady Boulton reached the 2,000 career points milestone in his basketball career at home against BGM on Tuesday, Feb. 3. He is the second basketball player in school history to pass the mark and the 45th in Iowa. Trey Shearer reached the mark in 2021. Boulton, middle, is joined by his Braves teammates following the game.