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What may be considered by some as one of Iowa’s most famous murders took place in Villisca, Iowa in the southwest part of the state on June 10, 1912.
On that night, someone used an axe to bludgeoned and murder Josiah and Sarah Moore and their four children, Herman, 11, Mary, 10, Arthur, 7, and Paul, 5, along with two child guests, Ina Stillinger, 8, and her sister, Lenae, 11. The family had attended the Presbyterian church in Villisca the evening before where they participated in the Children’s Day Program, which Sarah had coordinated. It was reported that the family arrived home sometime around 9:45 p.m. the evening before the murders. There were several suspects in the murders, including traveling minister Rev. George Kelly, who was tried twice for the murder. The first trial ended in a hung jury, while the second ended in an acquittal. Other suspects included Frank F. Jones, a prominent Villisca resident and Iowa State Senator; hired gun, William “Blackie” Mansfield, Henry Lee Moore, S.A. Sawyer and Joe Ricks, who was detained in Monmouth, Ill., but none were found guilty of the crime. Even though there were many leads and suspects, to this day, the murders remain unsolved. That brings me to another Iowa murder, maybe not as famous, but equally cruel and memorable. During the early morning hours of Nov. 1, 50-years ago this week, Leslie Mark and his wife, Jorjean, both age 25, and their two small children, Julie, 5, and Jeff, 21 months of age, were shot in the heart and head while they slept in their rural farm home near Cedar Falls. A few weeks earlier, Leslie Mark, his father, Wayne, and brother, Jerry, had met at the family homestead to discuss the future of the family farm. Wayne’s cancer had returned and he was updating his will to make sure the family farm business would continue to be successful. He wanted input from Leslie, who had taken on the role of assisting in all aspects of the family farm and Jerry, who had shown an interest in the farming operation earlier in life, but had since moved to Berkeley, Calif. According to reports, the meeting became tense when Wayne announced his decision to divide the family money equally between Leslie, Jerry and their two brothers. He also announced at the time that Leslie and his wife would take over the farming operation, as they had invested both time and money into the farm. Just three weeks before the murders, Leslie and Jorjean and their children packed up their belongings and moved to the family homestead. Wayne and his wife, Dorothy, moved to a smaller home nearby where Wayne could continue gardening as his health allowed. During the investigation detectives learned that rare 38 caliber bullets were purchased at a gun shop in a California town near where Jerry lived. The bullets were those supposedly used in the murders. The gun store clerk identified Jerry as the person who purchased the bullets. Many other clues uncovered by the detectives led them all back to Jerry. That included a motorcycle cross-country ride that landed Jerry in the Midwest. It was also discovered that a shed on Jerry’s property had supposedly been broken into where the gun had been stored. Just 10 days after the murder, Jerry Mark, was arrested and charged with the four murders. Jerry was later tried and found guilty. I first learned of the Mark murders in a book entitled, Brother’s Blood: A Heartland Cain and Abel by Scott Cawelti, a now retired University of Northern Iowa English professor, who attended Cedar Falls High School and knew Jerry Mark. It may have been my local doctor who told me about the book. Debbie ordered it for me and I dove right in, becoming enthralled with the story as it unfolded. Cawelti was a presenter at the 2014 All-Iowa Writers’ Conference that my wife, Debbie, and I host each fall. He shared about the book, the Mark family and the murders. It was a fascinating presentation. You dared not to blink because you might miss something. Jerry was a Peace Corp volunteer, a lawyer, 4-H leader, vice-president of his Cedar Falls High School senior class of 1960, and the one student who was most likely to succeed in life. Jerry Mark remains in the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison where he is serving four consecutive life sentences, all while making numerous appeals for three decades. To learn more about the murders including information compiled from an interview with Jerry Mark, check out Cawelti’ book. It is available through Amazon. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day.
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Debbie and I, along with our oldest nephew, Gavin, made the three hour plus trek to Clarinda in southwest Iowa on Friday a week ago to sell our goods at the 61st Clarinda Craft Carnival on Saturday, Sept. 18.
This is our fifth year and Gavin’s second to attend and sell our goods. Debbie had a great day, selling 17 books, the best she has ever done at any craft event. And Gavin had a great day as well, selling his goat meat products. Debbie’s comment after the carnival, “This was fun.” One young lady bought Debbie’s first three books in her Hope Series last year. “I just love your books,” she told Debbie when visiting our booth. She then discovered that Debbie had published a fourth book in the Hope Series and it was like she found a lost jewel. “I have been waiting for this,” she said as she paid for book four and placed it in her bag. And something new and different this year, I handed out Halloween candy to youngsters and some adults at the carnival. We stopped at a General Dollar in Shenandaoh, where we stayed the night, and bought a large Halloween bowl and some candy. By early afternoon, I had run out of suckers, the most popular candy in my bowl. And late Saturday morning, my sister-in-law, and her friend along with her mother arrived at the craft carnival and stayed the day. The show featured 475 vendors spread out across five buildings in Clarinda. Craft carnival attendees are bused from building-to-building and it’s busy throughout the day. All the items at the Clarinda show have to be homemade or handmade. I remember a couple years ago, several women showed up at our booth toward at the close of the show and were buying books out of our suitcase we used to haul them around. And at our first show, we met two older sisters from nearby Villisca, who shared a story about growing up in the Ax Murder town and not knowing anything about it. After high school sometime in the late 1950s, the two sisters spent the summer working at a vacation resort in Colorado. It was there they learned from a another summer worker about the Ax Murders. When they called home and asked about it, their mother said we never talked about it as relatives of the eight murder victims were still living in Villisca. That was a memorable experience and story. We have three more craft events on the calendar this fall in Indianola, Pleasantville and Victor. We have sold our books at all these shows and have done well in past years. And we expect to do good at all these shows again this year. In past years, we have attended craft shows or other events in Coralville, Des Moines (at Adventureland, Iowa State Fairgrounds and Barnes and Noble), Malcom, Grinnell, Newton, Pella, Jewel, Marshalltown, Nevada, Perry, Calamus, Davenport, Wapello, Burlington, and Rock Island, Ill. As with anything worth trying in life, there is always a risk. The key to success is having a good attitude, connecting with event attendees and talking about your products. It doesn’t hurt to have a nice display to showcase your products. My favorite part of participating in the craft events is spending time with Debbie and meeting new people. And for the last couple years, a fellow I met at the Iowa State Fair Campground who lives south of Clarinda near the Missouri border, comes to the show and always stops and visits. He buys estates and sells the goods online. At this year’s Iowa State Fair, he said he had some postcards and knew I collected them and thought I might be interested. He gave me his business card and asked me to call him before this year’s craft carnival. And in true J.O. fashion, I brought his card home and laid it down and couldn’t’ find it before this year’s event. When he stopped at our booth, I mentioned something about the postcards, saying that I had lost his business card. “I was driving here and remembered about the postcards, but don’t know where I put them,” he told me. Hopefully we will get connected at the 2026 Iowa State Fair Campground and can make a deal. I always say, strangers are just waiting to become friends. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day. I’ve never been a fan of shaving and for the last year or two had been lazily letting my whiskers go a week or so between shaves. That was until earlier this year when I decided to grow a beard.
I started growing my beard three days before my colon cancer surgery on March 21. It had been more than 20 years since I last had a beard. I had grown a beard two or three times prior to meeting Debbie in August 2003, only to shave it off a few months later. I had a mustache when we got married and cut it off shortly after our wedding in September 2004. Initially, when I decided to grow a beard, I figured I would cut it off after traveling to Tulsa for my cousin reunion in early June. Summer went on and so did my beard. I figured the heat would get to me, but it didn’t, so I let it grow. Maybe I spent more time in the air conditioning than outside. I think Debbie can attest to that statement. I can say with confidence that I now have more hair on my face than I do on my head. It’s getting quit thin on top. And my eyebrows are thicker than a slab of cement and my nose hair, oh my goodness. I put nose hair in the same category as weeds. Since growing a beard, I have had it trimmed at a local barbershop several times. I would rather pay to have my beard trimmed instead of spending money on a beard trimmer only to have it sit in a bathroom drawer. Like my dad, I rarely go anywhere without a hat on my head. I think it gives me a better chance at keeping a few hairs on my head a bit longer. I’ve worn a hat for many years and have amassed quite a collection of hats. I still have my 1985 OU Sooners Football National Championship hat. I also have a number of OU Softball National Championship hats. Debbie has bought me one every year they win it all, which is a bunch of times. And I have quite a collection of Iowa State Fair hats. Some are more well-worn than others. The butter cow version of an ISF hat is one of my favorites. A hat I have on my birthday and Christmas list is a “Tulsa” hat. It is made by Okie Brand company based in Tulsa. The company makes all types of hats and other apparel with an Oklahoma theme. They also make a “Tulsa” sticker like the patch on the hat that I hope to purchase down the road. I also have a collection of hat and work shirt patches and some agriculture hat patches. Among my small collection are a couple patches from my dad’s work, Gaso Pump, in Tulsa. The company built huge pumps that moved crude oil through pipelines. I also have some advertisements from his company along with the ring he received at his retirement in March 1993. And some years ago, I found on eBay, a small compass with Gaso printed on it. It was probably given away at oil expos and expositions such as the International Petroleum Exposition (IPE) held in Tulsa from 1923 – 1979. The IPE event showcased the latest oil industry technology, sold equipment and services and educated the public and industry workers about oil production. Changes in the oil industry and oil production moving offshore in the 1970s led to the IPE show closing down. It also brought many other changes to Tulsa, which at one time was known as the “Oil Capitol of the World.” One such company that had a home base in Tulsa was Skelly Oil founded in 1919 by William Grove Skelly, along with two other men. My mom worked for Skelly Oil in the late 50s and early 60s after I was born. She had an office job. I’m not sure what she did at Skelly Oil. Seems like she wrote checks and paid bills. Outside of oil, Tulsa has a significant collection of Art Deco architecture and its historic presence on Route 66. My high school, Will Rogers, is one of the finest examples of Art Deco buildings in Tulsa. The school opened to students in 1939 with the first graduating class being 1940. If you are ever in Tulsa, check out my high school near Tulsa University and the many other Art Deco buildings in the downtown area and across the city. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day. U.S. Route 66 celebrates its 100th birthday in 2026.
Having grown up in Tulsa, Okla., I am quite familiar with Route 66, better known as the “Mother Road.” My boyhood home was one-half mile south of Route 66, which is 11th Street in Tulsa. In fact, one city block of my newspaper route was on Route 66. Every morning I walked or rode my bicycle on Route 66. When I was a kid, I didn’t give it much thought. Today, with all the popularity of Route 66, I enjoy telling people that I grew up one-half mile from the famous highway. In Tulsa, Route 66 featured many eateries and motels, including the now demolished Will Rogers Motor Court. The famous motel sign is now part of the Route 66 Neon Sign Park in Tulsa and located at the Southwestern end of the 11th Street Bridge, which carries the road across the Arkansas River near downtown Tulsa. In addition, there are other stores and eateries in Tulsa town including Buck Atom’s Cosmic Curios on 66, Mother Road Market and Tulsa Market District, an innovative, entrepreneurial district and home to Route 66 attractions, restaurants, bars, art galleries and retail shops. Route 66 covers 2,448 miles starting in Chicago and rolling through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and ends in Santa Monica, Calif. According to Wikipedia, U.S. Route 66 was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on Nov. 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. Many books and now social media posts and videos popularize the road. Some of the most famous books include “Route 66: The First 100 Years” by Graham Shellee and Jim Ross; “Route 66: The Mother Road” by Michael Wallis; “Ghost Towns of Route 66” by Jim Hinckley; “Route 66, A Photographic Essay” and “Along Route 66,” both by Quinta Scott; “EZ 66 Guide for Travelers” by Jerry McClanahan; “Travel Route 66” by Jim Hinckley and “The Best Hits on Route 66: 100 Essential Stops on the Mother Road” by Amy Bizzarri. According to Wikipedia, Route 66 was recognized in popular culture by the 1946 hit song “Get Your Kicks on Route 66,” written by Bobby Troup and recorded in April 1946 by the King Cole Trio. The Route 66 television series, which aired on CBS from 1960 to 1964, featured Martin Milner of Adam 12 fame, George Maharis, Glenn Corbett, Robert Redford, William Shatner and Donna Douglas. It was a popular television show about two men traveling the United States in a Chevrolet Corvette convertible and the events and consequences surrounding their journeys. There is a board game entitled “Route 66 Travel Game” centered around the television show, along with a number of other board games about the famous road. I would love to find the television version board game and add it to my collection. And in John Steinbeck’s novel, “The Grapes of Wrath,” published in 1939 (one of my favorite books), the highway symbolizes escape, loss, and the hope of a new beginning; Steinbeck dubbed it the Mother Road. Other designations and nicknames include the Will Rogers Highway and the Main Street of America, the latter nickname shared with U.S. Route 40. Route 66 was decommissioned on June 27, 1985. However, Route 66 has not totally vanished. According to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, about 85 percent of the road is actually still drivable - it just exists under a variety of other official names and numbers, though sometimes marked with a “Historic Route 66” sign. One article I found said the road became functionally obsolete because of narrow pavements and antiquated structural features that reduced carrying capacity. These days there is quite an interest in the road. I know several people here in Iowa who have traveled the road or traveled parts of it more than once. A good friend of mine in Lebanon, Mo. is part of the Lebanon-Laclede County Route 66 Society. There is a nice Route 66 Museum worth the visit at the Lebanon Public Library. And of course, Lebanon is home to the Munger Moss Motel located on the famous highway and still in operation. And last year while visiting another friend who is an art and photography teacher at Lebanon High School, I learned that some of his students were painting tiles of sites in Lebanon that were then placed around a Route 66 mural in the city park. Travelers of the road will discover many attractions such as the world’s second largest rocking chair in Cuba, Mo, Route 66 Drive-In in Carthage, Mo., The Blue Whale in Catoosa, Okla., Arcadia round barn in Arcadia, Okla., Ed Galloway’s Totem Poles in Foyil, Okla., Meadow Gold Sign and the Blue Dome District in my hometown of Tulsa, Gearhead Curios in Galena, Kan., Cadillac Ranch near Amarillo, Texas, Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, Ariz., Illinois Rock & Roll Museum in Joliet, Ill., Tee Pee Curios and M. Richardson’s Trading Company, both in New Mexico, and Elbow Inn Bar and BBQ in Devils Elbow, Mo., where the owner has a fine tradition of hanging women’s bras from the ceiling. And in 2026, the Hemmings Great Race will travel Route 66 from Illinois to California. There are tons of history about Route 66 available on the internet about planned celebrations in states and communities all along the Mother Road. Consider marking your calendar and joining in on all the fun at a small town along the route. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day. I’m always looking for an opportunity to visit with others.
That was the case on Saturday as I walked around the Montezuma American Legion Car Show taking photos and talking with and interviewing vehicle owners. While there, I noticed a fellow using his cell phone on a hand-held device filming the cars and trucks at the show. Curious, I introduced myself and asked what he was doing. He said his name was Jeff Brewster from Knoxville and he enjoys attending car shows around the state and making videos for his YouTube channel, Corn Rows and Car Shows. “I come to these shows because I love the old cars and love talking to everybody,” said Brewster. “I love to hear the old car stories.” He currently has 66 videos on his YouTube channel from car shows this year and last. We talked more and I mentioned I was from Oklahoma. “I am too,” he said. I said that I grew up in Tulsa and he said he grew up around the Oklahoma City area. “I attended Will Rogers High School in Tulsa,” I told him. “My mom attend Will Rogers and graduated in 1953,” he told me. He said his family has a piece of marble from a window seal at the school that has been made into a small table. Of course that peaked my interest, as I mentioned I would like to see it. We exchanged phone numbers and I mentioned next time I was going to be in the Knoxville area, I would give him a call in hopes of seeing this piece from my Oklahoma upbringing. You just never know when and where you will meet someone with a connection to your family or upbringing. My dad was a master at finding those connections and I believe I have inherited some of those skills that have benefited me greatly in my life and as a community journalist. Debbie and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary on Sept. 25. Instead of buying each other a gift, we got a new puppy, a Border Collie / Great Pyrenees mix, from Mark and Rosemarie Adams of Missouri. Our new puppy, Daisy Mae, is three months old and is three quarter Border Collie and one quarter Great Pyrenees. Our new puppy joins Boomer, a dog we got from the Adams’ two years ago. Boomer is three-quarters Great Pyrenees and one-quarter Border Collie. I met Rosemarie at a community photography workshop in 2003 in Louisiana, Mo., on the banks of the Mississippi River, just south of Hannibal. She was working for a local newspaper in her hometown northwest of Columbia and attended the workshop to hone her photography skills. We stayed in touch through the years and while Debbie and I were at a book event in the Quad Cities area in June 2023, I saw a Facebook post from Rosemarie looking for homes for a litter of five pups. I showed the post to Debbie and we both knew that one of the pups would soon be ours. We picked a male and named him Boomer and hadn’t even met him. I reached out to Rosemarie and we met our new puppy on Labor Day weekend that year. Fast forward two years and we welcomed home Daisy Mae. Boomer is such a loving, caring and protective dog. Debbie is slowly introducing Daisy Mae to Boomer and we believe that they will complement each other in the coming days and weeks. I believe that Debbie and I complement each other and together we are doing great things and being difference makers in this world. I thank God every day for her and for all of life’s experiences we enjoy together. You can be a difference maker in the lives of others as well. Some J.O. tips include: Finding the positive in life’s experiences and challenges, Doing good to others, Going the extra mile even when it is not appreciated, Giving more than you take, Turning off the negative and focusing on the positive, And learning that no matter what you have on your plate, it is OK to take a nap every day. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day. The 2025 Montezuma Homecoming Week took on an extra special meaning in the Parker household.
Our youngest nephew, Peyton Tindle, a senior at Montezuma, was crowned Homecoming King during Braves Night activities on Sept. 18. It was a special moment watching him being crowned. It was especially touching since it has been about a year since Peyton rang the cancer free bell at Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines. Peyton got a spin around town on the back of a bright red Corvette with Queen Claire Erselius during the Homecoming Parade. And he was also a starter on the Braves football team in the game Friday night against Moravia. Peyton is playing on the line and doing a great job. He last played flag football in elementary school. We are quite proud of Peyton as we are of all our nephews and family. Debbie played a big part in taking care of her nephews through their school years. I can remember going to Sam’s Club and purchasing school supplies many times that Debbie used to hold school during the summer months for all three of the boys. I always enjoyed stopping at McDonalds midweek after my newspaper editorial meeting and buying lunch for everyone. And I can’t forget about spending the day with each nephew doing something different that they each liked. And there have been so many memorable family and holiday gatherings through the years. And a few years ago, the entire family spent four nights at the Lake of the Ozarks where we rode go-carts, went bowling, played Monopoly, went antiquing, visited the Route 66 Museum, stopped at an outlet mall and enjoyed lots of good food and fellowship. And I can’t forget about all the good birthday meals we have enjoyed together as a family, thanks to the grandmas. Time spent with family is always good for the soul. Writers’ Conference In addition to attending Homecoming activities, Debbie and I held our 13th All-Iowa Writers’ Conference in Montezuma on Saturday, Sept. 20. This year’s conference included a presentation by Jay Goodvin, better known as the Iowa Gallivant. Goodvin has written a book, “Rural Iowa Sausage: History & Tradition of Brats on the Back Roads,” which he spoke about. Many know the Iowa Gallivant from his huge social media following where he travels the state eating at all types of restaurants and maw and paw eateries looking for the best tenderloins and all sorts of foods. He records the sessions and posts them to his social media pages. The Gallivant just returned from a tour of my home state of Oklahoma, where he visited about 20 different eateries. I enjoyed talking with him about Southern foods such as okra, meat chili, black eyed peas and sloppy joes. I first heard of the Iowa Gallivant in January and I reached out to him, which led to me doing a column on the food taste tester in overalls. He said the Iowa Gallivant was born out of a family album bet. That column led to Debbie and I inviting him to speak at our conference. Also presenting was Steve Sherman, a Grinnell native, who is a real estate agent and great writer. He has published seven books with one of his latest, “Beer Money,” about the Iowa City Beer Mafia, being made into a movie. Shooting of the production was completed in August with a release date in early 2026. Other speakers included Bethany Kriegel, author of “Buffalo In The Bucket,” and co-owner of Sunset Hills Bison Ranch north of Malcom. She shared about how she used AI to help her design the book, which is based on a real-life baby buffalo rescue at the ranch. Other presenters include Lisa Lucero, Winter Austin and we held a panel featuring Judge Joel Barrows, an author and sitting judge from Scott County, who joined forces with Poweshiek County Sheriff Matt Maschmann, to answer attendee questions. I served as the panel moderator and we explored several topics. It was a huge success for our conference. We appreciate all the support we receive for this event and to the many people who drive from all across the state to attend. We also thank the Community Hope Church in Montezuma for allowing us to use their facilities for our conference. Plans are in the works to host the 14th All-Iowa Writers’ Conference on Sept. 19 in Montezuma. We hope you can make it. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day. Sometimes old habits are hard to break.
In my case, it’s learning to be a better listener. Back in the day in elementary school, my report card often noted that I needed to pay better attention in class and listen instead of talking and flapping my lips. It wasn’t that detailed and drawn out on my report cards, just that I usually didn’t listen. I was once reported to the dean’s office in high school by my drafting teacher for talking too much in class. That really upset my mom and she ended up calling and having a discussion with the dean about kids who were smoking between classes and all I was doing was talking. I understand both sides of the story, but my thought is that talking is part of learning. And I think listening is, too. Debbie and I were having a discussion the other day and I apparently and rudely talked over her. She quickly, in a loving way, reminded me to be a better listener. She’s right, I do need to pay better attention, especially to her. Maybe I need to visit the ear doctor to see if my ears are clogged or if there is some other issue. It’s never too late to make changes in one’s life. Outside of needing to work on being a better listener, I have made a number of positive changes in my life, mostly after turning 30. A couple that come to mind include returning to college and earning my BS degree in Agricultural Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia in December 1997 at the age of 38. And secondly, but more important than an education, was getting married to Debbie. We will celebrate our 21st wedding anniversary on Sept. 25, and I turn age 66 on Sept. 26. I’m having a tough time wrapping my mind around the fact that I turn 66. For our anniversary and birthday gift to each other, we are planning to get a new puppy from a friend in Missouri. We got a puppy from our friend two years ago Labor Day weekend, 2023. Getting another puppy is a must since our nearly 15-year-old chocolate lab, Rex, passed away earlier this summer. We are both excited to welcome the puppy to our family. She will be joining our dog, Boomer, three miniature horses, Gazer, Harmony and Sophie, a host of kitty cats and our 15 chickens. We got the chickens earlier this year and they are laying eggs lightning fast. Somedays, Debbie will gather a dozen and upwards to 20 eggs. In addition to our new puppy and other animals, Debbie and I are planning on celebrating our anniversary and birthdays with lunch or supper at an area restaurant. I’m looking forward to a tasty salad with cheese, croutons, salt and pepper and Thousand Island dressing. Being on blood thinners until a week ago, I had to stay away from Vitamin K foods such as salad and coleslaw. I’ve missed it dearly and I am thankful that I can once again have a tasty salad. I’ve been in a phase in my life in recent times of learning the importance of being thankful and seeing the positives in life. Having colon cancer will do that to a person. As I’ve noted before, life is full of challenges and things that happen that are hard to wrap your mind and heart around. My advice is to keep moving forward and don’t look back. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day. I’ve visited more doctors and had more blood tests and poking and prodding this year than I have my entire 65 plus years on this earth.
It was a terrible upset stomach that started in early December last year that led doctors to discover I had colon cancer in March. The cancer was discovered on March 11 and two days later, we were was in Des Moines visiting with a surgeon. I remember sitting in his office. “This is routine surgery,” he said. “I do this kind of surgery all the time.” I was operated on in late March followed by 10 days and nine nights in the hospital. Following a couple rounds of chemo, I discovered I had a blood clot in early June in my right leg calf. After three months of blood thinners and a scan of my leg, I learned on Monday this week that the blood clot is gone. No more thinner medicine and I can have a salad again. Foods with vitamin K, which is salad and leafy greens, are a no no when taking blood thinner. But through all of this God has sustained and protected me and for that I am most thankful. I’m also most thankful for my lovely bride of almost 21 years who has stayed by my side, encouraged me and kept me dreaming and moving forward. I am also thankful for all the well wishes, phone calls, emails, texts, kind thoughts, prayers and hugs I have received from my many friends. It’s all appreciated. I had a CT scan with contrast on Aug. 21 and received a good report. I will have another CT scan on Nov. 21 to make sure all is good. I’m thankful that I am moving in a positive direction. I’m staying busy, but also getting lots of rest. And after the surgery, I decided to retire in late May from my day job of 7.5 years. That has freed up time for me to continue freelancing and writing feature stories. And in early June, Debbie and I were able to attend a cousin reunion on my mom’s side in my hometown of Tulsa. While there, we caught up with friends and enjoyed spending time with my brother. We then traveled to Fayetteville, Ark. to visit with my last living aunt. We are so thankful for that as she passed recently. And we spent a couple weeks or more this summer going through our stuff in the garage and basement with plans are to hold a Parker household reduction on-line auction this fall. There will be bargains galore. We got our garage cleaned out enough that I can now get our Suburban parked inside. And of course we attended the Iowa State Fair and the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion this summer. And on the horizon, Debbie and I along with our oldest nephew will be attending some craft events selling our books and other offerings this fall. No matter what life throws at you, I want to encourage you to get up every day and be thankful. Try and find the good in things and in people. Do good things for others and say kind words. There is a lot of craziness going on in the world and social media is full of everyone’s opinions, thoughts and negative words. And when you run into a negative Nellie or some challenge in life, I share this bit of wisdom. Some years ago, I was watching a documentary about six of the most elite photographers in the world. These men and women were at the World Trade Centers on 9-11. The moderator asked one of the photographers what he did when running into police roadblock, or someone trying to keep him from doing his job. His replied by asking what happens when water hits a rock? He said it goes around on either side, so that is what he did. He went around and took photos from another angle. Sometimes in our lives, we have to go around the negative and find the positive. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day. I’ve met and visited with many fine men and women and stopped to talk with lots of total strangers during my 65 plus years on this earth.
I’m a believer that strangers don’t become friends unless you take an interest in them. When meeting people, some enjoy visiting or finding a connection, while others have no interest or time to talk. And that is OK! My Iowa family and I attended the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion, Aug. 27 – Sept. 1. When walking the grounds or strolling through the campground, I often look for folks to visit with. It might be a shirt or hat they are wearing that grabs my attention or I might be seated next to someone on a bench by an OT attraction or museum, train or trolley stop or about anywhere on the grounds. On Monday, I found myself talking with one of the train personal/volunteers with the Midwest Central Railroad. I enjoyed visiting with him for a short time. My dad was a master visitor. To him, no one was a stranger. He’d strike up a conversion with someone in a restaurant or at fishing hole. He had an uncanny ability of finding folks with connections to his growing up days in the sticks east of Tulsa. In June 1989, my dad and I took a trip from Tulsa to the Grand Canyon, traveling through Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado and Kansas over a 11-day period. My dad loved to visit and back in the day, I was more keen on minding my own business. I learned a lot from my dad and what used to bother me is now part of my life every day. While at the OT Reunion, I stopped and visited with a number of attendees on the grounds and campgrounds. I met several from the State of Missouri, of which have a connection, and visited with one family in the campground from southern Arkansas. They told me it takes 11 hours pulling their camper to get home from Mount Pleasant. I saw a lady near the north village wearing a Lambert’s Café T-shirt. I said something to her about enjoying eating there and that I once traveled to Sikeston, Mo., to take photos at the restaurant for a story a fellow journalist was doing on the eatery. She wasn’t too interested in visiting more, so I moved on to someone else. And while out visiting garage sales in Mount Pleasant, I took time to pray with one woman at one of the sales. I bought some CDs and got ready to leave when I felt a nudge in my heart to pray for this woman. I asked God to bless her and heal her. And many times, my family has to wait for me to catch up when I stop to talk with someone. Knowing how much I like to visit and talk to compete strangers, our oldest nephew suggested I write a column about never meeting a man (or woman) I didn’t like. I thought that was a good idea. “I never met a man I didn’t like,” was a popular quote by Will Rogers, a humorist, vaudeville actor, movie star, newspaper columnist, social commentator and trick roper, from the 1920s and 30s. Born and raised in the Indian Territory, just outside of Oolagah, a small community northeast of Tulsa, Rogers was considered Oklahoma’s favorite son. He and his pilot, Wiley Post, were killed in a plane crash at Barrow, Alaska on Aug. 15, 1935. I’m quite familiar with Rogers as I attended Will Rogers High School in my hometown of Tulsa. Rogers is the third oldest high school in Tulsa, following behind Central and Webster. The first graduating class at the art deco masterpiece building located near Tulsa University was 1940. The school just celebrated its 85th birthday. Anyway, according to the internet, the quote was taken from a longer quote by Rogers. The full version is, “I joked about every prominent man in my lifetime, but I never met one I didn’t like.” I can say with confidence that I have more friends than enemies. I’ve learned of many newspaper stories and features through meeting total strangers. I’m confident that I have many more friends than foes in my life and for that, I’m most grateful. I stay connected with many through Facebook and social media. I challenge you to say hello or stop and strike up a conversation with a total stranger. It might end up being a blessing in your life. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day. It’s good to be among friends, eating good food and talking and learning about God.
That was the case on Sunday, Aug. 24. I attended the joint church service of the Malcom and Sheridan United Methodist Churches followed with a picnic. The event was held at the Malcom City Park Shelter. It was a wonderful service of praise, worship, fellowship and children’s church. An offering was taken up using hats, one of which was Pastor Boyd Sparks Cowboy Hat. Pastor Sparks, 91, of Montezuma has been ministering at both churches for a number of years. He asked if anyone would like to make a song request. I raised my hand and said the photographer has a song. I suggested we sing, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus.” I mentioned that I grew up in the Southern Baptist Church and that song was one of my mom’s favorites. “I used to play it on the piano,” I told those gathered in the park. “I don’t think I can do that anymore.” Pastor Sparks found the song in the church hymnal and we all sang it together. After a short message on listening to God from Pastor Sparks, the gathering prayed and everyone stayed for a bite to eat The McDonald and McCammant families of Malcom and Brooklyn prepared and served the meal of barbecue pork and chicken sandwiches, baked beans, potato salad and homemade pie. Harold Wheeler of Montezuma arrived with a batch of his famous Wheeler ice cream and served it to all. Some topped off their piece of pie with the ice cream. I opted to enjoy a bowl full. Having grown up in the South, having an outdoor church service and picnic is about as downhome as one can get. I learned of the joint church service after seeing a flyer at the Montezuma State Bank earlier in the week. I gave Pastor Sparks a call and asked if I could attend and take some photos. He said that would be fine. When asked about the service, Pastor Sparks said he thought about having a cowboy church service, but opted instead to have a joint service and picnic. After the service and meal, I made the rounds and interviewed attendees from both churches. And to my surprise, I learned that three families representing four generations each were present. I took photos of each family and enjoyed visiting with them all. Small town churches are the fabric of many communities in Iowa and across the country. There are some who would brave a snowstorm to attend church and others who rarely attend, but still support and love their home church. For many, the home church is where they grew up, met their mate, got saved and baptized, got married and are now blessed to watch their children and grandchildren carry on the family traditions. As I rested on one of the picnic tables while tucking my camera in my worn backpack, a young boy who was at the service with his mother stopped and gave me a big hug. His sister then gave me a big hug. I appreciate the children sharing their love and friendship with a hug. It really touched me and showed me the importance of church in nurturing and raising families. It had been a busy weekend up to that point. I covered the Grinnell Show & Shine Car show on Saturday and then attended the Whitetail Banquet that evening. I struggled to get up Sunday morning, but I’m so thankful that I did. It’s hard to beat small town living with good people. I’m blessed with so many wonderful opportunities in life and thankful for it all. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day. |
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