Rose Foubert, right, enjoys a laugh with a long-time customer and friend during a retirement party at the EV Malt Shop in North English on Sunday, Oct. 15. Rose and her husband, Dave, have sold the popular eatery after more than 23 years in business and are retiring. It was standing room only as folks came to share well wishes with Dave and Rose all while enjoying a tasty BBQ meal with all the fixings. The event is small-town living at its finest. It’s not uncommon to drive through a small town and not see a soul. Someone might be mowing the yard or working in the flower bed, maybe tuning up their old Chevrolet, but most days, small town living is peaceful and quiet.
But when a family falls on hard times or suffers a setback, folks come from everywhere to help. It’s like they grow out of the woodwork or spout from the yard. They bring a pocketful of cash and show up in great numbers for their friends, family and neighbors. The same holds true for a town celebration or when a veteran is welcomed home. Maybe the community center needs updated or a new playground for the area youngsters is needed. Or the local fire department needs a new truck or some updated gear. I’ve witnessed, not only personally, but as a journalist the many times folks have come together to help each other through a rough patch in life or make their community better. Just this year, after our van caught fire, Ron the Barber in Montezuma set up a fund drive to help us get another vehicle. And a co-worker of mine also set up a fund drive. Together, the funds raised made a difference and we were able to get a vehicle. It amazes me how generous folks can be and the love that they share for others. Having grown up in a big city, there are a lot of goods folks there as well. I’ve always said that a big city is a bunch of small towns tied together. I mowed my neighbor’s yards and tossed the morning and afternoon newspapers on their porches. I stopped to visit on occasion, most often at Mr. and Mrs. Belknap’s home to the north of my boyhood home, where I enjoyed playing dominos with Mr. Bell, as I called him. Anytime I go back to Tulsa town, I always drive by my boyhood home. The last time I was there, I stopped and Debbie took my photo in front of the old home place. I have lots of great memories. On Sunday, Oct. 15, I made the trek to my old stomping grounds of North English. I got my start in the world of small-town journalism at the North English Record. I have lots of fond memories of my 2.7 years in North English. There were lots of great people who gave me the opportunity to share their story in the pages of the Record. I made friends quickly and was often invited to eat dinner with town folks. My publisher in Marengo said I would set up interviews in the early evening so I could stay and eat supper. There’s some truth to that statement. Anyway, I was in North English to wish Dave and Rose Foubert, long-time owners of the EV Malt Shop, the best in their retirement. Dave and Rose met while working at Amana Refrigeration. Rose heard that the EV Malt Shop was for sale, so she left her job at Amana and took a chance. That was June 2000. It was a chance that paid big dividends as the malt shop was a popular place for families to gather and the locals to catch up on the town gossip while drinking a cup or two of coffee. And on Sunday, it was standing-room only as folks came to share a kind word and laugh, give Rose a hug and shake Dave’s hand, all while enjoying a fresh BBQ pork sandwich, cole slaw, baked beans, chips and slice of cake. It was great seeing some the folks I remember from back in the day. I had to ask some their names as I knew them, but didn’t remember their names. I wouldn’t trade the experience of working at a small-town weekly for anything. It’s been my home for almost 26-years. People have been good to me. I met my wife, Debbie, in Montezuma and she is such a blessing to me. Together, we are doing great things. It’s good to take time to visit and reconnect with folks. I appreciate everyone who has opened their hearts and homes and shared their stories for others to enjoy through my pen and camera. Living in a small town is just the best. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always.
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I’ll never forget the many Christmas gatherings in the 1970s at Uncle J.B. and Aunt Rosemary Jackson’s stately southern-style home near downtown Tulsa.
Every year, about a week or so before Christmas, the Jacksons would open their home for a large Christmas celebration. No one was a stranger as the door was always open. There was always plenty of conversation as folks connected to the Jackson family spent an hour or two catching up since they last met. The large dining room table and nearby buffet was filled to the brim with tasty food. At times, the food spilled over onto the kitchen counters. Once everyone got caught up and enjoyed a meal, it was time to settle in for some Christmas Carols from a small book of Carols kept in the Jackson’s grand piano bench, only to be used once a year. Then Santa would stop by and everyone from young to old went home with a gift and a round of hugs. Uncle J.B. was my grandmother’s brother on my mom’s side of the family. He was raised in Alabama and came to Missouri when the Jackson family moved to New Madrid in the Bootheel of Southeast Missouri in 1932. It was in New Madrid that my grandparents married on Oct. 29, 1932. My grandpa’s family, the Hortons, had migrated to New Madrid from Alabama eight years earlier. Uncle J.B. was stationed at Pearl Harbor during World War II. After the war, thanks to the GI Bill, he attended Freed Hardeman College in Henderson, Tenn. It was there in 1946 that Uncle J.B. met Rosemary Adams, who was from Tulsa. They married on June 15, 1947 and raised four beautiful daughters, Mary Gail, Kay, Jan and June. After moving to Tulsa, Uncle J.B. joined his father-in-law, Ben Adams Sr., at Home Furniture, the family-owned furniture store in downtown Tulsa. Ben opened the store in the late 1920s. “Granddaddy sold new and used furniture that he received as a trade in,” said Kay. “He kept his own books and took payments weekly on the notes he carried for people. He had some customers that kept coming back for 40 years.” Kay said some of the customers thought home was Uncle J.B.’s name and they would call him, “Mr. Home.” Having known Uncle J.B., I’m sure being called Mr. Home was never a concern of his. I always remember him as a gentle, compassionate man with lots of love to give. Uncle J.B. worked at the furniture store during the days and attended Tulsa Business School at night, where he earned a business degree. He then joined the business school staff as an employee and I believe went on to run the school. “After he (Uncle J.B.) received a promotion at the school, he started working during the day there but continued to work on Saturdays at the furniture store,” recalled Kay. “Daddy would make deliveries of furniture to people’s homes and also did upholstery and refinishing of some of the old furniture traded in.” “And he was very good at it,” Kay went on to say. “Our home was filled with antiques and many of those were acquired through the furniture store as old furniture that people had traded in for new. My dad could make them look new. He was very talented in that way.” Kay, who is nearly six years older than me, remembers spending every Friday night with her grandparents, the Adams. “Many Saturday mornings I would go with granddaddy to the store and he would give me a quarter to dust the furniture,” Kay recalled. “I have so many good memories of the store.” My mom loved Uncle J.B. and Aunt Rosemary and if my memory serves me right, after her junior year in high school in Van Buren, Mo., she came to Tulsa to spend time with the Jacksons. After she graduated in 1955, she moved to Tulsa and it was there that my mom met my dad, who grew up east of Tulsa in the Verdigris River bottoms, or the sticks, as I call it. They met through a mutual friend. And ironically, were married on June 15, 1957, the same day 10-years after Uncle J.B. and Aunt Rosemary were married. My mom said Uncle J.B. and Aunt Rosemary were the reason she came to Tulsa. She carried a $2 bill in her purse and when Mom needed money, she’d stop at the furniture store and Uncle J.B. would give her two $1 bills in exchange. When she earned enough money, she’d buy her $2 bill back. I now have the $2 bill among my many family treasurers. Urban renewal led to the closing of Home Furniture in 1964 to make way for the Williams (now Magellan) tower, which was built in the 1970s. Life is full of treasures. I encourage you to take time to find the many treasures life has offered you and keep the memories fresh in your own heart. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always. Ron Hensel, aka Ron the Barber, visits with Roberta See of Grinnell during the second annual Montezuma American Legion Post 169 Car Show on the Montezuma Square on Saturday, Sept. 30. Ron, the local Legion Commander, organizes the show, which drew nearly 180 cars this year. If you have ever spent any time in Montezuma, you may know or have heard of Ron Hensel, aka Ron the Barber.
I’ve been a friend of Ron’s since he opened his barbershop on the west side of the Montezuma Square in September 2008. He’s trimmed my head ever since we first met. I don’t know if Ron has cut more hair off or if I’ve lost more hair in the last 15 years. I don’t quite have the head of hair I once did back in the day. When able, I enjoy stopping by the barbershop to visit and catch up on the latest town gossip and news. There is always an assortment of folks from farmers to local good old boys who come for a trim or stop by to talk politics or town happenings. You never know who might be in the barber chair or waiting their turn. Ron grew up in Milo and is a graduate of Southeast Warren High School. After attending barber school in the early 1960s, Ron cut hair in a barbershop on the Indianola square. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. And after that, he operated a barbershop on Army Post Road for a number of years. He and his wife, Bea, bought a piece of land at Lake Ponderosa in 1997. Two years later, they sold that lot and purchased another lot on the west lake, where they built a comfortable home. They sold their lake home and moved to Montezuma nine years ago. It didn’t take Ron long after moving to the Montezuma area to become involved in the business community. He has been a long-time member of the Montezuma Community Boosters and remains active in the Montezuma Lions Club. He was named the Montezuma American Legion Blakely-Stevens Post 169 Commander in 2010. One of his first moves as commander of the Legion was to give the Legion Hall, located on the backside of the Memorial Hall, a good scrubbing and paint job. He’s worked tirelessly to promote the Legion and was involved earlier this year in starting a Sons of American Legion Chapter in Montezuma. The Sons of American Legion is for sons and grandsons who had a father or grandfather in the military. The Montezuma chapter has grown to 43 members. The sons next undertaking is the Wreaths Across America campaign coming this Christmas. The WAA allows folks who have veterans buried in one of Montezuma’s cemeteries to purchase a wreath and have it placed on their graves by a veteran. Area folks can also purchase wreathes for loved ones buried in other cemeteries and place them there themselves. Under Ron’s leadership, the Legion has grown to nearly 100 members, the largest in Poweshiek County. In addition, Ron oversees the placement of American Flags around the town square during holidays and other events and prior to Memorial Day activities, at the local cemeteries. He also leads the town Memorial Day service. Ron has always been a big supporter of Montezuma athletic and school events. When the Montezuma Fire and Ambulance Department gives Montezuma students firetruck rides as part of fire week activities, Ron always has a big bowl candy at the barbershop. When he hears the siren, he grabs the bowl and heads outside where he tosses handfuls of candy to the students as they roll past the barbershop. And in 2013, Ron was instrumental in helping bring the Freedom Rock to Montezuma. When he learned about the 99-county Freedom Rock tour that year, Ron approached the City of Montezuma to get the ball rolling on the project. With the help of Legion members, a rock was found north of Montezuma and put on a trailer with the use of a bulldozer and brought to town. It was painted by Ray “Bubba” Sorensen II in August 2016 and is located on the southeast corner of the Montezuma Square. And last fall, Ron and his wife, Bea, where recognized with the Greater Poweshiek County Foundation “Spirit of Giving” honor. The honor is handed out each fall to community members and leaders from across the county. In mid-May, when my van caught fire and burned, Ron started a fund drive to help Debbie and me get another vehicle in June. What a blessing! Ron’s latest undertaking is a new Legion Hall. In June 2021, Scott, Kevin and Kerri Carl, the grandchildren of the late Cloyd M. and Francis Carl, donated two acres of the original Henry F. Carl farm to the Legion for construction of a new legion hall. Since that time, Ron and members of the local American Legion have been busy selling watermelon at community events and raising funds to build a new legion hall. In 2022, Ron organized the first Montezuma American Legion Car Show to raise funds for the building. The event drew 115 cars and trucks and a large crowd. The show was such a success, that Ron and the Legion decided to bring it back in 2023. Ron spent part of the summer attending various car shows around the area handing out flyers advertising the Montezuma show. It paid off as this year’s show, held on Saturday, Sept. 30, drew 180 vehicles from classics to newer cars and trucks, race cars, customized golf carts and even a 1969 Airstream camper and 1969 customized pickup truck. It was a great show and testament to the hard work of Ron and the Legion members do in the Montezuma community. Next time you’re in Montezuma, stop at the barbershop and shake Ron’s hand and say thanks. If you would like to make a donation to the future legion hall, I’m sure he would be happy to accept the donation. Ron is definitely a leader who is making things better than he found them. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day and always. |
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