I don’t know about you, but to me it feels like Christmas is still months away.
It seems to be dragging its feet getting here. Maybe it has something to do with an earlier than usual Thanksgiving or the warmer weather of late. By the time you read this column, there will be 10 days left until Christmas. That’s forever to me. Tick, tock! Tick, tock – forever and ever and ever! Ten days is still plenty of time to get that last minute gift. I buy some gifts on-line, but this year, I’m going with some local made gifts. It’s nice to be able to support local. Anyway, I feel like a kid again this year. I can’t wait for Santa’s arrival. I have many wonderful Christmas memories. I’ve never gone without receiving Christmas gifts or gone hungry. Debbie and family makes sure Christmas is a special day for me and everyone. I remember as a kid getting up on Christmas morning and waking up the family. We had some of the most magical Christmases. I always enjoyed helping Dad get the decorations out of the garage attic, decorating the Christmas tree, stringing the lights and setting up the manger scene. At the request of my mom, Santa always placed an orange and apple in our stockings. We always had our photo taken holding them each year. Some years ago, I asked my mom about the reason for the orange and apple. She reminded me that her family was so poor, that some years the only Christmas gifts she and her siblings got was an orange and apple. Santa was happy to oblige her request as a reminder of her tough upbringing. One year, I was so excited about Christmas that I went to bed at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve so it would get here sooner. As I wrestled for sleep, someone knocked on my bedroom window. I peeled back the blind to discover Santa in our driveway giving me a cheery ho, ho, ho. I later learned that it was my dad. We had a gas lamp near the front porch of our Tulsa home and at Christmas, we placed an extra-large plastic Santa face decoration on it. The light from the lamp illuminated Santa. My dad had taken the plastic Santa face off one side of the gas lamp and held it in front of his face that night, teasing me. I’m sure he had enjoyed every minute of it. By 2 a.m., I’d had enough sleep, so I got everyone up and we opened gifts in the middle of night and then went back to bed. I always set out a cookie and glass of milk for Santa on Christmas Eve and it was always gone on Christmas morning. When I was 7, I got an Allstate train set from Sears and Roebuck. Santa brought it to me. And I received a Creepy Crawler set, too. For those who don’t remember or know, the Creepy Crawler set was a toy made by Mattel starting in 1964 that consisted of a series of die-case metal molds resembling various bug-like creatures. I’d pour a liquid chemical substance called “Plastic-Goop,” which came in assorted colors, to make the creatures in a heated burner. I tried fishing with them one year, but I had no luck. I sold the Creepy Crawler set at my parent’s estate auction, but I still have the train set complete in the box. It doesn’t work anymore. A few years ago, I was a hobby shop in Des Moines. I was talking to the fellow at the counter and he said to bring it in and he’d take a look at it. I think it needs a new transformer. Maybe this year I will dig it out and have it checked out. Most years, after we opened Christmas gifts at the Parker house, it was off to spend the day with my grandparents on my mom’s side. My grandma could put together a holiday feast for 20 or more in half the time most could cook a microwave meal. There was always enough food for an army. She had plenty of practice from cooking in schools and care centers in Missouri and Oklahoma for years. She and my grandpa also worked on the riverboats in the late 1960s and early 1970s on the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio rivers. She cooked the crew’s meals and grandpa did laundry, helped in the kitchen and kept the ship in tip top shape. On occasion, we visited my great-grandma on my dad’s side at Christmastime. His mother and father were both passed before I was born, so his grandmother was the family connection. Great-grandmother Minnie didn’t care too much for a tree. One year, we arrived at her house in Bartlesville, Okla. on Christmas Eve. Mom and I took her to a tree lot and bought a tree for $5. She put it up in the living room and decorated it that evening. The next morning, we got up, opened the gifts and my great-grandmother properly took the tree down and tossed it into the backyard for the birds to land on. We then ate breakfast. I hope you have a blessed Christmas and I encourage you to keep those memories alive. You might even try writing them down for future generations. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day.
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I was running late and almost decided not to stop, but I’m glad I did.
It was Saturday morning, Dec. 2, and there were town Christmas celebrations going on in Montezuma and Brooklyn – at the same time. I’m good at being a community journalist, but I have yet figured out how to be in two places at once. Thankfully, Santa arrived in Montezuma at 8 a.m. and in Brooklyn at 11 a.m. That gave me time to cover Christmas Santa events in both towns. My first stop was the Montezuma Memorial Hall shortly after 8 a.m., where I captured a number of young people meeting Santa and sharing their Christmas gift list. There was also a Christmas breakfast and cookie decorating for kids and adults alike. After one hour, I headed to the Montezuma Methodist Church for photos of the Cookie Walk, before heading to Brooklyn. Kids Storytime and fun activities were planned at the Brooklyn Library from 9 – 10:30 a.m. I looked at my cell phone as I rolled into Brooklyn. It was edging toward 10:30 a.m. and I almost skipped it to wait for Santa’s arrival. I decided to stop at the library anyway and I’m glad I did. Kids where still there finishing up homemade Christmas ornaments as I worked my way around the library taking photos. About that time, Gracie Gerard, the third child of librarian Josh Gerard (see my story on Josh in this week’s issue) and his wife, Tracey, asked me if I wanted to make an ornament. I asked Gracie if she’d help me and she said, “yes.” I couldn’t pass that opportunity up. It brought back many of my own childhood memories. The first order of business was having my photo taken in the library community room. I hadn’t shaved in more than a week and was a bit gruffy looking. The older I have gotten, the less I like shaving, so I’ve been letting my beard grow for a week or so. I’ve had a beard a couple times in past years, but I’m not real interested in growing another one, at least not now. Anyway, while Gracie and I waited for the photo to print on a fancy cell phone printer, she helped me decorate my ornament with reindeer antlers. On the back, we put a big heart with green construction paper and red construction paper behind it. I wrote “Merry Christmas 2023” and “Jesus Loves You.” On the other side was my photo with trim on the edges. And Josh, the librarian, added a big red nose. J.O., the Red Nose Reindeer. I had my photo taken with Gracie as we held our ornaments that I posted on my Facebook page. I also thanked her for asking me to make an ornament and she said, “No problem.” I’m sure she had other things to do. Plus, she was acting in the production of “It’s A Wonderful Christmas Story,” a play her dad wrote and was directing. After a short nap at home Saturday afternoon, I returned to Montezuma and took a handful of photos at the soup supper held at the First Presbyterian Church. I also enjoyed a bowl of chili and conversation and good laugh with my friend, Boyd Sparks. And on Sunday, I returned to Brooklyn to attend the third and final production of “It’s A Wonderful Christmas Story,” which featured Gracie and cast of Brooklyn area residents. I was touched. Sometimes life can seem overwhelming during the holidays trying to figure out budgets, buying gifts for two dozen people, planning this and planning that, all while life and work rolls along. I’m thankful for my wife, Debbie, who handles most of the family Christmas buying while I take a nap. Anyway, as I have mentioned in the past, the Christmas season is a great time to give to others, volunteer to ring the Salvation Army bell, make a donation to a worthy cause, buy a neighbor a sack of groceries or fill their vehicle gas tank or give someone a gift card. You can’t go wrong doing something special to make the holidays better for others. What a wonderful time of the year to do good for all. I better get busy, I need to buy Debbie a Christmas gift or two. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day. Back in the day at the Parker house, we never set up or decorated the Christmas tree or hung a stocking until Dec. 15.
That was my mom’s rule for the Christmas holiday. Sounds kind of silly these days with folks setting up their family Christmas tree before Halloween. When Dec. 15 rolled around, Dad would climb into the garage attic and hand down the boxes of decorations before spending the afternoon stringing the lights around the front of our home. We always had a fresh cut tree in our home and most years, we purchased it at a tree lot at 41st and Harvard in Tulsa. I looked forward to helping my family find a Christmas tree each year. Back in the day, we could get a nice 5 – 6 foot Douglass Fir tree for $20 or less. I remember one year, we bought a tree in early December. I don’t know the reason, but my dad tied it to the clothesline pole so it would be standing up straight. It remained in the backyard until Dec. 15. Another year, we bought some Christmas presents early around Thanksgiving. I was so excited as I got my mom an electric bacon cooker with my own money. I took it home, wrapped it and stored it under my bed until Dec. 15, then placed it under the tree. I was usually the one in charge of decorating the Christmas tree each year. Our family decorations included a manger with Joseph, Mary, Baby Jesus, the three Wisemen, animals, the Shepard boy and an angel. I still have the manger, which is in rough shape, and the figurines, which show lots of wear as well. My mom bought them all at TG&Y Five and Dime store in Tulsa. I think she gave a $1 for the manger and not much more for the each of the figurines. My hope is to find someone who can make me a new manger using the old one as a pattern. At the writing of this column, Debbie and I have yet to set up our tree. We usually have it set up by Thanksgiving, but it’s been busier than usual of late. Plus, our nephew always helps and he’s been quite busy with college and other duties. However, we have already started buying Christmas presents and made lists that have been passed around to other family members. We also drew names at Thanksgiving and will get one person in the family an additional gift or two with a value of around $25. When I was growing up, there were catalog sales at Sears and JC Penneys and lay-away, but no Internet or buying on-line. Our family always went shopping at the mall or a discount store and that was always fun. I try to purchase some gifts locally, but most years, I buy a handful of gifts on-line. Debbie buys my gifts and then helps her mother and family buy gifts. We do like to visit the Brass Armadillo before Christmas to buy each other an antique gift or two. There’s a nice antique store in Story City called Antiques Iowa that we have visited three times. Each time we brought home some goodies. Antiques are unique gifts and in my mind, much more personal than a toaster or jumper cables. We sometimes buy gifts on eBay at Christmas and throughout the year. As with any on-line retailer, it’s good to check out the seller, look at the reviews and make sure they are legit. Debbie stays away from sellers with a rating less than 98 percent positive. That usually indicates issues in the past. If they’ve sold 100, 300 or even 500 items and have a lower than 98 percent rating, that’s not good. I’d suggest you look elsewhere for that item. A few years back, I was watching an episode of American Pickers. The boys were in Arkansas and bought a Will Rogers Clock made in the 1940s by the United Clock Company in Chicago. I went to Tulsa Will Rogers High School, so I wanted a clock like that. I called the American Pickers Nashville store and they quoted me a price of $300, which was a little out of my budget. Debbie looked on eBay and found the clock from a seller in New York. Unfortunately, the seller didn’t do a good job packaging the clock and it arrived at our house broken. We ended up losing money on it as we had to pay $30 shipping to return it, even though it was broken. I reported the seller to eBay, but still had to pay. We later found the same clock from a seller in Ohio and it came well wrapped and in fine shape. It’s a benefit to find sellers who offer return shipping and also get additional insurance, when possible. If you have questions about shipping costs or about a product you are interested in, send the seller a question. Most sellers have a place you can write them. And if they are legit, they will respond quickly and professionally. If you’ve had a good experience, give the seller a good review. It’s helps others buying from them down the road. The same goes for buying from independent dealers on Wal-Mart, Target or Esty. Make sure what they have is legit and that they have positive feedback. It will save you a lot of headache down the road. And keep an eye on your credit card for fraudulent charges. It would be nice to go back to the days of buying at stores and malls, but that is probably a few years away from happening. Vinyl records are making a comeback, so one never knows. If you have a chance this year, try to get at least one gift from a local retailer, even if you buy it on-line, and show your support for small-town communities and mom and pop businesses. And handmade items such as a quilt or sweater always make great gifts. Check out the local quilt or gift store for unique one-of-a-kind gifts. Always remember that the best Christmas gift is doing good for others, giving more than you receive and spending time with family and friends. And if you get a chance, buy a sack of groceries and some gifts for a family in need. It’s a gift that will keep on giving. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day. I was around age 7 when I asked my mom if she would cook me a turkey for Thanksgiving. Most years, my family enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast at my grandparent’s house on my mom’s side of the family.
But not that year. Mom cooked a tasty butterball with all the fixings, which included dressing. I didn’t want any dressing, just turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans and rolls. My mom made it anyway and I had to eat a big heaping spoonful of dressing. I sat at the kitchen table struggling to eat a spoonful of dressing. What should have taken 5 minutes or less, took more than two, maybe three hours. My mom was insistent that I eat the dressing, all of it. And everything else on my plate. I recall her saying, “You wanted a turkey meal and you are going to eat it.” Some 50 plus years later, I’m still not a fan of dressing. I loved my mom’s cooking, but I never cared for her dressing. It had a different taste about it. I admit it, the dressing at school lunches tasted better. I still don’t eat dressing, but I have enjoyed many Thanksgiving and holiday meals through the years. There’s nothing better than a plateful of Thanksgiving blessings, a Dallas Cowboys game on the television and time spent visiting and catching up. From 1987 – 1991, my brother, Tom, and I would make the trek from Tulsa to Dallas on Thanksgiving Day to watch the Cowboys play at the now former Texas Stadium. We made lots of great memories. I remember 1992 which was my first Thanksgiving after leaving Tulsa in August of that year to return to college at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Mom and Dad, along with my aunt Alice and cousin, Ronnie, from near Fayetteville, Ark., came for the Thanksgiving weekend at my duplex apartment in Ashland, Mo., a small community south of Columbia. I had to work some that weekend, but enjoyed having them there and eating several home cooked meals. And of course, having my folks clean my apartment for me. I don’t think I’ve ever missed a Thanksgiving or Christmas meal in the 64-years I have been on this earth. And this year is no different. I enjoyed a blessed Thanksgiving meal with Debbie and my Iowa family this week. I don’t know what it means to do without. I’ve always had food on the table, a bed to sleep in, family, friends and many wonderful and blessed opportunities. I don’t ever recall going hungry or doing without any holiday or any day ever. My folks didn’t have much, but they made sure my brother and I had all the above mixed with lots of love. I know that there are many who struggle to purchase food and live on limited budgets or no budgets. I’m thankful for our area pantries and community outreaches who do so much to meet the needs of those in our area. And soon, the Salvation Army Bell Ringers will be out and about collecting donations to help others. Did you know that 90 cents of every dollar donated to the Salvation Army stays in Poweshiek County? If you can help in any way from volunteering to making a donation at a local organization, outreach or pantry, it will be a gift that keeps on giving all year long. Take time this year to do something good for others and thank God for the many blessings life has given you. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day. I never listened to much country music as a youngster outside of Tanya Tucker’s “Delta Dawn” and Jeannie C. Riley’s “Harper Valley P.T.A.”
Hee Haw was a regular in the Parker house on Saturday nights growing up as well as the Porter Wagoner Show with Dolly Parton. I once attended a Minnie Pearl show in Tulsa and while visiting Opryland in Nashville in 1974, I got to see Conway Twitty perform. And I have attended some country music shows at the Iowa State Fair such as Confederate Railroad, and set outside the grandstands and listened to a few others. And I once met the country band Sawyer Brown during a visit to the casino in Tama and got all the members autographs. Growing up, I was aware of other country artists, especially those from Oklahoma such as Reba, but never listened to their music. I was more into rock and roll in high school and beyond before making the switch to Christian rock after attending a free concert in a Tulsa park in April 1981 put on by Sweet Comfort Band, a California band that performed gospel songs with a beat. The band had performed a concert at Oral Roberts University the night before and decided to host a free concert the next day. Since marrying Debbie 19 years ago, I have listened to a lot more country music and I even attended a George Strait concert with the family at Wells Fargo in Des Moines in 2012. Strait puts on quite a show without fireworks and a theatrical set. It’s just George, his guitar and band, his voice and the Wrangler Jeans. “Milk Cow Blues” was my favorite song. And I would be a miss not to mention that we had backstage passes to the Grand Old Opry on our honeymoon thanks to the now late country comedian, T. Bubba Bechtol, who invited us backstage after I wrote him an email before the wedding to say we were going to be at the Opry. While at the Opry, we got to meet and get autographs from the now late Jean Shepard, Porter Wagoner and Little Jimmy Dickens. We also met and got autographs from Ricky Skaggs and Chely Wright Anyway, Debbie and I were watching the country music awards (CMAs) last week and that is when I first heard of country artist Jelly Roll. Jelly Roll, born Jason Bradley DeFord, has had an interesting life, a hard life of time in prison before he could drive and two kids, one which was born while he was in a jail cell. Since getting out of prison, Jelly Roll has made an effort to turn his life around. He credits his wife for moving him in a positive direction. He’s still has some things to work on, but we all do. The heavily tattooed Jelly Roll started his singing career as a hip hop artist who transcended to country rap and country rock. After accepting the award for new artist of the year, what Jelly Roll had to say is a message we all should take to heart. “There is something poetic about a 39-year-old man winning new artist of the year. I don’t know where you’re at in your life, or what you’re going through, but I want to tell you to keep going, baby,” he continued. “I want to tell you success is on the other side of it. I want to tell you it’s going to be OK. I want to tell you that the windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror for a reason.” Jelly Roll’s message may not be mainstream, but his message touches people. It touches people that others may not be able to reach. We all miss it and have done things we are not proud of, but the key in life is to forgive ourselves and others, put the plow in the ground and keep looking forward to bigger and better things in life. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day. I read on social media the other day that my hometown of Tulsa now has its own Monopoly board game.
Officials with Top Trumps USA, an arm of Hasbro, announced in early February that Tulsa, a city of 410,000 plus, had been chosen to have a Monopoly board game in its honor. At that time, Hasbro asked Tulsans to submit suggestions for what could be on the board. “I am honored to have Tulsa represented in one of the most popular games in the world,” said Tulsa Mayor GT Bynum at a board game announcement event. “To be selected for the MONOPOLY: Tulsa Edition speaks volumes about our city and the many landmarks that make Tulsa unique. I want to thank Top Trumps USA for choosing Tulsa and I’m eager for Tulsans and others to get a chance to celebrate our city in this new and exciting way.” The new game was unveiled on Nov. 1. It features such popular Tulsa sites as the Golden Driller (a 75-foot-tall statue depicting an oil worker), the Gathering Place along the Arkansas River, Quick Trip (Tulsa is headquarters to the convenience store chain), Tulsa University, Tulsa Zoo, Greenwood Rising Black Wall St. History Center (near where the 1921 Tulsa Riots took place), Ida Red General Store (Tulsa gift store), Cain’s Ballroom (famous honky-tonk), Admiral Twin Drive-In, Guthrie Green, Center of the Universe, Oneok Field (home of the Tulsa Drillers baseball team), the Outsiders House Museum and Circle Cinema (a historic Tulsa movie theater). There are hundreds of places that didn’t make the cut such as Oral Roberts University, the Blue Dome District, Cherry Street, Philbrook Museum of Art, Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa Performing Arts Center, the Mayo Hotel, The Church Studio (a recording studio in an old church that was once owned by the late Leon Russell), Route 66 that rolls through Tulsa, Tulsa Air and Space Museum, Oklahoma Aquarium, the Cave House, many of Tulsa’s art deco buildings or anything to do with Tulsa history of oil and the Oil Capital of the World designation. With the town the size of Tulsa, I suggest that Top Trumps USA comes out with version two of the Tulsa Monopoly game and include other Tulsa sites. I’ve already started my 2023 Christmas list and I have the new Tulsa Monopoly Board Game listed as a gift idea. I have a lot of fond memories of growing up in Tulsa and opening gifts on Christmas morning and on my birthday. I always enjoyed my mom’s homemade decorated cakes. We always went on a vacation in August, went to church together and so much more. I will always be grateful for my folks and all they did to give my brother and me the best they could. We didn’t have a lot, but we had everything we needed. Anyway, I have lots of board games, including many of the Monopoly ones. I also have a host of antique board games from the 1970s such as the Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Women. And I have a long list of old board games I want to buy. Funny things is, I don’t play board games that often. Debbie has threatened to sell some of them if I don’t start playing them. A lot times I don’t play because some board games take most of an entire day and I would miss my nap. I do enjoy playing dominos and bingo. I remember back in the day my uncles and aunts on my mom’s side of the family would gather around my grandparents’ kitchen table when they lived in north Tulsa in the late 1960s and play the game of Rook for hours on end. I have a Rook game, but never learned to play it. I enjoyed a homemade version of rummy called Cut Throat Rummy, a game that uses three decks of cards. Jokers and twos were wild and you had to have runs and sets starting with seven cards and going to 13 cards. It was a fun game. I love buying Christmas gifts and seeing the smiles and spending time with family. I’m already hearing of people setting up their Christmas trees. I’m sure we will be setting ours up around Thanksgiving. Our oldest nephew is a big Christmas fan. He carries our tree up from the basement and sets it up in 30-minutes or less. Christmas is only six-weeks away! If you can, make it a priority this year to spend time with friends and family during the holidays. And if you have a few extra dollars, give it the local food bank, take part in a Christmas angel tree and buy a family in need some Christmas gifts. It’s also important to check on others wellbeing. If you can, volunteer to make life better for others. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day. The Ax Murder House in Villisca, Iowa where Josiah B. and Sara Moore and six children were murdered on June 10, 1912. Debbie and I were at a craft show in Indianola on Saturday to sell our books and photography. It is the second of five craft shows we are attending this fall to sell our goods.
We’ve been attending and selling at craft shows for more than 15-years in places such as Clarinda in Southwest Iowa, the Quad Cities, Coralville, Des Moines and even Calamus, a small town in Clinton County. We’ve met some of the most interesting people at craft shows. I recall a couple years ago during our first year at the Clarinda Craft Carnival meeting two senior ladies, possibly in the early 80s, who grew up and attended high school in Villisca, home of the Ax Murder House. Villisca is just more than 20-miles from Clarinda. They shared a story about when they graduated high school. After graduation, the two sisters left Iowa to spend the summer working at a resort in Colorado. While introducing themselves to other staff, they said they were from Villisca, Iowa. “That is where the Ax Murder House is,” one young fellow said. “Ax murder,” they asked. What ax murder?” Driving by the house gives me the creeps, so I can’t image growing up in Villisca and not knowing about the ax murders that took place on June 10, 1912. Somebody came into the house and killed Josiah B and Sara Moore and six children, which included the couple’s four children and two guest children. They were all brutally murdered with an ax or some type of blunt instrument. The murders were never solved. The ladies said that evening they called home and asked about the ax murders. Their parents said they didn’t talk about it because relatives of the slain still lived in town. “We didn’t know,” one of the ladies said. The other lady said, “I went to a dance there in high school and remember the ax over the door, but I never gave it any thought that it was where a murder happened.” We have stopped at the Ax Murder House twice, but it has limited hours for tours and we missed it both times. However, groups can spend the night in the Ax Murder House for a sum of cash. I wouldn’t mind taking a tour, but I have no desire to spend the night in a house where a murder happened. I don’t care if it was 111 years ago. Craft show attendees are a different bunch. Some of them seem lost in thought while others are friendly and love to talk. I like going around visiting and checking out what others have to offer. At Indianola, I stopped to check out a cosmetic booth. I don’t wear cosmetics, but the lady was smiling and was nice to visit with. We talked about hand lotions and she proceeded to give me a touch of two different kinds, one after the other. The second round of lotion was so thick it reminded me of the grease used to pack wheel bearings. My hands were so greasy that I made my way to the men’s room, where I promptly washed my hands. It took four rounds of soap to get the greasy goo off my hands. It made for a fun laugh while sharing the story with Debbie. A few years ago, we attended a craft show in Wapello along the banks of the Mississippi River. The most popular item of the day was the cinnamon rolls sold by the band boosters or some school group. People were walking around in a daze while eating cinnamon rolls and looking off into the Heavens. We didn’t sell too many books that day. I would be surprised if many vendors sold much. On the flip side, last year at Clarinda, we had people buying from us as we packed up our table. The goal is to give our books and photography exposure while enjoying time together doing something we love. I encourage you to enjoy life, smile and when a bump comes along, keep on moving forward. Have a great week and always remember that “Good Things are Happening,” every day. 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. 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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