100 years ago
June 10, 1909
New arrivals
Mr. and Mrs. Pete Gingerich are the proud parents of a baby boy, born June 2nd.
Mr. and Mrs. Chris Rhodes are happy over the arrival of a little son, born June 3.
Mr. and Mrs. Steve D. Yoder are the parents of a baby girl, born June 8.
Local news
The M. E. people have abundant reason to feel proud of their new home. They now have a nice modern church costing about $8000. About $5000 of this amount had been subscribed and paid, $3000 was raised on dedication day. The building committee were P. G. Snider, I. N. Arnold, J. F. Durst, J. M. Lemley, A. C. Sleichter and W. J. Snair.
Miss Celia Snider came Saturday morning from Des Moines, to attend the Alumni banquet and the dedication of the new M.E. church.
Wes Boehme believes in the value of Kalona real estate and has lately purchased from Mrs. Ida Palmer, the property just east of the Owen Rogers home.
J. W. Cupp has traded his residence property to Pre. C. Warey for Mr. Warey's house in the country. Mr. Cupp will move his newly required house to the vacant lot west of the school house and enlarge it to suit his family use.
Wells came home from Wellman Friday, where he has been working at the carpenter trade.
Miss Rosie Yeggy of Riverside, came Monday morning to sew this week for Mrs. Newel Grady.
The Misses Grecian and Brewer of Washington, visited Miss Maggie Brewer Friday, and attended commencement exercises that evening.
Sherman Sleichter of the S.U.I. spent Friday and Saturday with his folks here.
Anna Hampsher is helping Mrs. Kitzmiller this summer.
The little three year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Maas met with a serious accident last Friday. The little one was out in the barnyard and was run over by a horse. She received severe wounds on the back and head, but is recovering nicely.
The Misses Lizzie Tice and Belle Dunlap leave Friday evening for Cedar Falls where they will attend summer school and prepare for teaching next fall.
J. W. Carpenter has been improving the house he recently purchased from L. E. Wells, by repairing it and adding a nice porch on the front.
Richmond
Grandma Rogers is very poorly at her son Albert's. Dr. Chittum is treating her and Miss Ashby is taking care of her.
Pete Schillig entertained most of his children and grandchildren at dinner Sunday.
Joe Duwa is shelling corn for Mr. Horak today.
Ves Reiner and family attended church in Iowa City last Sunday. They went in their auto.
Frank Pierce
Miss Clara Kline of Hills is visiting at the home of her uncle Frank Kline.
Carpenters are beginning work on R. C. Gosnell's new barn.
We understand that Dr. Bigelow of Windham, and Elmer Morgan have purchased new automobiles of Emmet Louck.
Aaron Gingerich is making preparations to remodel his house.
English River
Joe Libenguth and sister Mary, Helena Kron and gentleman friend spent Sunday evening with Louis and Theresa Kron.
George Kron is the proud owner of a new auto.
John Helfrick has quit working at Jerome Droll's and will work at Joe Escher's.
Joe Kiefer is putting a new roof on his barn. Will Chapek and gang are doing the work.
George Kos and family spent Sunday at Frank Prebyl's.
Bayertown
Bruce Patterson put lightning rods on Tom Edie's new barn last week.
Mrs. John Cupp left Wednesday for Hot Spring, Ark., in hopes of regaining her health.
P. G. Bayer and family and Jake Raissle spent Sunday at Fred Grundbacker's.
Middleburg
Frank Brinkman has a sore hand.
Nina Southwick and Roy Niffennegger were at Iowa City attending commencement exercises.
J. W. Southwick sports a new auto now.
Henry Snider spent Saturday and Sunday with his Grandma Ratzlaff near Sharon.
Prairie Flower
Miss Birdie Palmer met with quite a painful accident last Friday. She was stating to a picnic in company with two other young ladies when the horse they were driving became frightened and ran away, while running the buggy was caught by a telephone post and completely demolished. The occupants were thrown out and as a result Miss Birdie is suffering with a dislocated elbow besides other severe bruises.
Mrs. Rena Warner was operated upon in the Washington hospital last week for appendicitis. She underwent the operation in fine shape.
75 years ago
June 7, 1934
Local news
Mr. and Mrs. Dan G. Gingerich are the parents of a daughter born to them at their home June 2.
A son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Urie Yoder near Iowa City, June 5.
Mr. and Mrs. Kermit Ehrenfelt are entertaining a baby daughter at their home, born to them June 6.
Dick, the small son of Mr. and Mrs. Charley Fleming, fell out of his swing at his home Tuesday, fracturing the bone in his right arm.
Mrs. Mabel Swartzendruber underwent an operation for the removal of her tonsils Wednesday morning. She is under the care of Miss Clara Yoder.
The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jonas Gingerich met with the misfortune of fracturing the bone in her leg Monday of this week.
Max Boone and Clyde Snider have returned home from their year of school at Mt. Pleasant.
Miss Veda Ehrenfelt, who is taking nurse training at the University hospital is home for a three weeks vacation.
Miss Irma Gingerich who has been a patient at the S.U.I. hospital for some time was brought to the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Gingerich Sunday.
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Lemley received news telling of the birth of a son to Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Antoff. He will answer to the name of Jerome.
The Kalona Telephone office has been painted this week by George W. Beck.
Sunday dinner guests at the Earl Hochstetler home were Mr. Ernest Gingerich, Robert and Regina, Miss Mollie Gingerich, John Bissey, Ora and Kenneth Gingerich.
Logan E. Reif, son of Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Reif and Dean Snyder, son of Mr. and Mrs. Weller Snyder, were among the more than 900 students who were graduated from the Iowa University.
At the country home of Mr. and Mrs. D. B. Swartzendruber, Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock, occurred the marriage of their son, Jacob Swartzendruber, to Miss Emily Slaby, a trained nurse of Goshen, Indiana.
Breakfast given by Miss Isabelle Smith at her home in Iowa City Wednesday morning complimenting Miss Helen Osborne, who will be the bride of Mr. Logan Reif, June 26th.
Richmond
Mrs. A. Malichky is reported doing nicely from her recent operation at Mercy hospital at Iowa City.
Irvin Kelley and family of east of town moved to Kalona Monday.
Mrs. A. H. Welte spent Saturday at Washington with her daughter, Mrs. W. J. Kiefer who underwent an operation.
Pupils of the eight grades attended the graduation exercises at Washington Tuesday night. Richard Welte of Holy Trinity being on the Honor Roll.
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Shalla entertained friends at a barn dance Tuesday night.
After a long illness Mrs. Kathryn Kiefer passed away Friday night.
Stop signs have been put north and south roads by Wm. Chapek's store. No. 22 detour runs east and west.
Middleburg
Mr. O. A. Kessler, Eunice, Leona and Maxine were Sunday dinner guests with Mr. and Mrs. Ed Ford in Riverside.
Mr. and Mrs. Dave Hochstetler and Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Logan and son, Dale, were Sunday dinner guests with Mr. and Mrs. Willis Brenneman.
Mr. and Mrs. Will Hershberger, Mr. and Mrs. Milt Slaubaugh, Gerald and Doris were Sunday dinner guests at the Jeff Yoder home.
Miss Ollie Yoder spent Saturday night with her friend, Mildred and Katie Yoder.
Prairie Dale
Junior Hostetler is entertaining the mumps.
Chris Glick is glad to be back in good old Iowa again after spending almost a year in North Dakota. He says it is plenty dry up there and the menu reads daily, "Meat and Potatoes".
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Hartsock and daughter, Jean Suzanne of Iowa City visited with Mr. and Mrs. Willard Boller Sunday evening.
Sharon
Congratulations are being tendered to Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Thomas who were married last Saturday in Des Moines. Mrs. Thomas was formerly Miss Melva Campbell.
Miss Mabel Yoder took part in a Gold Medal Missionary oratorical contest in Belle Plaine Sunday.
June 5th, Dr. Edwin Yoder and family arrived at the home of his brother, Omar Yoder.
Amish
Simon Swartzendruber and family Lewis Swartzendruber and family, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Swartzendruber and Paddy Jo and Lynn Wertz were Sunday dinner guests at the Herb Hartzler home.
Lester and Melvin Miller were diner guests at the Sylvanus Miller home last Sunday.
Edith Yoder is assisting Mrs. Chester Miller with the housework.
Brush
Mrs. John Hershberger is entertaining the mumps at present.
Mrs. A. F. Troyer, Alma, Dorothy, Orval and Raymon, Chris Troyer's, Charles Troyer's. Ezra Troyer's, Willis Troyer's were at the Chris A. Yoder home Thursday to help them celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary.
Pilotburg
The young daughter Aileen, of Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Freel had her tonsils removed last week at Wellman and is doing nicely.
William Rickey the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Rickey, of near Washington, and raised in our community, was married May 19th to a Wellman girl, Miss Elma Loretta Ponchard.
Last Friday evening Mr. and Mrs. Cleo Stagner and children and their mother, Mrs. Stagner, brought preparations for ice cream and ice and froze it at Lang's.
Sam Oldfield is still in bed and is not improving as fast as they would like. Mrs. James Haller is also quite ill and not improving very much.
The wells keep getting drier and drier as well as the crops.
Prairie Flower
Miss Myrna Reeves has been on the sick list. Her tonsils seem to be causing her much trouble.
Mrs. H. J. Myers has been spending part of her time helping take care of her mother, Mrs. A. A. Faulker, who is bedfast, partly due to hot weather. She doesn't take any nourishment.
50 years ago
June 10, 1959
New arrivals
Mr. and Mrs. William Diltz of Collegeville, Pa., are the parents of a daughter, Lisa Ellen, born June 3. Mrs. Diltz is the former Verna Wertz.
A son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Perrin of St. Joseph, Missouri. He was named Jon Calvin and was born June 5.
Local news
Marvin Dickel will receive a Bachelor of Arts degree and Richard Hartsock will receive a Bachelor of Science in Commerce degree.
Postmaster H. L. Walker returned to his Kalona home Thursday after having been a surgical patient at Mercy hospital but will not return to his duties at the Kalona Post Office until July 1.
June 6 a group of men with 27 tractors went to the Levi M. Miller farm to help with the field work. During the day 55 acres was planted in corn.
Nine stitches were required to close a wound on the foot of Fred Kron of Riverside lat week after a mishap with a rotary power lawn mower.
Miss Donna Marie Brenneman, Kalona and Mr. Clifford H. Helgens, Monticello, exchanged wedding vows June 5 in the Zion Lutheran church in Iowa City. Miss Brenneman is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Maynard Brenneman, Kalona, and the bridegroom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Helgens, Monticello.
A birthday picnic dinner held at the Washington park June 7 honoring DeVon Hershberger, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gene Hershberger.
Mrs. Mose Bontrager is enjoying vacation this week from her work at the Reif store.
Sgt. and Mrs. Carl F. Evans and daughters Barbara, Cathy, and Carla are visiting in the Vanora Westrick home this week. They are on leave from Ft. MacDill AFB.
Mrs. Mary Bontrager of Kalona went to Elkhart, Indiana, Friday where that evening they attended graduation exercises for her grandson, Billy Bontrager.
Golf Club Committees
Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Haberman, Mr. and Mrs. H. V. Beck, Mr. and Mrs. Ivan Alt, Mr. and Mrs. Marvin O'Hare, Mr. and Mrs. Emil Schlabaugh, Mrs. Ella Weaver.
Bayertown
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Grout of near Kalona are the parents of twins, a son, Ricky Ray and a daughter, Becky Lou, born June 7. Becky weighed 5 pounds, 14 ½ ounces, and Ricky weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces.
Irvin Grout is the proud owner of a new Chevrolet station wagon.
Richmond
Jane Ann TeBockhorst, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Urban TeBockhorst and Donna Rotenburger, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Rotenburger under went tonsilectomys at Washington.
Marilyn Shalla of Cedar Rapids is visiting at home this week. She will return to Cedar Rapids on Sunday and will attend three weeks of summer classes. She will teach again the coming school year in Cedar Rapids.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Welte Sr. and Richard left early Wednesday morning for Denver, Colorado to visit their daughter, Mrs. Wm. Knoll and family and Mr. and Mrs. L. D. Perkins for a few weeks. Later they will go to Paradise Hill Saskatchewan, Canada where they will visit Mrs. Weltes sisters, brother and their families.
Kalona High School
Freshman
What do you think of school getting out June 3? Would you either make the days up on Saturday and get out in May?
Virginia Y: I don't like the idea of thinking we'll have to go to school on those hot June days.
Ron E: I try not to think about it.
Harlan Y: When I though of school in June I sat down and cried.
Teddy T: Well get out it will be time to start again.
Tom Bailey: The sooner schools out the better.
Bob Miller: I'd like making school up on Saturday because its sickening to think of sitting in a school house on a nice warm day.
Gary Mullet: I think we should make up a few days on Saturday because I can't study on a nice warm day.
Dale Stout: I want to get out early so I can go fishing all summer.
Larry Grout: I don't think about it, unless I want to get mad.
Karla: I guess there's nothing we can do about it.
Karen: Not much either way.
Leslie A: If you gota you gota.
25 years ago
June 11, 1984
Tornadoes Hit Iowa County
For Everett Zillmer the tornado that leveled every building except his Iowa County farmhouse, "was over in two minutes. No more." When he surveyed the damage Friday morning he expressed gratitude "no one was hurt."
Keith Erb whose house lost its roof and part of the second story. Again, there were no injuries to the people. Directly across from Erb, the Howard Yoders saw the slates peeled form the house roof and a huge tree slammed against the house.
There were no deaths from the storm locally. But there were eleven deaths in the state: Ringgold, Kossuth and Keokuk Counties and at least 35 injuries. The Mahaska town of Delta was completely devastated as was Windham in nearby Johnson County.
Local News
Merle and Sandy Miller of Kalona are the parents of a daughter, Kimberly Nicole, born June 8, weighing 8 pounds, 3 ounces. Grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Ora Miller, Kalona and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Koenes, Clinton.
Dorothy A Graham and Kenneth Dean Miller were married June 2, at the couple's rural Iowa City home. Parents of the couple are Mrs. Eldon Frantz, rural Riverside, and the late Mr. Frantz and Mr. and Mrs. J. Claude Miller, Kalona.
Mr. and Mrs. Ellis Swartzendruber entertained at a birthday supper June 7 for their grandson, Aaron Swartzendruber, on his first birthday. Guests were Mr. and Mrs. Darwin Swartzendruber.
George F. Zahs, 61, of rural Riverside, a long-time Kalona area farmer, died June 7, 1984. Mr. Zahs was born December 25, 1922 in Washington County, a son of William and Ester Lily Fountain Zahs. He grew up in the Kalona area and graduated from Kalona High School.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry D. Miller were honored on their 30th wedding anniversary at a dinner at the Amanas.
Kevin Reece, has been chosen "sailor of the quarter" for April through June of this year. Reece, the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Reece of Kalona, was honored during ceremonies held abaoard the USS Opportune.
The Welsh Congregational Church, five miles southwest of Iowa City, will celebrate its 138th anniversary Sunday, July 1, when the annual Gymanfa Ganu (big meeting) and Welsh sing takes place.
The Mid-Prairie High School Class of 1969 held its fifteenth reunion a the Ironmen Inn Saturday, May 25. The program included an "awards ceremony" presented in a "roast" fashion with Al Kern of Tiffin as MC.
Hawkette Softball
Defeat Mount Vernon
Leading the offensive attack was Tonya Rediger going three for three, followed by Jill Erb's two for four. Kris Swantz added a double and Amy Hartsock came up with a triple for the evening. Michelle Malichky was winning pitcher.
Flint Ridge
By Bill Jr.
June 7th at around 9:30 pm. A tornado passed through the White Hall, Wall Street, Woodland and Windom areas destroying around twenty or more farmsteads, uprooting trees and destroying large groves of trees. However, no one in this immediate area was severely injured or lives lost. Many, many folks have arrived to help with the clean up which will take days and days. Leonard Rensberger of the Green Center area received a telephone call from Wisconsin the next day and was told one of his canceled checks was found which blew all the way up to Wisconsin. We think this was the longest, widest path of destruction we have ever seen or heard of.
Charles Duffy gave us a telephone call tonight (Monday) and said he plans to deliver our new young red shorthorn bull this coming Wednesday and the bull will be unloaded in the Flint Ridge park.
Late Sunday afternoon we drove out to the Flint Ridge Park and hooked Prince and Babe to the buckboard and took a tour along the Ridge and sure enjoyed a very pleasant drive
The grandchildren all from Poplar Grove and Flint Ridge took a ride behind Prince and Babe too.
Adios