Our Yesterdays

2015

Amber and Blaine Gill of Knoxville are the proud parents of a boy, Camden Lee Gill. He was born Monday, Sept. 14, 2015 at Methodist Hospital in Des Moines weighing six pounds, 15 ounces and measuring 19-1/2 inches in length. Welcoming him home was big sister Allie. Grandparents are Bill and Sue Gill of Richland, and Bill and Carolyn Schwartz of Hedrick. Great-grandparents are Bett Lee and Dale Schwartz of Ottumwa, and Mary Wickersham of Ottumwa.

Bob and Carrol Shelangoski, and their daughter Roberta and Ryan Sieren with Wyatt of Keota, went to Silvis, Illinois on September 12. They visited Carrol’s sister Alice Garica. They returned home September 13.

Enjoying the evening meal of Sept. 13 at the home of Winifred Fritz were her children Jane and Virgil Symmonds, and Mary and Joel Boatright, all of Fairfield; and Tony and Lynn Fritz of Brighton. Also present were Mary’s children J.D. Hollingsworth of Packwood and Bridget Hollingsworth of Fairfield.

Lucy Dietzman of Keosauqua and Mary Boatright of Fairfield visited their mother Winifred Fritz on September 15. They’d been to the wake for Betty Adam Ledger. On Sept. 16, Winifred attended Betty’s funeral. It was held at St. Joseph’s Church in East Pleasant Plain.

Pat Remington met her daughter, Angela Garmoe with James of Mount Pleasant at Tasos Steakhouse on September 17.

2005

Pekin football coach Tom Stone was honored Sept. 10 at the Pekin High School. Stone, who has been the head coach at Pekin for 38 years, reached his 300th career win on Sept. 2 when the Panthers defeated Central Lee 37-6. Following the meal a program to honor Stone was held with John Sojka, assistant coach, as Master of Ceremonies.

Several family members of Denise Rodriduez are living in the Trinity Friends Church Parsonage in Richland. Her family members have lost everything due to Hurricane Katrina.

Ruth Godwin’s nephew is home from Iraq. Ruth and Floyd Barcus and Ruth’s son Wesley went to Ruth’s sister Ruby Dimmitt of Fairfield, and son Larry, for a visit last week.

Jay and Mary Cowguill enjoyed dinner with their sons David of Marion and Curt of Pittsburgh, Kansas. They met at Newton on Sept. 9. Curt was attending a convention at the Hotel Fort Des Moines.

On Sept. 3 Isabelle Salterberg went to Des Moines to visit her daughter Linda and Rick Sloma and family, Rob, Jenny, and Joe. They celebrated Joe’s 17th birthday. Janine Calsbeek and children John and Ann of Orange City arrived at Linda’s too. Linda, Janine, and Isabelle rode their bikes on a bike trail of twenty miles. Susan Salterberg of Iowa City arrived on Sunday. Susan, Janine, and Isabelle rode their bikes out to Jester Park and back.

Jo Chambers accompanied her daughter Cindy Bowermaster of Martinsburg and her great-granddaughter Aspen Bowermaster of Fairfield to Pella Corporation in Pella for an open house on Sept. 10. Cindy is employed at Pella Corporation, and this gave them a chance to see where she works. She drives a forklift truck.

The Packwood Christian Church annual picnic was held at Bradfield Park on Sept. 11. A well-attended potluck with games played in the afternoon was enjoyed.

Scott and Brandin Schrader and Schuyler Snakenberg visited Kate Schrader in the hospital on Sept. 4.

Schuyler Snakenberg and Mark Weber attended the ISU football game in Ames on Sept. 3. They were overnight guests of their buddy John Swanson at the college dorms. The boys report that with $3/gallon for gas they don’t know how many trips they’ll be taking up there.

Joe, Deb, and Eric Kephart ventured to Iowa City on Sept. 3 for the Iowa Hawkeye football game.

Ruth and Delbert Conger, along with Janet and Larry Conger, went to Old Threshers in Mt. Pleasant on Sept. 3.

Robert and Gail Molkenthin, Shawn and Sandra McBeth, and Jeff and Diana Wilcox, went to the motorcycle rally in Conesville on Sept. 3.

Naomi Lock, Dennis and Kris Lock, David and Shawn Lock, Taylor, Peyton, and Hunter attended the birthday party for Ashlyn Huff at the home of her parents, Mike and Lisa Huff near Montezuma. Ashlyn is two-years-old.

Kenneth and Doris Nordyke attended the fifth birthday party for their great-granddaughter Hunter Conger at the home of her parents, Lee and Sara Conger in Packwood.

Wayne and Iola Parsons, and Tim and Nancy Parsons, were weekend guests of Phillip and Jessica Parsons in Monticello. They attended church with Phillip and Jessica on Saturday evening at the Greeley Community Church in Greeley.

Hal and Donna Rusk from Des Moines visited Margaret McClure from Sept. 15-17. Larry and Karen Morgan, with Colleen and Byron Kimble, joined them at Bernie’s for supper on Friday evening. Margaret and Donna attended the Fashion Show and Luncheon at Mother Cabrini Church Hall on Saturday.

Sue and Bill Gill returned home Sept. 18 from Phoenix, Arizona. They stayed with Sue’s brother Ron and Rachel Green. They travelled to Laughlin, Nevada, to the casinos, visited Dick and Hazel Conklin, and ate supper at Little Bite of Italy where they celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary.

1990

For the first time in the history of Pekin High School homecoming celebration, a king will be crowned to reign along with the traditional queen. Mike Hadley and Tara Stephens were selected as the Homecoming King and Queen.

Donna Dickinson Willets, daughter of Donnie B. Dickinson of Brighton, is a member of the Women’s Softball Team from Creston, IA that qualified for the National Softball Tournament. Their team won the State Tournament held at Indianola and finished third in the four-state Regional held in Norfolk, NE.

Brighton Volunteer Fire Department was called to a blaze at the Skunk River Lodge located on Highway 1 north of Brighton. The volunteers were at the scene over three hours. According to the fire chief Chris Davies, extensive damage was done to the building, much of it from heat and smoke.

Mike O. Strait, former owner, president, chairman of the board of directors, is announcing his retirement after 25 years with the Farmer’s Savings Bank of Packwood. Strait was owner and president from 1964 to 1975, and has served on the board since then. Also retiring from the board is Connie Ryan, a director since 1981.

1950

The Dick Cauglans have been working for several weeks on the new front to their John Deere store. The old windows have been removed and replaced with two smaller ones. The wall has been rebuilt with cement blocks. Now the door on the east side with the two windows gives it a very modern appearance.

The Iowa Southern Utilities Co. is running power lines into Rubio from the west.

Mr. and Mrs. Moyer and family of near Keosauqua moved into the Mabel King property in Richland vacated by Donna Van Blaircome and daughters, who moved to Brighton. Mrs. Moyer will be remembered as Roslie Davisson. Her folks lived here some years ago.

A group of men from the M. & St. L. railroad started work installing a signal sign at the crossing east of Packwood on the state road.