Our Yesterdays

July: July of 1981 started off with the annual Richland Lions Club Tractor Pull, Barbeque and Horse Show, but the tractor pull had to be postponed due to heavy rain.

The whole summer the former Alumni Field in Richland was transformed into the Richland Alumni Park complete with a basketball court and tennis court plus many other additions.

Later in the month of July the Pleasant Plain Pioneers held their annual celebration.

Former Packwood resident Chris Bennett completed a metal sculpture of William Coop and a young boy for the Fairfield Park.

July 31 through Aug. 1 Ollie was busy with their Centennial Celebration. The post office had a special postal cachet for the event and a centennial quilt was made and brought in $3100 at auction.

August: In August, Alan Nordyke and Steve Myers took top honors with their entries at the Jr. Ag Show in Fairfield.

Aug. 8 Richland hosted a gospel sing in the park. Jane Blakley was named “Woman of the Year” by the Richland Jaycee-Ettes.

September: During September a slow pitch marathon was held in Brighton.

Garry Sievers was selected for the 1981 edition of Outstanding Young Men of America.

Richland had their annual watermelon feed.

The Richland Friends Church received new pastors during September, Ivan and Marjorie Bickford.

The Packwood Financial Corp. announced new major stockholders of the corporation, Richard and Shirley Baker, who purchased stock from Bill Williams.

October: October found Popejoy DX open at a new location with additions to the business.

Continental Telephone announced that a change over from their old lines to the new buried cable would take place October 17. The changeover put phones out of order for the day.

Deb Conger, daughter of Delbert and Ruth Conger of Ollie was selected as the new Keokuk County Pork Queen.

Curt Pacha of Brighton returned home with a trophy and medal after taking part in the Jr. Pan American Games in Venezuela. Curt is the son of Kathryn and Maurice Pacha of Brighton.

Brighton and Richland Jaycees kept busy making plans to scare everyone at their haunted houses at Halloween time.

November: In November, city councils in the area were elected. Richland City Council member Davis Eidahl contested the town’s election because the ballot and legal notice were not published.

Mrs. Anna Lowe of Brighton was seriously injured in a one-car accident on a county road west of Pleasant Plain.

Edward Charles Angstead and Karen Leigh Reighard, both of rural Fairfield, died as a result of a two-vehicle accident west of Brighton. Karen L and Mary Kathleen Seaton were both seriously injured in that accident. Both are from Washington and are the daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Seaton of Richland.

The Country Cupboard, Richland; and Homespun Craftique and B.J.’s Stop-Off, both of Brighton, opened their doors for the first time.

Richland Lions hosted a whole hog sausage and pancake supper to aid the blind while senior citizens in Brighton, Rubio, Coppock, and North English became part of a University of Iowa study.

December: In December, the Brighton Lions Club sponsored a soup supper.

Booth Grocery and Gambles, the combination of two businesses opened.

Dec. 8, Richland voted in a cable TV franchise for Singleton’s Cablevision.

Gentry Insurance of Ollie announced the purchase of Niece Insurance in Richland.

The year ended with most of the communities sponsoring a film fest for children with Santa making his annual visit.