Out of Winfield’s Past

An estimate of damage done at the Elgin Pankoke farm home last Saturday night hasn’t been figured yet. Five buildings are gone completely and vie were badly damaged by wind about 9:20 that evening as an apparent twister touched down at the farmstead. The house was the least damaged, receiving three broken windows on the south: one inn the dining room, another on the porch and one upstairs bedroom. Some shingles were torn from the roof. Ripped off aluminum roofing, tree branches, building siding, broken glass, smashed metal buildings, etc. littered the yard and lots. No fence was left intact. Elgin and his wife, Irene, their son, Eric, a sophomore at UNI, and two of the Eric’s friends, also students at UNI, Perry Phillips and Jim Von Bon were in the house. The group had not had the radio or television turned on and had not heard the storm warnings, and though they were aware that the storm was first violent then subsiding, they were unprepared when the lights went out. Eric tried to get his mother to the basement while Elgin tried to assist their guests to shelter, when all at once, it was over … in a matter of minutes. Sheet metal was ripped off the roof of the barn, two livestock sunshades were lost, a metal corn bin, two feed sheds, wooden tool shed, and machine shed all were smashed. A tree fell onto an empty hog farrowing shed that was scheduled for use this week. Fourteen hogs were lost, probably by lightning from the way they were all in a pile on the south side of the barn. One calf has been found dead. One metal corn bin that ended up near the west side of the house Saturday night had already been moved Friday afternoon when high winds had lifted it over a fence and smashed it to the ground. The farm, a mile south of Winfield on the west side of Highway 78 is owned by Mrs. Ina C. Jones of Burlington.

25 years ago — April, 1998

On Saturday, April 26, a bridal shower was given by Mchelle Kempf, Kelly Jennings, and Karmen Johnson for the bride-to-be, Lisa Morse. Instead of games, everyone was asked to write down advice for the bride and groom-to-be. Also, Lisa was asked to share how she and Jared met and how he proposed to her. After which, the bride-to-be opened gifts. Refreshments were enjoyed by everyone. The tea table was decorated in the bride’s colors and fresh flowers also decorated the table. Those attending were from Bettendorf, Iowa City, Morning Sun, Rochester, MN, Mt. Pleasant, and Winfield.

Dalton Vislisel, infant son of Doug and Tonya Vislisel, who was born March 26, 1998, was honored at a courtesy the afternoon of April 19, at the Joe and Brenda Alliman home. Hostesses for the occasion were Connie Stafford, Brandy Broughten, and Ella Ritz. Games were played and the remainder of the afternoon was spent socially, as Dalton’s mom opened the gifts that had been presented for her son. Refreshments were served by the hostesses at the close of the afternoon. Those present were Dalton and his mother; grandmothers, Bernice Vislisel, Brenda Alliman; great-grandmothers, Marion Alliman and Ella Ritz; Linda Messer, Roni Messer, Marlene Hill, Ann Taylor, Kathy Johnson, Bert Turner, Karen Farmer, Carla Hildebrand, Paige Hildebrand, Taylor Alliman, Connie Stafford, Brandy Broughten and Jordan.

A reception honoring Marlen and Betty Bitting on their 60th wedding anniversary will be held Sunday, May 10 at the Winfield Veteran’s building from 2-5 p.m. hosted by their children. Marlen Bitting and Betty Hall were married on May 19, 1938 in Iowa City. They are the parents of seven children, Myron, Simi Valley, CA; Louella Ferguson, Los Angeles, CA; David, New London; Lyndle, Keokuk; Mark, Ft. Madison; Randy, Crawfordsville; and Debra Cooper, Cape Coral, FL.