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‘Good turnout’ for Montezuma American Legion car show
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
MONTEZUMA — The fourth annual Montezuma American Legion Car Show drew 153 antique beauties, classics, trucks and motorcycles to the town square Saturday, Sept. 27.
“The car show was well attended, but not quite as much as in past years,” said Montezuma American Legion Post 169 Commander Ron Hensel, who hosts the show. “That is true of all car shows in the area this year. There was still a good turnout and a good crowd.”
Hensel shared his appreciation with the members of the Legion, Auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion who worked behind the scenes and made the show possible.
The car show is a fundraiser for the recently constructed Montezuma American Legion Building on Jefferson Street on the northeast side of town.
Monte Wenger brought his Car Show DJ service to town for a second year. Wenger, who hails from Victor, is a fixture at car shows all across the state, including in Brooklyn, Victor, Chelsea and Grinnell.
The Poweshiek County Historical Society gave tours of the historical building throughout the day and offered free cups and cones of the famous Harold Wheeler’s ice cream.
And the Montezuma Methodist Church was selling homemade pies and cinnamon rolls to show attendees.
Jeff Brewster from Knoxville was at the show making a video for his YouTube Channel, Corn Rows and Car Shows.
“I come to these shows because I love the old cars and love talking to everybody,” said Brewster. “I love to hear the old car stories.”
Brewster said he has 66 videos from car shows last year and this year on his YouTube Channel.
Dennis DeNooy of nearby Lake Ponderosa, had two of his three Chevrolet Corvettes on display at the show — a 1975 red Corvette convertible and 1963 blue Corvette convertible. He also owns a 1961 white Corvette convertible.
“l have red, white and blue Corvettes,” said DeNooy, who was resting on a nearby bench with his friend, Glenda Johnson, visiting with people as they walked past. “I’m living the American dream.”
DeNooy is a well-known fixture with his Corvettes in the Montezuma Let Freedom Ring Parade on the Fourth of July and other community events. Two of his three Corvettes were recently used to usher Montezuma Homecoming candidates in the Homecoming Parade.
“It’s a beautiful day,” said DeNooy. “They have really nice cars here today. This show is a great way to meet people.”
Tom Stone of Oskaloosa had his custom purple and white 1953 Ford F100 truck on display at the show. Stone purchased the truck in July at Goodguys Rod & Custom Show in Des Moines.
“The guy I bought it from spent 10 years restoring the truck,” said Stone. “I enjoy driving the truck and showing it off.”
Stone also has a 1955 Ford F100 truck he is restoring and a 2024 Camaro convertible that he enjoys driving.
A beautiful red custom-built 1933 Chevrolet Eagle on display at this year’s show is a tale of two halves.
Owners Dennis and Linda Korns of Brooklyn purchased the car in two pieces, literally.
Dennis bought the front half of the car in 1979 and bought the back half sometime in 1990s at a Goodguys Swap Meet in Des Moines. He pieced the two car halves together to make it one car.
It took Dennis about 10 years to build the car. The only thing left to do on the car is replace the molding on the front windshield.
Dennis grew up in Brooklyn and is a 1964 graduate of BGM. He planned to attend auto mechanics school, but his family didn’t have the money.
“Lyle Nesselroad called me up and I went to work for him at Nesselroad Chevrolet,” said Dennis.
He worked for Nesselroad as a mechanic for 43 years and later opened his own auto upholstery business in Brooklyn. The couple are also long-time members of Gideons International, and while at car shows, they make free Bibles available.
Since restoring the Eagle, the couple has driven it west to Wyoming and as far east as Maine. They recently attended the Frog Follies, a show held the last weekend in August in Evansville, Indiana The show is for cars built in 1948 and earlier.
Dennis said there were 3,023 cars on display this year at the Frog Follies and the couple handed out 43 Bibles.
Wearing retro sunglasses, Ivy Schuster of nearby Searsboro took time to pose in the 1962 white Ford Thunderbird she and her dad, Henry Van Ersvelde, own together.
Schuster recalled riding in the car with her date at the Montezuma High School prom some years ago. She still drives the Thunderbird to work on occasion, saying she enjoys reliving the memories and seeing all the cars at the show.
“It’s great to see the people in surrounding communities that bring their cars into town, as well as all of the neat cars that so many locals have,” said Schuster. “My family liked looking around to find the oldest car and picking out our favorite cars.”
The Fifth Annual Montezuma American Legion Car Show is slated for Sept. 26, 2026.
