Benco

Clair Ralph Gibson confessed to perpetrating the 1933 robbery of the Kaylor bank.

A RECORD OF VIOLENCE

One gang was led by a St. Cloud hoodlum named Cyril Wooldridge. The Wooldridge crew drove to Milbank (Strains’ hometown), stole a car, robbed the bank in Russell, Minn., then returned the stolen car to Milbank. By design or not, the Milbank connection helped point a finger at the Strain family. Wooldridge robbed a total of eight banks in 1933.

The second gang was led by professional gambler Ralph “Cap” Simpson of Omaha. This group hit at least six banks in 1933, Chisholm says in his article. Referencing a Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension file, Chisholm states: “Finally, the third gang was led by a Rochester, Minn., house painter named Clair Ralph Gibson. He was caught in 1937 after a five-year robbery career that involved 21 banks. Among these were the remaining banks to which the Strains had been linked: Vermillion, Huron, Canova, Ihlen, and Kaylor.” So who killed Freddie Voll in Kaylor in 1933? Pure speculation: Even if there wasn’t a “Strain gang,” was the murderer still Floyd Strain? Could this two-bit bootleg runner have had a bank robbery sideline with Gibson’s group and that’s why he was identified by Kaylor residents as a gunman in the robbery? In a different case, Gibson was found guilty of murder and ended up serving life in prison, so his gang did have a record of violence.

DUST IN THE WIND

In his Minnesota History Journal article, Chisholm concludes that reliance solely upon eyewitness testimony is why the Strains were found guilty in the Okabena robbery even though it was really committed by Bonnie and Clyde. Many other cases reached erroneous verdicts the same way. “Modern criminologists know that eyewitnesses are wrong a shocking amount of the time; a substantial body of literature bears this out.” Chisholm’s case in point: “For example, at Floyd Strain’s 1933 trial for the Kaylor robbery and murder, one eyewitness maintained that Tony Strain was also one of the gunmen, even after it was pointed out to him that this crime occurred while Tony was sitting in a Sioux City jail cell.” In the 1930s, some line-ups didn’t include a suspect standing next to others of similar complexion and build. “Quite often, they paraded the accused, alone, before a group of witnesses concealed behind a screen.”

The eyewitnesses and law enforcement officials of the 1930s are gone now; and the records and news accounts are all as dusty as the roads back in the dirty ‘30s. The whole truth on the 1933 Kaylor bank robbery and many others may be dust in the wind, too.

SOURCES

• Local oral and written history compiled by

Gary Jerke, www.experiencethefarm.com. • “Okabena: A Bank Robbery Revisited,”

By Brad Chisholm, St. Cloud State University as published in Minnesota History Journal,

Winter 2010-2011. • State of South Dakota vs. Strain File 7772. • FBI Bulletin Law Enforcement Bulletin Vol. 6

No. 10, Oct. 1, 1937.

Proud dealer of

SPRAYER CONTROLS • SPRAY TIPS • PLASTIC FITTINGS • AND MORE

Your Ag parts dealer is here for you. Benco Products Inc Daniel Severson 27093 Katie RD, Tea, SD 57064 1-888-649-4862 | dan@bencoparts.com

Michelle and Jona Leo at Liberty Barbell.

POWERLIFTING ‘A PIECE OF CAKE’ COMPARED TO SORTING CATTLE IN A HOT CORRAL

By Garrett Gross

Jona Leo in his element – a powerlifting competition. He has bench-pressed more than 800 pounds.

Almost four years ago, the Jona and Michelle Leo family hit the “reset button.” In the summer of 2018, the couple and their three children moved from the west side of Sioux Falls to rural Lennox. The move returned Jona and Michelle to roots similar to their own childhood experiences. Jona was raised on a beef ranch in Dannebrog, Neb., while Michelle grew up on a farm in Estelline, S.D.

Jona’s family operation revolved purely around the seed stock cattle industry and everything it entails. “Growing up, we had registered Herefords until 1985 before we switched to Salers. Now my father raises Simmental and SimAngus,” he said. “The majority of my summers were spent dragging a string of show cattle throughout the United States, and winter break consisted of working on animals for the Denver Stock Show.” His brother, Joel, had a deep passion for developing the show calves. Jona followed his brother’s lead which, in turn, led them to the winner's spot at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, Nebraska State Fair, and Salers Junior Nationals. careers outside of the ag industry. Jona has been active in the training and fitness industry since 2000. He owns Liberty Barbell, a gym located off the Tea exit near Thornton Flooring. He does personal training for clients, both at his gym and remotely. Michelle owns and operates Renew Therapeutic Massage in Sioux Falls. To say that Jona is active in the fitness industry is accurate – but also an understatement. He is literally one of the strongest people on earth. Maybe all the hay he put up on his family’s ranch as a kid helped prepare him for the international powerlifting competitions he’s participated in as

The rest of the time growing up, Jona spent his summers fencing, putting up hay, checking pastures and working calves, tasks which seemed like an eternity to him as a kid.

Meanwhile, Michelle’s background was a completely different experience. At the Jongeling farm, they grew corn and soybeans plus had dairy cattle, stock cattle and laying hens. She spent more time inside the tractor cab, milk barn, and henhouse than Jona did. Their backgrounds are different, but both appreciated the benefits of being raised in the multifaceted ag industry. Both Jona and Michelle pursued

Jona Leo at the 1997 National Salers Junior Show. an adult. His accolades and victories are as impressive as anybody in the world in powerlifting. There are not many people who can say they have bench pressed greater than 800 pounds and claim the title of “World Champion.” Jona said a big part of his success is the lessons he learned growing up on the family ranch. “Being raised on the ranch molded me and played a critical role in my powerlifting success. The mundane tasks of doing chores and preparing for the next project are easily transferable to training for whatever athletic endeavor you might pursue. After sorting cattle in a hot corral for 12 hours, showing up for a workout in a climate-controlled gym is a piece of cake,” he said. “Honestly, between the mindsets of my father and brother it is pretty easy to draw a parallel to my powerlifting success. My dad always takes on more and more projects. Meanwhile, Joel is very detail-oriented and methodical. Just like my father, I take on more and more whether it's opening a gym, taking more clients in the coaching business, directing another powerlifting meet, or training for a competition. Then I follow the lessons from the show barn with Joel – his methodical and detail-oriented approach can be seen in my preparation for each world championship and in my professional life.” With the positive farm and ranch life experiences in their childhoods, the decision to move south of Lennox was an obvious choice for Jona and Michelle. The move enabled them to share rural life lessons with their children: Lyncoln, 14, Lennox, 11 and Liberty, 8. Their goal was to get into a smaller community while creating life experiences different than what metro Sioux Falls could offer. Their children have the luxury of often visiting both sets of grandparents and their aunt and uncles, so they routinely see the larger perspective of the ag industry. “We fall into the category of ‘hobby’ farm, but each year we have grown in the direction of creating our own unique experience,” Jona said. “For example, year one was planting shelterbelts, lawn and pasture, and general land development. We have eased into the farming responsibilities with the chicken coop filled with laying hens, a couple head of show cattle, and gardening. The next goal is to develop a small CSA (communitysupported agriculture) that's exclusively offered to clients of Renew Therapeutic Massage, LeoStrength and Liberty Barbell members.” The children have learned to connect with their animals by reading their personalities and working with them appropriately and, of course, the responsibilities of daily care. The process of developing bare land into a homestead has been unique as well. “I remember vaguely my parents building their home and the ensuing outdoor