Sports: Fillies to play for state tourney berth See B1
The Weekender Saturday, March 5, 2016
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O Pioneers! Family histories shaped county By RICK DANLEY The Iola Register
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tarting in the middle of the 19th century, whether compelled by desperation or ambition, thousands of families coursed into the vast center of the country to forge a new life from scratch. Very often looking down the barrel of an impossible future, they clung to an inner conviction that they could make for themselves, in that blank pocket between soil and sky, a home or a farm or a town. That’s the story of the American pioneer. It’s the story of Bess Streeter Aldrich’s 1928 novel “A Lantern in her Hand.” And it was the story in evidence at a panel discussion Monday, which saw Clyde Toland, Dick Works, Lavon Johnson and Judy McGraw — decedents of some of the oldest families in Allen County — relay the tales of their pioneer forebears. The panel was convened in
dian raids, blizzards, isolation, and frequent, premature death. But the cutout version that comes down through documentary history was enlivened Monday night by a wealth of family anecdote, including some first-hand descriptions of events, which spoke as much to the pioneers’ shared goal of prosper-
YATES CENTER — Even over the phone Linda Suddarth came across as sweet as the breads for which she is famous. “I’m answering your ad for sourdough starter,” she said. “My recipe makes the best dinner rolls and cinnamon buns. I’d be happy to share it with you.” Her sourdough bread entry won her grand champion at the Woodson County Fair two years ago, the same year she and husband Bill were named See SUDDARTHS | Page A4
See BARBS | Page A3
ity as to the diverse backdrops from which they fled. Take R.M. Works, who arrived to the prairie on horseback in the 1850s, alone and penniless. According to his great-grandson, the horse Robert Miller rode in on was the young man’s only remuneration for the 10 years he See PIONEERS | Page A5
Suddarth’s sensational sourdough By SUSAN LYNN The Iola Register
Bill and Linda Suddarth
GOP hopefuls trade barbs WARREN, Michigan (AP) — With an eye on the general election, Donald Trump punched past his Republican rivals on Friday after embracing “flexibility” on illegal immigration, abandoning — at least momentarily — the hardline rhetoric that has fueled his presidential campaign as his critics cried foul. “Believe it or not, I’m a unifier,” Trump offered during a raucous rally Friday in suburban Detroit. “We are going to unify our country.” Republican adversary Ted Cruz wasn’t having it: “Donald is telling us he will betray us on everything he’s campaigned on,” he said as he campaigned in Maine Friday, accusing his rival of shifting positions on temporary H-1B worker visas and on conservatism in general. Trump’s apparent moderation amid a war of insults between the Republican candidates marked a frenzied day on the campaign trail as the New York real estate mogul’s grip on his party’s presidential nomination appears to be tightening. His confidence surging, Trump has followed a dominant Super Tuesday performance by embracing moderate tones, if not policies, on Planned Parenthood and race relations, while downplaying his temporary ban on Muslims en-
Judy McGraw, left, and Dick Works talk at a panel discussion Monday about their forefathers’ roles in shaping Allen County’s early history. REGISTER/RICK DANLEY celebration of Aldrich’s book, this season’s Iola Reads selection, and prefigures a public discussion of the novel at the Iola library on Tuesday. The frontier story is a wellknown one, colored by images of sunbonnets and wagon wheels but grounded in the more calamitous nouns of the day: drought, disease, floods, cyclones, grasshoppers, In-
CAUCUS DAY
Survey says: ‘Fun’ By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Carol Sager and her family did some feuding last weekend. The fun kind. Sager, husband John, his brothers Jerry and Carol Sager Jeff, sister Pam Schmitt and the Sager matriarch, Norma Stahl, were among the scores of families who traveled to Kansas City, Mo., to vie for a spot on the popular game show “The Family Feud.” Tryouts ran Feb. 27 through Sunday at the Kansas City Convention Center. “It was a lot of fun,” Carol
said. “Even if we don’t get to go on the show, I’d do it again.” Families applied online in the weeks leading to the auditions. Only a fraction of the applicants were picked to take part in the audition. The tryouts were similar to the actual show. The families each asked to guess answers for two surveys. The Sagers had to guess what a backseat driver most wants to control, and occupations that require uniforms. They won the first game, but lost the second when they incorrectly guessed waitresses. “I’m calling foul on that one,” Carol joked. “When’s the last time you walked into See FEUD | Page A8
Seusstastic Lincoln Elementary School celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday Wednesday with cakes decorated as Seuss books. Principal Andy Gottlob, as the Cat in the Hat, delivered the slices to the students. The cakes were crafted by Stacy’s Cakes of Humboldt. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Quote of the day Vol. 118, No. 88
“If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.” — Thomas Paine 75 Cents
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