TRAVEL THROUGH TIME
OCTOBER 20-21, 2023
Saturday, October 21, 2023
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Medallion is found By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Kelly Sigg, left, has sold Audacious Boutique to longtime employee Toni Manbeck. REGISTER/SUSAN LYNN
An Audacious change By SUSAN LYNN The Iola Register
Almost from the beginning, Kelly Sigg knew she had a rare gem of an employee in Toni Manbeck. “We clicked from Day 1,” Kelly said. “At age 20, she was managing our store in Pittsburg and never did I worry,” said Kelly. “Never once did I think it was too much for her to handle.”
Over the next 10 years, that confidence in Toni grew. And even if they never discussed it, each began to nurture dreams of an eventual transition. On Nov. 6, Toni and her husband, Jake, assume ownership of Audacious Boutique — Kelly’s “baby.” “This has been my dream for so long. It’s all I’ve ever wanted,” Kelly said Thursday. Toni feels equally commit-
ted. Knowing that Kelly wanted to step away, “I thought if I don’t do this, who will?” Toni said. “I feel like this is what I’m supposed to do. I can’t see myself doing anything else.” That wasn’t always the case. As a 2011 Iola High School graduate, Toni had her sights on becoming a teacher. The same week she began classes at Allen Community College, she took a job at Au-
Joyce and Harry Lee will serve as City Marshals for the Farm-City Days parade.
dacious. “I had no fashion sense,” Toni said. “I was a tomboy through and through. I’d never worn a pair of pointed heels. I’d never met Kelly.” Kelly backs up Toni’s every word. “The first time she wore heels she walked like Herman the monster,” of The Munsters sitcom fame. “Yeah,” Toni said. “I See AUDACIOUS | Page A8
Michael Burnett’s sleuthing skills paid off. Burnett, who works as Allen County EMS director, discovered the FarmCity Days Medallion on Friday morning. The medallion was inside a metal lockbox tucked away inside a bush on the south side of the Allen County Courthouse. The bush was part of the flower bed alongside the main sidewalk. Finding the lockbox was only half the mystery. Burnett also needed to resolve the combination to get to the medallion. He correctly figured “1971,” which connects to the Farm-City Days celebration in multiple ways. “I’d probably looked at that place at least 10 times over the past week,” said Burnett, who also found the medallion prior to the 2020 Farm-City Days celebration. Finding the medallion — a 2-inch sprocket See FCD | Page A7
Eddyrae and Delbert Nelson are Farm Marshals for Saturday’s parade.
Lees tapped as City Marshals Nelsons to serve as Farm Marshals By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
LAHARPE — Ask Harry and Joyce Lee why they’ve remained active in the community for so long, and without a moment’s hesitation, they point to the Bible, the Book of Matthew in particular. “When Christ was asked which was the greatest commandment, the short answer he gave was to love God and love your neighbor,” Harry said. “And I don’t think you can show love for your neighbor by just patting them on the back and saying ‘I think you’re a good person.’ You need to reach out and help.”
Vol. 125, No. 269 Iola, KS $1.00
With that as their compass, the Lees — after nearly 65 years of marriage — remain busy as ever. Harry still works full time at his family’s business, LaHarpe Communications and its subsidiary, New Wave Communications. Joyce, meanwhile, still does all of the couple’s yardwork, gardening, canning, baking, cleaning and caretaking. “She lets me help occasionally,” Harry says with a sly grin. But their work week rarely ends at 5 p.m., with various volunteer efforts to occupy their evenings and weekends. Just last week, Harry and Joyce See LEES | Page A4
By VICKIE MOSS The Iola Register
Family means everything to the Nelson family. Delbert and Eddyrae Nelson raised their six kids while keeping busy on the farm and in the schools and community, then moved into a new era of cheering on 20 grandkids and three great-grandkids. The couple is being recognized as the Farm Marshals for Saturday’s Farm-City Days parade. Delbert and Eddyrae were married in 1968 at Wesley United Methodist Church and bought their first quarter-section of land northeast of Iola
a few months later. They paid $200 an acre. “My mom thought that was a lot,” Eddyrae said with a laugh, as prices could be more than 20 times that these days. They kept buying land and now own several hundred acres, where they run a cow-calf operation and farm numerous crops including soybeans, corn and occasionally milo. This year’s wheat crop had to be cut for hay, but that’s a standard feature as well. Over the years, Delbert has served as vice president of Allen County Farm Bureau and served four terms See NELSONS | Page A4
NMRMC Family Medicine Gennie Mullen, APRN-C will join Suzie Peters, APRN-C at NMRMC Erie Family Care Clinic on Wednesdays & Thursdays. Gennie will see patients in Chanute on Mondays & Tuesdays.
Chanute-620-432-5588 Erie - 620-212-5105