June 2018
past times
Central Iowa’s monthly magazine dedicated to celebrating our history
‘From the Past; comes our Future’
Historical Society of Marshall County marks 110 years in existence
Inside... Jay Carollo: finding yesteryear Sara Jordan-Heintz: Buseman family memories
A SPECIAL PUBLICATION OF THE
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past times Publisher ............................................Abigail Pelzer Past Times Writer .....................Sara Jordan-Heintz Past Times Columnists ..........................Jay Carollo ......................Marshall County Historical Society Past Times is a monthly magazine published by the Times-Republican, Marshalltown, with offices located at 135 W. Main St., Marshalltown, Iowa 50158. Past Times is inserted into the Times-Republican monthly. For more information, please call or write:
Past Times c/o Times-Republican 135 W. Main St. P.O. Box 1300 Marshalltown, IA 50158 641-753-6611
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All articles and information contained herein are the property of the Times-Republican. Permission for use or reproduction must have prior approval in writing from the publisher.
in this issue Buseman family memories By SARA JORDAN-HEINTZ
Sara Jordan-Heintz
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
TIMES-REPUBLICAN
I return this month to my continuing history of the Busemans of Grundy Center, my paternal grandmother’s family. Writing about my family, surrounded by 21st century comforts, it’s easy to forget the hardships endured by my forbearers and the hazards of early 20th century rural life. My great-grandmother, Martha Klosterboer Buseman, was born on June 6, 1886, in Tichelwarf, East Friesland, Germany to Onno H. Klosterboer and Antje “Annie” Bergman Klosterboer. In 1903, the family immigrated to the United States, settling in Butler and Grundy counties in Iowa. Martha, the oldest of her parents’ four chil- Here is a beautiful young portait of my late grandmother, Olga Buseman Jordan. Raised in and around Grundy Center, she was a country school teacher in her young dren, was just 17 years old when adult years. they arrived to America. Brother Harry was 15, followed by John wrapping. She was initially hospitalized for kidney Meyer, 12, and Onno, Jr., 5. problems. Compounded by stress and what the family My late grandmother, Olga Buseman Jordan, was the keeper of much of her family’s history. She wrote perceived as lax medical treatment at the hospital, of her mother Martha: “She learned to read and write she suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and passed in the American way. Whenever she wrote letters to a away on February 9, 1945, at the St. Francis Hospital in Waterloo. I found her obituary in the Feb. 11, 1945, brother she wrote in the German language. Believe issue of the Waterloo Courier. me she was intelligent. Coming to America — learn“Leaves husband, six children, Mrs. Annette Steck, ing a new language — communicating with other young people her age, must have been a trying expe- Chicago; Thomas, Holland; Louise, home; Sgt. George Buseman, Ft. Robinson, Neb.; Olga, home; rience. She had good parents with the right upbringSgt. Onno Buseman (III), stationed in the South Pacifing.” ic; one grandson, and three brothers, Harry and Onno Martha’s father Onno died just two years after Klosterboer of Grundy Center, and Rev. John Klostercoming to the New World, when a sliding door of a barn fell on top of him, resulting in a blood clot on the boer, Reading, Minn.” Her obituary in the Grundy Register was also parbrain. He is buried in the Pleasant Valley Reformed Church Cemetery in rural Holland, Iowa. My husband ticularly moving. It reads in part: “She had not been in Andy and I made the short sojourn there the weekend good health for some time but she did not regard her condition serious enough to tell the family.” leading up to Memorial Day to put flowers on Antje I know having two sons serving in World War II at and Onno’s graves. the same time put a great strain on my great-grandMartha married Jacob Buseman on April 7, 1909. parents, neither one of whom would survive to the He was the son of German immigrants Geske end of the decade. (Jacob died in 1948). “Grace” and Tonjes “Thomas” Buseman. “It was common during World War II that service In 1945, Martha’s health began to decline. members were often in places where they were not Her ankles swelled to the point they required
JORDAN-HEINTZ | 11
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
My dad recently stumbled upon a beautiful locket, which contains photos of a very youthful Jacob and Martha — most likely their wedding portraits. The small golden locket measures only one inch in diameter. Of course, the photos inside are even tinier. While we tend to associate the popularity of lockets with 19th century fashions, they actually evolved from Egyptian amulets.
Jay Carollo CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Contact Jay Carollo via e-mail at: jaybird8100 @gmail.com or mail at P.O. Box 187, Marshalltown, Iowa 50158
The most recent request from my readers was to have a story about the Minneapolis & St Louis baseball team and their playing field that apparently was located in the area of Ben’s Tire and the present Community Y parking lot. I seem to recall that George Bonner, who worked with us at Avey Funeral Home as an ambulance operator and funeral attendant, had been a part of this league. George had been a World War I veteran so the time frame would fit. I’ll have to do some further research on these teams. Apparently, Buck Shahan and Toad Lukehart were effective catcher and pitchers. One of my friends stopped by the past week with a Modern Dairy – Marshalltown Iowa milk bottle, and while not a cream-top, it was the heavy glass style reminiscent of when we had the waxed cardboard or foil over cap. My friend and his wife were curious if this was a true local business and I assured them it was and owned by the John Mead family before becoming affiliated with the All-Star Dairy Association and
Thinking about the recent campaign to raise funds for some new ambulances reminded me of when Marshalltown area community hospitals got their first International Harvester based units after the local funeral directors abandoned providing ambulance services in the fall of 1969. When a person hears the page for “Mr. Harvester” at the hospital, it means for the ambulance crew there is a call. Looks to me that then ambulance supervisor and director Darwin Prochaska is at the rear this unit.
adding Mead’s to the name. Double checking in Polk City Directories and Northwestern Bell Telephone books indeed indicated my thoughts were correct. Many Marshalltown residents remember the great taste of Mead’s Ice Cream stand and its operator John L. Mead Jr. Mr. Mead had access to real cream that always made his product taste so rich and smooth. This writer recalls their closing in the mid 1960s, and presently the shop has been remodeled into an auto detailing business. I had a recent discussion with a local churches pastor about their history and the fact that the church
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
CAROLLO | 4
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Facing the northwest corner of our downtown is this vintage scene with a banner proclaiming baseball tonight. It has to pre-date the 1928 sale of Abbott Hardware and one can see the hose tower for the downtown State Street fire station. It also appears that the Memorial Coliseum was still in blueprints.
records indicated their original 10 members by name and that it would be interesting to see these folk’s significance in the founding and establishment of our fair city. My mind also wandered to what other religious organizations, fraternal societies and service clubs, both ladies and men would have available. It also occurred to me that all the information would be valuable not only at a historical level, but at the genealogical one also. Again, something to add to the ‘to-do’ shelf. This past Memorial Day weekend I was asked about the status for some of Marshall County’s rural, country, non-perpetual care cemeteries. Indicated on the county highway map available at the GIS on the 3rd floor of the courthouse, there are 51 established in our boundaries. While through the efforts of Central Iowa Genealogical Society’s walking and recording these grounds and the availability of the records in print through Iowa Genealogical Society, most have a great deal of burial information. Often, they lack specific dates and only have the years of birth and death. Some are cared for by a religious organization or have an established cemetery operational board. Others have been absorbed by the particular township and governed by the township clerk and trustees. Perpetual care is for just that, care of the cemetery in perpetuity. When all the lots that are available have been sold and there is no longer any income from the sale of grave spaces and the opening and closing of graves has been completed, this trust will provide for the daily operation of the whole cemetery as a unit. Every lot or burial rights owner contributes a portion of their purchase to this fund. The fund is state-regulated and the cemetery can only draw a small amount of interest from it each quarter of the year. Where many
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when our town was young
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Carrollo
family business Home Rental Center and V & V Mini Storage. A graduate of State Center High School, Jim served several years in Japan with the U.S. Army. Joe Bulanek, 92, was a World War II U.S. Army veteran and had been employed at the Marshalltown Post Office during civilian life. He had been a long-time St Mary’s Catholic Church member. Dean Halverson, 55, was a manager with Mid-Iowa Cooperative in Beaman and had been a U.S. Army reserve veteran. He was an avid NASCAR, Chicago Two vintage advertising items from Cubs and camping enthusiast and Marshall Vinegar and its YORK brand is survived by two sons. vinegar. The Marshall Soap ad just kind Ronald Patton, 80, served as a of caught my eye, colors and the inforradio operator with the U.S. Army mation that Marshalltown at one time in Korea. He and his family came had a soap distributor or manufacturer makes this writer want to dig further. to Marshalltown in 1963, employed with Fisher until his CONTRIBUTED PHOTO 1995 retirement. Ron was a compassionate individual, assisting at reserve member from 1948-1951. He had been an Emergency Food Box, House of Compassion and the active member of the local Masonic Lodge and Soup Kitchen besides his church. Survived by his wife enjoyed fishing, classic country music and his family. of 57 years and four children. David “Wally” Waltemeyer, 60, had graduated from David Snyder, 84, was a 1952 Marshalltown High Marshalltown High School in 1975 and was an Army School graduate and had been self-employed with his National Guard veteran. He enjoyed family, fishing Snyder Construction before a fall cut his career short. and digging for collectable bottles. A genuinely nice fellow, he’s survived by his three chilTodd Reisetter, 49, was one of our former employdren and wife Patty. ees here at Riverside Cemetery and could be considFrancis Elmer Daniels, 79, had served two stints ered a “colorful character” in the kindest sense. with the U.S. Army. He also had been employed at Always with a helping hand and friendly laugh or Rock Island Arsenal for many years. Roller skating, smile, his genial manner will be missed. fishing and camping were among his pleasures. From our files of missed obits was that of former Paul Mohr, 89, was a long-time Tama County and In Memoriam Osco Drug Store pharmacist and Iowa Barn enthusiast Gladbrook businessman, fire chief and county supervi- Bill Stone. I recall meeting Bill through his daughters T.R. Tommy Thompson, 90, was a long-time Marsor. Paul was a Mason and Shriner, and in addition shalltown industrialist, community supporter and twofrom my school era, his career at Osco, and his had been an events judge for Antique Automobile term mayor. His passing leaves a void in our city’s involvement with the Isaak Walton League. Always a Club of America. This writer had the opportunity to pride and volunteer effort. Tommy had been a World pleasant man, his passing at 87 also reminds us of his visit with Paul on different occasions and always came interest in nature, with membership in the MarshallWar II U.S. Army veteran serving at the Pentagon. Men of his stature infrequently come along, and he will away with a bit more knowledge than when he arrived. town Bird Club. Al Wagner, 88, had been a U.S. Marine Corps be missed. Velma Eibs, 92, was a 1943 graduate of Marshalltown High School, participating in basketball and softCONTRIBUTED PHOTO ball. Velma had a wide and varied work career with Western Grocer Mills, Rural Electric Administration, farming and finally at Lennox, where she was employed more than 20 years. She had been a member of Our Savior Lutheran Church. Looks like a long well lived life to this author. Donna Graham, 88, had been a long-time Marshalltown Community Schools art instructor. Donna was a veteran member of First United Methodist Church, serving on many boards and committees. She had also taught at the YWCA, Fisher Art Center and adult education center, besides serving as a Girl Scout and 4-H leader. Donna and her husband Les were active travelers, visiting all 48 continental United States. She is survived by husband of 67 years, and three children. James Vajgrt, 82, was a former Marshalltown entre- This photo of Commercial Cartage Company’s vehicles has two unknown people, possibly a father and son. I see where the trucks say they are based in Marshalltown, Iowa but would love to know more. At one time, a reader thought this company was preneur that had most recently been involved in the
people get confused and misCONTINUED | FROM 3 understand its purpose is when they think it is for maintaining an individual grave. That is responsibility of the deceased’s family. The cemetery is to take care of the general upkeep and make sure the interest funds are wisely used. Fortunately, the state audits each perpetual care cemetery on a 3-5-year turn basis and most are governed by trustees elected from the owners. If any of our readers have a question about a rural or country cemetery, myself or one of the CIGS members would be glad to try and help. A visitor stopped by to chat and we got to talking about the former Marshalltown Coca-Cola Bottling Company on North 3rd Avenue. It was fun to reminisce about how the tulip style Coca-Cola bottles rattled through the conveyor system to be filled and that there was a city name embossed on many of those 6ounce bottles. I have many friends who collect the different locations in Iowa and places they have vacationed at. We recalled the family who operated the plant was named Brownlee and I seem to remember a Bruce Brownlee from high school days. Will have to try and locate him and see if there are any photos available of the inside of the plant or their delivery fleet. My friend mentioned that back then you could as the delivery person ‘mix-up’ a case and get not only CocaCola, but orange, root beer or grape. Again, that was the time of personalized, customer service, as seen in many different businesses. Now before I get off on a tangent and start talking about service, I should probably sign off until July’s issue! Thanks for all your comments, calls and letters. Keep them coming as you the readers are the driving force behind the column.
connected to Marshall Canning.
Dorie Tammen
The tragic headline on the October 5, 1959, issue of the Chillicothe, Missouri Constitution-Tribune, recounting the car accident. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
tom on the embankment, coming to rest in the ditch which held water nearly 2 feet deep.” A rather grainy photo in the newspaper shows a car nearly destroyed and barely recognizable, with the top torn completely off. Martha was killed instantly when her head hit the utility pole. Richard had an eye injury and numerous cuts to his head and shoulders and was transported by ambulance to the hospital in Chillicothe. He was listed in good condition the following day, according to the newspaper. Martha’s body was taken to a local Chillicothe funeral home and her father, a doctor in Iowa City, arrived the following day to start funeral arrangements. Martha was then brought to Estel-Perrin Funeral Home in Marshalltown and her funeral was held on Oct. 7, 1959. Martha was buried in a lot belonging to her stepfather’s family on the north side of the lake here at Riverside. (Her stepfather, J. Sidney Johnson, was also raised in Marshalltown and became an executive with the Western Grocer Company and other national grocery businesses in New York City. He is buried here also). A little research told us that Richard Page Abell survived his injuries, eventually married at about age 30, divorced, and married again to a much younger woman who later divorced him. As far as we know, he is still living. We found a photo of his future grave marker online, decorated with a
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In 1959, Martha Susan Scheldrup was a 16-year-old girl born in Iowa City in 1943, but raised in Bronxville, New York. She was the daughter of a Marshalltown girl, Dorothy Ellis, and granddaughter of the Rev. S. E. Ellis, pastor of the First Methodist Church in Marshalltown during the 1930s. We can probably safely assume that Martha and Richard Page Abell, a 17-year-old boy also from Bronxville, were schoolmates. We do know they were in love. On Sept. 31, 1959, a Wednesday, the two of them ran away from home intending to get married as soon as possible. They drove a 1950 Plymouth that belonged to Richard’s aunt of White Plains, New York. Apparently, they didn’t have the aunt’s permission to take the car, since it was reported missing shortly after they left. The two teenagers left New York traveling through the south and into Missouri. There they turned north on US Highway 65 on what was to be the last leg of a journey to the home of Martha’s aunt in Minneapolis, Minn. The marriage hadn’t yet taken place. Was this aunt sympathetic to the teenagers’ marriage plans? Unfortunately, we don’t know. On Sunday, Oct. 4, about four miles south of Chillicothe, Mo., on a rain-slicked road, the car went off the pavement and hit a utility pole. According to the Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune, “The vehicle slid 150 feet along the shoulder and down an embankment where it hit the pole and then rolled 81 more feet to the bot-
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History is alive at Riverside
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finding yesteryear It was decided at the May membership meeting of the Central Iowa Genealogical Society that meetings would be held through the summer months. In the past, the group has always taken a vacation from meetings in June, July and August. The June 2018 meeting will be held on Sunday, June 24 at the Riverside Cemetery. A round table format will allow members and guests to let each other know of problems and solutions found for their various genealogical questions or difficulties. Fortunately, Riverside’s offices have great Wi-Fi, ample seating and air conditioning. Please note the date change from June 17 (Father’s Day) to June 24. Normally meetings are held on the 3rd Sunday of the month. Persons with an interest in genealogy or family tree construction can contact this writer or CIGS group chairperson Judy Nanke at 641-752-4407. The summer months allow for search of cemeteries and cemetery plots seeking out those long-lost relatives. A few things to remember are that cemeteries are most often private property and permission should be sought before entering, and especially if the burial ground is located within an agricultural field. In the smaller communities, the church affiliated with the cemetery is the best place to stop and ask about printed records. Churches always seem to have the birth, baptismal, marriage and deaths on files. This is also a good spot to have a self-powered portable scanner or digital camera for recording the records which often are in ledger form and not easily removed to copy.
In my little cemetery bag, I carry a small rubber mallet, a medium sized pry bar, or as they are often called, a wonder bar. It helps to have some containers of water, a plastic scraper and soft brush to get a better look for a marker that has some lichen growing on its surface. I’m sure you have all seen the super bright flashlights with LED lighting offered on television. These have a powerful white beam and frequently have 10,000 lumens that help a person see the worn surface of a marker. Often the strobe feature will bring out difficult to read areas too. As my age has advanced, I carry a small step stool to rest my knees on and to assist in my getting up off the ground. It would be embarrassing if I had gotten down on the ground to check a marker and then found that I had to crawl back to my car! Some of the ideas presented at the last genealogy society meeting were to have some presentations on explaining DNA tests from the various testing agencies like 23andMe, Ancestry.com and some of the lesser known groups. The members also indicated they would like to see some demonstrations with the dowsing or witching methods of grave locations. I have viewed it being done in the past and it you have the feel for the rods, it can be very helpful. Another member suggested that we have either a scan day offering our services to scan documents, photos and slides, then providing digital images that could be emailed back to the party for their family records. Going right along with this would be the attempt to identify people or places in the photos
Jay Carollo
which often is very challenging, but very rewarding! Fitting in the scheme of things would be deciphering certificates that are filled out in a foreign language. Our group broached the idea of having several tables set up where people could come to get acquainted with the search engines Ancestry.com or FamilySearch.com and then later in the afternoon offering a PowerPoint for genealogy 101. Frequently, folks feel like there is no information out there for them, when in reality, it’s the operation of the program that is mind boggling. My personal goals for the summer is to visit the State Historical Society and tie it in with a trip to the Iowa Genealogical Society and Family History Center in Des Moines. The Des Moines Italian Heritage Society has a museum and research center and I can feel a whole day being spent there! Of course, we must include trips to the B & B Market and Graziano’s Market. Smitty’s Tenderloin Shop and Jim’s Coney Island would make fun lunch stops. A couple of other goals on my own personal quest for completing my family tree are getting certificates and information from the state of New York, now that they have opened up their archives, and learning more about how to delve into those of Connecticut. It should be an interesting time for all, and remember if you have any genealogy-related questions, to contact me at my email address. We’ll report back in July!
Summer months and warm weather reminds this writer of when kids went to Riverview Park and the Municipal Swimming Pool. This colorized scene gives a very casual look to the pool and deck areas, as it was usually mobbed with the youth. Seems to me it cost 25 cents to get in for an afternoon of fun. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Historical Society of marshall County The Historical Society of Marshall County will be joining in a statewide celebration of Iowa’s cultural resources by participating in Iowa Museum Week June 11-17. In honor of the state’s educational, collecting institutions, all of our sites will be available for tours for groups or individuals by contacting the Historical Museum. Our visitors include people of all ages and from all over the country. All are amazed at the wealth of information and the variety of our collection housed in our four sites. Enhancing our community engagement has been the opportunity to make the Mowry Irvine Mansion available for private meetings and events. Iowans may follow the week’s buzz and special offers on social media by checking the hashtag #iowamuseumweek or via the social media aggregator at the bottom of http://bit.ly/IAMuseumWeek. We’ll be spreading the word on our Facebook page as well at https://www.facebook.com/marshallcountyhistory/ Gov. Kim Reynolds completed the week’s formal proclamation at a signing ceremony on May 2, mentioning that Iowa’s museums play an important role in enhancing quality of life throughout the state. She encouraged the citizens of the state to celebrate the week by visiting and supporting an Iowa museum of their choosing. Iowa Museum Week is an initiative of the Iowa Museum Association (IMA), of which the Historical Society of Marshall County is a member. “This year, we are especially proud of the Teaching Iowa History project that museums are currently
participating in, sharing their collections for inclusion in lessons that will be available to all of Iowa’s K-12 teachers,” IMA Director Cynthia Sweet noted. “The project will enhance educators’ abilities to meet the new Social Studies Standards and teach Iowa history.” In keeping with this initiative, the HSMC continues to collaborate with the Marshalltown Community School District by offering full-day fourth grade reenactments at Taylor #4 Country School, and offering research resources to students. We look forward to expanding that collaboration as district-wide curriculums are established. Iowa museum factoids: • Iowa’s approximately 400 museums range from arboretums to zoos. While museums are different in many ways, they are all educational collecting organizations, providing careful stewardship for future generations. • Iowa museums offer over 60,000 public programs every year, many of them free. • By providing learning in an “active” environment, museums offer all ages unique ways to learn, fostering lifelong interests. Active learning environments such as those offered by museums allow for choice and encourage problem solving, critical thinking skills, and creativity. • The American Alliance of Museums reports that the nonprofit arts and cultural industry annually generates over $135 billion in economic activity, supporting more than 4.1 million full-time jobs and returning over $22 billion in local, state, and federal tax revenue.
Our upcoming History on Third Thursday program will be held at 7 p.m. June 21 at Iowa River Brewery. Note change of time and location for this month’s event. In collaboration with the Marshalltown Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, the topic of the evening will be “Then & Now Trivia”. We look forward to a fun and educational evening that will help tie our local past with the present. Though an independent nonprofit, HSMC partners with local groups, businesses, and the Convention and Visitors Bureau by making our sites available to all for a variety of services. We also engage with the community by offering our own free-to-the-public programs and making our board and staff available to give programs and tours to other groups. As always, one of our main services is research assistance and the archive and Frances Rhoades Williams library. We welcome donations of all kinds: collection, archive, or financial. Our organization is not affiliated with the city or county, and for 110 years has relied exclusively on private donors, members, and grants to preserve our local history. Because of this we are grateful for the donations that make it possible for us to maintain the legacy of the Historical Society. For more information, visit www.marshallhistory.org or contact administrator Michelle Roseburrough at (641)752-6664 or marshallhistory@live.com.
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from the historical society
History is alive at Riverside Dorie Tammen Tammen | 5
Pictured is Martha Susan Sheldrup’s grave marker in Section Z-2 overlooking Lake Woodmere at Riverside Cemetery.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
up in Iowa from New York at separate times. When the visitor found out Martha was, indeed, buried at Riverside, she told us she’d been looking for her friend for more than 50 years. Little did she know they were just 60 miles apart.
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pair of cowboy boots and an artist’s paint palette and brush. We wonder if he ever got over the loss of Martha, and if he still thinks of her on occasion. The story of Martha Scheldrup was brought to our attention when a visitor came to Riverside recently. The visitor was originally from New York and now lives in Clive. She and Martha had been close friends when they were young. We were a bit surprised that two childhood friends both ended
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Onno, Jr. died in an accident, but I didn’t know the circumstance s surrounding his demise until I found the ha rrowing acco unt that was published in seve ral newspapers across Iowa on Nov. 5, 1945 . The headline rang out: “Two Me n Burned In Ta nk Explosion At Grundy Cent er.” He died later that day.
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eter. Of course, the photos inside are even tinier. While we tend to associate the popularity of lockets with 19th century fashions, they actually evolved from Egyptian amulets. Lockets allow for people to keep a sentimental tribute to a loved one, literally close to the heart, holding not just a portrait, but also a lock of hair or small note. After spending an afternoon visiting Rose Hill Cemetery in Grundy Center and the church cemetery in rural Holland, paying my respects to my ancestors, I left with more questions than I had answers. How did the Busemans and the Klosterboers while away hot summer days in the countryside, planting and harvesting crops without motorized machinery? How did they endure the brutal Iowa winters, traversing dirt roads with a bobsled pulled by a team of horses, as they had no car and few creature comforts? And yet, they never missed a service at Bethany Presbyterian Church, regardless of how untamed the elements were. How did Martha find the time to raise six children while tending to the home and farm, making the family’s clothes and preparing all of their meals — and still faithfully participate in the church’s Ladies’ Aid Society? What would they think of Smartphones and selfies — our instant gratification society? Heck, what would they make of milks made from soy and almonds? How would they feel about the prejudices and violence that is directed at modern-day immigrants — people who leave their homelands for many of the same reasons my ancestors came here? Was America everything Antje and Onno, Sr. hoped it would be for their family? I hope so. — SEJH ————— Contact Sara Jordan-Heintz at (641) 753-6611 or sjordan@timesrepublican.com
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Jordan-Heintz
Over Memorial Day weekend, my husband Andy and I visited my ancestors in Rose Hill Cemetery in Grundy Center and Pleasant Valley Reformed Church Cemetery in rural Holland. This is the grave of my great-great aunt and uncle, Effie and Onno Klosterboer.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
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permitted to write letters disclosing CONTINUED | FROM 2 their location, so families had no way of knowing whether their loved ones were dead or alive — for months at a time,” my dad Larry Jordan said. “Instead, Armed Forces radio — which transmitted on the shortwave band which many console radios of that era could receive — would broadcast daily casualty reports from the front lines. Jacob built his so-called ‘worry chair’ so he could sit by the radio, usually puffing on his pipe, while he and Martha listened for the names of their sons. George did not serve overseas, however, because as a child he had suffered an accident that blinded him in one eye. He had a glass eye after that — and was still admitted to the service.” Our family preserved that worry chair (which I featured in the February 2017 issue of Past Times), plus Jacob’s corncob pipe. I have both heirlooms in my possession. Sadly, the Klosterboers would lose another family member just months after Martha’s passing. I always knew her brother Onno, Jr. died in an accident, but I didn’t know the circumstances surrounding his demise until I found the harrowing account that was published in several newspapers across Iowa on Nov. 5, 1945. The headline rang out: “Two Men Burned In Tank Explosion At Grundy Center.” Ed Fink’s farm, located three miles east of Grundy Center, was the location of the incident. A garage caught fire and spread to a shed that had a 100-gallon fuel tank inside: “Force of the explosion threw many of the spectators to the ground” according to the wire news. Apparently, my great-great uncle was on the scene to lend whatever support he could. He and John Brown were taken to Waterloo after being critically burned. The other folks that sustained lesser injuries include George Canfield, Grundy Center fire chief; George Hanley and Floyd Rouse, firefighters; Fink and three neighbors. Onno passed away later that day, at age 46. He was survived by his wife, Effie, who outlived him by 48 years, and five children: Edward, Harlan, Vernon, Ivadean and Dorothy. “Aunt Effie had a studio apartment in Grundy Center, and we would stop by to see her,” dad said. “She was such a sweet person.” My Grandma Olga possessed many family keepsakes. After she passed away in 2008, my dad was tasked with the duty of pouring through her many belongings. We marveled at the delicate heirlooms that survived the countless moves and the handprints of Father Time. I’ve documented some of these pieces in past columns, including the Tramp Art jewelry box Jacob made for Martha, and Martha’s German prayer book that recorded births in the family. My dad recently stumbled upon a beautiful locket which contains photos of a very youthful Jacob and Martha — most likely their wedding portraits. The small golden locket measures only one inch in diam-
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