Helen Jandt Durlin

DURLIN JANDT ALDRIDGE

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 4/20/2010 at 20:09:50

Woodbury County History 1984

Helen Jandt Durlin
By Helen Jdandt Durlin

I am the granddaughter of H A Jandt, and the daughter of Will and Mabel Aldridge Jandt. The H. A. Jandt family arrived in Sioux City shortly after the Civil War.

I was born July 4, 1903, in a house on 8th Street between Court and Virginia. When I was four years old we moved farther up on Virginia. I attended kindergarten at Irving School. Later that fall we moved to the H A Jandt home on 6th and Jennings, and I was transferred to the Armstrong School on 8th and Pierce, where Miss Hubbard (another old Sioux City name) was my kindergarten teacher. Many years later I again attended the Armstrong School when it was housing the Sioux City Normal Training School (a baby of M G Clark, a fine Superintendent of Schools in Sioux City. The same year, when I was five yers old, we moved again, to 1133 24th Street and I attended Floyd School – then Hunt School and Sioux City High School, later called Central. That magnificent building, ‘The Castle on the Hill’, holds many fond memories. I hope it finds a usefull and ornamental part in the future of Sioux City. I graduated in 1922, and in 1972, we had a really superb reunion-our one and only!

A number of things stand out in my mind from my childhood. One is going to Pete Kirkade’s Candy Kitchen on lower 4th. Pete had a small (child’s) ice cream table and chairs. He always made a fuss over me and put me at the little table and served my ice cream there.

Another special was picnicing at Riverside Park. My mother and two younger sisters and I (sometimes a few friends) would ride the street car-transferring downtown to the open cars which went to Riverside Park. We carried a big picnic basket, a hammock, a watermelon, and balls to play with. It was great fun and riding in the open cars was a lark. The old ‘figure 8’ (a roller coaster) was in the park and a sun place to take what we tought was a thrilling ride. Later they also had a roller skating rink where I broke my arm; they took me to a doctor in the Army Camp ‘Camp Eaton’, which was located near the park. This was during World War I. I loved the little bandstand where Mose Reed’s band giave many summer concerts, many of which we attended. The park had a few cottages which people could rent during the summer. I spent a happy week one summer in one of those cottages with the Seavey family. Around the cottage, the violets were thick, and we spent many hours picking huge bouquets of violets, beautiful, deep purple ones.

I remember the huge family get-togethers at the H A Jandt mansion. These took place almost every Sunday and all holidays. Another highlight was attending the old Peavey Grand Opera House with Abby Kneedler and seeing the stage play, ‘Peg O’ My Heart’. It (the opera house) was really a fabulous place! We sat up in the third balcony and my mother let me take her opera glasses so I might see the players better. I must have been eight or ten years old at that time.

Stone Park holds many fond memories: Picnics, a party at the Hoyt cabin, and the lush beauty of the park itself. In later years dances at the dance hall was great. When the Zoo was there that was an attraction, too.

I also remember my folks talking about the Pelletier fire. I have a Haviland cup and saucer which came out of the ruins of that fire. I also remember my dad talking about the Corn Palaces. I have some medallions which came from them.

Another pleasant memory is the Interstate Fair, which was held at the Fair Grounds adjoining Riverside Park. Monday was Children’s Day (free entrance for kids). School was dismissed and I usually spent the whole day there (rain or shine!). My dad and my brother, Carroll, worked thre and I got many complimentary tickets for the rides.

The Ruff disaster stands out in my mind. It was horrible!

Fond memories are connected with the Paramount Café – Coney Island. (I believe I helped open it, and they are still my favorite hot dogs some sixty years later). I started going there when I was in high school, and now I go with my grandchildren.

The Davidson Tea Room was a delightful place. I cashiered there one summer. Martin’s Tea Room, on the balcony, was a place I took my two oldest grandchildren. They loved it! Another interesting place was the Oasis, with its revolving bar-and the Mandarin ‘a Chinese restaurant’- the West Hotel and their singer ‘Big Emma’ – all had their particular charms.

I married Edward J Durlin in 1928. He died in 1939. My father had died in 1936. I have one daughter, Janet (Mrs C D Hansen, four grandchildren, Kirk, Lisa, Lori and Todd, and one great grandson, Andrew Koester. They wer all here to celebrate my 80th birthday, July 4, 1983. It was a delightful time. By the ingenuity of the grandchildren, I received a birthday card from the President and Mrs Reagan, and a beautiful flag which had flown over the State House in Des Moines on the 4th.

A sad memory is the recent loss of my brother, Carroll H Jandt, in January of 1982. He was 86 years old, a former fruit broker, County Recorder, and a real estate man. I have a younger sister, Lucile Jandt Crouch (Mrs O L) who lives in Sioux City, and another sister (between Lucile and I), Doris Jandt House of Phoenix, Arizona.

After attending School City Norman (Mr Clark’s Teachers’ College), I began teaching at the old Lincoln School in 1924, retiring in 1968. I attended Wayne, Nebraska, and Trinity College and received my B.A. degree from Morningside College in 1939. I accumulated thirty graduated hours from Vermillion, Greely, Drake, Lincoln, and Iowa City.

I am a 63-year member of First Presbyterian Church, where I sang in the choir for over thirty years. I was director of the primary department of the first Vacation Bible School held there, when Dr E F Rippey was minister. I have served as deaconess and am now active in church circles and UPW. I am a member of the Sioux City Retired Teachers’, Sioux City Women’s Club, Nile, PEO Chapter H Z, and the Senior Citzen Center.

I was born, raised, and educated, and raised my family and made my living in Sioux City, I think that has been a privilege! Sioux City is a wonderful place to be from! It’s a wonderful place in which to live!