Ben Nannen

NANNEN TAMMEUS WILLIAMS SOUTHALL

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 9/24/2010 at 22:40:00

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Ben Nannen
By Shirley (Williams) Nannen

Ben Nannen was born February 12, 1904 near Delavan in Tazewell County, Illinois, the oldest son of Bernhard and Minnie Tammeus Nannen. HE graduated from Delavan High School and attended Iowa State University at Ames, Iowa, where he was a member of Farmhouse Fraternity. In his senior year at the University, he won the Grand Champion Showmanship award at the Little International Livestock Show. He graduated in December, 1929, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Husbandry and went to Custer County, Nebraska, to manage a ranch.

On June 4, 1931, he was married to Shirley Williams at Pierson, Iowa. She was born in Pierson, December 11, 1905, the only daughter of John and Jennie Southall Williams. She graduated from Pierson High School in 1923 and attended Iowa State University at Ames for two years. Then she taught Home Economics at Dolliver, Iowa, high school for two years, after which she returned to Iowa State University. She was elected to Omicron to Naiad, a swimming club in 1928. In June 1929 she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics Education. For two years she taught Home Economics in the Tipton Consolidated School at Tipton, Cedar County, Iowa.

Ben and Shirley have lived on a farm at the southeast edge of Pierson since 1932. They celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in June 1981.

Ben was country administrator for the Farm Security Administration of the U.S.D.A. from 1935-1938. He was elected to the Farmers Elevator Board of Directors for eighteen years and served six years as President, was on the Pierson School Board, a Union Township Trustee, and County, and State Farm Bureau Board of Directors, and State Farm Bureau Board of Directors. He helped organize the Pierson Blue Ribbon 4-HClub in 1935 and served as its leader for twenty-seven years. He was named the first honorary member of the Woodbury County Boys 4-H Clubs. In 1982 he was granted the ‘Outstanding Senior Citizens Award’ for this county and for two years represented the county at the Older Iowan’s Legislature in Des Moines.

In 1981 Ben and Shirley were honored with the ‘Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award’ from the Woodbury County Farm Bureau.

They have two daughters, Nancy and Lynne. Nancy was born January 28, 1934. She graduated from Pierson High School in 1951 and Iowa State University in 1955 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics. She married John D Burright of Rock Rapids. They have two daughters: Beth Jean, born March 3, 1958; and Janette Sue, born August 14, 1962; and two sons, John Ben, born December 22, 1960, and Blaine Paul, born September 2, 1965.

The Nannen’s second daughter, Lynne, was born September 10, 1936. She was valedictorian of the Pierson High School class of 1954 and attended Iowa State University at Ames where she earned Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Institution Management and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Home Economics Education. She was elected to Omicron Nu, a National Home Economics honorary society. She was administration Dietitian at Methodist (now St Lukes) Hospital in Sioux City, taught at the University of Missouri Medical Center at Columbia, Missouri, was Director of Food Service and Food Service Programs at Des Moines Area Community College at Ankeny, Iowa, and was a dietitian at the Iowa Department of Health. She has had six books published by Iowa State University Press and is now President of Creative Concepts, Food Service of Consultants. She is listed in Who’s Who for Women, Who’s Who in the Midwest, Who’s Who in Business and Industry and the Directory of Distinguished Americans.

She was married to Claire Ross and has two daughters: Joyce Lynne, born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, March 10, 1960; and Brenda Jean, born in Des Moines, Iowa, April 20,1966. Both graduated from Ankeny, Iowa High School.