LYON COUNTY GENEALOGY

 

ARVID AND WILMA NEWBERG

Wilma Dickman was born in 1898, and moved to Lester with her mother and father in the year of 1907. They lived in Lester until 1939 or 1940. Wilma married Arvid Newberg in 1926 and remained in Lester until 1981, when Arvid died. She then moved to Rock Rapids, Iowa in Rosewood Heights in 1982.

Arvid was the barber in Lester and Wilma worked the Campbell Grocery Store for many years.

Minnie Dickman came from California to take care of her mother and father, Mr. and Mrs. Christ Dickman, and she lived in the family home until she died in 1968.

Wilma recalls, in the year of 1916 they had one of the first girls basketball teams in Lyon County. They played boys rules and were coached by Ray Bonyage. They wore black stockings and black knee length bloomers.

Also, Wilma remembers they had a band in Lester, and also a bandstand located on the west end of Main Street. They celebrated Children’s Day, when they picked a king and queen and had parades down the streets with each child carrying a U.S. Flag. The band was leading the way followed by the king and queen sporting each a gold watch.

Other special days of activities were Ring Riding, Ox Shooting Day and big dances where everyone wore a mask and costume to try to win a prize.