Nichols, Iowa Centennial Book
Stories of Early Nichols
GOOD NEIGHBOR DEED
Nichols, Iowa Centennial Book 1884-1984, pages 180-181
This story was found in the Muscatine Journal of Wednesday, 12 November 1975.
It was written by Allan Winder, area news editor of the Journal.Lawrence Salemink, who has lived for forty years next to the bluff west of Nichols, has accumulated quite a few neighbor-friends over the years.
“He doesn’t have an enemy in the world,” said a neighbor last week as he helped pick Salemink’s corn in one of the midwest’s traditional neighborhood gatherings.
Salemink, who underwent exploratory surgery for cancer in August, was unable to harvest his crops this fall and his neighbors – some 43 of them – came to help.
They brought with them seven self-propelled combines, 25 tractors, two corn pickers, three semi trailer trucks, four straight trucks, elevators, augers, countless wagons and plenty of manpower.
Total value of the machinery was probably over $250,000.
About 150 acres of corn were to be harvested, a good long day for even such an army.
Salemink had taken part in his share of such good-neighbor events over the years.
“Went up over the hill there and helped a neighbor pick corn by hand in the thirties,” he said, watching the scene from a pickup truck.
Salemink farms for three different landowners, so loads of corn from different fields had to be kept straight on their journey to Muscatine. Earlier, neighbors had helped him harvest 100 acres of soybeans.
Helping with the harvest, according to Salemink, were Virgil Braun, Jerry Elder, Bernard Kline, Eugene Walker, Eugene Salemink, Emmett O’Toole Jr., Emmett O’Toole Sr., Duane Neff, Jack Salemink, Pat Carter, Don Carter, Mark Elder, Steve Salemink, Brian Connell, Cecil Stalkfleet, Ron Wieskamp, Gayle Kaalberg, Leo Connell, Larry Salemink, Von Crawford, James O’Toole, Bob Fuhrmeister, Harold Hintermeister, Don Kasper, Harley Kirk0patrick, Kenny Lenz, Wes Steinocher, Don Wildasin, Tim Wildasin, Eugene Brugman, Don Walker, Ronnie King, Cloyd Phelps, Don Maas, Harry Attig, Roy Braun and Willard Salemink.
Ladies helping with the lunch were Mary Steinocher, Thelma Connell, Connie Simmonds, Janice Salemink, Margaret Kaalberg and Karleen O’Toole.
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