Nichols, Iowa Centennial Book
Nichols - Our Town - 1984
NICHOLS DAY 1978
Nichols, Iowa Centennial Book 1884-1984, pages 94-95
Nichols Day a Great Success I’m sure many Nichols residents were unusually pre-occupied with thinking about the weather toward the last of the week – you often heard the question, “What’s the forecast for Saturday?” “What are we going to do if it rains?” So it was with great relief that no heavy clouds were hanging in the west and no sounds of thunder were heard Saturday morning, the few light clouds were soon burned away by a hot sun and a typical Iowa June day was in the making – it would get very warm and humid but no rain would mar the Nichols Day celebration of 1978.
Slow pitch softball games were in progress at the school grounds starting at 9 a.m. but the celebration really got started with the parade at 1 p.m. and crowds lined the street; estimated over 1200 in town during the day. The fire truck led the way, followed by the West Liberty high school marching band, they played peppy tunes and were wearing their new uniforms. The grand marshalls, Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Kirchner, were seated in a white Cadillac, driven by Burt Carter and riding with Burt was his brother-in-law, Jim Laughlin of Buffalo.
Edna Kirchner commented later, “I was thinking, as we were riding along the parade route, that I had come to Nichols in 1928, fifty years ago, and had walked along these same streets many times. I never imagined that one day I would ride in a white Cadillac as the grand marshall for Nichols Day. Floyd and I want to thank the committee for choosing us for this honor – it was a wonderful experience.”
There were over 100 entries in the parade, complimentary comments were heard throughout the day that people thought it had been an outstanding parade. Hub Elder was in charge of organizing the parade and lining it up. The winning entries are as follows:
Floats – commercial: 1 The Beer Garden; 2 Hester Girls; 3 Terra Eastern; 4 Plank Implement.
Costumes: 1 Danny Ruess children; 2 Tommy Lee; 3 Jay and Ray Lanfier; 4 Wayne and Ellen Albrecht.
Mini-bikes: 1 John Oostendorp; 2 Tyson Priest; 3 Hank Priest; 4 Jeff Sprague.
Horses: 1 Marion Barnhart; 2 Teresa Shultz; 3 Steven Shultz; 4 Gary Hahn.
Miscellaneous: 1 Apropos; 2 Ron Johns; 3 Brian Costas.
Bicycle: 1 Barbara Beik; 2 Pike Grange (Ray and Jay Lanfier); 3 Robbie Hillyer; 4 Connor kids.
Hitches: 1 Mearl Nebergall; 2 Bob Metcalf; 3 Charles Newcomb; 4 Red Viner.
Cars: 1 Calvin Purdy-Model T; 2 George Blackwood-Model T; 3 Phil Mills-Model A-1930; 4 Wendling Quarries – a 1928 firetruck.
Non-commercial float: 1 Pol-Kats; 2 St. Mary’s; 3 Rochester Rockettes; 4 Christian Church.
Best over-all parade entry: Nichols Apropos Federated Club “Bicycle Built for Two.” Ann Wieskamp and Carol Kaalberg were on one bike and Cindy Ruess and Sandi Green on the other bike, dressed in turn of the century costumes. Ann and Cindy were dressed as men. From my observation point I was able to see the bike that Ann and Carol were riding better. Ann had a magnificent handlebar mustache and Carol was dressed in a long, full skirted black dress and black picture hat and they were singing “On a Bicycle Built for Two.” It looked to me like Ann was having to concentrate hard on her steering. Sandi told me that she and Cindy had been practicing riding the night before and they were in their costumes and took a spill. Sandi’s costume was torn, so Friday night she had to fix a completely new costume.
Varied activities took place after the parade. Brisk business was done at the beer tent sponsored by the Nichols Nockers. There was the tug-of-war. Four teams participated and it ended in a tie between Morrison Roofing and Larry Morrison’s team. St. Mary’s had charge of Bingo at the fire station. Pike Peppy Pals girls 4-H had a bake sale.
At the park the cake walk, sponsored by the Christian church CWF, was in progress. There were 40 cakes to be “walked” for. Incidentally, if Leroy Marine looks like he has gained weight within the next few weeks, it is because he “won” seven cakes. He wanted a chocolate cake but seemed like he kept winning angel food (not so many calories!). Leroy donated some of the cakes to the Methodist church supper. Rusty Grim and Max Chown acted as barkers.
Pike Plucky Pikers boys 4-H club sponsored the car shams. The Grange was in charge of the dunking booth. The KWPC mobile unit was on hand with Ron Edwin and Steve Bridges.
At the school grounds the championship game of slow pitch mixed softball was being played. The winning team was the Odd Couples. Playing on that team: Patti Koenig and Gus Garcia, Bob and Robin Hansen, Jean and Don Feldman, Cathy and Steve Simon, Dick and Diane Buysse, Ron and Cindy Lehman, Jacque and Ken Hammons. The runner up was The Golden Gloves and on that team: Phil McIntire and Pam Walker, Tom Hillyer and Marla Duncan, Andy DeRiemaker and Chris Dotson, Terry and Teresa Ruess, Steve Wicks and Karen Thurness, Jerry Kiwala and Karen Wicks.
The Apropos club was in charge of children’s games held at the school grounds during the afternoon. Winners were:
Age 0-3 - 25 yard dash: 1 Terra Lenz, 2 Cindy McCormick, 3 Gabe Brown. Balloon sit: 1 Terra Lenz, 2 Andy Buysse, 3 Gabe Brown. Ball throw: 1;Gabe Brown, 2 Cindy McCormick, 3 Jodi Albrecht.
Age 4-6 - 25 yard dash: 1 Josh Peterson; 2 Brad Koenig; 3 March Willier. Balloon sit: 1 Adam Ruess, 2 Angie Sexton, 3 Brian Fuhrmeister. Ball throw: 1 Brad Koenig, 2 John Christofferson, 3 Marcy Willier.
Age 7-9 - 50 yard dash: 1 Joe Fuhrmeister, 2 John Oostendorp, 3 Tammy Brown. Wheel barrow: 1 Joe Fuhrmeister and John Oostendorp, 2 Russ Sexton and Kory Kaalberg, 3 Mitchell Burr and Mike Buysse. Three legged race: 1 Sue Feldman and March Hatfield, 2 Jackie Buysse and Tammy Brown, 3 John Oostendorp and Joe Fuhrmeister.
Age 10-12 - 50 yard dash: 1 Angie Peterson, 2 Greg Dauber, 3 Dick Brown. Wheel barrow: 1 Ronnie Han and Greg Dauber; 2 Tommie Peterson and Sandee Buysse, 3 Shelly Buysse and Andy Feldman. Three legged race: 1 Jay Lanfier and Brad Shingledecker, 2 Kathy Buysse and Angie Peterson, 3 Tommie Peterson and Sandee Buysse.
Age 13-15 - 50 yard dash: 1 Paul Sprague, 2 Vic Braun, 3 Gina Hagmeier. Wheel barrow: 1 Bryan Smith and Vic Braun, 2 Paul Sprague and Jay lanfier, 3 Donae Buser and Wendy Swenka. Three legged race: 1 Jay Lanfier and Paul Sprague, 2 Donae Buser and Mary Maas, 3 Tommy Lee and Troy Liddell.
Age 16 and over - 50 yard dash: 1 Steve Thurness, 2 Wayne Machovec, 3 Keith Brown. Wheelbarrow: 1 Don Kelly and Wayne Machovec, 2 Kevin Ruegsegger and Steve Thurness, 3 Linda Hillyer and Jeff Achenbach. Three legged race: 1 Kevin Ruegsegger and Steve Thurness, 2 Wayne Machovec and Don Kelly, 3 Chris Roth and Kathy Scharff.
Nichols Day T shirts, sold by Burt’s Tap and ball team were much in evidence. A large crowd attended the Methodist church supper. Serving started at 4:30 and continued until 8. The MYF had a lemonade stand on wheels.
In the early evening many assembled at the park. Paul Wilson and Harold Brock entertained the crowd with country western music during the evening. At 8 the names of the winners of the raffle tickets were drawn. T. J. Nicoletti of Davenport won the microwave oven, Wilma Mills, Nichols won the 10 speed bicycle and Forest Maxwell of Conesville won the air pot.
After the drawing Paul and Harold continued with singing and playing guitar for another hour.
A large crowd attended the free dance held at Kile’s building featuring the “Good Times.”
I think the planning committee and all others connected in any way with the day are to be commended for the fine work they did. It was most gratifying to see what an excellent clean-up job had been done by Sunday evening.
CELEBRATION IN OUR TOWN
Nichols, Iowa Centennial Book 1884-1984, pages 145-146
This story was printed in the West Liberty Enterprise Thursday, 8 June 1978. It was written by Alberta Metcalf Kelly, who signed herself Our Town’s Old Timer.Nichols through the twentieth century has been a town that likes to celebrate. Early indoor celebrations were staged at the Nichols Opera House, above what is now the Elder Implement Company.
The old opera house was the setting for the Community Christmas “get togethers,” the church bazaars, the lodge festivities, the town basketball games, the home talent plays, the visiting lyceums and lecturers, like Billy Sunday; the dances and concerts.
Several will remember their high school class play staged in the opera house, with its four dressing rooms, its acetylene apron lights, its rolldown canvas front scenery – outdoors and indoors. Or they might recall the Royal Neighbors sunbonnet drills of Miss Mayme Foley’s Maypole dance, or Miss Laurentia Rolland’s piano and violin recitals; or the visiting hypnotist; or Lloyd Shannon’s 22-piece men’s orchestra concert before they set off on a Chautauqua tour of the United States in 1921.
Gone now, except in memory, with the steadily encroaching technological age of so-called progress!!
Some will remember the Saturday night band concerts – all stores and restaurants open – the street pop corn machine – Reos, Stoddard-Daytons and early Fords parked everywhere.
The town band was the community’s “pride and joy.” The first band shell was a two-story structure, north of the Kaiser-Heizer store; then a portable plank affair on the opposite side of the street; and the present band enclosure, donated by Ben and Jessie Swickard, located in the park. Ironically, this permanent structure stands idle most of the time now because there is no town band.
At one time Grant Nichols from West Liberty came down to train our band, and several of our members always played at the West liberty fair with their band. Among others, there were Clell Reynolds and Ward Reynolds (regulars formerly with Ringling Circus), Harolde Rummells, Amos Borgstadt, Al Quimby, Willard Rice, Harry Shannon and Lloyd Shannon. The first outdoor celebration we remember was on Fourth of July in the early 1900s. Bert Metcalf and Ina Metcalf, dressed as Uncle Sam and Columbia, led the parade on two white riding horses. They were followed by church and lodge floats and the band, of course.
As Mayor, Mr. Metcalf told his wife that it took him three years at $3 a session to buy the new blue range for their kitchen.
Some will also recall the children’s parade and circus in Rice’s barn in the south of town. After trapeze “artists,” the play, “Grandpa’s Lost Shoe” was the highlight. Dog carts, cats in cages, pet lambs and goats and ponies, and a miniature rhythm band formed the parade.
Sauerkraut day in the twenties is a memory for many. William Loeb had a sauerkraut factory in the east part of town. Sauerkraut juice was sold by the quart and gallon. Sauerkraut and hot dogs were free to those attending.
After World War II, when the park was dedicated, there seemed to be a lapse in town activities. It took the Apropos Club to spark a renewal with their historic 1976 Bicentennial celebration and the succeeding Nichols Days – this year’s is scheduled for June 24.
It’s gr-r-r-reat to have a returning Community feeling in this mobile year of 1978.
Centennial Book Contents Return to Muscatine Co. IAGenWeb, Index Page
Page created January 19, 2011 by Lynn McCleary