My parents were Claude and Adda DINKEL. They both were born in Ringgold County in Iowa. They were living in Benton when my brother Paul and I were born. My birthday is August 22, 1904, and Paul's is October 6, 1906. Paul and I went to school in Benton. We started to school in the old, two-room building and graduated from the new high school building.

While young, we always enjoyed the summer ice cream suppers and the outdoor moving picture shows. We all looked forward to the fall church suppers. The town band was always ready to play for special occasions.

My father and his parents, Mike and Martha, owned a restaurant when I was a small child.

When I was about five years old, we moved to Colorado. In 1910, we returned to Benton where Dad purchased a store. He operated this store until 1921, when he sold it to Mr. HICKENLOOPER. Dad then worked for Sam HALL in his store. Later, we moved to Diagonal where Dad managed the Farmer's Store.

We later moved back to Benton where Dad operated a restaurant. After selling it, we moved to Mount Ayr.

In 1935, we moved to Maryville, Missouri. I went to college there and received by (sic) B.S. degree in elementary education from Northwest Missouri State University.

I taught eleven years in rural schools and at Knowlton, Iowa in Ringgold County. After moving to Maryville, I taught fourteen years in rural schools in Nodaway County and nine years in Pickering, Missouri.

In 1958, I moved to Livingston County in Missouri where I taught at Southwest High School for three years. In 1961, I moved to Blue Springs, Missouri, where I taught fourteen years. I retired in 1975 and moved to Hopkins, where I now live.

My mother passed away in December of 1951, and Dad passed away in May of 1959 [they were interred in Rose Hill Cemetery, Mount Ayr]. My brother now lives in Greenfield, Iowa.

SOURCE: 1887 - Benton, Iowa Centennial - 1987. p. 166. Courtesy of Mount Ayr Public Library, Mount Ayr IA

Transcriptions and notes by Sharon R. Becker, October of 2012

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