Selected news briefs edited from


Odebolt ~ Early ~ Wall Lake
Official Sac County Newspaper, Established 1877
Jerry & Becky Wiseman, Publishers
The below contains news items of interest  to Odebolt residents. The Chronicle also contains news from Wall Lake,
Early, Nemaha, Schaller and Sac County.  Individual issues are on sale at The Chronicle office or by subscription. 

The Chronicle, Volume 113, Number 13
March 25, 2004

 The Mayor Sez . . .
     If you missed the brunch put on by the Richland Robins and the OA-Showmen 4-H’ers the other Sunday, you missed a lot. You missed seeing a group of kids, O-A 4-H kids, who represent the future, not only for OA but for our great State of Iowa and for the United States of America. These kids are the leaders of tomorrow. I am not talking about just a few; I am talking about 20 to 30 kids that were neat, courteous, friendly, and have already learned the values of volunteerism. I congratulate the parents and leaders of this group, too. Hey, the omelets were simply delicious! I even saw some getting seconds. We salute!
     I read the following in a recent municipality publication, “So Who Are The Cave People?” This is a clever acronym for “Citizens Against Virtually Everything”. This recently surfaced at a conference as execs struggled to put a handle on negative influences in their communities. You all know who they are! They’re a handful of citizens in every community whose job is to hide out until a positive community project is proposed, then surface to write negative letters to the editor and otherwise try to squelch the plan. They like living in the dark, but it doesn’t stop them from becoming very vocal when they emerge. Primitive? Yes, but they can be devious, too! The best tools against them are positive press, logic, and the attitude that “I shall not roll around in the gutter with these people”.
     Thanks to Ralph Godfrey for sharing what a prestolite looks like and how it works. He had one!
From the Bolt!
   R. J. Rex, Mayor of Odebolt

Chamber of Commerce Minutes

New Officers - The Odebolt Fire Department held their annual dinner and dance on Saturday, March 20th at Herby's Bar & Grill in Odebolt.  The meal consisted of prime rib, chicken, and shrimp, baked potatoes and salad bar.
     Following the meal, awards were given out to various members of the department.  Bill Wright was awarded a plaque for his many years of service to the department.  Travis Reis received a plaque for Fireman of the Year.  Mike Hoefling and Jeff Bengford were recognized as new members to the department.
   New officers were also introduced.  They are Chief Bill Tysor; Foreman James Pierce, Assistant Foreman Brad Buller; Training Officer Mark Horsely, 1st Assistant Carl Hemer; and 2nd Assistant Bobby Schlender.
     A benefit dance followed the dinner at the Odebolt Community Center where people from the community joined the fire department.

Odebolt-Arthur PreKindergarten Round-Up will be held Tues., April 13 at 7 p.m. at the school.  PreKindergarten includes both 4 year old preschool age children and 5 year old Alternative Kindergarten age students. 
     Parents:  if your child will attend kindergarten but has not attended PreK, you are invited to attend.  If your child is now in PreK, you do not need to attend.  
     Please bring immunization records, birth certificate, and any special needs evidence.  This meeting is for parents.  Students will have the opportunity for visits later in the spring.  Call the elementary office at 668-2767 if you have questions. 

The Goodwill Ambassador Trailer will be accepting donated items at  the Evangelical Free Church parking lot in Arthur beginning April 1 until April 7, 2004.

Sac Co. Relay for Life - It's time to get your team together for the 2004 Sac Co. Relay for Life which will be held Saturday, June 19 at the Sac City High School track.  Chairman Maxine Bettin urges residents to start organizing their teams now.  Teams can range from 8 to 15 persons of all ages.  The Relay for Life is the American Cancer Society's signature activity with proceeds going toward cancer research.  For more information call 668-4390.  Read more about it in The Chronicle!

A severe weather test drill will be held on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 at 10 a.m. and will last 30 minutes.  It will contain a practice tornado watch warning and ending statement.  The purpose is to increase the public's awareness and knowledge of severe weather and other Iowa hazards during Severe Weather Awareness Week in Iowa, from March 29 to April 2.

Raasch Receives Senior Award - Megan Raasch, daughter of Bruce & Polly Raasch of Odebolt received one of two "Outstanding Senior" scholarships, given by the Ag Education and Studies faculty at the 52nd Annual Iowa Sate University Farm Operations Club Banquet February 29, 2004.  Megan will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Science degree in Ag Studies.

COME TO THE SCHOOL PLAY! - March 26, 7:30 p.m., Bart Ogden Gymnasium.  Odebolt-Arthur High School Drama students will present "Twelve Angry People" which takes place in a jury room and is a character study rather than a plot-driven story.  The deliberations of a jury in a murder trial take on very personal expressions in the jury room, making the jurors look at themselves, as much as the evidence.  Rev. Rick Johnson directs the cast members: Matthew Rydberg, Jenilynn Blair, Abby Buehler, Jakob Miethe, Janice Larson, Jordan Walsh, Peter Larson, Liz Milligan, Nick Frank, Jen Bergman, Nick Rohlf, Katie Bell and Chelsea Larson.

Bobzien First in Arm Wrestling - Ben Bobzien of Odebolt was one of 28 entries participating in the Fireside Lounge Arm Wrestling Championships held in Atlantic, Iowa on March 13, 2004 as part of the American Armsport Assoc. Sanction #758.03.  His participation in the Men's Novice Right Handed division earned him first place in the 155-189 lb. subdivision.  AAA National Championships will be hosted in Des Moines on May 14-15.  see www.armwrestle.com for more information.

OBITUARY:  Donna Druivenga Ekstrom, age 75, of Odebolt, Iowa, died Thursday, March 18, 2004, at her home following a seven-week illness with cancer.
     Memorial services were held 11 a.m. Monday, March 22, 2004, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Odebolt, with The Reverend Albert Buelow officiating. Private inurnment will be in the Odebolt Cemetery at a later date. Christensen-Huffman Funeral Home, Odebolt, was in charge of professional arrangements.
     Donna Astrid Elizabeth Hanson Druivenga Ekstrom was born March 7, 1929, in Odebolt, Iowa, the daughter of Albert and Elsie (Purdy) Hanson. She attended school in Odebolt, graduating in 1947. She then entered the Lutheran School of Nursing in Sioux City, Iowa.
     On March 14, 1949, she married Raymond Fred Druivenga of Arthur in Sioux City, Iowa. They were blessed with two children, Donarae and Paul.
     Donna graduated from Buena Vista College in 1967, and, from 1967 to 1995, taught English at the Ida Grove Public Schools. She was a representative for the "Youth for Understanding Exchange Student Program." The family hosted ten exchange students in their home. Through the years, she was able to take many trips to Europe and South America to visit with her former students and their families.
     Her husband, Raymond, passed away in 1981, and on August 9, 1997, she was united in marriage with John Ekstrom in Odebolt.
     Donna was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, Tuesday Club, was President of Friends of the Library, and was an active participant in the Horn Memorial 500 Marathon for over 30 years.
     Survivors include her husband, John; two children, Donarae Cleveland and husband Daryl of Odebolt, and Paul Druivenga of North Liberty, Iowa; and three grandchildren, Brad Cleveland of Odebolt, and Stuart and Nathan Druivenga of North Liberty, Iowa.
     In addition to her first husband, Donna was preceded in death by her parents.

OTHER NEWS

From the Ida County Courier on-line:
O-A Citizen Advisory Committee minutes 
O-A Sports News

Below information from Amarillo Globe-News, March 27, 2004
Obituary: Helen Story, 99, died Thursday, March 25, 2004.  Memorial services were held March 27 in First Presbyterian Church, Dumas, Texas, with the Rev. Benjamin Seller, minister, officiating. A second service was held 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 30 at Odebolt United Methodist Church in Odebolt, Iowa, with burial in Odebolt Cemetery.
     Mrs. Story was born May 2, 1904, in Odebolt. She was a homemaker. She was a member of Odebolt United Methodist Church. She was a Dumas resident since 1985, moving from Odebolt.
     She was preceded in death by her husband, Lawrence Story; a son, Robert Story; three brothers; and a sister.
    Survivors include a daughter, Jeannine Atkisson of Dumas; a grandson,  a granddaughter, two great-grandchildren; and a great-great-grandchild.
     The family suggests memorials be to Odebolt United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 459, Odebolt, IA 51458; or Order of the Eastern Star, P.O. Box 43, Dumas, TX 79029.

AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER, MARCH 25

The first mural is up on the east
wall of the Community Center.
See the OCC Page for a closer look!  

click photo to enlarge
A group of seniors relax and play cards after
Congregate Meals at the Community Center.

The Mayor Sez…
     On behalf of the City of Odebolt I would like to express my appreciation to our American Legion Post #313 for the magnanimous contribution they have made in memorializing our area veterans who have served this country in the past one hundred years.  The hard work, dedication, and leadership to see this project to its ultimate successful completion has been above and beyond the call of duty. We appreciate all the efforts of the Odebolt Legion Post in our community. We proudly salute!
 - From the Bolt!
   R. J. Rex, Mayor of Odebolt

We Salute the Agricultural Industry During
NATIONAL AGRICULTURE WEEK
March 14 - 20, 2004

     One in five Iowans are either directly or indirectly employed by the state's agriculture industry.  Nearly $20 billion of economic activity is generated.  Add that to the 279 people that are fed by just one Iowa farmer and You've got plenty of reason to celebrate Iowa agriculture!
    Take time to thank the producers that live and work on the nearly 93,000 Iowa farms during National Ag Week, March 14 - 20.
    Iowa ranks first nationally in the production of pork, corn, beans and eggs.  Iowa farmers are also among the nation's leaders in beef, dairy, turkey, poultry, hay and lamb production. 
     The state is a leader in ethanol and biodiesel production, and ranks 10th nationally in wind energy potential, helping farmers access additional sources of revenue while reducing American's dependence on foreign sources of energy. 
     National Ag Week will culminate with National Ag Day on March 20, which is also the first day of spring.

We salute all farmers during
Ag Week, March 14-20, 2005

Odebolt Lumber
Mike Olerich, Manager
125 North Main, Odebolt
712- 668-2248
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Cropmate
119 N. Walnut, Odebolt
712-668-2734
Talk to us when you need chemicals.
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PIONEER AG CENTER
Larry Schulte & Thad Diersen
30 W. Market, Odebolt
712-668-2266
See us for your BT Corn needs.
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Swanson Insurance and Real Estate
211 S. Main St., Odebolt
For all your agricultural insurance needs,
contact Mick. 812=668-2283
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FRIEDRICHSEN TRUCKING
For all your livestock hauling
558-4148 or 1-800-668-4150
AND
FRIEDRICHSEN REAL ESTATE
For all your real estate needs ...
Call Wanita 668-4148
------------------------------------------------

4-H Annual Omelet Brunch was held March 14, 2004.  The Richland Robins and O-A Showmen 4-H clubs served approximately 350 people at the event.  Free will donations were given with proceeds going to the Odebolt Swimming Pool. 

Obituary: Memorial services for Sylvia E. Brodersen, 90, of Odebolt, were held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, March 8 at Faith Lutheran Church in Odebolt, Iowa. Sylvia passed away on Thursday, March 4, 2004 at Odebolt Nursing and Rehab Center in Odebolt. The Rev. Patricia Underberg officiated. Music was provided by soloist Ila Oxendale and congregational singing accompanied by organist Arlene Sundell.  Burial was in St. Paul Lutheran/Midway Cemetery, rural Battle Creek, Iowa.
     Born April 8, 1913, at Midway, rural Battle Creek, Sylvia was the daughter of Swen and Ella (Henke) Brodersen. She moved with her family to a farm near Anthon, Iowa, at the age of 2. She graduated from Anthon High School in 1931, and from Sioux City Beauty Academy. She earned her bachelor of arts degree from Buena Vista College in Storm Lake, Iowa, she then did graduate work at Drake University, the University of Northern Iowa, University of Iowa and Morningside College.
     Sylvia taught school for 43 years, including rural schools in Woodbury and Sac counties and elementary schools in Odebolt, Rodman and Fort Dodge, Iowa. She also taught school one year in Germany with the Department of the Army.
     After retiring in June 1976, she traveled to all 50 states, Canadian provinces, Mexico and most of Europe. Her hobbies included photography, reading and gardening. She lived on an acreage north of Odebolt and later moved into an apartment in town. Since 2002, she had been a resident of Odebolt Nursing and Rehab Center.
     Sylvia was a member of Faith Lutheran Church, Sarah Circle, Bible Study Group and had served as church council secretary. She belonged to the Iowa State Education Association, National Education Association, American Association of University Women and National Retired Teachers Association. She had been an active member of the Odebolt Garden Club, Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary and had been an Odebolt Nursing Home volunteer.
     She is survived by two nephews, Kurt and Mark and his wife, Sandi; a great-nephew, Carl; and several cousins.
     She was preceded in death by her parents; two brothers, Victor E. Brodersen and Marvin Brodersen; and two sisters, Vilma B. Rehm and Vesta Brodersen in infancy.

OTHER NEWS

SCHOOL TREES TO BE REMOVED

Photo courtesy of Dorothy (Fox) Evans, class of '59

Two trees in front of what was once the entrance to the old High School building will soon be history  The School Board directed Supt. Johnson to have the evergreen trees removed as soon as possible at the Board's March 15 meeting.

Death:  Donna Druivenga Ekstrom (Mrs. John Ekstrom) age 75, passed away Thursday evening, March 18 at her home in Odebolt. Funeral services were Monday, March 22, at 11:00 a.m., Trinity Lutheran Church, Odebolt.  Obituary from Ida County Courier

(Posted March 18)

• March 15 O-A School Board Minutes from Ida County Courier, by Deb Loger - The Odebolt-Arthur School Board reviewed a joint sharing agreement for administrators, a contract proposal from the Odebolt-Arthur Education Association (O-AEA), various 2004-05 budget proposals, and a proposal to sharing the wrestling program with BC-IG in 2004-05 Monday.

(Posted March 15)

• March 8 Odebolt City Council Special Meeting Minutes (.pdf file)
  
  
• Bloyer - Johnson - Rohlf Rate High at Music Contest - Twenty-four middle school band students participated in the Buena Vista University Solo and Small Ensemble Contest on Saturday, March 13, in Storm Lake. They earned one "II-" rating, six "II" ratings, one "II+" rating , six "I-" ratings, eight "I" ratings, and three "I+" ratings. They were accompanied on piano by Kay Bloyer and Barb Votrobeck.  See complete results (.pdf file)

The Mayor Sez...
     Since no one has come forth to tell me what a "presto lite" was on a vintage automobile, I will provide my own definition.  Perhaps it was a device that when you said "presto, let there be light," something beyond explanation happened enabling the driver to see at night, thus the device was called as "presto lite."
     A young reader said that she knew where the dimmer switch was because her grandpa had an old truck with the dimmer switch on the floorboard.
    And last, the timing lever on the steering column was used to start the car.  While cranking the engine you would push the lever up, advancing the spark and enabling the engine to start.  Note:  The hearing impaired would move the lever downward until the engine quit shaking.  Otherwise you just retarded the spark by moving the lever down until the engine smoothed out.  (It might be awhile before I write something like the above again.)
     As for city biz, the council is addressing DNR violations of excessive ammonia discharge from our lagoon thus killing fish in the Odebolt Creek.  in discussion with an engineer (Kuehl & Payer) the engineer has advised the Council that it will cost around a million or so dollars to alleviate said problem. Needless to say, the city is looking into other options.
    From the 'bolt,
    R. J. Rex, Mayor
Late breaking news:  Roger Neville stopped by and said that he thought a presto lite was a gas lantern type device used on head lamps of the 1912-1916 era.  (Sure makes better sense than my zany explanation!)

Steve King seeks Re-election - Iowa 5th District Congressman Steve King will be announcing his intention to seek re-election during a tour of the district on march 12, 13 and 15.
     King is a Republican from Kiron.  He is currently serving his first term in the united States House of Representatives.  Prior to that, King served in the Iowa Senate, representing Sac County and the surrounding area.
   King is calling his re-election campaign, "Advancing Family and Freedom."  His tour starts on March 12 with stops in Lamoni, Creston, Clarinda and Atlantic.  On Saturday, March 13, he will be stopping in Spencer, Storm Lake, Denison and Odebolt. 
     His stop in Odebolt will be at the Odebolt Community Center at 5 p.m.  Refreshments will be served.  Please RSVP to 712-273-5628.

Legion Auxiliary Chooses Girls State Rep. - Kim Putnam of Arthur has been chosen by American Legion Auxiliary Roose Unit 313 of Odebolt to be a Girls State representative.  Kim will attend the annual session of the Iowa American Legion Auxiliary Girls State to be held June 20-25, 2004 on the campus of Iowa State University, Ames.  She attends Odebolt-Arthur High School and is involved in Rock-N-Prevention, jel, student council, prom committee and church youth group, as well as wrestling manager and youth soccer coach.  She was chosen on the basis of interest, leadership and scholastic qualities.
    She will be among over 300 girls attending who have completed their junior year of high school.  Throughout the week the girls will file nomination papers, conduct political campaigns, make speeches and prepare campaign materials as they learn about city, county and state government.  They will also hear several motivational speakers and various local and state government officials.  The culmination of the week is with the inauguration of newly elected state officials, held at Stephens Auditorium on Friday, June 25th, to which the public is invited.
    Girls State is sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary and staffed by women who volunteer their time for this week at Girls State.  Across the nation, over 20,000 young women attend the program each summer, learning about the political process.

The Odebolt Chamber of Commerce held a Fish Fry on Friday, March 5th at the Odebolt Community Center.  Of the 300 plus tickets sold for the event, the chamber served approximately 290.  The fish was prepared by members of the Odebolt Fire Department.

Photo:  Mike Olerich, Chamber member and manager of Odebolt Lumber, is shown selling tickets at the recent Chamber of Commerce Fish Fry. (click photo to enlarge)

Chamber business members furnished bars, and the St. Martin's Confirmation students served the meal which also included cheesy potatoes, baked beans and cole slaw.  The funds raised at the fish fry will be used for Chamber projects such as the flowers/planters for downtown, welcome banners, assistance with the Odebolt signs on the highways, holiday drawings, the pancake brunch and other causes.

Odebolt Congregate Meals celebrated their 30th anniversary on Thursday, March 4, 2004 at the Odebolt Community Center.  Rev. Don Gibson of Wall Lake reminisced about the changes that have taken place during the past 30 years.  Among guests present were Father John McGuirk, Rev. & Mrs. Don Gibson, Rev. Charles Bulger, Mayor Ron Rex, Supervisor Monica Kruse of Carroll, Iowa, and Sixty-Plus President Clair Schmitz of Arcadia.
     Supervisor Kruse reminded the group of the importance of their attendance in keeping the program going.  The present members of the staff for the Senior Meals are Margaret Ann Roeder - Site Manager; Janice Richardson - Asst. Site Manager; Jolene Hoefling -meal carrier from Wall Lake to Odebolt; and Nancy Imhoff who delivers the meals to homebound clients.  The meals are prepared in Wall Lake.
     First Federal Savings and Loan provided the 30th anniversary cake that was made by Arlene Fineran.   

Odebolt-Arthur School Board will have a work session to be held in the Music Room at the Arthur Center March 15, 2004 at 6:30 p.m.  At 7:00 p.m. a hearing will be held on Alternative 2004-2005 Calendar Start Date.

OA TAG Carnival has been moved to Friday, April 16th.

Hoagie & Cookie Dough Sales to Begin - O-A high school and middle school students will once again be selling Hoagie sandwiches with sale dates from March 11 to March 25 and pick-up/delivery date to be March 30th.  The Hoagies will be sold in multiples of 2, with a minimum order of 4 sandwiches. Cost is $2.00 per sandwich which is the same price as last year.  The famous Hoagie is a 6-inch sandwich on a Hy-Vee bakery fresh bun made with 3 slices of meat and 2 slices of cheese.  Assembly night is slated for March 30th.
     Approximately 100 middle school and high school students and 40 plus adults gather in the MPR to mass-produce the sandwiches.  Since 1987, when the first Hoagie was made, 82,500 sandwiches have been sold.
      Want a tasty snack?  The O-A athletes are also selling frozen cookie dough this year.  Four scrumptious flavors of chocolate chip, M&M, peanut butter and sugar cookies are available in 3-pound tubs at a cost of $10.00.  What better way way to finish off a meal of Hoagies than with a delicious cookie!
    This is the major moneymaker each year for the athletic Booster Club.  The Club has raised over $168,500 for the athletic department, which in turn uses these funds to purchase uniforms, equipment and other items for athletes.  If no one contacts you, please call your favorite student or call the high school at 668-2827 and order today!

The Mayor Sez . . .
     Thought some of you would enjoy some trivia questions about cars of yesteryear.  1st question:  Anyone remember what a "presto light" was? (If you do, you are older than me.)  2nd question:  Do you remember what a timing lever was for, located on the steering column? (If you do, you are very mature.)  3rd question:  Do you remember when we had to crank our old cars when the battery was low?  (Now you are about my age.)  And last but not least, a question for the younger readers:  Do you remember where the headlight dimmer switch used to be?  (If you do you must be 40 or better.)
     Answers to the above questions will be in next week's column.  (I hope someone can help me with the presto light question 'cause I don't have a clue!)
From the 'bolt,
R. J. Rex, Mayor
     p.s. Harv Keller's pictures on the Odebolt history website are really great!  Bet Harv wishes he still had the old Ford Coupe.

March 1 Odebolt City Council Minutes are now on-line.

Lohr and Miller to Receive Awards - Keith Lohr from Odebolt has been invited to receive the 2003 Trophy Fish Print Award at the Eastern Iowa Sports, Boat, RV, and Vacation Show in Cedar Falls on March 13-14 in recognition of the trophy fish caught in Iowa waters and registered with the DNR in 2003.  Keith caught a 16.5 inch, 2 pound 7 oz. Crappie in Sac County.  "Trophy Fish" awardees will receive a print commemorating the Trophy Fish they caught in Iowa waters in 2003.  The print is signed and serialized by artist Steve Carter who will personally present the print at the show.
    Merle Miller of Odebolt has been invited to receive the 2003 Trophy Buck Print Award at the 29th Annual Easter Iowa Sports Show scheduled for March 12-14 at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Ralls.  This award recognizes trophy bucks taken in Iowa and registered with the DNR for the 2002/2003 deer-hunting season.  Merle harvested a deer in Hardin County which scored 140 5/8 points in the Bow-Typical category.  Awardees will receive a signed and serialized print by artist Dan Damjanovic, who will personally present the awards at the show.

Drug Sentences Handed Down - According to information obtained from the Iowa Courts On-line web site, three Odebolt residents have been sentenced on drug-related charges.  All the charges were filed in Sac County District Court.
    On February 3, Jasmine Rosemeyer was sentenced to two days in Sac County Jail, one year probation, fines & costs, and revocation of her driving license for 180 days, after submitting a written plea of guilty February 2, and an order amending the charges filed against her to possession of a controlled substance.  Rosemeyer was originally charged on November 6, 2003 with child endangerment, possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia following the execution of a search warrant at 217 South Hanson Blvd. in Odebolt.
     On February 17, Donald Gronemeyer was sentenced to one year probation, fines & costs, and revocation of his driving license for 180 days, following the filing of a written plea of guilty.  Gronemeyer was originally charged with possession of controlled substances and possession of drug paraphernalia  November 6, 2003, at the above address.
     Jewelene Rosemeyer of Odebolt was also charged in conjunction with the November 6 search warrant of 217 South Hanson St.  She was charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance, child endangerment and possession of drug paraphernalia.  Her trial has been set for March 16 in Sac County District Court.  According to the on-line court service, Jewelene pled not guilty on Jan. 21.
     On February 17, Karmon Loggins was sentenced to 25 years in prison, plus court costs and attorney fees.  Loggins was originally arrested October 14, 2003 after a search warrant was executed at her residence at 308 South Locust St. in Odebolt.  At the time, Loggins was charged with possession of lithium, anhydrous ammonia, ethyl ether, ephedrine precursors to the manufacture of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance and third or subsequent offense for possession of a controlled substance.  Loggins' husband, Jerry, was arrested at the same time and charged with possession of lithium, anhydrous ammonia, ethyl ether and ephedrine and controlled substance violation.  He was also charged with second offense possession of a controlled substance.  His trial has been rescheduled for March 17.

30 Hour Famine - The Odebolt Youth Fellowship is again doing the 30 Hour Famine for World Vision.  This event will be held on March 5 and 6.  We will be selling cards, having bake sales at the churches and canvassing Odebolt to collect money for the cause.

RAGRAI Route to go through Sac County - The route for the 2004 Des Moines Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) will take bicycle riders from Onawa to Clinton, and Sac County will be on prominent display on the first and second days of the ride.
     The riders will enter Sac County as they come out of Kiron, heading north on Highway 39, to Sac County's D59, which takes them through Wall Lake on the way into Lake View, where they will stay on the night of July 25th.  On Monday morning, the riders leave Lake View on M54, going north to Sac County's D46, which they take east to Rockwell City and out of Sac County.  The riders' second night stop is in Fort Dodge. 

The Odebolt Music Department will have 37 entries preparing for solo and small ensemble contest that will be held on March 27th all day in Pomeroy. This event is free and open to the public.

O-A's Andersen Ends Season at State Wrestling Tournament - Odebolt-Arthur Junior Joel Andersen ended his wrestling season with an overall 43 wins and 3 losses.  Andersen's 43 wrestling win total is the second-highest ever for an OA junior.  In the 1997-2000 season Kris Thayer won 46 matches and his first state title.  However, Andersen's 130 career wins is the most for an OA junior, seven more than Thayer, and ties Ryan Down for the fifth-highest career total in Trojan wrestling history.  The following is Andersen's record in State Wrestling Tournament action.
     Thursday, Feb. 26 - Odebolt-Arthur's Joel Andersen,  beat Jacob Elsbernd, South Winneshiek, 5-2 on Thursday, Feb. 26.
     Friday, Feb. 27 - In Class 1A Quarter-Finals, Nate Behrendsen, Pocahontas, pinned Joel Andersen, Odebolt-Arthur, 3:10.  Behrendsen went on to become the State Champion.
     In Class 1A Second-Round Consolation, Matt Terrell. Interstate 35 (Truro), won by decision over Joel Andersen, Odebolt-Arthur, 6-4 in overtime.

Allen Patten Dies in Alaska
     Longtime Alaskan Allen Mayo Patten, 87, died February 12, 2004, at Amazing Grace Assisted Living in Anchorage. A military service will be held at the VFW in Eagle River, Friday, February 27, at 3 pm. At Allen's request, his ashes will be scattered over Mt. McKinley.
     Allen was born January 6, 1917 in rural Carroll County, Iowa to Clarence Floyd and Anna (Billotte) Patten. The family lived on farms in Carroll County, Iowa, Lamar Nebraska and the Odebolt, Iowa area.
     In 1934, Allen joined the Navy and served on the USS Nevada along with his five brothers when the battleship was damaged during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. He also served on the USS Lexington with five of his brothers when his aircraft carrier was destroyed in the battle of the Coral Sea in May of 1942. Allen continued serving in the Navy during World War II on several ships including the USS Enterprise that was in several major sea battles including the Battles of the Philippine Sea and Leyte Gulf. Allen continued his Navy career retiring in 1959 with the rank of Chief Machinist Mate.
     In 1955, Allen married Patricia Whittinger and they had two children, Morris Lex and Melinda. In 1962 the family moved to Alaska and settled in Anchorage; here Allen retired from the Civil Service at Elemendorf Air Force Base. In 1969, at age 52, Allen climbed and reached the peak of Mt. McKinley, the highest point in North America. In 2000, he published his autobiography "Pearl Harbor & Other Memories".
     Allen's best times were with his family, skiing, hunting, fishing and exploring Alaska's beauty. Preceding him in death were his parents, wife, Patricia, sister, Martha Sporleder; brothers, Gilbert Patten, Marvin Patten, Clarence Patten (Bick), Ray Patten (Bub) and sister Hazel in infancy.
     Survivors include his son Lex Patten and his wife Karen, Allen's daughter Melinda Brody; brothers Myrne Patten (Ted) of Lake City Iowa, Bruce Patten of Battle Ground Washington and Wayne Patten of Henderson Nevada.  Allen is also survived by four grandchildren, Brandan Brody, Zoe Ingram-Patten, Tori Ingram-Patten and Lexi Patten.

Read about the Patten Brothers - Odebolt History Pages

OTHER NEWS

Death: Sylvia E. Brodersen, 90, of Odebolt died Thursday, March 4, 2004, at Odebolt Nursing and Rehab Center.  Memorial services were held March 8 at Faith Lutheran Church in Odebolt. The Rev. Patricia Underberg officiated. Burial was in St. Paul Lutheran/Midway Cemetery, rural Battle Creek, Iowa.

OA Boys' Basketball News from Ida County Courier

Slides of the BIG SNOW a few weeks ago in Odebolt taken by Karen Wareham. Don't miss the "HOOAH!" at the end.  The slideshow will open in another window.  Close it once you have viewed it to return here.