ONRC celebrates 50 years

New name unveiled— ONRC celebrates 50 years
--By Deb Loger

Odebolt Nursing and Rehab Center in Odebolt will observe its 50th anniversary Sunday, Oct. 11, with an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. Along with observing their golden anniversary, the business is unveiling its new name Odebolt Specialty Care.

Open house plans include Paul and John Ching of Sac City performing musical selections on piano, cello and violin from 2:15 to 2:45 p.m.

Colonial Manor Nursing Home formally opened Oct. 9-10, 1965. Following ribbon cutting ceremonies, Rev. Dana C. Boggie gave the invocation and Reuben and Wayne Lindskoog gave a musical presentation. Mayor Ron Rex gave the mayor’s welcome, followed by a presentation of the keys by Dwight W. Meyer, president of the local corporation.

A special attraction was Joe Feeney, TV star from the Lawrence Welk show, giving two performances accompanied by Dorothy Purdy. Others speaking at the opening event were Dr. John Hubiak, the Revs. Palmer Sellstrom and Carl Boaz and John Klopstad of Colonial Manors of Sioux City.

The two-day open house drew more than 1,500 visitors. Residents of the community initiated the plan to provide this type of facility by financing through local investment in preferred and common stocks with a first mortgage through Ida County State Bank in Ida Grove and the Livestock National Bank in Sioux City. No federal financing or special grants were solicited or obtained, and the only donations requested were for the chapel to provide for the religious needs of the residents.

Odebolt residents owned the home and, as a private enterprise, paid local real estate taxes along with income taxes to both the state and federal governments. The original home had two wings for 43-residents, a chapel, lounge and dining room. The center core held the offices and nurses’ station. The completed home cost approximately $260,000. A middle wing was added in 1970, bringing the patient capacity to 64 residents. In 1977, the facility provided employment for 45 people.

In 1992, Care Initiatives purchased Colonial Manor Nursing Home. In March 2000, a major remodel was conducted, giving the facility a face lift. A 10-bed assisted living facility was built in 2007.

Today, Odebolt Nursing and Rehab Center is a 46-bed skilled nursing facility licensed by the State of Iowa and certified by the federal government and has a four-star rating. The churches of the community contribute to the happiness of the residents by conducting worship services each week. An activity director makes life more enjoyable by taking into consideration the interests of all the residents and planning such activities as movies, crafts and music.

"Odebolt Nursing and Rehab Center employs about 45 people in our area with jobs. It would be hard to place a dollar and cents value on the benefits of the home to this community. It will be vital that we prepare for a much more challenging labor market in the future, because the quality of everything that we do rises and falls without front line staff. Retaining qualified, trained, skilled and dedicated staff is essential to doing care well,” said ONRC Administrator Nancy Snyder. “Odebolt Nursing and Rehab Center has many of the latest equipment and technology, and recently completed a major remodel to our whirlpool spa room. The ongoing challenge we face is the increasing baby boomer population with decreasing funding and finding a financial balance,” Snyder said.

Odebolt Nursing and Rehab Center is owned by Care Initiatives, which is the largest nonprofit, long-term care organization in Iowa.

New name
Snyder said, “In an effort to better align with our sister locations throughout Iowa and to provide a united front as a leading statewide rehabilitation services, skilled nursing care, long term care and hospice organization, we are changing our local name to better reflect the breadth of services we provide. We retain the same ownership and management team.

“Like most post-acute care providers, Odebolt Specialty Care offers rehabilitation services, skilled nursing care, long-term care and hospice care, all under one roof. For most post-acute care providers, gone are the days of just being a ‘nursing home.’ While caring for elderly residents of our community is still a main focus of the service we provide, our industry has changed. Healthcare and resident care have changed. We continue to change with it.” Snyder said.

“Care Initiatives has grown over the years. To reflect our modern services and forward-thinking goals, our brand must change as well. But, while our look may be changing, our values remain the same. We will always treat our patients, residents and their families with compassion, dignity and respect. And, with a strong unified brand, we are better able to serve Iowans in our communities.

“Care Initiatives provides compassionate, transitional health care to Iowans at all walks of life. We help patients and residents achieve their highest level of independence and quality of life, and we care for their families’ well being as well. We are committed to providing compassionate, dignified and custom care for Iowans through rehabilitation services, skilled nursing care, long term care and Hospice care. We currently serve more than 3,000 Iowans through 44 nursing homes, eight assisted living locations and four independent living units. Our home office is located in West Des Moines.”

Mission statement 
Improving quality of life for Iowans and their families during life’s health transitions through compassionate, individualized care.

Core values 
• Commit to continuously improve quality in everything we do.
• Demonstrate compassion, integrity, respect and dignity in all interactions.
• Compassionately serve others and their needs as defined by them.
• Cultivate a culture of skill development and personal growth among all staff.
• Recognize the power of teamwork to make effective, efficient and transparent decisions.
• Commit to consistency and excellence in all processes.

“I want to thank our community for the support we continually receive from volunteers, school children, businesses, and families and friends of our residents. We are proud to be part of this community,” said Snyder.

The Old Log Swing

Photo of the Log Swing gets many responses on Facebook

[Editor]  I posted this photo on Facebook on September 17th and was surprised at the number of responses it received.  It has been viewed by 2,113 people!

The original post with the photo:  I was looking at the Odebolt History Pages and ran across this photo of "the log" from the playground at Odebolt school. The photo is from Joan (Lundell) Paup. Many of you won't recognize it, but it used to be a big deal on the playground. To the left is the OLD school, long gone, and the original high school is in the background. We used to get on it 7 or 8 at a time and the big kids would push it. If no one ever got injured by it, it was a miracle! Very dangerous, but so much fun!

Here are some comments (people's names removed).

I certainly remember this from my grade school years. That log swing was a major challenge!! Lots of fun though!

The challenge was to jump on it while it was swinging! You didn't want to miss!! AAAAHHHH the days when I could actually jump that high!

Sure, I remember the log. I also remember that occasionally kids got big slivers from it. It was really a unique playground thing.Too bad you don't still have it for historical value.

We lived across the street when I was in high school for a couple years, loved that swing.

Who could ever forget the log!

I remember it well!

Much too dangerous for today's kids.

It is a wonder that no one was killed on the log swing. I was on it one time when some bigger kids had it going high and I could hang on in fear.

Sooo dangerous and soooo exciting!!!

Dad, Class of 1940, told us of a prank he and some other kids pulled with this log swing. The Supt. back then was Mr. Coon and his daughter June, was one of his classmates. She got her Dad's keys to the school and that night, they stole a cow from Mr. Peterson's pasture next to the school, took down the log and used the cow to pull it into the school.They left the log in the hallway and locked the cow in the Principal's office overnight !!!

I attended Odebolt grade school from about 1937 to 1947 and I remember playing on the log. As I look back; it blows my mind that no one (that I know of) was ever hurt and that the school was never sued. I remember wearing my corderoy knickers and long socks; it was the style.

This thing was hazardous (incredibly fun) and I winder how many kids were maimed by it. If you sat on the end you were pinched by the bars that it swung on, and if you were walking past the end, you could be nailed by the end of the log.

It used to be a very big deal to hop on the log while it was swinging. It was pretty scary getting on as well as getting off while it was swinging. But oh so much fun!

Bonnie is not on Facebook, but sent me the following about the log swing. It includes the origin of the log!  About "The Log"

I remember that a big kid would stand at each end of the log facing each other.  While gripping the cables with their hands, they'd alternately "pump" the log with their legs.  While I was in grade school I think the original log was replaced with a new one, which was really a laminate made of boards glued together.  It was thicker than the original log and not rounded on the bottom.  We'd lie chest-down on the new log, but it was so thick that it was hard stretch our arms and legs far enough to get a good grip at the bottom.  We had to hold on for dear life as the big kids pumped.

In the September 26, 1946 School Chronicle there's an account of a student breaking his arm while playing on the swing after school.

Here's a story about the origin of the log swing:
The Odebolt Chronicle
October 30, 1930

Mr. Adams Gives Grade Pupils New Swing

A unique swing, like one Mr. W. P. Adams saw the children of the Philippines enjoying, has been set up for the pupils of the public schools.  The swing is perhaps unlike any that one has ever seen.  It is a huge log suspended from a framework of steel.  The pupils are truly elated over it, and are showing their gratitude to the donor by their enthusiasm.

Other photos of the log

The below photos are hanging in the Odebolt Community Center

READ ANOTHER POST ABOUT THE LOG SWING

Mark Hansen Rex Chevrolet celebrates 90 years

Courtesy of the 8-19-15 edition of Ida County Courier (www.idacountrycourier.com)

Mark Hansen Rex Chevrolet celebrating 90 years in business
Odebolt’s oldest family-owned business, Mark Hansen’s Rex Chevrolet, GMC, Ltd., celebrated its 90th anniversary Friday with an open house. The business is also the second-oldest Chevy dealer in Iowa.

Current owners Mark and Pam (Rex) Hansen purchased the business from Pam’s dad, Ronald Rex, and took over on April 1, 1989.

Pam said, “On Nov. 3, 1911, Swiss race car driver and automobile engineer Louis Chevrolet co-founded The Chevrolet Motor Car Company in Detroit with William C. Durant and investment partners William Little and Dr. Edwin R. Campbell. In 1913, Durant introduced the now familiar bowtie emblem. The Corvette was introduced in 1953 and the Corvair in 1960. I have a 1967 Corvair. The longest-lived continuous automobile nameplate still in production in the world is the Chevrolet Suburban.”

After serving in World War I, Pam’s grandpa, Floyd Rex, returned to Odebolt and worked in the service department at Einsphar Buick Car Company. In 1922, the Rex Tire and Battery Company was founded on the corner of Third and Willow Streets.

In 1925, Rex Auto Company was founded. They sold Chevrolet and Dodge cars and trucks. “My dad always told me that the first Chevrolet vehicle was ordered in 1925 and arrived in 1926,” said Pam. “The Odebolt Fire Department’s 1926 fire truck (often used in parades) was bought from Rex Auto Company.”

Pam said, “The Dodge franchise was dropped in 1929, and the business moved to First and Main Street. The following year, the business was forced to move and a brick building was built on First Street, across from the current Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company of ice and scale.”

In 1940, Rex Chevrolet purchased a building on Maple Street (now Hemer’s Plumbing and Heating) and, in 1945, at the end of World War II, the building was remodeled and moved into as the new Rex Chevrolet Company. In 1950, a parts room was added and, in 1958, Ronald Rex purchased the business from his dad. A used car lot was purchased adjoining this building in 1959.

“Pam and I bought the business from her dad and I started working here on April 1, 1989,” said Mark. “One day, I was working at the bank; the next, I was in the car business.”

“This is the fifth location for the business,” said Pam. “In 1972, we bought the land and put the new cars out here on Highway 39. The office was a small trailer. Mark was spending so much time traveling from the highway to downtown, we decided to move everything out here. In March 2003, construction was begun on the new shop and office, and we moved here around Creek Days that summer.”

Mark said, “The biggest change in the auto industry since I took over in 1989 has been the internet. In the old days, people came in, sat down, test drove a vehicle and then bought it. Now, they do a lot of online shopping. A lot of deals start on the internet. Call me old-fashioned, but I like having them come in and take a drive. The nice thing about the internet is they can shop online 24/7. Every dealership has their own website and usually subscribes to a couple others. We subscribe to AutoTrader.comand Cars.com.”

“The other big thing is the vehicles we’re selling today are a lot more expensive. When I started in 1989, $2,500 would buy a nice school car; now it takes $7,500. The warranties on today’s vehicles are so much better—100,000-mile warranties. Today’s vehicles are designed for low maintenance. In the old days, we did a lot of repair work on vehicles. Now, it’s just oil changes, tires and batteries.

“I will say one thing about Rex Chevrolet—Ron had a good customer base and we’ve built off of that and took it to the next plateau. We are so thankful for our loyal customers and their repeat business. We offer great customer service, and that success is due to good employees. We don’t have turnover; all of our employees have been here a long, long time.

“To have two successful car stores in this town is because the residents of Odebolt and the surrounding area are very loyal to their local dealers. That speaks loudly as big-name companies get closer.”

Pam said, “We are working on the fourth generation in the business. Our oldest son, Chris, is the parts and service manager and our daughter, Rachel, is the business manager.”

“I love my job; I can’t wait to get up and go to work. Every day is different, and there’s never a dull moment in the car business,” said Mark. “We are working on the fourth generation now. Where will we be in the future? That depends on what GM does with dealerships in small towns. We recently signed another five-year contract with GM, so we’ll be here at least that long.”

Lemonade Recipe for July 4 Celebrations

THE CHRONICLE. VOL. XXVI. NO. 15. AUGUST 8, 1912.

The next time you make lemonade try the following recipe: Take two lemons, divide them, and put each half into a lemon squeezer; when all of the juice is extracted put the remainder of the lemons into a pitcher and pour boiling water on them; after they have stood a little while, squeeze all the goodness out of them; add the juice to some loaf sugar to sweeten pleasantly; then pour on enough cold water to make the desired strength. By following this recipe the oil of the lemon is extracted from the rind and imparts the lemon flavor to the lemonade that you cannot get if only the juice is used.

Angel's Place opens - Rector sells Courier

Courtesy of the 7-1-15 edition of Ida County Courier (www.idacountrycourier.com)

Odebolt welcomes new restaurant 
(This restaurant is now closed)

Ross and Valorie Craig of Odebolt purchased the restaurant building on Main Street in Odebolt from the Odebolt Development Corporation earlier this year.

After some remodeling, the couple opened Angel’s Place on May 26. The restaurant features 12 pencil drawings of early life in Iowa and a pie plate collection. Arlene Sundell of Odebolt sketched the drawings, and guests to the restaurant are encouraged to look for her hidden signatures on the drawings.

Angel’s Place is open Monday through Saturday from 6 a. m. to 2 p. m. The restaurant serves a full breakfast and lunch menu.

“In addition to our regular menu items, we offer daily lunch specials and baked goods. We will be changing the breakfast menu shortly to include pancakes and waffles. Cinnamon rolls, brownies, elephant ears, pastries and cookies are baked fresh daily. We also bake pies, cakes and a favorite, Blarney Stones. We will also take orders for baked goods.

“I have always been a baker and candy maker and, when this opportunity came up, we decided to open a restaurant here. We’ve remodeled the back room, which is available for groups,” said Craig.

Craig said, “I’d like the public to come in and join us for dinner and to use us for their meetings. I’d be glad to make bakery items, and I want to thank them for their patronage.”

The Craigs own Angel’s Antiques and Collectibles in Sac City and have purchased the old Krustenstjerna Hardware building north of the restaurant.

Ross is a retired pastor, and the couple has lived on a six-acre farm northwest of Odebolt 11 years. “We have an old McDonald type farm and love having school tours.”

Click the photos to enlarge them.

 Angel's Place back room - great for meetings.  Includes a piano.

(photo by B. Horak)

One of Arlene Sundell's drawings.

(photo by B. Horak)

Courier-Reminder publisher retires, 

Mid-America Publishing takes over

Effective Thursday, July 2, the Ida County Courier and the Reminder will be published by a new owner, Mid-America Publishing Corporation based in Hampton.

Mid-America had entered into an agreement earlier in June 2015 to purchase the publications from Roger and Karen Rector. The July 7-8 editions will mark the first editions under Mid-America’s stewardship.

“We are very excited to add the Ida County Courier and the Reminder to our family of newspapers,” said Ryan Harvey, president and CEO of Mid-America Publishing. “Roger and Karen have done a tremendous job with the papers over the past few years and we look forward to continuing to build upon the tradition that they have established.”

Rector has been associated with the Reminder and Courier for a total of 55 years.

The publications will join a growing group of 23 weekly newspapers owned and operated by Mid-America. The Courier is the ninth county seat newspaper owned by the company. They include the Hampton Chronicle, Butler County Tribune-Journal (Allison), Wright County Monitor (Clarion), the Eldora Herald-Ledger and Hardin County Index, of Eldora; The News-Review, of Sigourney; the Grundy Register, of Grundy Center; The Graphic-Advocate (Lake City-Rockwell City); and The Leader (Garner-Britt).

Other papers owned and operated by the company include: The Record (Conrad), The Sheffield Press; The Eagle Grove Eagle; The Kanawha Reporter; The Buffalo Center Tribune; The Pioneer Enterprise (Rockwell-Thornton); The Keota Eagle; The Clarksville Star; The Ogden Reporter; the Calmar Courier; The Postville Herald; The Sun (New Sharon-Fremont); and The Outlook (Monona.) The company also produces two weekly political newspapers, the Conservative Chronicle and the Liberal Opinion Week.

Additionally the company prints several TMC shoppers, such as The Hampton Chronicle’s Bonus in Hampton, The Spectrum in Lake City-Rockwell City, The Leader’s Shoppers News Review in Garner and the Wright County Reminder in Clarion; plus monthly shoppers such as The Dual County Leader in Eagle Grove and the Keokuk County Chief in Sigourney.

“Terms of the purchase have not been released. The Ida County publications are a natural it in our company,” Harvey said. “The backbone of our company is community-focused weekly newspapers.  We only hope to build upon the strong foundation that Roger and Karen have built.”

Harvey will serve as the regional publisher. Day-to-day operations will be handled by office manager Amy Forbes. Forbes, along with the rest of the staff in Ida Grove, has been offered employment by Mid-America.

News editor Beth Wolterman has chosen to retire from her position along with the Rectors. Wolterman has covered area news for the Courier for the past 31 years. Mid-America is currently advertising to fill the Courier’s news editor position.

“Karen and I would like to thank all our dedicated subscribers, readers and advertisers for your support and friendship over the years. It has been a long and amazing career and we are confident Mid-America Publishing will carry on our tradition and make our publications even stronger in Ida County,” Rector said.

“I would also like to thank my dedicated staff and Reminder carriers for their many years of service to the company. It has been a huge team effort every single week, from the planning stages to the final product,” Rector said.

Mid-America also has a commercial printing division, based in Hampton, that offers customized printing and publishing solutions, such as banners, posters, postcards, direct mailing, mailing list management, letterhead design, newsletter management and dozens of other marketing and promotional products, which it plans to make available locally in the Ida Grove area.

“We’re more than thrilled to be a part of Ida Grove and Ida County,” said Harvey.

Harvey further added that Mid-America’s interest in Ida Grove is partly because of the good mix of businesses operating there, including both new and established industries, and employers who bring people to the community.

“A community newspaper is only as healthy as the community it serves,” Harvey stated. “It is encouraging to see the commitment to commerce in Ida Grove over the long term.”

Matt Grohe, board chair of Mid-America Publishing, added, “We appreciate Roger’s willingness to working with us to incorporate these publications into our lineup. We are very grateful for his consideration and look forward to serving the citizens and businesses in Ida Grove and beyond, well into the future.”

The newspaper will stay in its current location at 214 W. Main St. and will retain the same mailing address, email addresses and phone number.

Readers of the newspapers will notice some immediate changes, however. The newspaper’s billing and circulation will be handled by the company’s home office staff in Hampton and additional content will appear. The printing of the newspaper will also move to the Hampton facility, rather than being printed in LeMars.

Both the Courier and Reminder will now be printed on Monday, rather than Tuesday. The deadline for all news and display advertising will be Friday at 3 p. m. The deadline for all classified advertising will be Friday at 5 p. m.

In addition, a new-look website will be launched in the next couple of months, along with a new Facebook page.

Arthur Methodist holds last service

Courtesy of the 6-17-15 and 6-24-15 editions of Ida County Courier (www.idacountrycourier.com)

Arthur Methodist to hold last service on Sunday

The Arthur United Methodist Church will hold its last service Sunday, June 28, at 11 a. m., with Pastor Chad Lierman of Ida Grove preaching.

Declining enrollment led to the decision to close the doors. “We have 10 to 12 active members who attend services every Sunday, with a total roll of 34 members,” said Pastor Lierman.

Loyal church members include Russell and Glenda Paulson, Tagg Kitterman, Gordon and Jeanette Haefner and Bill and Donna Carlson. According to Lierman, Gordon has been attending the Arthur Methodist Church since he was three years old and Donna serves as the church organist.

“Glenda has been lining up the sale of items out of the building. The pews and other interior items have been locally purchased. Next month, we will figure out what to do with the rest of the stuff.”

Paulson reported items remaining for sale include: the organ, chimes, pulpit, lectern, altar, two crosses (one walnut and one brass), seven large tables, kitchen items and Sunday School area items.

Lierman said the local church board gives its recommendation on the fate of the building to the Methodist Church Conference who makes the final disposition.

The first religious services for early Arthur settlers were held at the Mitts Schoolhouse near Odebolt. Later, services were held in schoolhouses in Hayes and Blaine Townships. According to the history of the Arthur Methodist Church, the church proper was organized in 1886 and, through the efforts of Mr. and Mrs. Enoch Churchill, a church building fund was started.

In March 1888, the first two cars of stone for the foundation were received. The main part of the building was dedicated in May 1888, and the church was remodeled in 1914. The congregation celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2013.

Class of 1965 50th Reunion

The Odebolt-Arthur High School Class of 1965 held its 50th class reunion during the 2015 Creek Days weekend.  They rode in the parade Saturday afternoon (June 20) and held their reunion that evening at Prairie Pedlar Gardens.  (Click the photos to enlarge them.)