Under the Water Tower Lovilia News

Justin Lang and his wife, Sarah (Kraber) Lang, recently purchased a home on two lots on South E Avenue.  Sarah is glad to be back in her hometown.  Welcome!!

Lovilia Headstart has been in transition for a year.  After inspectors who decide on adequacy of buildings said that the school building on the old Lovilia school site was no longer meeting their guidelines, the students and teachers were using the Lovilia Community Building as their temporary home.

A site was purchased on South H Street and the corner with 3rd Street.  The site was prepared and a double wide trailer was placed there for the classrooms.  Steps and handicap accessible ramps were placed at the exits.  All that is needed is to prepare the grounds and put all the playground equipment into place.

Open house revealed two well lighted classrooms and two bathrooms with a kitchen in between.  The room has a play “house” section, lego section, soft cushioned reading area, large  motor skills area,  and a  table for lessons.   There is also a listening center and technology center. Currently the second classroom will be used for the lunchroom and the second bathroom for storage.  But there is room for them to be utilized for classes if enrollment grows.

Currently 9 students have enrolled for the fall term.  There is room for 6 more students.  Students are eligible if they are 3 years old by Sept. 15th, 2010.  There are income guidelines.  Call the teacher, Jessica Caudill, if you want to see if your child could enroll.  Her number is 641-946-7992.

Jessica Caudill is lead instructor, Sandy Keegal is assistant instructor, and Kelly Nichols is the cook.  All three women live in the Lovilia community.  All three were at open house and excited about the new facilities and looking forward to meeting the children and parents of the fall class.

Deaths of Lovilia High School Alumni to Remember

Kenny Stevens class of 1957

Margaret Findley Walter class of 1950

VeraDean Godfrey Klobnak class of 1950

Annetta Pettyjohn Roberts class of 1960

Henderson Family Reunion

The reunion will be August 8, 2010, Sunday, at the Lovilia Community Building.  They will visit from 11a.m. to 2p.m.

D id you hear Bob sing in the 1940 or 1950’s?  His voice was good and had a distinct quality.  He wrote his own songs and the lyrics were not only good but hauntingly so.  With the right backing and luck he could have been at the top of the Grand Ole Opry in my opinion.  He often performed live on the country radio station in Centerville and he would sing at local dances.  One lady remembers how he impressed her as a little girl when he played a Lovilia dance by handing out glossy autographed photos of himself and driving up in his yellow convertible.

His children have restored the coal mine community called Foster’s cemetery in honor of their parents, Georgean Johnson Kocur and Robert Kocur.   You can read all about it at their cemetery website:  www.iamonroe.org/cemetery/foster/html.  They have done an excellent job of preservation.

United Methodist Church of Lovilia Has New Entrance Doors

In memory of Thelma Smith and John Hastings these new doors were purchased and installed at the front entrance on E Avenue.  The doors were installed in June and enhance the front of the building nicely.

Ronnie Conner died June 28, 2010 after a long illness with bone cancer.  Ronnie was born May 16,1953.  He was raised by his father, Cecil, and his stepmother, Viola Conner.  His education was at Lovilia elementary and later high school at Albia, Iowa.  His life’s work was truck driving.  He is survived by his wife Rose of Albia and three daughters:  Katascha of Otley, Iowa; Katrina of Oskaloosa, Iowa, and Marnie of Colorado Springs, Colorado.  He has five grandchildren.  Burial was at Oakview cemetery in Albia.  A memorial to Monroe County Hospice was established in his honor.  He leaves behind many friends and relatives who will hold him in their memories and prayers.

James Drury, a young Irish American union soldier, returned home after the civil war to Vermont and married Jane Daugherty.  The newlyweds later moved to set up a farmstead in the Lovilia, Iowa area in 1869.  They were the only Catholics in the Lovilia area until the railroad came through and two Catholic men were employees, Patrick Ferris and Richard O”Brien.

These three families were the only Catholic ones until 1900.  In 1904 the bishop of our diocese at Davenport sent a 29 year old Irishman fresh out of seminary to Lovilia to set up a church at Weller and Lovilia.  Father Thomas Smyth decided his first task was to buy land for a rectory, a home for the priest to live in.  The same land our rectory is on today was purchased for $200.  The house was started in fall 1904 and finished the next spring.  One room of the house was set up as a chapel and mass was held there on Sundays and around 20 families were now in attendance.

Father Smyth then purchased land for the church next door to the rectory for a price of $165.  Contractors were Guthrie and Holst of Albia.  Cost to build the church was estimated at $10,000.  The cornerstone was laid on Oct. 9, 1910.  Work continued through the winter and was finally dedicated with a High mass on June 13, 1911.

After the mass, a picnic was held in the local park and a baseball game was played by the Weller and Lovilia parish men.

Lovilia is proud to have two young sons born and raised who became priests.  They are Walter Lenger and Allen Simpson.  Father Simpson also had the distinction of being the first black priest in the state of Iowa.  A third young man, Marion Durbala,  grew up on a farm a few miles from Lovilia.  He left home to work as a railway mail clerk to earn enough money to pay his way to go through the seminary.   He was ordained in 1927 and said his first mass in Lovilia  on Sunday, March 6th of that year.  He could speak four languages:  Bohemian, Croatian, Slovak, and English.  People would travel miles to hear him speak or hear their confession in their native tongue.

Beginning in 1930 young Lovilia women dedicated themselves to service to God  and his church by becoming religious sisters.  They were:  Clara Sofranko, Edna Feehan, Frances Papich, Jennie Mataya, Winifred McDonald, Marguerite Coady, Marguerite Nalevanko, Margaret Slofkosky and a former Lovilia girl,  Mary Lou Durbala.

Our special celebration and honored remembrance of those who worked so hard to establish our church will begin with mass at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, July 25, 2010.

At 11:30 a.m. we will have three choices for guests.  They may stay in the church for a history presentation of the beautiful stained glass windows or go to the cemetery for a presentation about five of our first families and our first priest.  You can go to the cemetery by horse drawn wagon or by driving your car.  Very unique and interesting stories that you will be amazed to hear.  the third choice is to go to the church hall for lunch.

The cemetery stories will be given three times as will the windows history.

We invite you to rotate to all three areas to celebrate and by the time you are done it will be time for the auction to begin at 1:30pm.  After the auction, raffle prizes will be drawn as the finale to our day.

Have fun, be well fed, learn some local history, worship, buy something or win a raffle prize.  Come on out to Lovilia July 25th and join us.!  Rain or shine.  If it rains, we will celebrate in the church and hall.

Five young men who are graduates of Drake University in DesMoines have recently released their CD of music and video filmed and recorded in Lovilia at High Octane Audio studio run by John Bain.  The group is comprised of Dustin Harmen, Branden Oliver, Caleb Pearson, Sam McCarthy, and Jake Woods. The CD is named “Rumor Has It” and the physical CD sells for a mere $5.  It is available on itunes, Amazon, Napster, etc.  The group plays all original music.  They are well known in Des Moines.  You can learn more at their website:  theatudes.com.  If you have the right computer setup you can even hear a sample of the music.  Very cool!

Blog Returns after Time off to Work the Census

Sorry it has been a while since any updates but I (Susan Beary) was a census worker for several weeks and had no time to write but I have finished my duties and will try to collect the news you seek.

As we mourn the passing of another Lovilia High School alumni, my thoughts go back to my early elementary school days at Hinton country school.  In the early 1940’s Paul Ansley and I were both students at Hinton although in different grades.  This one room schoolhouse was located two miles south of Lovilia.  The school house was directly across the road from the Jennings and Dorothy Kitsmiller farm home.

The little one room school house holds many fond memories.  As I recall, classes started at 9 a.m. and ended at 4 p.m.  We never had snow days or spring breaks.  Many of the students walked to school two or more miles.  Some of the parents shared taking the children to school.  Those of us fortunate enough to own a bicycle wold ride our bikes to school.

It was the teacher’s responsibility to get the coal stove loaded with coal to warm the building.  The next task was to pump and carry buckets of water from the well into the building for drinking and washing hands.  There were two outhouses for the students,  one for boys and one for girls.  The teacher was also the school janitor.  At the end of the school day, students would often clean the blackboards and the erasers.

We always began the school day with the “Pledge of Allegiance” and finished with a patriotic song.  Classes began with the lower grades first.  The class in turn went to the front rows of desk to recite and go over the lessons.  Then the teacher gave assignments and the class would return to their desks to study or work on special projects.

Each child carried from home his or her food for the day in metal lunch buckets.  Hands were washed with a teakettle of warm water over a large dishpan.  Summer lunches were eaten outdoors but during the cold winter months we would gather around the coal stove to be warm while we ate lunch.

We had very limited sports or play equipment at Hinton.  Games we played were Oly-Oly-Oxen Free, Blind Mans Bluff, Anity-Anity-Over or games made up by the students.  Some of the teachers would join us playing  games or baseball.

The all school program was held in the fall of the year.  It was a very exciting time for all the students.  We would rehearse for weeks!  We always had a play, music, and several students recited poems or sang solos.  All the parents, friends, and neighbors living around the school would come for this once a year event.  Mothers of the students would bring cookies, pies, and cakes to share with everyone.

During the long cold winter months we would build snow forts, have snowball fights, and get very cold and wet.  Many indoor activities were planned too.  I remember the older students helping younger students with snow pants and boots.  Jimmie Kraber always helped me!

We always respected our teachers, I don’t remember any fights or name calling or certainly no four letter words.

The teachers that I remember were Mary Fallon, Beth Barnes, Helen Potts, and Helen Plum.  My father Floyd Funk and his siblings, Bill, Bob, Don, and Viola also had Mary Fallon as a teacher.  My mother Ann Funk was secretary/treasurer for the school.

Names of students who attended during my years were:  Don, Paul, and Jimmie Kraber; Mervin and Pauline Briggs; Paul and Delores Ansley; Larry Henderson; Oliver and Ida Mae Smith; Barbara Chance; Dennis and Mary Kay Blomgren; Carol Mae Funk; Patricia Parker; Alice Lane; Jack and Jerry Chance.  After so many years, I have forgotten some of the first names but these families had children also attending Hinton:  Gray, Saner, Brown, Sterling, Gladson, Patterson, and Scavinger.

At the end of the school term we had a school picnic!  It was always a very exciting time.  We normally went to a student’s home for the picnic.

Today, Hinton school building is part of the United Methodist Church building in Lovilia.  I was overjoyed when I found out that our little one room schoolhouse was being moved to town and used as extended sanctuary seating for the church.    I was baptized, confirmed and married in this little church.  Hinton’s little one room schoolhouse goes from a meeting place for elementary education to a meeting place of worship. This is a wonderful tribute to our little one room schoolhouse!

Sandra gives a special thank you to Larry Henderson for helping her remember names and data.  Sandra is a 1957 Lovilia High School graduate.

Beef and Chicken Noodle Supper Wednesday, April 28

The United Methodist church of Lovilia will sponsor a supper Wednesday, April 28th from 5-7 pm at the Lovilia Community Building.  The meal will consist of beef or chicken noodles, salad bar, pie and beverages.   Free will offering for the missions is the cost of the meal.  Everyone is welcome for their good home cooking!

May 1st is all city yard sales for Lovilia

May 1st St. Peter’s bake sale

The ladies of St. Peter’s will hold a bake sale Saturday, May 1st.  It will start at 8am and go until sold out.  It will be held on the sidewalk just north across from the post office in Lovilia.

May 1st 4-H Bake  Sale and Yard sale

The members of Bluff Creek Progressives 4-H club with Lovilia members will hold a bake sale and yard sale on Saturday, May1st in Lovilia.  Starting at 8am at the Brandy Mansur home on West Third street in Lovilia.  Treat yourself and help out the club.

St. Peter’s Spring Sacraments and Honors

May 2nd, Sunday we have three young ladies receiving first communion.  They are:  Hailey Kurimski, daughter of David and Tina Kurimski; Savannah Stalzer, daughter of Brad and Mindy Stalzer; and also Hanna Kuhlmann, granddaughter of Joe and Kathy Welsh (Hanna’s mom is Michelle).

Also being honored is Aaron Kurimski, son of Bernard and Helen Kurimski who will celebrate confirmation when the bishop is here.

Seniors graduating from high school to be honored are:  Amber Davis, daughter of Jay and Ellie Davis; and Emily Welsh, daughter of Pat Welsh and Brenda Welsh.

As part of our rotation with Georgetown and Melrose, St. Peter’s will celebrate mass in May through August at 8:30am in Lovilia.  Also, starting May 2nd, we will resume collecting non-perishable food items for the Helping Hands food pantry each week.  A & R dues for the year of $10 are to be paid to treasurer Mary Chamberlain.

Recycle in Lovilia Saturday May 8th

Remember to recycle at the usual place and time from 8am-10am across from the post office.  It is free and new recyclers are encouraged .   We just celebrated another annual Earth Day.  Recycling makes you earth friendly!  It will make you feel good and it is free.  Yes, free!

Walmart and Proctor and Gamble are leading an initiative to get more family programming on television that moms and kids both like(without sex, violence, and bad language).  The first movie they are developing is to be on NBC April 16th, Friday, at 7pm.  the movie is called “Secrets of the Mountain”.  To see a movie trailer (preview) go to www.youtube.com/videos.  Then in search space type :  secrets of the mountain movie trailer.  Then when that appears click on the movies picure to start the video preview.   Watch the movie and if you like it let these companys know you would like more such family movies.  Let me know what you thought of it.  I am not promoting Walmart or P & G but I would like to see decent prime time tv shows the whole family can watch together.

Census Forms Send it in soon

Please send in your form.  It helps get the government money per person for our city streets and other programs.  If you don’t mail it, the census bureau will send someone to your home to get the answers to the census questions.  That will begin about May 1st.

If you don’t fill out your census form and return it, the federal government has to hire people to knock on the door of every home that did not return their form.  Paying those people costs all taxpayers millions of dollars.  So please fill out and return the form and it will save you money.

Our quality of Lovilia streets depends on you sending in your census form too.  City clerk, Patti DeGross, says the dollars the town receives to pay for street repair is based on the number of people who live in Lovilia.  So to get all dollars we are eligible for, we need to count everyone who lives here.

Currently, 58% of the forms have been returned.  That means over 4 out of 10 people still have not filled out the form.  So please save yourself money, help pay for good streets, and send in your completed census form.

Retiring Teachers with Lovilia Roots

Retiring at the end of this school year are Judy Jones and Roxanne Cox who teach at Albia.  Judy grew up in Lovilia as Judy Blomgren and has taught many years and is retiring as a fifth grade teacher.  RoxAnne taught several years in Lovilia as the third grade teacher and then when the Lovilia gradeschool closed was transferred to Albia where she is retiring from the sixth grade.  Both have served the children well and we wish them an enjoyable and fruitful retirement.

Updates on Deceased Lovilia High School Alumni

Those who have died in the past year and their year of graduation:

Paul Ansley 1955

Jack Avon class of 1955

Catherine Cummins Beeson 1950

Napolean “Buddy” Nutter 1945

Robert Richmond 1943

If anyone knows of others please tell the alumni committee:  Sandy Winegardner 641-842-3278 or Ilene Pottorff 641-946-8130

Other recent deaths:

Sister Marcia Kearney, age 86 died March1st.  She was born in Weller and entered the Congregation of the Humility of Mary in 1950.  She spent all her working life in Davenport.

Margaret Clark who worked  20 years in the post office and then five more as postmistress at Lovilia before retiring recently died.  When her husband Purl died in 1982 she moved to DesMoines.  She has a daughter, Judy, in Florida and a son, Jim in Clive, Iowa. Burial was in Lovilia Woodlawn Cemetary.

Ruth Parker, wife of Harold Parker, recently died.  She and Harold lived in a farm home south of Lovilia on Hwy 5.

May they all rest in eternal peace.

Notes from Lovilia History

In 1902 the Lovilia school was closed for two weeks due to an outbreak of smallpox.  Then in 1921 the school was closed for five weeks for a smallpox epidemic.  Families were officially quarantined with a sign marked smallpox in large letters nailed on the side of the house and no one could leave the premises during the quarantine period.  This could go on for weeks if the whole family did not contract the disease at the same time.   The town marshal would bring the family groceries if they had no one else to do it.  The quarantined family would then pay off their bills after the quarantine was lifted.
I clearly remember in 1955 getting the smallpox vaccine before starting kindergarten.  It was scratched into my upper left arm and caused a large pox scab which later fell off leaving a permanent scar.  But a small price to pay for not being sick and covered head to toe with scars or death.

Now it is believed the disease has been eliminated from the face of the earth and children are therefore no longer vaccinated for it.

This is one success story in medicine that we can all rejoice in.

Easter Weekend

Have a Blessed Easter! Don’t eat all the candy and eggs at once!