Authors E-I - Aging Services

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Title: Places Around Town
Name: E. B. Entrekin
There was a roller staking rink on 6th Street SW that was a popular
place. We often took our Sunday School class of teens there for an outing.
It was also a popular place for families as it was well kept with reasonable
rates. The owners did not allow any rowdiness and you could skate for an
afternoon or evening for one fee. Rental skates were available but many
of us had our own skates. The music was good and clean and it was a
great place.
Another memory is going to the Strand Theater. Then we went to the
Butterfly Café for a snack or sundae. The Mirror Lounge was downstairs
where drinks were available.
The Roosevelt Hotel had a restaurant that was entered from the 2nd
Street side. I do not remember the name, but it had good food and it was
a treat to eat there.
When I came to town in 1944, The Montrose Hotel was a popular
place. Being from a small town in northeast Iowa, I was quite impressed
by the grand staircase in the lobby that led to the mezzanine. In my eyes
it was quite elegant!
On Decoration Day, as it was called back then, there was always a
parade. One year I believe 1946, veterans were encouraged to wear
their uniforms and march in the parade which went from downtown to the
cemetery on Mt. Vernon Road. My husband joined many other returned
veterans wearing his wool Marine dress uniform. It was a rather warm day
and by the time the parade ended, he was very hot. That was the last
time he marched in his uniform!
I am certain others have mentioned Bishop’s Buffet. They had the
best pies, especially their custard pie. For those of us working downtown,
it was a place to get a very good meal at a reasonable price.
And I loved to go to Sandfords—they had so many neat stationary
items. I still have a pencil sharpener that I bought for $8.00 which does a
better job than our electric one.
There was Kubias Hardware, Woolworths, Craemers, Killans and of
course Armstrongs. There were so many great places and now so many
great memories.
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Title: Childhood Memories
Name: Dorothy Evans
I grew up in Czech Village near Riverside Park. One of my earliest
memories was walking to 16th Avenue with my mother pushing my little
sister in a wicker baby buggy. We visited the Public Library branch which
was located in what is now part of Sykora’s Bakery. After we checked out
our books we would stop in one of the several bakeries or meat markets
to shop for delicious homemade kolaches or jiternice. Sometimes we
would stop at Ted’s Pharmacy, which is now Czech Cottage, and have a
soda or sundae before returning home. This was a social event. We
would meet many friends, relatives and acquaintances during our visit.
It was during the 30s that milk was delivered to the door and the ice
man made his regular rounds. When the ice truck came, the
neighborhood kids came running to get a sliver of ice from the bed of the
truck. It was especially great on hot summer days.
On weekends in Riverside Park we gathered on the hill to view free
movies which were projected onto a screen down below. The hill has
gradually disappeared over these many decades. We used to ski and
sled down the steep slope.
I remember being sent to the little corner bakery to buy a loaf of
bread for a dime. Corner grocery stores were common too. On my way
home from school I would pass two or three.
There were street cars that we could board at the corner and ride
downtown or, with a free transfer, could go all the way to Marion! The
neighborhood kids liked to put a bottle cap on the track and after the
street car ran over it, it was perfectly flat.
There were no public swimming pools except for wading pools for
kids. We did have the opportunity to swim in the Cedar River at Ellis Park.
The swimming area was located where the water ski shows are held
today. The area was roped off and there was a lifeguard on duty.
Our downtown was thriving with several department stores and
dime stores with lunch counters. May’s Drug Store was one of my favorite
place to have lunch. My favorites were the salmon salad or olive nut
sandwiches. Killian’s also had a tea room in the basement. When I was
about 8 years old I learned to knit in their yarn department. Knitting
remains one of my favorite pastimes. We took the elevator up to the
children’s department. The elevator operator would announce what was
available on each floor. When we got to the children’s shoe department,
we would step up to the x-ray machines and check to see if our shoes
would fit! How much radiation did we absorb over those years?
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A favorite event each year was the Christmas Parade the day after
Thanksgiving. We all waited anxiously for the last float where Santa would
wave at us.
I think it was Tuesday night for many years that the Paramount
Theater had a Bank Night drawing. They would draw a name from the
glass barrel full of entries which they would roll onto the stage and rotate
for several times before drawing. You had to be present to win. It was a
rare occasion that we would be at a movie on a Tuesday night so our
family would get in the car, go down and find a parking place and wait in
the crowd for the drawing which was at 8:00. After an usher would come
out of the doors on Second Street and announce to the crowd the name
of the winner. If the prize was not claimed, the jackpot grew each week.
I remember someone winning an incredible amount of $600!
On 3rd Street Southeast, in the ten-hundred block was a small
neighborhood theatre called the Strand. One night a week they held an
amateur night where local residents performed. Somehow, I was
scheduled to appear to play my accordion. I was 7 years old. When I
was finished, the manager gave my dad an envelope which contained
the amazing sum of $3.50! This theatre later became the home of
Community Theatre which is now Theater Cedar Rapids.
It was common for families to have poultry in their backyards. We
had a small flock which provided us with fresh eggs as well as delicious
chicken dinners. Some neighbors would buy eggs from us. I remember
learning anatomy from my Babi who would pull the liver, heart, lungs and
everything else from inside the chicken as she prepared it for eating. The
smell of wet feathers in the scalding water is unforgettable. The feathers
were saved and later stripped into down to make pillows and featherbeds.
This was usually done by a group of relatives who gathered weekly to
mend, darn and make braided rugs out of used clothing fabric.
I attended the old Van Buren School which was demolished when I380 was built. We would have an hour for lunch and most kids went home
to eat because almost every mom stayed home.
In the summer I would spend a week or so at my paternal
grandparent’s farm. There was no running water or electricity so we
pumped water from the cistern for washing and bathing. Bath night was
every Saturday. Teakettles of water heated on the wood-burning stove
were added to the cold water in the tin tub which was brought in from the
shed and placed on the kitchen floor. My turn was first and each family
member followed until all were clean. I can remember how rough the
bottom of the tub felt. Who can forget the outhouse? Ours was a threeholer with a child-size seat on the side. What memories!
We certainly ate organically. There was a large garden where rows
and rows of vegetables were planted. An orchard was nearby with apple
and plum trees. Grape arbors provided delicious fruits in season. I
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remember the grape kolaches. There were pigs, chickens, geese, cattle
and draft horses
Harvest season was unforgettable. It was a community event with
neighbors helping neighbors. The threshing machine came and the work
began. Hot, humid weather was common. The men folk took a break
mid-day for their meal. The women had been working since dawn
preparing the feast. The men came in from the fields, washed in the basin
sitting by the back door and sat down to the favorite recipes supplied by
the farm wives. It became somewhat of a contest to compare what was
served at each house. My job at the back door was to keep the flies
swatted and to keep them out of the house.
We had a telephone with a party line. Our ring was two shorts and a
long. When we had a call, there was no way of knowing who was
listening in on our conversation. There was a telephone operator to help
with the calls.
How different our lives are today. With microwave ovens,
televisions, computers and cell phones life is easier in many ways. The
closeness of family ties and friendship are an enduring memory to
treasure.
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Title: Fond Memories of Cedar Rapids
Name: Pam Feerer
I was raised on a farm southwest of the Eastern Iowa Airport which I
might add was just one brick building and land strip. It was exciting to
stop and see the large, slowly spinning globe of the earth in the airport
terminal that showed the various times around the world.
A very vivid downtown memory for me was the evergreen ropes lit
with strings of large, multicolored Christmas bulbs that hung across the
downtown streets during the Holiday season. It was so festive! Adding to
the excitement, were the beautiful corner Christmas windows of Armstrong
and Killian’s. There were so many people looking in each window you
had to wait your turn to get close enough to see the beautiful displays. It
was worth the wait and one to look forward to every year.
One can not think of downtown Cedar Rapids without thinking of the
two beautiful department stores we had: Armstrong and Killian’s. They
were both multi-floored, beautifully adorned and each had a beautiful
lunchroom and tea room.
Killian’s had a lunch counter room with two large horseshoe style
counters with chairs bolted to the floor on one side of each horseshoe.
Waitresses worked behind the counters taking and serving orders. At
noon, it was so busy people would be standing behind each chair two
and three deep waiting for a place to sit.
The tea room was on the left. A beautiful carpeted room with
burgundy upholstered booths and individual tables where people were
severed lunch. It was such an elegant room. There was a woman sitting
by the door at a burgundy upholstered booth taking payment when the
diners were through eating. Armstrong’s had a wonderful lunchroom too.
Of course there were other places to eat downtown. However, the two I
mentioned were the best!
We were lucky because we had three dime stores downtown:
McClellan’s, Kresge’s and Woolworth’s. They were full of just about
anything you could want and such fun to walk through. I always looked
forward to going downtown for there were always so many people
walking from store to store and crossing the streets. It was great to be part
of the hustle and bustle.
Two beautiful theatres remain in my mind: The Iowa Theatre and
The Paramount. The large ear of corn Iowa Theatre sign on the corner of
the building which is now TCR, was awesome. The light bulbs were bright
yellow and green on the ear of corn and blinked off and on very fast. It
was very bright and pretty. The theatre inside was not as impressive for it
was not as large or fancy as the Paramount, my favorite. The Paramount
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Theatre made you feel like you were in a castle with all its beautiful
marble, gold leaf, statues, beautiful outdoor sign and the Hall of Mirrors
with all the wonderful chandeliers.
As a young girl, it holds fond memories as a movie theatre and
concert hall. Then years later, as a young mother, attending 10 of our
daughters dance recitals there and best for me being part of the Follies for
25 years, a span of 52 years of my life! The theatre was glorious and well
cared for throughout that time and oh what wonderful memories. How
lucky this community has been and will continue to be to have a treasure
such as this!
My final found memory is of the blue/pink freedom flare burning
continuously on top of the Veterans Coliseum. It was the prettiest purple
and blue flame and was comforting to see its glow over the city at night
for many, many years. It was a wonderful tribute to the men and women
protecting our country. To think of what we had and what we have
now…….?!
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Title: Born and Raised
Name: James Floyd
I was born in 1935 and raised on the West side of Cedar Rapids. Our
home place was a 4 acre acreage on E Avenue a block from the city
limits. The boundary was Edgewood Road, which at that time extended
from O Avenue to Wright Boulevard and was gravel.
I attended a 4 room country school covering first to eighth grade.
This was called Edgewood #1. There were three other Edgewood schools
called at E Avenue and Edgewood, Wilson and Edgewood, and Zika
Avenue and Edgewood. The Edgewood School # 1 that I attended was
also used as the Edgewood Baptist Church on Sundays. This was
eventually demolished and is now the new Baptist Church.
I can remember having a friend, Jedlicka was their name. I went to
the Edgewood school with him. His family owned the Edgewood Dairy on
E Avenue. They milked their cows and delivered house to house. When I
was 9 or 10 years old we would alternate mornings and make these
deliveries. There was a guy who drove us and we ran them to the houses.
I was afraid of the dark at the time but never told anyone. On the
mornings it was my turn it was of course still dark. When I could not ride
my bike I ran the whole way. There were numerous country dairies at that
time since milk did not have to be pasteurized.
Park Lane Grocery was a drive through grocery store. It had your
basic supplies and was very handy. It is now the Westside Lounge on
Edgewood Road. The cooler they use now is the same one used at the
store.
When I was in 4th grade, the school was closed and the students
were transferred to Filmore School. This was located 2 blocks from
Roosevelt High School on C Avenue. We were transported by bus. This
was approximately 1 ½ miles from my home.
On Sundays I remember going to Edgewood School and watching
fast pitch baseball games. This was a man’s team. We looked forward to
this as a social event when we were kids. My family’s religion was
Lutheran but we attended services at the Baptist Church because it was so
close.
We had a small grocery store in our neighborhood directly across
the street from the Baptist Church on Edgewood and E Avenue. It was
called the Edgewood Grocery. My mother sent us to shop there often. As
kids we were steady customers. We could easily walk to it. There was a
bench in front of the store where people would gather, drink pop and talk,
much like local restaurants and bars now.
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My brother Paul, who was disabled, worked at Davis Dairy. He
washed out glass bottles for milk mostly. This is now Papa Murphy’s on
Edgewood Road.
As I grew older I became interested in sporting activities. I started
playing in kids leagues. Since I lived in the country, I had to ride my bike
wherever I wanted to go. I was only 10 years old. The ball games were at
Daniels Park on the Northeast side or Riverside Park on the Southwest side
of Cedar Rapids. These parks were about five to eight miles from my
house. Boy did my bike get a lot of use.
We also spent a lot of time at the Ellis Park pool. This was only a five
mile jaunt in the summers. Again I rode my bike.
Also as a kid we had numerous movie theatres in Cedar Rapids.
Many are now something else. The Iowa Theatre is now the Cedar Rapids
Theatre. Palace Theatre is now a bank parking lot. Paramount Theatre is
currently being renovated. Times Theatre is now Auto Shine on 1st Avenue.
Strand Theatre is now Quality Foods and Rialto Theatre is now the US
Cellular Center.
Our favorite theatre was the Rialto Theatre which we nicknamed the
“Rate hole.” The reason we liked this theatre was that they showed
Superman, Batman, and Westerns in series. We had to go each week in
order to see the whole movie.
Also there were drive-in movie theatres at that time. There was the
Twixt Town which is now a strip mall on Twixt Town Road. A second one
was the Cedar Rapids Drive-in which moved to 6th Street and was called
Twin West and East Drive-in. The original site is now a Kmart.
My dad would give me $.25 to go to the movie. At the time the
nearest bus was 1 ½ miles from home. I could either leave my bike at the
bus stop and pay a nickel each way on the bus or could ride my bike 3-5
miles to the movies to save the dime. The movie was a dime so if we rode
our bikes we could spend the extra on pop, popcorn or anything else. As
a kid we were pretty happy with $.25.
In the winter we spent hours at a skating rink below Roosevelt High
School along E Avenue. There was a warming house. There were lights
and we gathered there for hours of skating, fun and socialization.
I also remember riding the Trolley located on 4th Avenue between
1st and 2nd Street Southeast. This was also the bus stop for greyhound.
I went to school with a Butch Gaddis. His father was Roy and they
owned Highway Equipment which made lime spreaders. They were fiends
of Roy Rodgers. I got to meet him and sit on the famous horse Trigger.
Now where our acreage was are the Kimberly Square apartments,
the grocery store is now a home. Roosevelt High School is now a junior
high. Filmore School is no longer a school. It is now the Salvation Army.
The ice skating rink is the Abbe Center for Community Mental Health.
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My first job was with Bezdek’s florist. I rode along to make deliveries
when I was only 10 years old. I would do the “running”. I used to go with
Mr. Bezdek to work in the fields. I remember one time when I was 12 he
had gotten his arm stuck in a baler and I was able to dislodge it before
there was damage. From that time he referred to me as his “Good Luck
Charm”. They recently tore down the greenhouse on Johnson Avenue. It
was a sad day for me.
Another memory I cherish is my years of attending Roosevelt High
School. In the 1950’s our Roughrider football team was the first team to
play a game at the new Kingston Stadium. This was an honor to us.
My next milestone was a decision I made that changed my life
forever. I was signed up to go to Coe College on a football scholarship.
My friends and I went to the movie Battle Cry, got patriotic and joined the
Marines that week. So for 3 years I was a Marine.
I came home from the Marines and enrolled at the University of
Iowa. In 1957 I was a freshman. At that time the Freshman were not
eligible to play varsity ball nor were they on the roster. Basically we
practice and scrimmaged the varsity. Needless to say, we “got our butts
kicked,” but it was great practice. We did not earn a letter. At the ender
of the year if we stayed out we received a gold sweater and a “numeral
letter”. I found out that the Amana Colonies Woolen Mills made our
sweaters.
This practice was changed in 1971 when the freshmen became
considered part of the varsity team. I was asked out for the varsity team
by sophomore year, but by this time I decided to get married and start my
family.
It was an exciting time. I had very little money since I was on the GI
bill. My friend talked me into buying a weekly ticket at a local restaurant
in Iowa City for 5 dollars so I could eat every day. I bought the ticket and
then next day the restaurant burned down.
This has been the story told over and over and laughed about now.
There are many more memories but I have loved Cedar Rapids and Iowa.
There is no other place I would rather be. I lived my life as a Cedar Rapids
native. I married and raised 4 children here. Linn County is my home and
I have enjoyed Cedar Rapids.
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Title: Mercy Nursing School
Name: Marlys Floyd
My story of life in Linn County begins with a move from Waterloo to
Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1954. I graduated from high school in Geneseo,
Iowa. This was a small school near Dysart and Buckingham. My grade
school days were spent at St. Johns Catholic School in Waterloo.
Since the only professions available for women in this era were
secretary, school teacher or nurse, I chose nursing. After passing a preadmission test in Des Moines, I was granted college admission. My school
was Mercy School of Nursing and we were affiliated with Mount Mercy
College. Our total tuition for 3 years was 750 dollars. The school of nursing
was part of Mercy Hospital on Cedar Rapids Southeast side. The college
was located on Elmhurst Drive Northeast on the “hill”.
These institutions have grown and changed dramatically since their
origin. We went 3 years but these were 12 month years. We got some
time off for holidays. Our diploma was called a “diploma degree.” We
had 28-30 in each class. Everyone was divided up into freshman, junior,
and seniors.
At the end of freshman year, we got a plain white cap. At the
successful completion of our second year we received one blue stripe on
the side of our cap. At the end of senior year we received two blue stripes
at the side of our cap.
After passing the state board test in Des Moines, upon graduation
we were qualified as RN’s and wore the black stripe around the entire
cap. This helped doctors, patients and families to differentiate between
the level of training we had.
The regimen was intense. Between classes, labs, working in the
hospital babysitting doctor’s children and trying to have some time left for
a small “social life”, we were kept very busy. Of course living in the same
dorm and having the same experience bonded us for a lifetime. At
reunions we still feel this special bond. There are endless memories and
stories.
The Linn County landscape and businesses have changed over the
years. Just this year the school of nursing, which had been converted into
the family practice clinic, was totally demolished. A parking ramp is now
there.
In the 1950s across the street and beside the school of nursing there
were houses used for several people. The interns lived in these homes.
The Cedar Rapids Indians, the baseball team at the time, rented rooms.
Between 10th Street and 12th Street the movie star, Don DeFore, had a
house. Dr. Block had his child development office in this area.
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The businesses located within walking distance for us were many.
There was a small grocery store on the corner across from the school
called Berry’s. This area now is the ambulance service site. CV Dairy Bar
on Mt Vernon Road had the best malts. Chat and Chew restaurant is now
an Oncology office. Party Lanes, a drive through grocery store was on the
Southeast side and on the Northwest side. Pusateri Grocery is no longer in
business.
Our lives at Mount Mercy College were structured but wellbalanced. The sisters who were in charge were wise but strict. We were
assigned to take classes at Mount Mercy College. We had a bus called
the “Green Hornet” that originally transported us. This bus died so then we
had to find our own transportation. We had no cars so we mostly walked
to 1st Avenue and rode the city bus. We did this in winter, spring, summer
and fall. We certainly got our fresh air and exercise.
We were on-call starting our junior year for obstetrics and surgery.
Sister Mary Muriel was our house mother. She came and woke us up for
call. We dreaded this in the middle of the night. We had one OB doctor
who was especially harsh with students. We prayed we did not get called
for his deliveries.
We had parties at the Kappa Anna, the boat at Ellis Park. These
were arranged by the college. We had mixers in the gymnasium with the
Loras College students since the schools were not co-ed.
One of my favorite nights of the month was called Staff Night. This
was when the doctors had their meeting and were served dinner. For
some reason the students were able to eat this meal. We went to the
dining room and got our plate and took it back. The menu included:
Mercy Burgers, a sloppy joe like burger, baked beans, potato salad, a
drink and dessert.
We were always hungry and did not take time to really snack. We
had 30 minutes for meals and spent most of that time in line waiting.
Some of the girls wore their uniforms to get a plate on staff night, bring it
back to the floor, change into street clothes and go back for a second
plate. We knew we all looked alike to people in our uniforms.
On Wednesday’s we always tried to go to breakfast. This was
homemade cinnamon roll day. The rolls were so great.
When we went to psych affiliation in Omaha, the sisters there made
homemade bread. This was memorable. We were served “ox tail soup”.
Since we were mostly small town girls we were not familiar with this but we
tried it and liked it.
Since we were mostly from families without a lot of extra money, for
spending money we babysat doctor’s kids for $.50 an hour. The sister’s
required us to be picked up and brought back safely. Sometimes we
were picked up by a taxi. This was an experience especially since the
children usually were a handful.
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We did Nursing Service for $.50 an hour. It has been said the
students were the biggest part of the staff. We trained on hospital floor
and worked there. The experience was just great. We knew how to
function when we graduated.
For a prank one year at Christmas, we painted our lounge windows
with green tempera paint leaving the O in lounge clear so we could see
out but no on could see in. It felt this was very daring and of course did
not last long. We had to wash it off.
We were allowed to have some social life. We could go to
restaurants. All in all we spent time at Danceland, Swisher, Armar and
Stanwood dances. We also went to movies. Elvis was the new Idol and
we loved him.
I graduated from Mercy School of Nursing in 1957 and was married
in 1958. My husband and I raised 4 children and have called Linn County
our home since that time. We have 2 daughters in the nursing field. It has
been a time of career, raising children, church, home, life and joy!
Our psych affiliations were at St. Joseph’s hospital in Omaha,
Nebraska. It was a 3 month rotation. We had three main psychiatrists: Dr.
Starr, Dr. Ring and Dr. Ferrel.
In the 1950s the psychological medications were just coming out.
There was Miltown, Equanil, and Thorazine. The main methods of treating
depression and mental problems were electric shock and insulin shock.
These were horrible procedures. We had patients line up and they could
see the other patients leave in a stupor.
We went to Mass daily and prayed daily. We had daily
prayers over the intercom in the hospital. Our spiritual life was nourished.
We worked hard, prayed hard and played hard.
The spirit of Mercy was evident in all our training and environment.
The Catholic Church has the view about its position on faith and the cure
of diseases. It proclaims both have a place in God’s plan. The Church
builds both Churches and hospitals. The healing comes from God through
human contact and compassion with the practice of medicine.
We were taught to inspire one another to call on the Spirit of Mercy
to enhance healing and reduce the length of suffering endured while
practicing medicine. We asked for God’s blessings on us and those he
sends for us to care for.
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Title: The Story Behind Ginsberg Jewelers
Name: Herman Ginsberg
My father, Izzy Ginsberg, had a jewelry and pawn shop in Sedalia,
Missouri, which he opened after World War I. In about 1930 he came to
Cedar Rapids to buy the inventory of a Cedar Rapids jewelry store and
take it back to his store in Sedalia. Izzy was so impressed with the enormity
of Cedar Rapids compared to his home of Sedalia, he thought he was in
Paris! The owner of the Cedar Rapids shop had died and the elderly
widow wanted to sell. This was Rozen’s Jewelry and Pawn located on 1st
Street where the Alliant Tower is now. Mrs. Rozen wanted 2500 dollars for
1000 dollars worth of merchandise. He couldn’t decide if he would buy the
merchandise or not. If he did, he would stay in Cedar Rapids and change
the name of the store from Rozen’s to Ginsberg’s.
It was December and downtown Cedar Rapids was busy with
shoppers. Izzy was walking around downtown trying to decide what to
do. Suddenly he saw a large crowd of people walking down 2nd Avenue
following a 10 year old boy. He joined the crowd to the 5th floor of
Newman’s department store’s toy department. The boy wanted to play
with the toys on display for the Christmas season.
Someone in the crowd told my father the boy was “Billy the Wonder
Boy” who had a stage act at the Iowa Theater. His “schtik” was he
answered questions from the audience. My father worked his way to the
front where Billy was handling the toys. He shouted to Billy, “What should I
do?” Bill turned to him and replied, “Buy it, buy it.” Father said, “Buy
what?” Billy again replied, “The store, the shop where you can take your
watch.” That decided it. He gave Mrs. Rozen 2500 dollars and we have
been in Cedar Rapids ever since.
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Title: Women of Other Nations
Name: Joyce Guse and Olivia Kennedy
In the mid to late 1940’s young men and women who had served in
the military during WWII returned to the Cedar Rapids area. Many of these
men were followed by war brides and girlfriends from overseas. These
young women came from fifteen countries: Ireland, Wales, Scotland,
England, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Czechoslovakia, Norway,
Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, Poland, and Turkey.
In 1949 to 1950 a club was organized aptly called Women of Other
Nations. The group needed a large space for meetings and was guided
by the YWCA, which was then conveniently located in downtown Cedar
Rapids across from Green Square. The “Y” hit the jackpot because we all
joined and for many years met there.
Joyce Guse and Oliva Kennedy both from England, remember the
wonderful friendship that was formed and lasted for many years. Jean
(Liabo) Oxley was the first and much needed advisor for the group at the
“Y”. For several years she helped guide this very diverse group through
trials and tribulations. Much was learned from the many speakers and
demonstrations the “Y” provided. Sally Driscoll followed Jean as our
advisor. And the time came when we descended on Herman at the
Federal Courthouse because he handled the citizenship applications.
As the families grew, Joyce and Olivia recall wonderful times we
had at baby showers, graduations and weddings of the children as well as
just plain old get togethers. Time has taken its toll but what great
memories we have.
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Title: One Genius Hamster
Name: Virginia Hatch
Christmas shopping in downtown Cedar Rapids was a must and a
special time for those of us who lived in surrounding small towns.
Remember the Armstrong, Killian, Kreske, Cramer, Woolworth, Penny and
Sandford stores? Remember the outer windows beautifully decorated with
Christmas scenes? What a delight they were every year!
Well, one shopping trip in 1959 was a little more memorable for my
friend Carol and I. We had planned to see a movie at the Paramount
Theater after we were done shopping. On a “wild hair”, we decided to
buy my cousin a hamster for Christmas since she liked animals. We found
a nice one which we carried out of the store in a box with air holes. To get
to the movie on time, we had to take him with us into the movie.
As we sat their chewing our popcorn, we heard another chewing
noise. We checked the box and found a hole where the hamster was
trying to chew himself a place to escape through. Or maybe he was
hungry and our popcorn smelled good to him? What to do? What to do?
Being two intelligent teenagers, we knew we needed to block the
hole. We started stuffing our napkins into the hole. All we could think
about was what if that hamster got out and what a ruckus it would cause.
Being the intelligent hamster, he must have said to himself, “I’ll chew
elsewhere.” He started other holes and even chewed the napkins. We
ran out of napkins and one of us went to the lobby and got more napkins.
So what happened to the hamster and us? This story has several
happy endings. He did not get out of the box. My cousin received a
treasured Christmas present. The hamster received a new home with a
caring owner for Christmas. And most importantly, we did not get busted!
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Title: Life in Iowa
Name: Jane Helgeson
My parents had one child. My name is Jane Odette Rice. My dad,
Robert C. Rice was employed by Rock Island Railroad. My mother was a
sales lady for Cramer’s Department Store. When my parents were
married, Mom did not work for Cramer’s. She instead stayed home and
took care of me.
We lived in a rented house on C Avenue Northeast. I attended Polk
School. Sometimes my mother had visits with my teachers. She wanted to
know if I was doing well in school. We had a well liked principal Inga B
Tapper.
When I was about five years old, my dad took me to the movies.
They were black and white in those days. I remember the funny movies.
There was no sound just action. Charlie Chaplin dressed like a tramp. He
produced all his shows. I recently read a book about him. Two other guys
we liked were Laurel and Hardy. We had many laughs on afternoons
when my mom took me. She would read me the words on the screen and
a talented piano player played in the pit.
My dad’s salary was small at 75 dollars a month. However, he did
get a free pass on the train. In the summer time, Dad and Mother would
take me by train to Mediapolis Iowa to visit relatives on the farm. The wife
was a good cook. We loved her meals.
Dad and my mother seldom traveled together. Railroad men had
no union to belong to. They worked every day.
I remember the times Mom and I visited her mother and step father
in Chicago. They lived in an apartment with fans only to keep cool. We
would ride the double deck bus up Michigan Boulevard to keep cool.
When we visited my grandmother in Chicago we would see Al Jolson sing
on the stage.
A wonderful time for Mom and I was a trip to New York City. We
went to a large theatre called Radio City Music Hall to see the Rockettes
dance on stage.
When I worked at the Iowa Theatre we saw movies and Fiber McKee
and Molly and Sophie Tucker were on the stage. Vandeville people
traveled about the United States. This is how they made some money. I
worked at the Iowa Theatre selling tickets when I was about 19. I made 12
dollars and 50 cents a week. I later worked at Iowa Electric Light and
Power building. Customers would bring their pay checks. I would cash
them keeping the money out to pay their light bill.
-17-
During high school some lady friends and I would meet together for
potlucks. Then we would go to football or basketball games. None of us
drove so I guess our dad’s must have taken us.
After we graduated from high school we would get together at a
reunion and we decided we should have a round robin letter. I believe
there was about 12 of us although now some have passed away. The
ladies who are still living still write the round robin letter. Jeane lives at
Cottage Grove. Jane lives in Central City. Dorothy lives in New York State
and Jean is in Tucson, Arizona.
While working at the light company I met a man at church. He was
in the army during World War II. I was invited by him to go with him to
California. He was in the army air corporation. We married during the
war. When he came home we had a daughter Kathleen (Kathy). We
divorced when he told me he was dating a lady he met in college. He
remarried and Kathy and I lived with my parents.
A lady friend and I went to Danceland one night. This is where I met
Olin (Ole) Helgeson. We spent many happy years together and in 1961
we married in the First Lutheran Church near Conroy.
We purchased a lovely brick home in Homestead and refurbished it.
He sanded and refinished the floors. I varnished wood work and took
plaster off the wall. This was a beautiful home but it became too much for
us so we sold it. We moved to the condo in Ely. Ole passed away in 2000
and is buried in the cemetery across from the church where we were
married. I will be buried there by Olin G Helgeson. My daughter, Kathleen
now lives with me in our condo in Ely.
My husband and I took two trips to Padre Island. We rented a
condo for a month and walked on the beach, found sea shells and went
fishing. We also owned a cottage near Brainerd, Minnesota and spent
summers there on the lake fishing and visiting with friends. My husband
belonged to El Khire Shrine Temple and I belong to Daughters of the Nile.
We worked for the Shrine Hospitals.
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Title: Inventive People with a Pioneering Spirit
Name: Robert Hobbie
Like so many Iowans of the mid-twentieth century, Robert Hobby
(now of Mount Vernon, Iowa) has fond memories of visits to his Grandma
and Grandpa Hobbie in Hampton, IA. Robert, who grew up in Marion and
Cedar Rapids, spent many summer days in the late 1930’s and early ‘40’s
with his grandparents in the small town, where everyone knew his
grandparents and vice versa. His grandfather was an “old fashioned man
with high standards. He was strict, but kind,” remembers Robert. He was a
man of Welsh descent whose parents immigrated to America from
England.
Robert remembers their home with a “big, wrap-around porch.” A
dairyman named Chris Nelson delivered milk and used to let Robert ride
along with him. Both grandparents were devout church members and
they loved to sing. His grandmother played the piano. Also, they kept a
large garden and seldom needed to go to the grocery store for food.
Mr. Leslie Hobbie was a carriage maker in Hampton during the
1930’s. He designed and built about thirty automobiles he called the
“Hobby Accessible.” According to his grandson Robert, his business was
so successful, he sold the rights to his product in exchange for the local
dealership to sell Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth/Desoto automobiles. He kept
that dealership until his death.
Surely, the pioneering spirit of his grandfather influenced Robert.
He moved to Canada as a young adult where he kept and trained sled
dog teams until his return to Iowa.
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Title: Trips to Cedar Rapids
Name: Roberta Hoffman
When driving into town we knew we were getting close when the
grand estate of Brucemore was seen. On First Avenue, after just crossing
the tracks downtown, on the left was Bishops. Two of my favorite foods I
remember were an outstanding rye roll with coarse salt on the top and a
chocolate cup cake we called devils food with frosting like fudge.
Euphoria!
My first time to order in a restaurant was in a café near the depot. I
did not know about menus or how to order. I was petrified. After lunch,
we walked across the tracks and up the block for some caramel kettle
corn. Yummy! My first taste of cheesecake was in the basement coffee
shop at Killans. That was a tasty adventure.
My graduation dress was from Craemers, the store on both sides of
the alley. Another store Forbes on 4th street I believe was the only place
my grandma could get lace-up shoes. Then she would go to the top of
the floor to get size 100 tatting thread. There seemed to be a hat shop on
every corner!
My first “live theatre” experience was a show at what is now known
the as Paramount. It was a musical based on the music by Schubert. It
was lovely!
In the wintertime the ride was not very warm. My father’s
automobile did not have a heater, but we had blankets. The windows
would frost over and cause concern for seeing the road. My grandpa
smoked stinky cigars no matter what weather it was. To keep us from
coughing from the horrible smoke the windows had to be open to bring in
fresh air no matter how brutally cold it was. Non-smoking was not an
option. Did I ever think of staying home? NEVER!
Me Too grocery store had two floors as I remember. This was our
last stop before the drive home. Grandma bought a tray of cinnamon rolls
to share. To go with the cinnamon roles we got a slice of bologna. Now
that was a real treat. I never understood why my daddy always got the
first one.
A trip to Cedar Rapids, which happened infrequently, was an
exciting day for us. This was a long trip from our farm in Delaware County.
However it brings a smile to remember the trips.
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Title: Jobs in Cedar Rapids
Name: David Hoyt
Seeing a picture of downtown Cedar Rapids and the Me Too Store
brought back memories of my first job at Me Too Grocery Store. It was
during the first part of World War II and my grandfather, Charles Shepard,
wanted me to have the experience of a summer job. He went to the
manager’s office and after a while the manager came out and said “So,
you want a job do you?’
I answered, “No, my grandfather thought I should.” In spite of that, I
was hired. I later learned that my grandfather arranged to pay my first
weeks wages to see if I worked out. My first task was to take the paper off
the individually wrapped navel oranges and put them in bins. Also in the
basement I was to sort out the potatoes and put the good ones in bags of
a certain weight.
I then graduated to carry-out the sacks to the customer’s cars.
Sometimes we would get a tip but the real treat each day was when the
soda fountain would close at 3 P.M. and we could go in and make
anything we wanted during our break.
I also worked for Martin’s Dry Goods and Emzlei’s Luggage. I had
many tasks at Martin’s including mowing the lawn at the owner’s home on
Grande Avenue. The first time I mowed it was with a gas mower. I had
never used one. I mowed my name in hug letters in his front lawn and just
then he drove up to see what I was doing. He said, “You are going to
finish aren’t you?”
I have wonderful memories of downtown Cedar Rapids. Some
years ago I looked through photos of Christmas Time downtown taken in
1953.
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