Message Forum

Sandra Buckley (Matthews)

Some of FM's most unforgettable characters imo - some by way of stories told to me by classmates and family, and some from personal contact - here is my preliminary, unranked list:

Dick Specht - KXGI radio "A little chit chat across the backyard fence"

Eddie Richards - entrepreneur who was said to boast at parties in the late 1950's he could write a good check for a million dollars any time he wanted.

Roy Earl - confirmed bachelor who hung out at the 800 block Ave G drug store next to the Fox theater at the soda fountain drinking gallons of custom ordered cherry cokes. He was a huge gun collector. I helped Roy sight in most of his hunting rifles. Did a lot of random target shooting at the range out on Chalk Ridge Road. A lot of 30 ca & 9mm stuff: Enfields, M-1's, Mausers, rabbit pistols ( .50 caliber shot pistol), .45 caliber1911's. I became quite a good shot even though I wore Coke bottle glasses since the 3rd grade. In the Army, I shot a perfect score earning the highest (Expert) qualification designation for an M-14 rifle with iron sights. My sergeant was shocked because of my dweeb looking glasses.

Buck (don't remember last name) - TV repairman and Hawaiian guitar player. I bought a Hallicrafters Sky Buddy shortwave receiver from Buck & paid him 50 cents a week for a couple of months. He helped me earn a ham radio license.

Rommel (don't remember real name) - taxidermist, gun collector, who claimed to be a cousin of WWII German Field Marshal Erwin "Desert Fox" Rommel. He had framed family pictures of the Desert Fox, wife & kids plus other people not recognized in his house that looked authentic. His gun collection included several licensed fully automatic and fully functional machine guns taken as WWII military trophies from the Japanese and German. Rommel told me he was frequently visited by the Feds to make sure they were still in his possession. I gave him the ground hog I plugged with Roy Earle's scoped .222 Swift. Over 300 yards & a no exit head shot perfect for trophy mounting. The only living creatures I ever hunted were groundhogs because the farmers liked to see the pesky rodents gone from their crop fields and they were really difficult to eradicate. They would sun by their holes, & having really really good hearing they would instantly dive back in their holes when spooked by the slightest distant noise.

The Schlapp Family - old old FM family from German & members of the local German Bund? The enormous red brick house up on Ave C always looked foreboding to me, like out of a horror movie. I thinkJohnson told me he talked to one of the family members.

A mysterious recluse living in the woods out by Chalk Ridge Road? Johnson & Sheridan buddies were probably pulling my leg, but, I think I believed them. Probably not true.

Digger O'Dell - master boat salesman as seen on TV

Glasgow Tailors - Charlie Zimmerman & Doyle Hoyer - what phrase did they always use to greet us? Button down collar shirts, penny loafers, and those chinos with the non-functioning little belt on the back, London Fog trench coat. Doyle had a band before he got in to the clothing business. Saxaphone player I think. Charlie became a stockbroker I think.

Barber shop on 800 block Ave G a few doors towards the Fox down from Dana Bushongs. Can't remember the names of the 2 barbers.

RN Johnson II - City/County Atty - who was said to have famously uttered words to the effect of "...put those rotten pillars of society in jail....." over the phone to the police while questioning the highly suspicious gang of Roberts, Sears, RN Johnson III and Jim Winke after being stopped in Roberts' Corvair with dealer plates, late at night, the same night the country club was robbed. Various oaths and utterances coming from inside the car, some possibly directed at the police probably led them to wonder what the heck we were up to late at night, thus the visit to the police station & phone call to RNJ II. A bit of a sweat because in the car we had a bag of coins from the gambling games we ran at a huge bash at Winke's house earlier that night, band and everything. I don't think the police saw the bag & if they had, we might have had more explaining to do. Absolved & released of course, but those words will never be forgotten lol.

Leo B. Winke - Progas owner, Jim Winke's Dad & my God-Father (I converted when I was 17). After Leo's brother's funeral (R.B's Dad), Jim and I went back to his house to chill & listen to some music. Leo became quite pissed about the music, stormed in to the room, picked up the stereo & threw it through a window out on to the grass. Only time I ever saw Leo get mad. Leo's other Brother "Dub" ran an anhydrous ammonia fertilizer business, among other things. Working for Dub one Summer,(it was company policy for Dub to buy everyone's lunch), at the lunch counter, I noticed a wad of money poking out of his shirt pocket. I said, "Dub, that money looks like it can fall out pretty easily. He replied, nah, that is my office, I always carefully watch my office, because at the end of the day that's how I know if I made any money or not.

01/21/19 07:42 AM

#1002

Good Grief Jack Sears !!!! I think you better try out for JEOPARDY - what a MEMORY you have for details !!!! I could only relate to a few of the personalities from Fort Madison that you mentioned. First of all, KXGI and Dick Spect - I was inside that studio many times - upstairs on the side street where Lee County Bank used to be. When I dated Doc Powers, he was a good friend of Wil Huewet (also class of 1960), who worked part-time at KXGI - we would drop by the studio some Sunday afternoons and I was fascinated by the "sound booth". That also brings me to Doyle Hoyer - Doc played drums for that band and yes, Doyle was the saxaphone player and sang sometimes. Doyle's band played for the very first "Rainbow Fornmal Dance" I attended (think I went with Jack Moore - LOL !) Between Youel's Men's clothing store, Glasgow Tailors, and Hesse's Men's Store, we had some very dapperly dressed men in Fort Madison in our age !

I have heard from time to time stories from Bill about your card gambling parties - the one I have always remembered had something to do with being at Robert's cabin (on the river ???) in the winter and you were winning (as usual) and they got mad and threw you outside into a snowbank - was that really true ?

Oh, if our parents had only known some of the shinnanigans we were involved in during those years ! Actually, they did find out about some of them and I know I paid dearly for one of them with my Dad !!!

Keep the stories coming - I love them !!!!

01/21/19 09:38 AM

#1003

Hi Sandy, ya, just had a flashback moment last night & did a brain dump. Otherwise - ppphhhhtttt, might be gone forever, lol.

I'd like to hear from others about their most unforgettable FM characters.

I am still a gambling fool. I play a lot of poker. Yes, Roberts' cabin was a trouble spot, and yes the gang threw me outside in the Winter after I won a large pot in a card game.

01/21/19 11:33 AM

#1004

Jack, I really enjoyed reading your post. The barber you might be talking about was Benny's, according to my memory. It was downstairs on the north side of Avenue G. Seem to remember that flat tops were 50 cents. Don't remember the cost of Butch Wax.

I always enjoyed your story about you and Robert Johnson and the effective use of your mom's (?) press credentials that allowed entry into John Kennedy's room in a hotel in Des Moines.

01/21/19 05:45 PM

#1005

Hi Brad, ah yes, Benny's Barbershop. Flat tops. I could not carry one off but I went there for haircuts.

Ya, the JFK Des Moines story with Mike Sheridan and Robert Johnson was epic.

Brad, do you happen to remember the name of the drug store soda fountain on 800/G a few doors away from the Fox theater same side of the street. They made terrific grilled ham salad sandwiches.

01/21/19 08:06 PM

#1006

Jack: The name of the drug store was Bergman’s Drug Store!

Hey Everybody we now have 41pages and counting! Thanks to all of you! I loved all the posts! So fun and interesting! I would like more than the one liner from Sally Wilken! Come on Sally tell us more!👌👏👍 one more thing guys, I think the barber shop was Bud Lamb’s!

01/22/19 10:15 AM

#1007

Cyndy Day (Savage)

I worked at Bergmans drug store st the soda fountain when I wasn’t scheduled at Hy Vee and in the summer also car hopped at A and W with Jane Drummond. I was the short onr

01/22/19 02:53 PM

#1008

Karan Kreighbaum (Faul)

Cyndy... I worked at Bergman's soda fountain weekends one summer... Jerriann Nelle Wagner did too. She and I traded working Saturday mornings and afternoons and on Sunday mornings. Quite an experience working for Bill and his mom!!! lol

01/22/19 04:19 PM

#1009

Jack, I don't recall the barbershop Sharon mentioned. However, Leroy also worked with Benny in the basement of the barbershop. Leroy was at the clubhouse at the golf course just north of Rodeo Park where we had one of our class reunions. I remember I had a good conversation with him, but, certainly don't remember the specifics.

01/22/19 05:49 PM

#1010

Brad: Leroy Thomas also was a barber in a Barber Shop on Avenue H in the Anthes Hotel with 2 other barbers, one who’s name was Klein and can’t remember first name! Leroy died a few years ago! He was married to Susie Peacock’s sister! Bud Lambs barber shop was next to the State Theater!

01/22/19 05:53 PM

#1011

The only basement barber shop that I can ever remember was between Avenue F and Avenue G on 9th Street right by the alley across from Humphrey Jewelry Store!

01/23/19 10:07 AM

#1012

Sandra Buckley (Matthews)

Bergmans! Thanks Sharon, Cyndy and Karan. Spent a fair amount of time in Bergmans. Remember Bill Boomer & I swooping down there after school on our 3 speed Raleigh "English" bikes & parking them in front. Best grilled ham salad sandwiches ever.

01/23/19 10:54 AM

#1013

Cyndy Day (Savage)

His mom was Molly if I remember correctly. Yes I worked HyVee Saturdays. I loved that soda fountain. Ah the memories of our youth

01/25/19 09:23 AM

#1014

Melinda Lang (Bachman)

These stories are so interesting as they giggle my memory. I also remember the Rodeo Parade. The horse would come up the big hill by my house (9th and Ave. C) on the way to rodeo park. At one time my Dad, Ernie Lang, had a Buick dealership. They would use one of his cars for the parade. I remember on time at the Rodeo the guest stars Rin Tin Tin and I got to ride in the car with him. So whe people ask if I've ever met a movie star I say Yes! Then tell them it was Rin Tin Tin.

Another memory was working after school and Saturday's at Bushong's jewelry store.

01/26/19 07:43 AM

#1015

Melinda, You brought back a Tri-State Rodeo memory for me also - I think I was in about in 3rd or 4th grade when my dad was Rodeo Parade Chairman. The Friday night before the parade, those on the committee were invited to the Anthes Hotel on Avenue H to the big dining room to eat dinner with the stars from that year - it was The Range Rider and Dick West !!!! I still have pictures in a scrapbook from that night and my mother made me a cowgirl costume with fringe on the skirt and vest - one of the pictures is of me between the 2 celebreties - oh my, I thought Dick West was just about the cutest guy I had ever seen !!!! He was so much shorter than the Range Rider !!! I also remember those very early years of the parade when we had Gene Autry one year followed by Roy Rogers & Dale Evans the next !!! We were so fortunate to have the Sante Fe Stock Yards in those days, so that the big Brahma Bulls the Sante Fe were taking to Chicago and then on to New York for their famous rodeos, could stop and feed and rest. Wasn't it Eddie Richards and other business men in town who made that all happen ???? That rodeo weekend was probably the biggest money maker for the city of Fort Madison and put us on the map for our area !!!

01/26/19 09:35 AM

#1016

William (Bill) Patrigo

Melinda made me also recall the rodeo. The rodeo was brought to Fort Madison by Eddie Richards. He rocognized that the livestock owned by Col. Everett Colburn (Ligntning C Ranch) were required by law to stop in Fort Madison for watering and feeding as they travelled by rail each year to the Madison Square Garden Rodeo in NYC. Eddie had the grounds built and entered into an agreement to have an annual rodeo with the livestock passing through Fort Madison. Gene Autry was connected with Colburn and became the star performer for the first few years. Gene's performance consisted of singing and having his horse, Champion, perform tricks. My father was the Rodeo Chairman for several years.

During one Saturday afternoon performance Champion refused to perform properly and Gene beat him with a riding crop in front of 10,000 people. After the performance Eddie Richards, my father and several members of the rodeo committee met with Gene in his room in the Anthes Hotel and disinvited him from performing in later Fort Madison rodeos. That is what triggered other stars later coming to perform in the rodeo.

I too remember Rin Tin Tin, but I met him by wandering alone into his trailer on the rodeo grounds. I left immediatelly when I realized I was alone with the dog. His trainer met me as I left and confirmed I should not have been alone with "Rinty". I met other performers over the years, but specifically remember having breakfast with my parents and Dale Robertson (star of Tales of Wells Fargo TV series). I could not get over how handsome he was - to me he was obviously a movie star! Parenthetically, my mother mentioned that she had been at a local rodeo dinner party that he attended and how all the women flocked to him.

It has been too many years since I attended a Fort Madison Rodeo or saw a Fort Madison Rodeo parade.

01/26/19 10:33 AM

#1017

Speaking of the rodeo, Bill, it’s never too late! I work in the Rideo ticket office and I can get you great seats! Just give me a call 319-470-3477 and I’ll get you rooms for the weekend!

I also remember marching in the rodeo parade from 7th grade through 12 th grade, first Junior High School Band and then FMHS band! Those are great memories! KERP WRITING SLL OF YOU ITS GREAT READING!

01/26/19 10:34 AM

#1018

FAT FINGERS MADE MISTAKES! Forgive me!

01/26/19 10:51 AM

#1019

Mr. Patrigo, I can attest that Sharon can get you great seats at the Rodeo. My brother and I attended a few years ago and had perfect seats right next to the chutes. Really enjoyed the event. Maybe it is time to attend again.

My dad used to help with coordination of the security at the Rodeo and I was so privileged to spend lots of time behind the chutes as well above the chutes. Brahma bull riding was my favorite. I still watch the PBR bull riding competition on television.

One time I got to have lunch with Dale Robertson in the tent behind the Arena. And, one time I saw Dick West in the back seat of a car behind the chutes with a cowgirl. There was a little more going on than having a conversation. Another time was when Annie Oakley was there and I think she was under contract to Gene Autry and they were sitting up on the chutes and I though he treated her very poorly.

Loved the Saturday morning pancake breakfasts downtown on Ave G during Rodeo weekend. I recently came across an old photo from the early 1950's when my mom, great aunt and myself were sitting at a picnic table on Ave G in front of Lampe's Drug Store having pancakes.

01/26/19 11:45 AM

#1020

William (Bill) Patrigo

Brad, thinking about Eddie Richards I recall that he built a house for himself on the west end of Fort Madison, then built others around that which became known as Richard Addition. My recollection is that you and your family lived in Richards Additiona and I leved a few blocks away.

When I turned 14 my father asserted that Iowa law allowed a person as young as 14 to drive without an adult present to and from school if they lived more than a certain distance from a school bus stop (normal driving age began at 16). My father believed this qualified me at 14 to drive to and from school. As you will recall, between the ages of 14 and 16, I used to pick you up in my little yellow Crosley convertible and we would drive to school. Fortunately, the police never stopped me as I believe I would have had a hard time explaining driving without an adult at age 14.

Around 1959, I was giving Robert Johnson a ride to his hone when I took a near U-turn on Denmark Hill too fast and rolled the Crosley on its side. Fortunately, no one was injured and the car suffered only minor damage. Robert and I uprighted the car, it was repaired, later repainted, then later sold to Jack Moore for his use.

01/26/19 06:28 PM

#1021

Cyndy Day (Savage)

The rodeo is one of my favorite memories of Ft. Madison, loved it. We went to the western movies and always thought we really knew the stars because of the rodeo. I always thought and still do, that Ft. Madison was a wonderful place to live.

01/27/19 07:54 AM

#1022

Melinda Lang (Bachman)

Thanks for the background history of the Rodeo. Some interesting facts that I didn't know.

01/27/19 10:00 AM

#1023

Maybe we should plan our next reunion around the TEI-STATE RODEO! What do you think! I could get a block of tickets and we could all sit together! Just a thought!

01/27/19 01:59 PM

#1024