Marion Gunderson Art (and the Farmer's Daughter)

If you are looking for nostalgic video à la Christmas Vacation, then this is for you, especially if you have at least a speck of fondness for Iowa 6-on-6 girls basketball. (If you aren’t interested in the details and want just the video, here’s the first part/first 17 minutes and here’s the second part/last 6 minutes.)

I know by not including a lot of photos and white space, I risk losing you after reading maybe just a couple of paragraphs. Please hang in there by reading this blog post and PLEASE watch the video (both segments). It is SO FUN!!!!!

I was a Rolfe Rammette (yes, what an odd mascot name) and put together this video ten years ago for the 40th anniversary of our playing in the Iowa girls 6-on-6 state basketball tournament. There were no school-size classes then; school size didn’t matter. We were one of 16 teams from the entire state of Iowa that made it to Vets Auditorium, also known as “the Barn.”

When I was a sophomore, the year we went to state, our head coach, Al Van Houten, told me he thought we could get to “The Barn.” That’s the first I’d ever heard anyone express any belief in us to get to State. His vision and passion motivated us and taught us how to get there.

Mr. Van Houten was such a special man. After one of our away-game bus rides, he stood at the front of the bus before letting us go to our cars. He told us he had a plutonic love (he used that exact phrase) for us. I believe we had the same for him.

The video shows what I think to be a sense of community that exists in small towns across Iowa and the Midwest. Much if not all of the video is a bit blurry, but when watching it for about the 20th time (it’s addicting) I believe that the blurry video is kind of like an impressionistic painting. It can make us kind of extrapolate what we see and envision it in our own current or past situation. If you have nothing to do with Rolfe, but love 6-on-6 basketball, maybe looking at our little community basketball experiences will make you think of your own or that of someone you know or knew.

March of 2021 was the 50th anniversary of the Rolfe Rammettes playing in the state tournament. This coming March 2022 is the 50th anniversary of the culmination of our 24-2 season.

Ironically, Manson, the same team we beat to go to State in 1971, was the team that beat us in 1972 denying us of a trip to State that year. (We had already beaten Manson twice that ’71-’72 season.)

If you want to watch the video, THE NEXT THREE SENTENCES are SUPER IMPORTANT. The entire video is about 23 minutes long, but I had to upload it in two different files. TO WATCH THE FIRST 17:23 YOU’LL NEED TO CLICK ON THE FIRST LINK. TO WATCH THE LAST 6:11 YOU’LL NEED TO CLICK ON THE SECOND LINK. If you’ll watch both, you will have watched approximately 23 minutes.

The videos include footage of the following teams:
Rolfe (of course!)
Rockwell City, I’m pretty sure
Mediapolis
Manson
Twin Rivers
Laurens
I think that’s it, but there might be more.

My dad would film the games, drive the film to Fort Dodge to Don Peterson (sp) Photo so it could be developed right away, and then get it back to Rolfe right away so we could watch it during basketball practice. I think at the time I didn’t realize nor appreciate what work he didn’t get done while doing this for us!

In the first video/first link, some of my favorite clips are:
14:26 Julie Brinkman (now Mintz) and her exuberance over Carol making a free throw. So fun! (Julie was later the head women’s BB coach at Wayne State.)
15:03 So many spectators, so many gone now. We had such an amazing large following.
15:21 At this Twin Rivers game our algebra teacher/track coach/AD Al Gilbertson was a third official. He stood at half court to moderate the officiating because apparently the two officials who were hired for that game either had never seen a girls basketball game or were not certified to officiate girls games. It was a ROUGH game. In the second link there is more from that same game.
16:30 Michelle Pomerenke being so tough on defense that a TR player got rolled. I said it was rough!!!
17:23 Julie, Julie do you love me! I couldn’t help putting this song together with clips of Julie.

In the second video/link, some of my favorite clips are:
0:46 There’s about one second of a halftime performance of I believe Audrey Ricklefs and Troy Pederson
1:35 Our supporters storming the floor.
2:24 Gotta love the cameras!
2:42/3 Hank Baade. “BE THERE!!!”
3:16 I will forever remember this moment. Four teams played that night, including Rolfe against Manson. The first game was the regional consolation game. Our game – regional final – was the second game. When we stood and walked down the bleachers to the locker room to dress for our game, my recollection (which may be biased) is that 3/4 of the gym/spectators stood to cheer us on. There was so much respect for our team. ALSO, those red dresses were all homemade by us team members, and we wore them to every game.
4:11 Al Gilbertson is at mid-court again.
4:44 Oh, the red and gold station wagon! It was red and white when purchased. My dad had the shop boys paint red and gold (Rolfe’s colors and Iowa State’s, too!). Stepping out of that car I have on my red dress and it was SHORT!

I thought about adding current last names for players, when applicable, but I’m not sure how to do a thorough search for them. As I have time and also know more of them, I’ll try to update them here.

As long as I have a WordPress account, this blog post will be here. As long as I maintain a DropBox account, the video links will work. If at some point the links don’t work, feel free to email me and I’ll see what I can do for you to see the videos.

This weekend is Rolfe’s (Iowa) sesquicentennial. The dates are Friday through Sunday, July 12-14, 2013.

The pink Clydesdale “world’s largest” rocking horse (in the video below) will be in the 10:30 Saturday parade. Except for during the parade (and if it “travels” anywhere temporarily) its location is just west of the water tower in Rolfe. While it beckons the public to walk over to it and take photos, it is from the heart of Dan Allen whose wife, Mary, was diagnosed — a second time — with breast cancer. Mary is a survivor!

Yesterday, the 10th, Dan and his brother Roger brought the horse from its “secret location” on the farm into town for unveiling. PLEASE watch the video. When I shared it last night there were tears in a few eyes thinking of Dan and Mary and so many others touched by breast cancer.

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There’s more you’ll see this weekend in Rolfe. On Dan and Mary’s property just west of the water tower are four very unique attractions:

1) the Freedom Rock painted in April by Ray “Bubba” Sorensen

2) the 11.5 feet-tall statue of Cy built by my dad in 1975. It stood at the north end of Iowa State University’s football field until the 1990s

3) the Bud Barn. In the Bud Barn are TONS of Budweiser paraphernalia. Even for those who don’t enjoy beer, it’s fun to take in this museum-like barn. It was originally located in Section 24 of Roosevelt Township where my dad was born. In 1982 it was moved into Dan and Mary’s. (If I find a good photo of the Bud Barn, I’ll post it.)

4) THE HORSE! (Click here to see a blog post that includes a photo of the horse, before it was painted pink.)

All four of these attractions are open to the public this weekend. The rock, statue and horse are always available for people to walk over to and take photos. No permission is needed. The barn is not always open.

In addition, this weekend in Rolfe there will be an exhibit of watercolors painted by four women in the 1940s through 1990s. Three of the artists are deceased including my mom. Many of the paintings are of local landmarks and scenes, long gone. The exhibit is at Wild Faces Gallery, one block south of the library. The hours are Friday (3:30-5:30) and Saturday (9-3, except from 10:15 until the 10:30 parade is over).

The full schedule for the sesquicentennial is here, although I’m not sure everything at the link is 100% correct. (I’ll try to scan the newspaper schedule and post it. I think it is more up-to-date.)

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(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

This post is a result of a communication thread on the “Rolfe Community School” Facebook page. There is a lot of educational and entertaining information on that Facebook page. If you are interested in historical tidbits (and even some current) about Rolfe, Iowa, if you have not already done so, I encourage you to join the “Rolfe Community School” Facebook group.

Earlier today there was a query on the Facebook page about Cora Lighter pans. In response to the query I posted a photo of Cora Lighter, a sister to my grandmother DeElda, who is also in the photo.

Clicking on any of the photos below will enlarge them. Clicking a second time will enlarge even further.

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This is the photo I posted earlier today in response to a query on Facebook about the history of Cora Lighter pans. Cora Lighter was my great-aunt on my dad’s side. This photo is of L to R: DeElda Lighter Gunderson (my paternal grandmother), Cora Lighter (sister to DeElda), ? , and Jen Bowen. The three named ladies were from Rolfe. The hotel, in which I assume this photo was taken, opened in 1927. Cora Lighter died in 1951. This photo was in a cardstock frame with an outer cover. That cover is shown in the next photo. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

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Since this was the cover for the photo at the top of this post, I am led to think that picture of the four women was taken at The Stevens Hotel in Chicago. My oldest sister, Clara, saw the photo of the four women and commented about it on Facebook. Her comment* is immediately below. (Click on image to enlarge.)

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Clara said this about Jen’s fox stole, “When I enlarged the photo of these four women dining in Chicago, I noticed Jen Bowen was wearing her fox stole (complete with head), which she let me wear for our senior (1960) class play. I played Angela Boyd, Eve’s (Pam Jordan Wolfe) ‘domineering, wealthy aunt.’ The 1960 RAM devotes a page to this play. In one of the pictures, I’m wearing the fox stole. By the way, Jen Bowen sang in the Presbyterian church choir for many years.”

Information about the Stevens Hotel, which opened in 1927, is here.

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When Clara saw the photo at the top of this post of the four women, she realized that Jen Bowen (in that photo) was wearing a fox stole. (You have to click on that photo to enlarge it to see the stole’s furry detail.) In the lower right photo of this RHS 1960 yearbook page, you can see Clara sitting on a chair in the background. You can barely tell that she is wearing a stole … Jen Bowen’s! (Click on image twice to see to Clara.)

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In response to Clara’s FB comment, Sally (Webb) Kish commented*, “I loved Jen Bowen. She had such a happy spirit. I sang in the choir with her many times.”

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Well, lookie here! This stole includes three fox heads! And, the fox feet, as well!!!!! I just happened to have this in a closet. (Click on this photo TWICE to see the beady little eyes and toenails!)

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And, here’s the head at the end, squeezed to open the mouth so, with the stole around a woman’s neck, it could clasp to the other end of the stole so it wouldn’t slip off the woman. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

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Here is the same stole as in the previous two photos, plus another stole which does not have any feet or head attached. However, it DOES have a label that says, “Stevens’ — Chas. A. Stevens & Co. . . Chicago”! (Click on photo to enlarge.)

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This is the label on the stole pictured in the previous photo … the one without the heads or feet. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

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Information about the Chas. A. Stevens department stores is here.

Now, who knows if the Stevens family that owned the hotel had any connection to the Stevens family that owned the department store in Chicago. At first I was so excited because I figured they MUST be connected somehow. I mean, Jen was at the Stevens Hotel with my grandmother and great-aunt, she was wearing a Stevens stole, and I have a Stevens stole. What more proof do we need that there is a definite connection?!!!!! ; )

Sigh … Obviously we don’t know for sure if there was a connection. But, researching did help me have more insight to Chicago and the Great Depression, knowing the Stevens hotel opened in 1927 … terrible timing with the Crash of ’29 looming.

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*Sally and Clara gave permission for their comments to be included here.

(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s blog’s home page.)

I’ve been looking through a ton of digital scan files trying to locate what seems to be a needle in a haystack. However, I did run across this gem. I think it is appropriate to post today as the midwest’s weather stays crazy-cold in April.

When Bill was a little boy, he made this (pictured below) official weather forecaster. I guess his weather-predicting talent started way back then. To this day, people from all over call him to pick his brain about short- and long-range forecasts.

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Bill made this when he was a little boy. (Click on image to enlarge.)

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On the back side of the burrometer is Bill’s signature. He must have just started learning how to write cursively!

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(Click here to go to Louise Gunderson Shimon’s  blog’s home page.)