The Algona Upper Des Moines from Algona, Iowa • Page 1

The "FIRST-OMTHE-WEEK" Tabloid gJlgona Upper Dcfi jllmneg ESTABLISHED 1865 Entered as second claw matter at the postoffice at Alftona, Iowa Nov. 1. 1932, under Act of Conjrew of Man.h 3. )f79 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1966 16 VOL. 101 NO.

79 Eyewitness Account Of Tornado An Algona man, Willis Marshall, a sales representative of Boyle-Midway, a division of the American Homes Prod. got more than he bargained for when he arrived at Belmond Friday afternoon to call on grocery and variety stores. His arrival was shortly before much of the town was leveled (or badly damaged) by one of the worst tornadoes in Iowa in modern history. At latest count, seven persons died and about 200 were injured in the tragedy. Willis arrived just about the time the Homecoming parade was proceeding down Belmond'smain street at 2:45 p.

so he pulled around a block and parked near the hotel, which was later decapitated. He doesn't know why he stayed in his car so long, but he was in it (perhaps luckily) after watching the parade pass by and having a cup of coffee, when the storm struck with all its fury. He saw no funnel, but it got very dark. From his auto, parked east of the hotel, he noted a 12- year old boy crossing the street at the time the tornado hit. He lost sight of the boy but later saw him again, after the storm, at a nearby gas station.

The lad was okay, despite the fact he had been picked up during the storm and thrown under a parked car. The tornado passed quickly but before going beyond Marshall's auto, a large brick was flung through the windshield on the driver's side, landing between Mr. Marshall's legs. He quickly jumped into the back seat of the vehicle and hugged the floor as a large wooden slab -from the hotel struck the rear of the vehicle and knocked out the rear window. The car was filled with bits of glass and sustained several hundred dollars worth of damage.

It came away from the scene covered with dents. As soon as the storm showed signs of letting up, he ran over to a gas station nearby, then waited a little longer before walking down the middle of the main street of Belmond. There he saw cars piled up in grotesque ways. As he walked along he thought of ways he Algona Educators Make Plans Members of the Algona Education Association have a busy "professional" year in addition to a busy teaching John Vint, president of the local teacher's association, right, and Corrine Shimel, vice president, left, discuss recent developments in education with Kathryn Sorenson, guidance counselor and Elgin Allen, high school principal. Miss Sorenson is the local AEA chairman of the professional rights and responsibilities committee and is reporting on her recent meeting in Des Moines.

She attended as one of a nine member state committee serving the teachers in the state of Iowa. Elgin Allen is a member of the executive board of Iowa's north central district for education. He is responsible for planning a tri- county meeting to be held in Algona.Oct. 31. This meeting will be designed for the presiding officers of the various education groups in Kossuth, Winnebago and Hancock counties.

Miss Shimel and Mr. Vint, along with Richard Schneider (not pictured), local legislative chairman, recently attended a district Iowa State Education Association meeting in Hampton. Win. F. Kern Military Rites Here Monday Funeral services, with full military rites at the graveside, were held here Monday at 2 p.m.

for Specialist William Kern, 21, Algona, who died in action in Viet Nam Saturday, Oct. 8. He was Kossuth county's first victim of the fighting in that Far East war. The funeral was held in the Methodist church here, with Rev. William Noland officiating and burial following at Eastlawn Memorial Gardens, with McCullough Funeral Chapel in charge Pallbearers and the firing squad were members of the local unit of the National Guard, They were James Relley, Dean L.

Benschoter, J. D. Andrews, Donald J. Madsen, Mark A. Seeley, and John Scuffham, pallbearers, and WiJUam D.Detrick, Robert J.Aread, Jerry ler, ValgeneR.Westling, Thomas E.

Ulses, Kirk M. Struthers and Robert L. Ricke, firing squad. William F. Kern, son of Melvin J.

and Nellie Lowman Kern, was born here April 26, 1945. He attended school here and graduated in 1964 from Algona High School and was a lifelong resident before entering the U. S. Army. He went overseas in January this year and was wounded by a sniper in action in April, also in Viet Nam He returned to action in late August.

Besides his parents, survivors include 11 brothers and sisters. They are Opal (Mrs. Charles Bloom), Martin, Frank, Karen Linda and Steven, Algona; Kay (Mrs. Lowell Groesbeck), Ft. Dodge; Delmar, West Union; Sp.

Kenneth Kern, U.S. Army, Ft. Sill, Robert, Phoenix, and Dale, Claremont, Cal. One grandparent, Mrs, Amanda Kern, Fenton, also survives. Two brothers, Gary and Richard, preceded Urn in death.

His body was flown to San Francisco from Viet Nam, then came by train- Two Fairmont Folks Badly Hurt In Crash Two elderly Fairmont residents, Andrew Pederson, 78, and his wife, Anna, 77, and a Mankato, Minn, man, Michael Leiferman, 25, sustained serious injuries in a car-panel truck mishap a mile south of Elmore on highway 169 at 3:15 p.m. Thursday. The Pedersons were rushed to the Blue Earth hospital and Leiferman was taken to Mankato for treatment. Mr. Pederson had a head injury and possible fracture of the right arm, Mrs.

Pederson, head injuries and a fractured clavicle, and Leiferman, injuries to his chest Mr. and Mrs. Pederson were traveling west Charges were pending, according to the sheriff. might help (if he could) and saw several persons who appeared as if they had just climbed from beneath wreckage, some bleeding from cuts inflicted by flying broken glass, a few weeping and others looking for their children. According to Mr.

Marshall, there was no sign of panic from anyone. Strewn among other wreckage lining the area were many twisted bicycles, many broken wires, but no sparks, so power must have been cut immediately in the town. All roads into the town were blocked off soon after the funnel passed over. After walking around for about one-half hour following the storm, Mr. Marshall returned to his auto, moved a large piece of the hotel building from behind his auto, backed out and headed for Algona.

He drove through heavy rainfall, broken windows and all, before arriving here. He stated pictures he had seen of the stricken town Saturday showed very well some of the areas he walked through while there. Saturday morning, Mr. Marshall told the UDM that "it just wasn't my time to get hurt you can't imagine the damage." Agnes Walker Passes Here; Tuesday Rites Mrs. Agnes J.

Walker, 81, long-time resident of this area, died Saturday at St. Ann hospital. Funeral services for her were slated for 2 p. m. Tuesday in the Methodist church here, with Rev.

Merlin Davies officiating. Burial will be at Riverview cemetery, with McCullough Funeral Chapel in charge of arrangements. She was born in Hancock county, the daughter of Frederick and Johanna Eske Miller, May 27, 1885. She married Albert Walker here Jan. 23, 1908 and they farmed in the Lotts Creek area for many years before retiring.

They moved to Algona in 1949 and he preceded her in death a few years later. Survivors include five daughters, Edna (Mrs. William Broesder), Luella (Mrs. Durwood McArthur), Helen (Mrs. Earl Cooper) and Bernice, Algona, and Leona (Mrs.

Clifford Lovstad), Burt; a son, Lester, Algona; a sister, Mrs. Edwin Johnson, Algona; a brother, Fred Miller, Union City, Mich; 21 grandchildren; and six great- grandchildren. Change Date There has been a date change for 'the bus tour to Faribault, Minn, sponsored by Kossuth County Farm Bureau Women. The time has been changed from Oct. 17 to Oct.

24 and reservations must be in the county office by Oct. 20. 5 Red Cross Workers From Here Assist Mrs. Robert Bickert, county Red Cross office manager, Joyce Hayden, county health nurse, Mrs. Irene Kollasch, county Red Cross first aid chairman, Mrs.

Josephine Waldera and Mrs. Aria Cowan comprised a Kossuth county Red Cross team that went to Belmond, Sunday, to assist in any way possible in helping at the scene of last Friday's disastrous tornado that wiped out most of the town of Belmond. The Women arrived there at 1 p.m. and returned about midnight. They were assigned to aid in distribution of food and clothing, registration, first aid and canteen work.

They reported that all stories and pictures connected with the tornado were not in the least exaggerated. Volunteers from a wide area poured into the com- handle the im- of clearing up debris, and search of wrecked homes and business buildings was still going on Sunday. Some power had been restored in spots, but telephone service was still out. A great many of the families had left Belmond. Lack of heating facilities was a great handicap, and resulted in a mass exodus of regular residents.

Bulldozers and cranes and other mechanized units were still working at clearing streets and removing wreckage. Weil-Known Fanner Dies Here Friday Funeral services for George Clifton Benschoter, 63, well known Algona farmer, were held Monday at 10 a.m. in St. Thomas Episcopal church, with Father Milo Dailey officiating. Burial followed at Riverview cemetery, with McCullough Funeral Chapel in charge of arrangements.

Pallbearers were Ted Hoover, Dixon Young, William Paetz, Chris Miller, George Kain and Mike Schmidt. Mr. Benschoter died Friday at St. Ann hospital here. He was born Dec.

25, 1902 in Plum Creek township and was a son of George and Laura Gilbert Benschoter. He was married to Violet Scuffham here June 1, 1927 and they farmed northeast of Algona on a farm which was settled by Us great-grandfather early in Kossuth's hisotry. Survivors include his wife; a son, Arlen, Algona; and three brothers, Arthur, Gilbert and Hollis, all of Algona..