Anamosa - A Reminiscence 1838 - 1988

1956: James T. Remley. 1957: Veme Purcell. 1958;
Delbert Brickley. 1959: Dr. C.J. Nemmers. 1960;
George Benson. 1961; George T. Hall. 1962: Dr. Aaron
P. Randolph. 1963; Oris H. Randolph. 1964; Rex Dory.
1965; James R. Poulter. 1966; Donald L. Bunce. 1967:
Dale W. Hackett. 1968: Glenn O. Brokaw. 1969: Don
Goodman. 1970: Robert M. Warner. 1971; Dr. Gerald
Schupanitz. 1972: E.J. Mayberry. 1973: Delbert Grafft.
1974: Robert M. George. 1975: Delvert Dresback. 1976:
Dale Condry. 1977: James A. Mayer. 1978: John F.
Frasher. 1979: Varlyn Fink. 1980; John Parham. 1981:
Earl Beisell. 1982; James R. Krum. 1983; Jay A.
Willems. 1984: Terry T. Tilton. 1985: Frank
Deutmeyer. 1986. Other members in 1987 are: Michael
Albers. Richard Alman. Orland Amundson. Arthur
Boots. Jr.. Marvin Boyer. Ivan Fiedler. Victor Hamre.
Lyle James. John Kloster. William Passich. Lorenze
‘Skip’ Peterson. Douglas Rees. John Sievers, Dr. Brad
Waggoner. James Whitmore and Gary Yahnke.
The Rotarian Foundation makes available to
Rotarians the Paul Harris Fellowship. At this writing
Donald Bunce. John Parham. Varlyn Fink and Frank
Duetmeyer are Paul Harris Fellows and Dr. Aaron
Randolph and Dr. Brad Waggoner are sustaining Paul
Harris Fellows.
BPW — Working for Working Women
The Anamosa chapter of the Business and
Professional Women's Organization was chartered in
the fall of 1932. Twenty-eight women. representing
professions such as teacher. telegraph operator.
librarian. bank clerk. secretary. pharmacist.
chiropractor. and various county occupations. became
charter members. Nellie Morey was elected the first
president. Two of the charter members are still living in
Anamosa and active in BPW. They are Bess Sherman.
who was the first vice president. and Eleanor Donnelly.
the first historian. The other members were Florence
Althen. Helen Atkinson. Esther Brady. Evelyn Brown.
Irma Bunce. Mildred Byerly. Lillian Byerly. Dessa
Cooley. Marie Dorgeloh. Agnes Fay. Helen Gamer, Lura
Hanna. Ida Harms. Rena Hoult. Lora Huston. Gertrude
Lawless. Alice Lowe. Nelle Miller. Bertha Moran. Rosa
Morey. Dema Perkins. Helen Porter. Alice Reed. and
Florence Whitcombe.
The history of BPW closely follows the more recent
history of its community. As early as 1935. the
organization was looking into recreational facilities
such as a tennis court for area youth. Beginning in the
late thirties. BPW. in cooperation with the American
Legion Auxiliary. was active in funding a local tonsil
clinic which provided for payment of tonsil removal for
those who couldn't otherwise afford the surgery.
The forties were an extremely active time for BPW.
The organization supported the war effort by assisting
in making comfort kits for soldiers and contributing to
the U.S.O. and the Navy Relief. And. with the Rotary
outstanding internationally acclaimed speakers to
Anamosa with the theme, "Contribution to A New
World Order"‘. (The four-part series cost $1.00 for all.
or 35 cents individually.) In 1946, the organization
sponsored an Infantile Paralysis fund drive. And during
1947-1948. BPW came up with a plan for marking
Anamosa streets. donating S500 for erecting street
signs.
In 1959 Mrs. Wilma Westphal. BPW president.
represented the organization at a luncheon and
ceremony dedicating Northwestern Bell's new dial
telephone service. The sixties saw BPW providing new
Anamosa residents with a community information
booklet and introducing the Medic-Alert system to the
town.
During several years in the seventies. Anamosa BPW
held Christmas parties for the Jones County Home and
hired a bus so that the residents could view the
Christmas lights in the surrounding towns. BPW also
was an active part of a fund-raising drive which
by Cindy Gunther and Kathy Koelker
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resulted in the purchase of a movie projector for the
Jones County Care Center. Charter member Bess
Sherman wrote a letter to the Parks Commissioner.
instigating repair work on the Upside-Down Bridge in
Wapsipinicon State Park. The highlight in the spring of
1973. a culmination of a BPW project. was the placing
of the Grant Wood Memorial marker. made of Stone
City stone. at the entrance of the Riverside Cemetery.
The organization also installed two urns and three
stone steps leading up to the artist's grave. The project
was undertaken after BPW member Dorothy Rands was
approached by a tourist visiting the cemetery. who had
been unable to locate Wood's grave site and he
remarked to her that he felt it should be identifed.
In 1979 Anamosa BPW introduced its scholarship
program. awarding the first scholarship to graduating
senior. Mary Luckstead.A scholarship has been
awarded annually.
In the 1980s/,BPW has sponsored "Mr. and Mrs.
Anamosa" during the annual Lazy-Crazy Days
Celebration. Anamosa citizens who have contributed to
the well-being of the community are honored with this
award. The current community project is raising
money for a playground fund.
The objectives of the Business and Professional
Women Organization are to elevate the standards. of
business and professional women. promote their
interests and bring about a spirit of cooperation among
them throughout the country. and to extend
opportunities to business and professional women
through education. In 1983 the Anamosa group
expressed several things a career women has to
combat. including the fact that a woman is expected to
retire from business at an earlier age than a man.
While significant progress has been made in combating
these areas. the Anamosa organization in.individual
and group endeavors.continues to strive for the
betterment of women through education and in the
work place.
In 1972 The Anamosa organization. represented in
an original skit written by Eleanor Donnelly. won first
place in state competition for membership
presentation. The skit then went on to receive
honorable mention in national BPW competition. The
thoughts expressed then are still timely today. These
are: "The advantages of membership include becoming
acquainted with other business and professional
women. comparing notes. exchanging ideas and
learning from each other.Shy. young. inexperienced
members have developed into leaders and made a real
contribution to the organization and its goals.