People think I'm over-reacting with my constant searching for Manning's history.
Most people don't understand how much of our history has already been thrown away and continues to be thrown away.
I always use this analogy: put two of your fingers together and slide a piece of paper in between - that is what is actually left of our history...MOST of it is gone.
Another comment I hear is that we can't keep every little thing and why keep 2nd place trophies and other items that aren't at least 1st place or have "more importance."
Most of the items that once existed in our school, organizations, other governmental entities, churches, etc. are now gone.
I could spend a lot of time writing down the things I discovered or know about that has been thrown away over the last 50 years but that is sadly, "water under the bridge."

But I will give this example of a major loss of our school history.
I always wondered what happened to the FFA/Ag items, such as the trophies/plaques, scrapbooks, documents, etc. before 1973
For decades I was bugging school personnel to watch out for old Manning school stuff and not until I was talking with Ron & Lois Frahm one day did I find out what happened to the old FFA stuff.
Around 1967, the Manning school board, of which 1/2 of the members were farmers, decided that we no longer needed Ag class or FFA...now this is fine if some aspects of our school education are not getting students to participate, but to add insult to injury they threw away pretty much all of the old scrapbooks, trophies, etc. that were acquired since 1938. Now consider that Manning went to state nearly every year, winning many awards.
Ron & Lois approached some school board members in 1967 and told them that they would gladly keep/store those school items, but for some reason the board decided to throw the Ag/FFA stuff away.
Only the 1937 charter certificate and few other items somehow were not tossed.

Fortunately, Ben Booth ran across those few items from the past in 2016. I found out when I was visiting with him one day about keeping an eye out for any old Bulldog school history.
When he told me he found the 2 charter certificates I just about jumped out of my shoes and immediately grabbed them to make high resolution scans.

As I looked at the 1938 charter I about fell over when I saw who the charter members were and their positions...one of whom was my dad, Amos, who was the "Watchdog."
My mother didn't even know/remember this so this was also an item I consider to be part of my family history too.
Below are the scans of the 2 certificates and the before/after images of the 1938 certificate that I digitally restored.


Digitally restored

Original state.


1973-74 new charter certificate
When we built our new high school/gym/auditorium in 1973, the school board brought back Ag courses and FFA.


Julie Lamp


Ron Weiss - Ag/FFA teacher


Julie Lamp, Ron Weiss


Julie Lamp 1982 Star Chapter Farmer award, Mark Johnson Ag/FFA teacher


Mark Johnson, Julie Lamp, Lisa Gruhn, Paula Halbur
In the Manning school shop


1956 Eugene Haberl, Leroy Venteicher, Larry Genzen, Larry Witt, Darryl Jahn, Roger Hagedorn, Norman Vandehaar
Taken on the east side of the present-day Rec Center gym, but this wall is now mostly covered with soil.

April 26, 1956 Two Given State Farmer Degree At FFA Conclave
Roger Barten and Larry Genzen were awarded FFA's second highest honor, the State Farmer degree, at the Iowa convention held last week at Waterloo. Some 300 applications were received by the state association and 196 were advanced to the state degree.
Seven local youths attending with their Advisor, Norm Vandehaar were Ray Thielen and Larry Lohrmann, voting delegates; Gary Schroeder, state band member; Roger Barten, Iowa Farmer; Larry Popp, Clifford Stammer and Richard Dammann.
A record attendance of more than 200 registered in the contest part of the convention. Eugene Haberl was given a first division gold award on the chapter's scrapbook, and Darryl Jahn received a second Silver award on the treasurer's book.
Features of the convention included addresses by Dan Dunham, national FFA president from Oregon, Governor Leo Hoegh, Tom Kelly, conservation lecturer and Dr. Kenneth McFarland of General Motors Corporation.
Herbert Hoover of Spencer was elected new state president.

I'll have to ask Larry's wife, but I'm assuming Larry's mother baked him this special cake for receiving the State Degree.


Larry in Kansas City


Larry's FFA patch


January 19, 1956, Larry Popp presenting Ray Thielen with the Chapter Farmer Degree

FFA event & dance


1997 FFA Banquet at the Manning American Legion Hall
Brandon Long, Jeremia Macumber, Jeff Blum, Joe Hinners, Matt Hugeback, Tim Hugeback, Aaron Stangl, Travis Borkowski

FFA Sweetheart Dance class of 1980

Back: Dwight Gruhn, Roger Wiese, Wayne Rosonke, Ron Kerkhoff, Mark Drees, Mike Warner
Front: Deanne Joens, Karen Vollstedt, Patty Handlos, Connie Segebart (Sweetheart), Joan Hinners, Deb Stoberl


Bryan Rohe, Beth Muhlbauer, Gary Dales, Lucas Borkowski, Zac Doyel, Randy Hockett


Nate Hugeback, Brandon Ranniger, Paul Odendahl, Larissa Rupnow (instructor), Jeremia Macumber, Brandon Long, Tim Hugeback


April 3, 1995 FFA banquet 6:30 at VFW hall
Parliamentary Procedure Team: Alan Irlmeier, Tim Ferneding, Clint Stammer, Dan Stribe


Amy Ferneding, Randy Hockett, Janelle Stribe, Paul Odendahl