Does anyone really understand why I go to all of the effort, time, expense, and more to post Manning information???
While many people who take the time to read my information and look at the pix, won't necessarily know who the person/s I feature, if more people would just take a little more time to read and study what I post, they should get the idea that all of these little memories, anecdotal stories, and the like need to be documented by someone - who better than myself with the decades of preserving Manning's history.
So if you have some stories and memories about Manning and hopefully pictures or other visuals to go along with the story, please contact me, so we can get that information preserved in the Manning Historical database.
Thanks,
Dave

While working on the Patty Valentine tribute, I ran into this Monitor ad that was in Roland Valentine's collection I scanned.
I asked him to send me some information about it and it is interesting how little businesses started and evolved decades ago.

B&B TV was a joint venture with Bill Jensen, Jr. after we had graduated from DeVry Tech Institute in Chicago. We located in the back end (walled off from furniture area as I remember) of Bennett's Furniture Store. Paid no rent, but helped them deliver and serviced things that they wanted serviced (e.g., Easy Spin Washers). We were in competition with Merlene Thompson (also DeVry grad) located in Gambles.
When we decided to open a repair shop, we needed a name but had a problem with whose name would come first if we used names in the title. I suggested B&B TV because with that name, depending on who was asked what the initials stood for, the answer would either be Bake and Bill, or Bill and Bake. Problem solved...note: my nickname at that time, like my dad's, was "Bake."
I stuck it out for a while but there was not enough business for everybody, so I left it to Bill and relocated to Clovis TV in Clovis, New Mexico, and Radiosmith in Ralston, Nebraska, after Merlene had moved there.
Roland Valentine

Here is a perfect example of why I'm always looking for obituaries of former Manningites, and also encourage people/families today to write up obituaries for their loved ones, even if they requested not to have one - I know that sounds terrible to go against the wishes of a person facing their demise, but obituaries are pretty much the last acknowledgement of a person's life and last honor they will be given.
I also just noticed that Bill was a Veteran who I did NOT have listed in my Veteran database, so now I have to try to find more military information and hopefully some pictures to use as a write-up for the Manning Veterans' book.
Dave Kusel

WILLIAM RAE JENSEN
A memorial service for William Rae Jensen of Van Nuys, California, was held at Bobbitt Memorial Chapel in San Bernardino, California, July 9, 1982, at 1:00 p.m. The Rev. Robert Wood, pastor of the Church of Religious Science, San Bernardino, officiated.

William Rae, son of William J.F. and Minnie (Westphalen) Jensen, was born December 26, 1935, in Manning, Iowa. He was educated in the Manning schools graduating with the class of 1953. He attended DeVry vocational training in Chicago and spent a year in TV repair in Manning.

He and Barbara Blair of Kirkman Were married February 16, 1957. They moved to Gainesville, Florida, where he attended the University of Florida, graduating with a degree in Electrical Engineering.

He enlisted in the United States Army and served two years stationed at Waukesha, Wisconsin.

They went to Wilmington, Delaware, where he was employed by DuPont, and lived there one year, then was transferred to their plant in Los Angeles.

They also lived in Texas a short time, then moving back to the Los Angeles area. He was a partner in Novacap Electronics, manufacturing ceramic chip capacitors, the last two years.

He passed away suddenly on a camping trip at Sonora, California, July 4, 1982, at the age of 46 years, 6 months and 8 days.

He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church all his life.

Survivors include two daughters and a son: Shelli Rae, Mrs. Victor Kelly of West Covina, California, Elizabeth Mason Jensen and William Todd Jensen of Highland, California; a grandson, Mathew Kelly; parents, Mr. and Mrs. William J.F. Jensen, and a sister, Iola, Mrs. Clarence Stammer, Manning.

Mrs. William Jensen and Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Stammer attended the services in San Bernardino. They were guests of Barbara and David Koenig of Highland, while in California.

Notice in Merlene's obituary down below that it doesn't mention he repaired TVs here before moving to Ralston - I'm guessing he helped Joe Horbach...not that every detail can be in an obituary but thanks to Roland, that little tidbit about Merlene being in the Gambles store first is not lost forever but now recorded in my database.
After Roland told me this story, I remembered I had a picture of Joe working on a TV in the Gambles store...a picture among a collection of around 300 I scanned in 2004 after visiting with Joe's wife, Mildred, one day about some Manning history questions I had. They had 2 sons, both of whom died before Mil died.
When Mil died in 2008, I tried to find out what happened to her pictures - as far as I have determined - they were thrown away - like you constantly hear from me about people throwing our history all of the time.

Now many people will say to themselves - who cares about the Horbach pictures - well this first photo by Mil is a VERY VERY VERY historically important and prominent picture among several that Mil took and it was in Manning, Iowa...I wonder how many little towns in the US can lay claim to having this sub in their community?

October 1, 1943 on Main Street in front of what is now Cliff's Place

Japanese HA-19 mini sub.
This mini submarine was one that attacked Pearl Harbor and captured afterwards.
On back are 2 propellers - one runs clockwise and the other runs the opposite direction.
The submarine was mounted atop a trailer and toured the United States to help raise US War Bonds during WWII.


Joe Horbach working on a TV in Gambles

Joe & Mildred (Mescher) Horbach in Gambles

415 Main Street - located in what is now the north half of Cliff's Place

Wenzel Locker Plant - November 1946 George Wenzel, Joseph Mescher
Joseph was Mildred Horbach's father

I hope someday a relative of this family will prove me wrong and let me know Mil's pictures weren't thrown away...for one reason, I'd like to rescan them at a higher resolution and there probably were more Mil didn't show me so they weren't scanned.

So when I write about how one family collection after another ends up getting thrown away by the next generation - even though I hear lots of people say - my family will never thrown their stuff - I have 50 years of examples I can site to prove what I say.
So if you can't see the historical importance of some of Mil's pictures then you really must not care at all about our history, period.
Dave

Merlene J. "Tom" Thompson
Merlene passed away June 11, 2019, in Omaha.
VISITATION: Monday, June 17th from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at West Hills Church, Omaha, Nebraska, followed by SERVICES AT 10 a.m. Interment: Monday, June 17th at 3pm, Manning, Iowa. Memorials are suggested to West Hills Church.

Preceded in death by daughter, Sheri Lynn Thompson; sisters, Joyce Lathrop and Alys McMunn. Survived by wife, Carol L. Thompson; son, Tomas M. Thompson (Tracy); grandchildren: Jenny Gollehon (Chris), Michael Thompson (Alyson), Erin Pulec (Tyler), and Becca Best; great-grandchildren: Tomas, Andrew, James, Timothy, Brooklynn, and Jay; sister, Virginia Drath; brothers-in-law, Bill Sander (Marge) and Burton Sander (Jean).

Merlene, Tom, Tommy, Senior, Grandpa, and Papa are just a few of the names that Tom would answer to over the years. Born April 10, 1935, he was raised on a farm in Manning, Iowa, with three older sisters, Virginia, Joyce, and Alys; children of Merlene and Laura (Steenhusen) Thompson, Sr.
Tom was lucky to be the baby boy of the family and was not lacking motherly love!

His sisters, Virginia and Joyce also doubled as his teachers at country school during his elementary years at Jefferson No. 1 in Crawford County.

When Tom graduated from high school in 1953, he left Manning and headed east to Chicago where he attended DeVry University and from which he graduated two years later. In 1955, Tom moved to Ralston, Nebraska, where he was hired at Radiosmith as a radio and TV technician. Little did he know he would later go on to own Radiosmith and spend the rest of his working years in that very same store.

After starting his new job, he found Carol Sander (the main reason he moved to Nebraska to begin with) and they were married on December 29, 1956. The love he had for Carol was the type of love that everyone dreams of finding - pure, faithful and unconditional. When Tom and Carol were married, Tom also gained something he had never had before…brothers! Carol's brothers Bill (Marge) and Burton (Jean) have been a big part of Tom and Carol's life; whether they were traveling together, golfing together, or just sitting around the dinner table, there was never a shortage of conversation or laughter. Tom and Carol welcomed to the world their son, Tomas, on January 13, 1958 and just a few years later their daughter, Sheri was born on December 12, 1961.

Tom was a loving father who led by example with a life of integrity, honor and humor. Tom felt great heartache when Sheri passed away on October 21, 2013. His love for his family was never doubted as he went out of his way to make each person feel special. This love only grew deeper when his grandchildren Jenny and Mike were born, and then again with the expansion of his family in 2010 when Tom and Tracy were married and Erin (Tyler) and Becca joined the family. He always looked forward to spending time with his great-grandchildren: Tomas, Andrew, James, Timothy, Brooklynn, and Jay. He loved having the kids around-you could just see his eyes light up when they'd find the coins that he had hidden in the couch cushions for them. Tom loved to play golf, spend time with his family, and spice things up every now and then with a practical joke. He was loved and admired by many and will be missed greatly, but we know that he is saving a place for each one of us in Heaven and we will see him again. We will think of you, Grandpa, when we make that tough shot on the golf course or hear a witty joke because we know that you are smiling down on us as we walk through each day of our lives.

I keep thinking about the on-going crusade I have to try to preserve/save Manning's history, and the various comments I've heard from individuals over the decades about throwing away their old pictures and old history.
The sad thing is that no matter what the reason/excuse, lots of individuals are making decisions about their family's history, even if it is specifically about/of that person I visited with, such as someone's parent or grandparent, who decides they don't want their old pictures and history passed along to the next generation - so they just throw it.
Now most people don't want to argue with a relative about these things, especially if the pictures and stuff belongs to and is about that relative, but I often wonder how many children/relatives will try to sit down with that person who wants to throw things and try to explain to them the importance of keeping it - for future generations who would love to have those old pix, documents, and history.
Of course, the other part of the challenge is a lot of children/descendants/relatives don't care about that stuff either, and don't want to have to deal with it when their loved one dies. BUT someday there will be a future relative who will ask "Where is all of our history...the old family and Manning pictures."

Just some "food for thought" before you or someone in your family starts throwing things.
Dave