So here is another tribute to one of Manning's "young people..."
Jessica Lynn, was born July 12, 1985, in Storm Lake, Iowa, the daughter of Scott and Jane (Stracke) Nelson. When she was in first grade, she moved with her mom to Manning. She graduated from Manning High School in 2003. After a short break from schooling, Jessica attended Western Iowa Tech in Sioux City and became a Registered Nurse. She then became a manager at Crawford County Memorial Hospital in Denison before working as a traveling nurse, mostly in Iowa.
In 2008, Jessica was united in marriage with John Campbell. They made their home in Denison and had two children, Lily and Gavin. The couple later divorced.
Jessica was a fun-loving soul. She enjoyed traveling and taking vacation anywhere in or near the water. She lived life to the fullest and lived life by the seat of her pants. Jessica loved people and would make friends on a moment's notice.
On Monday, June 20, 2022, Jessica passed away at her home in Denison, attaining the age of 36 years, 11 months, and 8 days.
She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Barb and Bernard Stracke and Bill and Marilyn Nelson.
Jessica is survived by her parents, Jane and husband Joe Herbers of Manning, and Scott Nelson of Dubuque; children, Lily and Gavin Campbell of Denison; siblings: Reannan Nelson of Manilla; Carlie and husband Casey Wilkie of Glenwood; Joey Herbers and fiancée Tess Rademacker of Manning; nieces and nephews: Brylee, Preslee, Rhett, Rebel, Rylee, and Preston; best friend, Amanda Segebart of Charter Oak; and by numerous aunts, uncles, and friends.
Celebration Of Life on Saturday, June 25, 2022, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM at the Aspinwall Community Hall, Aspinwall, Iowa.
Ohde Funeral Home in Manning in charge of arrangements.
2003 MHS graduates: Nickolas Joe Ahrens, Matthew Wade Alexander, Cory Daniel Arp, Brenna Lee Behrens, Marcus Daniel Borkowski, Trent Levi Christensen, Chelsie Marie Croghan, Mackenzi Kennedy Dailey, Anthony Maxwell Darveau, Erin Margaret Didier, Sarah Jane Eickman, Joshua William Enenbach, Megan Kathleen Fara, Nathan Alan Fara, Anthony Joseph Gordon, Ashley Lynn Halbur, Michelle Anne Halbur, Jennifer Lynn Haubrich, Roxanne Elizabeth Haubrich, Laura Kate Heithoff, Rosanna Marie Hinojosa, Brian Alex Irlmeier, Marie Catherine Irlmeier, Stacie Marie Kienast, Joshua Ryan Linde, John C. Lorenzen, Ken Raymond Massey, Crystal Dawn Meyer, Katie Laurel Muhlbauer (salutatorian), Justin L. Mundt, Kate Marie Musfeldt, Jessica Lynn Nelson, Shannon Kaye Nulle, Andrew B. Potthoff, Nancy Kathleen Puck, Ashley Marie Ramsey, Ann Gabrielle Ranniger, Jacob Evans Ranniger, Andrew Michael Rohe, Jennifer Clare Schultes (valedictorian), Natasha Mae Shrimpton, Ian David Souter, Brandi Jolene Struve, Timothy Michael Vogel, Michelle Lyn Vonnahme, Grant Joseph Wanninger, Adam LaVelle Waterbury, Nicholas John Weitl, Brett Joseph Willenborg, Jill Marie Willenborg, Lucas Witt
2003 former students: Brandie Armstrong, Eric Augustine, Matt Ballentine, Sarah Bedsaul, Logan Bender, Ron Bigley, Ashley Clark, Beau Davis, Randie Dixon, Bryan Fast, Nevada Findlay, Stacey Friedman, Finneisha Gipson, Allison Greenwalt, Elvis Hass, Abby Heithoff, Chelci Henkelman, Nicole Jansen, Crystal Jenkins, Summer Kalkhoff, Chase Kounkel, Jason Kusel, Kim Markley, Aurera Martinz, Sarah McCall, Jadeen McKeighan, Julian McKeighan, Joseph Miller, Mike Nicolaisen, Elizabeth Ramsey, Jason Sanders, Adam Schaeuble, Paul Scott, Dawn Shaffer, Nathaniel Short, Jennifer Smith, Jessica Smith, Melissa Snyder, Jason Trommer, Jonathan Wegner, Crystal Weitl, Angie Wetherell, Sara Wilson
Todd, Jane, Scott, David 1962
Standing: David
Middle: Marilyn, Todd, Billie
Front: Jane, Scott 1962
Standing: Billie, Marilyn
Kneeling: Scott,
David, Todd, Barbara
Front: Sara, Jane 1981
Some of the neighborhood kids
Back: Dave Nelson, Todd Nelson, Kent Wiese, Bruce Pfannkuch
Front: Scott Nelson, Jane Nelson, Kyle Wiese 1962
Huldeen home across First Street to the north at 72 Center Street
Marilyn (Popp) and Billie Nelson January 21, 1953
Back: Esther (Jensen) Popp, Mrs. Henry Ann (Frahm) Popp
Front:
Marilyn Popp, Bobbie Popp
Children's Day 1937 - Marilyn wearing Lavender Organdy dress with orange dots
Marilyn Popp 1937 Children's Day
Billie Nelson - Korean War
Esther, Marilyn, Otto Popp
Popp farm south of Manning on the old Airport road.
Otto Popp WWI
For those of you who love to see family connections way back - follow this link.
Scott Nelson is my 4th cousin, which makes Jessica my 4th cousin, once-removed... on the Sachleben side of our family background.
The spirit of Volunteerism is NOTHING new in Manning and started back in 1881 when the town began. Because of the German ancestry a number of traditions were brought over from the "old country" and continued here, such as the Schuetzen Verein (gun shooting - marksmen club) which started a day of celebration for the kids that became an annual event, first called the Turkey Trot, then changed to the traditional German name of Kinderfest, and later changed to Children's Day.
Here are a few images that feature several volunteers, who we all owe a debt of gratitude for their amazing efforts, in our community and in our country.
3:12 fighting the fire in 90+ temps
Chills ran up and down my spine when I walked around a pumper truck and looked down
East Street - fire trucks as far as the eye could see...these are just a few of them.
Halbur, Templeton, Manilla, and Manning VOLUNTEER fire departments
One of over 1000 of Manning's historic Veterans
Ryan Meier dressed up in German Lederhosen
Ryan (right) providing
military rights during Orland Fara's burial service
Gene Steffes and his wife Sherri (Mohr) paid for all of the prizes, popcorn, and more in his booth.
Everything was FREE for the Kiddies
Tractor pull
Anyway, I found a picture of his family that I could figure out for sure from the 2011 graduation I documented.
While I generally have lots of pictures for Manningites who pass away,
I don't usually have pictures of the more recent generations who graduated at Manning, but I do have some pictures of the Irlbeck/Nelson family in a previous feature from 2019
which I'll link below...
Honorary Bearers will be Dominic Nelson, John Stout, Raymond & Anthony Helms-Nelson, Logan Haman, and Chris Nelson
Triston Scot Nelson was born May 22, 1992, at Albany, Oregon. When he was two years old, Triston moved with his family to Manning, Iowa, where he attended school and graduated in 2011 from IKM-Manning High School.
Triston was a jack-of-all-trades and held many jobs in the local area. He was currently working as a mechanic with Bauer Built in Carroll. Triston was also a proud member of the Iowa National Guard. He enlisted right out of high school and completed basic training in Fort Jackson, South Carolina. He worked in Human Resources and then Culinary Services. Triston served in units in Iowa City, Council Bluffs, and finally in Perry, attaining the rank of Staff Sergeant.
On July 24, 2021 Triston was united in marriage with Felisha Helms in Adair. Felisha and her two boys Raymond and Anthony made their home with Triston in Scranton.
While in school, Triston enjoyed bowling with Saturday morning leagues. For a few years, he served with the Arcadia Fire Department. He loved music and singing, spending time with his family, traveling to Florida, obsessing with his hair, Harry Potter, and The Fast and Furious Movies. Above all, he was a fantastic husband, father, son, brother and uncle. Triston's biggest joy, over anyone and anything, was his sons. He didn't miss anything for them. Even when Triston was at his very worst, he was there.
In March of 2020 Triston was diagnosed with cancer and fought hard to be around as long as he could. On Wednesday, June 8, 2022, he passed away at Manning Regional Healthcare Center in Manning, attaining the age of 30 years and 17 days.
Triston is survived by his wife Felisha Helms-Nelson and sons Raymond and Anthony of Scranton; mother Jeannie (Mike) Johnston of Albany, Oregon; father Chris Nelson of Arcadia; siblings: Dominic Nelson of Halbur; John (Chelsea) Stout of Missouri; and Mackenzie (Sarah) Brooks of Des Moines; Felisha's parents: Shonnez Helms of Lake City, John and Nancy Florea of Lake City and James (Kelly) Stevens of Huachuca City, Arizona; other in-laws: Chaylin Helms-Florea of Lake City, Vanessa Stevens of California and Melissa Keeton of Kansas; 13 nephews; 6 nieces; and by many aunts and uncles and several extended relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his grandfather John Dominic Goergen and a brother-in-law William Wolven.
2011 IKM-Manning graduates: Morgan Bauer, Bryce Beyerink, Dailen Cowden, Amber Croghan, Caylee Dammann, Brandon Dentlinger, Laura Eberly, Amber Ehlers, Joshua Hagen, Alex Halbur, Abby Haubrich, Ashtyne Haubrich, Meghan Horihan, Mitchell Irlmeier, Allaetra Jacobsen, Ashley Lage, Sarah Langel, Michaela Meyer, Triston Nelson, Jay Petersen, Christine Phillips, Alison Ranniger, Jenna Soll, Rebecca Sporrer, Mallory Stanley, Rebecca Wall, Hannah Warner, Jennifer Wicks, Chance Wiese, Katelynn Wiitala, Jessica Winter
From the 2006 Manning Quasquicentennial history book
Larry and Pat were married April 28, 1973, at Holy Family
Catholic Church in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Larry is the son of John and Loretta
Schultes of Templeton, Iowa. He graduated from Kuemper High School in Carroll,
Iowa and enlisted in the National Guard. He now farms and works for Manning Ag Center.
Pat is the daughter of Wes and Dorothy Brouillette of Council Bluffs, Iowa. She is a graduate of St. Joseph's School of Nursing in Omaha, Nebraska and worked as an R.N. at Manning and Carroll hospitals.
Larry and Pat farmed southeast of Manning for 33 years. They are the parents of four children, who all graduated from Manning Community School. They participated in sports, cheerleading, band, choir, and speech.
Lisa graduated from Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri and is a Human Resource Manager for Liberty Bank in West Des Moines, Iowa. She married Matthew Wolf from Packwood, Iowa, June 22, 2002. Matt graduated from William Penn University as a teacher. He is in the National Guard now serving in Iraq.
Mary Kay graduated from Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa. She teaches at East High School in the science department. Mary Kay married Kiley Todd from Holstein, Iowa, on July 15, 2000. Kiley graduated from Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. He works at Security National Bank in Sioux City, Iowa. They have a daughter Morgan Anne born March 10, 2004.
Matthew graduated from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa with a degree in Engineering. He works at John Deere in Waterloo, Iowa in the engineering department.
Jennifer is attending Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri. She is studying accounting and corporate finance.
Stacey Hey & Matt Schultes
Jodi Riggert & Mary Kay Schultes 1994 volleyball
Ethan Campbell & Mary Schultes Christmas dance 1994
Stacey Hey, Mary Schultes, Tracey Nissen
Mary Schultes passed the baton to Jodi Riggert
So if anyone thinks it might be that location or can confirm the location - please let me know.
Here is the next unique project in Manning - bringing a boxcar to the Trestle Park.
Communication, Coordination, and Cooperation are the 3 BIG Cs it takes to pull off something like this.
First someone has to come up with the idea, then someone has to initiate the project, others have to coordinate multiple parties into team work...then you have to deal with the bureaucracy
which most of the time isn't as excessive for small-town projects.
In this case there was a mixture of big and small time bureaucracy, but the Pioneer Will and Spirit abounds
in Manning and things move forward despite some of the obstacles.
These are some of the entities that made it possible: BNSF RR, AGP, City of Manning and various employees,
volunteers such as Twin Transfer (to move the car) and John Ohde (to operate the Bantam Crane), and more...
Heading north from 141 towards Trestle Park
I so often hear "experts" state how we are destroying our environment...a broad statement that NEEDS to be debated, but having been out in the "environment" my whole life I've learned a thing or two on my own...from a young kid building tree houses in the windbreak/grove, playing in/around the creek (making my mother crazy worrying), building dams in the creek (that actually withstood floods), watching floods from winter snow melt and spring/fall rain storms, making mud slides on the bank to slide into the water, using inner tubes to float on, hockey & ice skating in the winter, riding bikes and cob fights with friends on that ice, farming the fields adjacent to the creeks (from the plow, to minimum-till, to No-till), spraying weeds so the grasses can stabilize the banks where they slough off and erosion from the old cow paths that went down into the creek, tiling the bottoms and hillsides, managing the CRP strips, and so many more situations.
For 40 years I have maintained a bird house trail along the fences and terraces. During that time I have learned
about the various species of birds we have and also have noticed the number of new bird species that we never had before.
One of these new species for
our area are the colonies of Cliff Swallows that have discovered the newer designed concrete bridges that have been replacing the wooden bridges.
20+ years ago I noticed a large flock of birds around the bridges
on our bottom road. It wasn't hard to identify them as Cliff Swallows. I got to wondering why they are now using these bridges, and it hit me that nature is resilient and can
adapt to natural changes in the environment, and also to changes humans make to the world around us.
I'm assuming the Cliff Swallows discovered that the concrete bridges are as good or maybe better places than the natural cliffs to make their mud huts...water and mud in the creeks and the bridges give shelter to those mud huts, AND generally there are highline wires overhead where they will perch before scouting for flying insects that are almost innumerable to catch and feed to their babies.
The first couple of years the colony moved from one bridge to another...one year they moved to the Willow Creek bridge in Manning, but then moved back to the bridges here on North Manning. This year I noticed some of them were flying around the bridge on the Airport road.
I think one reason they move to different bridges is because the English Sparrow (brought over from Europe by our ancestors), also likes those mud hut nests. They are aggressive and will move in and take over the huts, so the swallows will move to a different location each year.
The difference between a Barn Swallow mud nest and the Cliff Swallow mud nest is, the Barn Swallow nest is a cupped type open on top mud nest, and the Cliff Swallow nest is a completely enclosed mud nest with a small opening facing downward on the top where they enter and exit, but both species are so very gentle and trusting birds.
Ever since I started my bird trail, I have been actively trapping the English Sparrow and European Starling - both species that live here year-round and have done damage to the native cavity nesting bird populations - NO, I do NOT trap and then release them to another area where they would continue to destroy the native birds...
In 1992, my great-uncle, Herman Grau, passed away. In his will he left a monetary amount to all of his nephews/nieces & grandnephews/nieces.
I decided to use my inheritance to build a 30x30 pond.
I had specific plans for the pond but found out over the decades that Nature had her ways and generally they will decide the final outcome.
It has changed dramatically over the decades, and actually I'm happy with the way Nature decided to use it.
I always could hear the toads and frogs down by the
creek but NEVER dreamed that some of them would move from their natural habit to one that I built - HOW can they choose a man-made environment over the natural one -
we'll never know...
Some people may associate these sounds to their youth when they watched the scary movies - with these sounds in the fog where a monster is lurking - no monsters here.
May 24, 2022, footings
May 24 - forms
More pictures and information coming...
Billing Clerk-30 hours with benefits. Applicants need to have the following skills:
To apply please contact by e-mail at info@wcirwa.com
I brought Tom Schroeder's tribute back to the top (I scanned many of the Karsten/Schroeder pix in 2012).
This is a very extensive tribute, mainly because Tom let
me go through all of the family scrapbooks and boxes of pictures/documents - a "ton" of family history!
If you find any errors, incorrect IDs, and/or can help with some of the unknowns in Tom's tribute - please e-mail me.
Like many of the tributes I feature, Tom's tribute is more than about his family, but also a tribute to Manning/Aspinwall history.
The open house/ribbon cuttings seem to be on a weekly basis right now.
Below is the most recent one...
I also try to bring more awareness to the Manning public about supporting the businesses we have here and not go out of town when there is something you can purchase locally.
I hear many whine that they can't afford to pay more for something here when it is cheaper elsewhere...I just listen and don't bother discussing the topic because it
would be fruitless. The vast majority of those people who say this have smart phones and all kinds of electronic gadgets for their kids, not to mention all kinds of other things
that they could really do without.
There also isn't any understanding or consideration that if they want the amazing and very unique life style we have here in Manning to continue,
that they need to support the local businesses a lot more - they are your friends, relatives, and neighbors who not only pay business taxes
but also personal taxes that help maintain the infrastructure, pool, waterslide, trails, library, and
everything else that is part of the city functionality, including wages for the city employees...these businesses also employee people.
I also like to explain about and show with pictures how much HARD/physical work and expense it takes to start a business
that is going to support your town and how much labor it will take to continue things!
Here are a few pictures from start to finish for "Willow Creek Market Garden" - owner Marty Orr, who also has a mowing business.
November 22, 2021 hauling in woodchips and organic matter from
the city recycling pile.
November 26, 2021
March 10, 2022
March 23, 2022
May 4, 2022
May 11, 2022 Open House
May 11, 2022 Open House
7000 flowers for sale
May 11, 2022 Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting
Now there have been other ribbon cutting/open houses that have occurred since last year.
These individuals/families have also taken a BIG GAMBLE in starting their new
businesses and have also invested a lot of time and labor to get started - they need YOUR support too...along with ALL of the other older existing businesses in the community.
These type of people are extra-special members of our community who believe in it so much to put their body and soul into making it possible for our town to survive and flourish!
Kris (Haskins) Waterbury and her daughter
during their opening.
They both grew up in Manning, and went to school here, so their roots are deep in the community.
Manning has a grocery store, Pizza restaurant, the Corner Cafe, Cliff's Place, and now a new sports bar/restaurant
(featured just below) - so many wonderful businesses that we need to support fully and more often.
Korean War Veterans continues
For those of you who are occasional visitors to the Manning Exchange - please make sure to click on the "archived articles" section where previous featured stories are kept.
"Let it be known that he who wears the military order of the purple heart has given of his blood in the defense of his homeland and
shall forever be revered by his fellow countrymen."
George Washington, August 7, 1782
Just as a reminder: the Manning History book committee continues to work on a Manning area Veterans' history book
project.
For those of you who are Veterans or have/had Veterans in your family - will you come forward?
The history book committee will do their best to get as many pictures and information about the 1000+ Manning Veterans
but we can't do it all by ourselves.
How many small communities do you know have published 5 history books? The first one was the History of Manning 1898, then the 1981 Manning Centennial book, next the 2006 Manning Quasqui book, and most recently the 2009 Manning School history book. Probably the last book to be published will be the upcoming Manning Veterans' book - unless someone comes forward in the next generation to take over these projects after I'm gone. Will you help with the Veterans' history book project? If you are a Manning connected Veteran or are presently serving and do not submit your military connected pictures and infomation you probably won't be in this once-in-a-life-time Manning Veterans' history book. With a limited number of volunteers we can only do so much on our own but will try to get pictures of as many Veterans as we can. There are over 1000 Manning Veterans so we have a long ways to go before the book can be published.
Manning Veterans are slowly coming forward and below is another example. We hope to eventually get more pictures and information for Mike to put in the book but for now this is what I have to show to you.
One thing that many Veterans and people who are submitting information have not fully understood is that this next
Manning history book is specifically a Veterans' only book. It won't be like the Centennial or Quasqui history books were,
where there is a Veterans' section along with other community aspects. We are aiming for a 2-volume book (around 1090 total pages) which will really be unique!!!
This book will be ALL Veterans' information (and the post auxiliaries) - hence it
won't be a "Name, Rank, and Serial Number" only history but we want a complete history for each Veteran.
For instance - below is Louis Boell's picture and the information
that was published in the Veteran section of the 1982 Aspinwall Centennial history book. It has the basic
information but we are looking for more and I spoke to Louie by phone and he sent more pictures
and information - also for his brothers.
To see what Louis submitted click on the link underneath "Are you a Manning Veteran" shown below.
Note: we also want some family background such as parents and grandparents. All too often you will only see just the Veteran's name with their basic military information but without the family connections it will be difficult for future historians and genealogists to know for sure who this person belongs to.
Please e-mail me about your Veteran questions manningveterans@davidkusel.com
1 Manning citizen served in the War of 1812
70 served in the Civil War
1 served in the Indian War
5 served in the Spanish American War
350+ served during WWI
650+ served during WWII
87+ served in the Korean war era
65+ (more names need to be found) served in the Vietnam era
55+ (many more names need to be found) served from 1975 to present
28 paid the ultimate price with their lives defending the U.S. Flag
We are starting the Manning Veterans' history book project
Don't wait until you see "Deadline" or it WILL be too late!!!
Click to read promos for the Veteran book
If you simply don't want those old family pictures you inherited please don't throw them - send them my way.
A lot of times I can recognize a face or location in those old pix.
One thing to keep in mind while you are looking for pictures - if they are glued in old scrap books please do NOT try to pull them out or cut them out. I can scan the whole page of the scrapbook and crop out the pictures you want to use in the book. If you attempt to forcibly remove the pictures you will probably damage them and when I scan them that damage will probably show up. This means I'll either have to use my graphics program to touch up the damage which can take a lot of time, or if they are badly damaged I just may not even take the time to scan them.
