We'll miss you. Charlie Gude.
"Yes mom. No mom. Thank you for calling. Good-by mom."
That's First District Commissioner Chas. J. Gude, Sr., talking over the telephone to a taxpayer.
Charlie is well known in the courthouse for his courtesy and when he addresses the gals, he likes to use the word "mom."
Well, Charlie isn't going to be answering the telephone any more to talk over First district business. He's resigned effective next month after 14 years of service as an elected official.
Everyone who knows Commissioner Gude knows also that he's tough when it comes to handling county funds. Nobody, absolutely nobody beats Charlie and the taxpayers he represents.
And while he has always held a watchful eye on spending and afforded everyone courtesy at board meetings, he's been the captain of the ship many times and when he lays down the law, he lays down the law.
We've enjoyed many years of news reporting at the courthouse and over the telephone with Charlie. He's always been helpful and he's always had an answer. If he didn't have the answer, he'd get it!
We're going to miss you, Charlie Gude. Best wishes, good luck and good health.
Bill Wheeler probably wished the other day that he had Bill Grogan's goat to help with flagging down the Burlington train.
A mudslide, cave-in or what-have-you occurred along the Burlington tracks in the Minersville area and the rural route carrier was the first to spot it. He radioed the incident through his Citizen's Band rig and the Burlington was notified — in time.
The train had already left Nebraska City but the word got to the engineer in time.
Bill saved a possible derailment, a lot of dollars to the Burlington and the possibility of injury to his fellowman.
Who knows . . . some day rural carriers may be equipped with federal government two-way communication to help with farm emergencies, road hazards and as Bill witnessed himself, the blocking of a railroad track.
Howdy, thar stranger.
"Unless you've lived in this town for 50 years, you don't know your way around," he said.
I've heard that before. And, you've got to admit there is a bit of truth to it.
But thanks to some kind people, I've been all through Green Hollow near Thurman, Ia., fished in Rock dam many times and kicked up the dust in Minersville but I didn't see any black panthers.
The point I'm trying to make is that there are a lot of new people in our town who have never heard of such places. And, in the fall, those places are about as near to God's acres as you'll find.
Raymond Marsh who was the News-Press janitor for a number of years, got me all fired up about Green Hollow and so we took the drive, two or three of them as a matter of fact.
I thought all fishermen knew about Rock dam and as far as Minersville is concerned, call Henry Schemmel at 873-6138. You can't get lost once you get there. Henry had such a long battle with the courts on land ownership that all the seedlings were branded with his initials and the trees are now 40 to 80 feet tall.
There is one place that I've never visited and I can blame that on not spending my high school years in Nebraska City.
Ever hear of Seven Sisters? Aw, come now, see if he (or she) blushes when you ask for directions.
Everett, the Scripture quoting carpenter.
Everett Keesler, has been working at our house recently putting in some more kitchen cupboards for Millie. Really, our family is going to be smaller, I keep telling her, so we ought to start thinking about living in an apartment.
Not Millie. She couldn't look out the kitchen window and keep an eye on the youngn's.
So, Everett has been doing his thing, only his "thing" is involved.
You see, Everett is the pastor of the Evangelical Wesleyan church in town.
"You mean you've got a preacher doing that job?" someone asked.
"Yup," I answered, "Jesus Christ was a carpenter!"
I can't give you any reason for the kitchen remodeling. Perhaps since that is the most used room (outside of the bathroom, of course) it needs the most attention.
Millie is going a bit further . . . now she wants to take MY carport and MY toolshed and convert that into a family room.
"Now listen here, gal, the only garage we've EVER had was at the house we rented from Myrtle Taylor across from Winton's Steak House."
"Now, Ivan," she says (it's coming now.) "Just think how nice a room that would make with a nice round table by a large window (that means we'll have to buy a new table, Mother), where the family can all sit down at one time for a meal instead of running shifts . . . and you can have that Ben Franklin stove you've been wanting." (See, I told you she was sneaky.)
Those wedding bells are gonna ring.
Things are going to start popping around our house in a few more weeks as the females make wedding plans.
Our eldest, Denise and Bryan Mabie, son of Mrs. Charlotte Mabie and the late Ted Mabie, will be married this summer.
This is not any kind of an announcement. That will come later from the gals when the proper time approaches . . . but after all folks, I'm a newspaper reporter and as such should be entitled to "scoop" my daughter!
We had a little family discussion some time ago with Bryan and Denise and I began to sense that the tempo was picking up last summer when the "push" was on at college that meant double summer sessions to graduate from Peru State before the usual four years.
What really got me involved in the matter was a conversation I overheard m the kitchen between Mother Bear and No. 1 daughter.
"Mother, do you suppose I should send announcements to ALL of daddy's relatives?"
"Har-rumpf, snort. Kaff. Ptooey," the master said, "what in blazes is going on here?"
"I'm starting on my list for engagement and wedding announcements, daddy," she said.
"Oh, yeah, wedding you uh all fixed up on that, huh?"
"Yes, we don't have the date for sure. It depends on summer school, but it'll be the middle of August."
"You uh gonna send out announcements or sumpthin?" the mild mannered father asked.
"Not for awhile, daddy. The engagement will come out first and that'll be in the paper."
Well, you folks who have gone through this before are old pros in my book but let me tell you how the master runs the house.
The wedding will be held the middle of August. Oh, you already read that?
Well, ole' sugar buger, what you didn't know is that the king, lord and paymaster has been keeping No. 1 daughter in braces on her teeth for the required 18 months or so and guess what?
Yeah, now you're getting it — the braces come off the middle of August.
(You gotta get up early in the morning kiddo, to beat the king.)