Bonnie Ekse asked if I’d like to do an intro to Mother’s story of Odebolt. Let me here share a couple of stories that she would not have shared.
My mother is one of the true “ladies” of the world, and a feminist in her time as well. A true lady is a woman who is considerate, caring and never speaks ill of another, and my mother, Thelma Dresselhuis, is just that kind of inspirational woman. As I was growing up, she was my best friend, and she has remained a close friend throughout my life.
As mother told you, she was the first woman to serve on the Odebolt School
Board. What she wouldn’t have told you is how she changed attitudes while
serving. She won’t have mentioned that she once held an economics teacher’s feet
to the fire because he didn’t have the “imagination” to teach his class the
economic value of women. She was there observing and stepped in to fill that
gap, pointing out to the students that their mothers did a lot of work on the
farm and helped in the stores and businesses that their husbands ran.
Thelma and her husband, George Dresselhuis stand by their home in Odebolt. George passed away in May, 2004.
She won’t tell you either how she confronted those who would have denied a pregnant senior the privilege of walking across the stage for her diploma, by suggesting that the senior boy who shared responsibility for the pregnancy should be treated the same. Names were not disclosed, and the public audience never knew the situation.
I have watched as through the years she has treated every person she meets with courtesy and respect, has shown genuine interest in all people and has offered help whenever she sees a need. A few years ago when she had fallen and broken her hip, she called George over as she was wheeled into the operating room to remind him there was a youngster at the church who needed money for a trip, and he should give her a donation to help.
I have watched her in the past year as, at the age of 101, she made huge life adjustments - leaving her home of 54 years and her community of 67 years. She has made the choices and, as always, they have been wise choices reflecting her awareness of her own needs. Many find her an inspiration and those who know her in Odebolt and have been getting to know her in her new home in Des Moines “just love her”. I’m not surprised. I do too.
Ellen Dresselhuis
June 18, 2005
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Mrs. Thelma Dresselhuis wrote her story in pencil on a yellow legal pad, and we discussed her years in Odebolt during two visits in May and June 2005. The italicized paragraphs are written from my notes taken during these visits.
-Bonnie Girvan Ekse
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Arriving in Odebolt
George and I were married February 23, 1935. He had graduated from Drake University in business and in law in the top of his class. He earned his way by working for "Cap" Howell in various ways. However, it was in the Depression and the demand for lawyers was limited. A friend from Odebolt gave him glowing reports of the possibilities in Odebolt with the death of Mr. Helsell, a long-time and highly respected attorney.
On January 1, 1937 on a freezing, cold blizzardy day George headed for Odebolt. He reached the Peters corner before stalling in a deep snowdrift, but the Peters saw him, pulled him out and gave him shelter for the night. The next day George proceeded to Odebolt. He rented office space on second floor of the then-electric office and rented a room at the hotel.
The state was paving Highway 175 and also rented offices in the upstairs [of the electric office] that were used by a goodly number of engineers, some just out of college, and who, with their wives, became fast friends. One couple, Frank and Helen Nolte, became the parents of Nick Nolte, an outstanding movie actor. They were a lively and fun group.
I was working in Des Moines for the YWCA (Young Women's Christian Association) under contract so could work until the contract expired, which was after summer camp had ended.
The Town Then
Odebolt was a beautiful town with stately and beautiful elms arching over almost every street. Almost all streets and alleys were paved. Mr. Henry Hanson, who had built a beautiful house on Lincoln Avenue, worked steadily to persuade people to destroy soft wood trees such as cottonwood, and plant hard woods such as elms and hackberry. Residents cared for their neat lawns and gardens.
There were at least eight places in town where groceries of one kind or another could be bought. The largest, known as Kalins, was operated by Nate Skalovsky on Second Street. Peterson’s grocery and Larson’s grocery were on Main Street. There was a jewelry store, the Korneisel cleaning shop, Nelson variety store and Swanson hardware store on Main Street.
There were two dentists, Dr. White who officed on the upper floor of the bank, and Dr. Kenneth Bryant who officed on the south side of Second Street. There was a baker, Flogstad, who with his family produced delicious baked goods on the south side of Second Street. There was an excellent lumberyard on North Main Street. There was a well-stocked Watts Drug Store on the east side of Main Street operated by Lloyd and his wife Katherine. For a time there was another drug store on the west side. Charles Krusenstjerna operated a men's clothing store on the west side of Main Street. Harvey Keller operated an excellent barbershop. His son later took it over.
The Chronicle was published by Paul Wagner, who soon moved his business from Third to Main Street. Neil Maurer, a graduate of the University of Iowa, was employed as editor and married his wife Grace, a teacher, shortly before I came. George and Neil were fast friends. Neil promoted a history of Odebolt while there. They lived in Odebolt, working with the Chronicle for several years, then bought the paper in Laurens and moved.
There were six churches: Methodist, Presbyterian, St. Martin's Catholic, [Augustana Synod] Lutheran, Missouri Synod Lutheran, and Mission Covenant, which closed after a few years.
The first year Thelma and George Dresselhuis were in Odebolt, Frank Mattes organized a big chorus around Easter time and brought in soloists from Drake University and other places. Reuben Lindskoog of Odebolt was also a soloist. The guest soloists were so amazed by Reuben’s beautiful voice.
The Wheeler house on the West Highway served as a hospital and many babies were born there.
A train came through Odebolt to Sioux City, so shoppers could take a train in the morning to Sioux City and return to Odebolt in the evening, having had a full shopping day in the city.
During the summer the high school band played a concert on Saturday night at the corner of Second and Main. Crowds came downtown to listen to the music, greet their friends, shop and eat popcorn.
Life in Odebolt
We rented a house on the corner of Second and Dewey, then bought and remodeled a house on 4th and Dewey. We lived there several years.
A neighbor across from the Second and Dewey house had a cow. Sometimes when he’d get up in the morning to milk the cow, it had already been milked. This was during the Depression
When Thelma and George Dresselhuis moved to Odebolt, Ora Epperson had the telephone switchboard in her home on Hanson Boulevard north of Second Street. Ora didn’t like to place long-distance calls after 9 p.m. Everything was a party line, and you rang “Central”, the switchboard operator, to place every call, including local calls.
You walked everywhere in town then; the husband had the car for his work. George had the Dresselhuis’ car during the day because he needed it to go to Sac City, the county seat.
Ellen joined our family and brought love and happiness with her. Literary Club, to which I belonged, gave a lovely baby shower for her. About two years later Gerrit brought more joy and increased family pleasure and love.
I directed summer camps for girls in Hibbing, Minnesota; Janesville, Wisconsin; and Des Moines, Iowa to increase the family budget.
Mary Currie, who had been widowed, gave me wonderful help at home and
received our gratitude and love for many years.
Socializing
There were study clubs for women: Literary (the oldest), Tuesday, Ingleside and others. There was pressure from the state women's club to join into one organization but it did not happen. Eventually Literary Club disbanded because of small numbers. There was a D.A.R. (Daughters of the American Revolution) to which I moved my membership.
A group of county women formed an AAUW – American Association of University Women. It flourished for a while, and there were quite a number of women in Odebolt who belonged to it. It lasted maybe for five to seven years. Mrs. Dresselhuis was one of the last diehards in that group—she liked it.
The Masonic Lodge and Eastern Star were large and active. There were bridge clubs, one called Rinky-dink.
There was lots of bridge-playing. Thelma and George belonged to bridge clubs. The men would rush through their bridge games so they could play their favorite card game.
Thelma and George Dresselhuis also went dancing in
Lake View.
The Law Office
George Dresselhuis first rented office space above the electric company on Second Street. Later he rented space from Charlie Larson near the southwest corner of Main and Third streets. Charlie lived upstairs and took care of the furnace. “Gee, it was hot as blazes!” Mrs. Dresselhuis exclaimed. She worked at the law office when there was something she could do. After renting from Charlie Larson, Mr. Dresselhuis built an office a block to the east, but it was too close to the creek
George Dresselhuis ran for county attorney once, and had almost 100% of the vote in Odebolt, but Sac City elected the man from Sac City because George would not promise he’d move to Sac City if elected.
Bill Adams was the grandson of Mr. Helsell, the attorney who built his office at 100 Main Street. George needed more space than the office he had built on Third Street, and when Bill was ready to sell, bought the Helsell office. He enjoyed the office and the practice of law there for many years. Betty Thayer was an exceptional secretary in George's office for many years. It was a great day when Joe Heidenreich became a partner in his office.
The Library
We have been fortunate to have a Field Carnegie Library with dedicated librarians: First Lillian, then Grace Hanson, followed by others. When Rosmer Bruce died she left her entire estate to the library, which enabled an attractive and useful addition to be built. I have been one of three trustees in charge of some leftover money from the Field estate so have never served on the board.
You had to have an account at Griffin’s bank to be a
trustee.
Changes in Odebolt
The Adams bank closed during the Depression and by their own choice never reopened. Ralph Griffin had bought the other bank, Odebolt State, and moved to Odebolt and operated it. It was a beautiful, well-run bank, with a great variety of beautiful marble. Eventually the Adams sold their beautiful bank to Griffin, the other sat empty for several years. A woman bought the [other] bank, took all the beautiful marble out of it, and it still sits.
The hotel was on the southwest corner of Second and Maple. Mr. and Mrs. John Brower bought it, and after considerable improvement, opened it as the Brower Hotel. The kitchen was rebuilt, the dining room enlarged, among other things. Mrs. Brower was a wonderful cook, and many large groups met there to enjoy the atmosphere and great food.
Grant and Dorotha Langle moved to Odebolt and started a milk and cheese-making business. They bought the large building on the north side of Second Street across from the hotel, and installed huge vats for the milk, which was brought to Odebolt by milk trucks operating in the surrounding country. It was discontinued and sold when Grant's health began to fail.
The swimming pool became a reality when the site at the southeast corner of town was donated by R. B. Adams and enthusiastic promotion was put in motion. Later, tennis courts were built in the same area.
The bowling alley, promoted by a group of men, became a popular and well-run business on the east side of town. Also a good restaurant.
Dwight Meyer and many others were instrumental in constructing a retirement home at the southeast corner of town. It has been used and enjoyed by many area families to care for the elderly and disabled. An active auxiliary works to keep activities and care at its best.
The Chevrolet garage was efficiently operated by Floyd Rex, then by Ronald Rex, and now by son-in-law Mark Hansen. There have been various car dealers.
All five denominations have built new churches and parsonages. Mrs. Petersmeyer gave the Methodist church a beautiful Aeolian organ which is very unusual for as small a church, and has been a source of pride. Many excellent musicians have played and enjoyed it.
Maxine Hix [who was organist at the Methodist Church] became one of the best
piano teachers in the state.
Doctors
Doctors have been Dr. McAllister, M.D., Dr. Robert Landry, Dr. John Hubiak, and have served the community well.
Dr. Groman was a retired doctor who lived south across the street from the Presbyterian Church. The site became Dr. Hubiak's office.
Dr. Landry was a good doctor, but was an osteopath, so he couldn’t take patients to the hospital in Carroll; he had to take them to Manning. He wasn’t a surgeon; he was a good diagnostician. He took care of Mrs. Dresselhuis’ children, and he was “ just great”.
Both Dr. Landry and Dr. McAllister happened to move to the same town in Oregon after they retired. Dr. Landry took care of Dr. McAllister. Ruth Landry, Dr. Landry’s wife, had been Adams’ secretary.
The Movies
We watched pictures to which Clarissa Smith furnished the piano music background.
They watched pictures (movies) without sound in a basement on the corner of Main and Third, but not for long. The Horstmans came from north around the lakes.
Bill and Gertrude Horstman moved to town, remodeled a building on the west
side of Main Street for a moving picture theater. [This building had been built
as a movie theater and had originally opened in 1913.—ed.] Bill had charge of
the movie machine, Gertrude sold entrance tickets and kept order. It was
well-run and furnished wonderful entertainment for many years.
World War II
The sudden disaster of the bombing of Pearl Harbor plunged us into war. Men were drafted and enlisted for military service. George, with other men, went to Omaha to apply for officers' training. He was found to be colorblind. Later he prepared but was not drafted because he had two children. He took care of many war-caused situations at home. Many women went away to work in munitions factories and were known as Rosie the Riveter. Gas and many foods such as sugar were rationed.
Mrs. Dresselhuis recalled that you didn’t do any traveling during the war; you just stayed home.
Many young men went to war from Odebolt. It was a sad day when the deaths came in. Delbert Lewis, Ed Stauffer, and others.
A Briggle kid was killed in the war. He was a sharp-shooter. They lived across the street from the Dresselhuis family.
The Methodist minister, Wayne Stauffer, became a chaplain. His wife took over the pulpit. Their son Edward went down with, I think, the Lexington.
(See "Odebolt
Area Servicemen Lost in World War II")
The School
There were two school reorganizations over the years. They increased the size of the school. One of them brought Arthur into the district. There have been excellent board members over the years. I served a number of years.
“Those were good school board members who put their full efforts on it. We had to cover all that territory and talk to the parents. We tried to form the boundaries of the school district so people could send their children to the school they wanted to. We didn’t want any sour grapes.”
Mrs. Dresselhuis was the first woman school board member in Odebolt. The school reorganizations brought in the country schools, Boyer and Arthur. The school got buses after the country schools were brought in. Country schoolteachers could take training just out of high school, then teach in the country schools.
Odebolt had excellent schools, and they had excellent music, because year after year our band would come home with the top rating.
The state government had decreed that the wife of a married couple could not work, which meant that many excellent teachers who had married local men could no longer teach.
We were fortunate to have excellent teachers who came home to care for their mothers: Frank Shaw, Rosmer Bruce and Pauline Berg, whose mother lived with her.
Frank Shaw had been principal in Emerson, Iowa.
Rosmer had taught in the east someplace, and it was a good job. Her father died, and her mother couldn’t live alone. Rosmer came home and taught in Odebolt to take care of her mother.
Mrs. Dresselhuis thought Pauline Berg was a good
teacher and worked on her to get her to stay. Pauline would talk about looking
for a job that paid more money, but Mrs. D. told her that people loved her in
Odebolt, that she was a good teacher, and she should stay.
The Adams Ranch (Fairview Farm)
If you walked along the Adams Ranch fence, all the mules would follow you along the fence. Adams would bring corn to town in wagons to store in the corncribs north of the highway. People along the streets objected to the manure left by the mules.
It was always fun to go out to the ranch and visit.
They had a pool and it was nicely kept.
The Home on Lincoln Avenue
[Thelma and George Dresselhuis bought the Petersmeyer home on Lincoln Avenue.] August Petersmeyer was a tall fellow, and his wife was short.
The Hansons—Grace and Lillian—lived next door on Lincoln Avenue. Albert Hanson helped them with shoveling walks and things like that.
The people who owned the piece of ground behind the
Dresselhuis home on Lincoln Avenue gave it to the town for a park. The town
later gave it back because there were no toilet facilities, and it was something
else for the town to keep up and mow. Hansons owned part of it. Later there were
some houses and an apartment house built at the north end of the park.
This and That
The Cook Ranch had a string of walnut trees that
someone bought for the wood.
Odebolt fairs weren’t very big, but they were fun.
Names I remember: Down, Rex, Nelson, Hanson, McCorkindale, Del and Katherine Lewis, Mandernach, Martha Kennedy, Clyde Wardrip, Korneisel, Lundblad, Buehler, Hix, Einspahr, Fox, Mattes, Babcock, Bengford, Quirk, Carstensen, Bryntson, Thayer.
Also see biographical information on Thelma's husband,
George W. Dresselhuis
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