The Friends of Rippey recently received a $1000 memorial donation from Ron and Kathy Ridnour of Ames in honor of Jim Fouch. Jim passed away last October at the age of 76 years after a full life of serving as a professional optometrist for 40 years in Weiser, Idaho. Jim and his wife, June, enjoyed camping outings, numerous family adventures with their three sons, Matt, Luke, and Nick, and attending his grandchildren’s sporting events.
Ron and Jim graduated from East Greene in 1963 and played high school baseball together, as well as summer town team ball for the Rippey Demons.
Jim was about 6’6″ and served as the catcher for the teams. Long outstretched arms could make any poor pitch salvageable. Dale Robson, a 1964 East Greene graduate and a pitcher recalls how grateful he was for Jim’s catching skills. Ron played short stop, but states that Jim served as catcher in high school and for the summer games as a Rippey Demon.
Ron fondly, and somewhat in past awe, recalls that as a freshman basketball player, Jim led the Rippey Bulldogs team out on the floor with a dunk of the ball during the pregame warmup period.
Ron and Kathy are optimistic their initial donation will stir others to remember Jim with a memorial donation, especially considering the plans to keep the ballpark active because of past great community involvement!
The next planned games will occur April 23 and 24th when the Second Rippey Ruckus will be played at the Walt Anderson field. Spring is coming and the Ruckus is just about 100 days from now. In addition, three local communities are planning high school games during the summer. Additional dates and times will soon be available.
Donations may be submitted to the Friends of Rippey, Box 52, Rippey, Iowa, with the designation in the memo line, “Rippey Baseball”. The best use of the funds will be determined by the Rippey Baseball Commission that is currently being organized.