A special thank you to all those who have participated in our “I Remember Rippey” series. Your remembrances have allowed readers to share in our town’s history, activities, sports, school, church, and daily life covering 150 years.
We will continue posting online here, using “I Remember Rippey” remembrances received, though those received after April, 2020 will not be in the printed history book. If you would like to read more Rippey history, you may also click on the History tab of the Rippey Library website: https://www.rippey.lib.ia.us
.
Rippey Memories 1947-1958 by Lloyd DeMoss
As I near 81 years, I realize not many are alive that will remember many of these things. I started with many, and reduced to just a few.
I arrived in Rippey just before school started in 1947. I was eight years old. According to a fall edition of the “Globe”, I was introduced as a Rippey Ripper in the paper as Lloyd Peters. I never knew that until recently.
I had already been through many foster homes and most recently had lived with the Hastie family in Perry. I started school at a rural school just north of the Davco Plant. My playmates at that time were the McKelvey girls who lived nearby.
MEMORIES:
- The bushes west of the school that served as the Club House in the 3rd grade.
- Having Wilmuth Peters as my teacher 3 times.
- Breda 4th of July Baseball.
- Going to the movies in Perry with the Odin sisters.
- Playing baseball in the outfield so we could hit homeruns. They made us quit when are basepaths were showing up.
- Playing in the OLD school and on the buses.
- Being a part of history going 26-1 in basketball.
- First day of school playing tackle football with no pads. Bones were broken two years in a row! Bill Fouch and Gary Kelleher.
- Going to All—State-Chorus several years due to voices much better than mine
- Sunday afternoons at Phil Roberts’ house where we shot his 22 rifle in the grove
- The Corral drive-in theatre and HAPS in Perry, where a bowl of their spaghetti was hard to beat.
- Swimming lessons and the bus ride to and from Jefferson.
- Swimming in Snake Creek and playing alligator.
- Hunting, trapping and ice skating on the sough north of Rippey.
- Fishing for bullheads with Charlie Wishman and Jake at Lakin Slough near Yale.