Mother’s Day is here, almost.

Nests are springing up in the trees across the street and half the squirrels are looking a bit plump around the midsection. It feels so good to be back in our neighborhood.

I spent the past week in a car, traveling from Naples, Florida to Webster City. My wife and I arranged to help my sister in her annual migration to and from The Sunshine State.

It was actually a bit of fun, though hard to admit, sharing an adventure with a sibling again.

The only thing missing was my Dad’s proverbial threat, “Don’t make me stop this car!” I don’t think we were that bad (and I don’t mean 50 years ago), though my wife may disagree.

It also brought back a lot of memories of our time spent, as a family of six, in a 1958 Chevy station wagon, traveling around the western United States during the summer. Does anyone remember hanging canvas bags in front of the radiator to keep the engine from overheating?

How about wet washcloths and open windows for air conditioning? The best memories, though, are always of my Mom; keeping the peace between us siblings while also navigating for my Dad, who never stooped (or stopped) to ask for directions.

In honor of mothers everywhere, especially to all those in Our Neighborhood…

MacKinlay Kantor’s mother, Effie, was native to Hamilton County, being born in October of 1879 in the Bone’s Mill neighborhood, about six miles south of Webster City.

In 1890, the family moved into town and Effie graduated from high school in 1898.

The next fall, she met John Kantor at Drake University and married in 1899. A daughter, Virginia, and their son, Mackinlay, were born prior to a divorce. Effie, with two children, moved back to Webster City to live with her parents on Willson Avenue.

In 1913, Effie became a writer with the Webster City Freeman-Tribune, until 1917, when she took over the editorship of the Webster City Herald. By 1921, she became associated with the publication of the Webster City Daily News, and worked as literary and news editor until 1925.

Effie later edited a magazine in Boone until her health began to fall in 1930.

As her son wrote, “Whatever troubles came to her, she faced with a calm and steadfast faith in the eternal goodness of things, and was, among her family and those who knew her, a tender giver of inspiration in the joy of living. Forced to serve as both mother and father to her children, she performed the task with brilliance and perfection.”

Effie passed in Des Moines the day after Christmas in 1931 and came back to Webster City a few days later.

As an author, I’m excited and more than a bit intimidated living in Webster City.

After all, how many writers can say they live in THE town with the most native Pulitzer Prize winners?

The answer, in my mind, is at least one.

It seems I have a couple of things in common with MacKinlay Kantor; I also had the best mom possible and I enjoy being in Webster City … oh, and I think I can write (though I KNOW he could).