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Don’t get your elbow in a wringer

As I was growing up I often heard my mother say, “Soap is cheap.” Cleanliness truly was next to godliness in our home so it’s no wonder Mom’s old Maytag wringer-type washing machine remains a vivid part of my memories. My earliest recollections of laundry day include a vision of a gray Maytag washer, complete with a drain hose attached to the side and a big black and white wringer on top. A rinse tub sat nearby. Early on Mom had to heat water on the cookstove to do laundry but in 1953 we moved to town and enjoyed hot and cold running water. Steam rose from the washing ...

The Gum Man

Ask any of my kids what they remember most of their Gramma when they were growing up and they’ll tell you that she ALWAYS had a stick of gum or piece of candy for them. It’s one of those memories that you’ll have with you forever. When I heard of “the gum man,” I knew it was a ...

I can see clearly now

When I was much younger I noticed that old guys liked to talk about their medical procedures. So let me tell you about my recent surgeries. In recent years my vision wasn’t as sharp as it was when I was younger. Driving at night became more difficult, particularly when it was raining. For several years optometrists have told me cataracts were “ripening” in my eyes and that someday I would need surgery to fix the problem. At my annual eye exam in December, the optometrist indicated it was time and set up an appointment with an eye surgeon. That meeting went well and surgery ...

The Boaks enjoyed travel

It’s so good to be back in Webster City. Diane and I had a wonderful time in southwest Florida for the month of February. But don’t forget the words of the immortal Dorothy Gale: “There’s no place like home.” Now that I’m back, with a new knee that seems to behave as it should, ...

A one … and a two … and a three!

My Saturday nights in the late 1950s were unexciting. Pre-pubescent me turned 10 years old in January 1958 so Saturday nights were spent at home with my parents and three younger brothers (two sisters came later.) My family acquired our first television receiver in January 1957 and that began a Saturday night tradition. After my brothers and I had all had our Saturday night baths we gathered in the living room and watched the Lawrence Welk television show. For one hour on Saturday nights the Huisman boys got to watch performers sing, play and dance. Dad turned 30 in January 1957 but ...

Webster City needs a team

It’s pretty clear that the salvation of our historic downtown lies in the hands of more than one solution. It’s also clear that Webster City is not alone in this conundrum. One only needs to look at the City of Pomeroy and its desire to raze buildings, one of which houses the iconic Byron’s, a musical venue that defies logic by drawing a diverse crowd to that little remote Calhoun County town. Here in Webster City, as we reckon with aging early 19th century structures that may or may not have been properly maintained, we must find a way to work together to save what can be ...