Kids Day in Ricketts, Sept. 8

The City of Ricketts will be hosting a kid's day at the Ricketts City Park & Shelter House.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
4 PM-10 PM
Games, Hot Dogs & other snacks and drinks,
& a Special Kids' Dance

Join the Rickettes

Ladies who live in Ricketts and want to make our community a better place can become a "Rickette." The Rickettes meet at 7:30 PM on the last Monday of each month in the Ricketts Community Center.

Shameless Self-Promotion

Like some of the graphics you see on this site? I make most of them, the "Kid's Day" and "Rickettes" above, and the "Germanfest" and the green "Greetings" sign with the biplane down below (I just found the "Euchere" somewhere out on the web).

My point is, if you'd like to spruce up your website, flyer, menu, brochures, or tee-shirts- drop me an email. I'm just a poor school teacher and I could always stand to pick-up a few bucks. I'm a lot cheaper than anybody you could go to in a big city! I promise to treat you right.

By the way, I could also take Senior Pictures (see below) and if you're interested in seeing my editorial cartoons, get your weekly copy of the Mapleton PRESS, or visit http://tmal.multiply.com

Little white church in the country

I really need to take pictures of the other two churches in the Triple Parish- let alone in and around Ricketts. What can I say, it was a gorgeous day and this made a gorgeous picture.

Mr. Mallory's Stuff

Mr. Mallory's Stuff
Here's a new website is intended to be a repository for links, assignments, and ideas for my students. If you have me for a class this year (down at Boyer Valley in Dunlap), check it out- you might just find something that you can use!

So you're not one of my students- you're someone interested in Ricketts, that's okay... If you have any interest at all in Art, Photography, Website Design, Ceramics, Drawing, or Cheerleading, you might just find something interesting there too!

Arial View of Ricketts

Just having some fun with PhotoShop. I can imagine someone making a postcard like this 50-75 years ago, though.

Early History

Ricketts, located in the south-east corner of Soldier township, on the Mondamin branch of the Chicago Northwestern, is the most pretentious and thriving of the smaller towns of the county. It is almost exclusively a German com­munity, although at one time swept by a fire which consumed almost the entire business section, it has been rebuilt and is a wide awake community. It boasts numerous business houses among which are A. F. Baak and J. H. Detlefs, general merchants; 1. N. Vollerson, the popular mayor and manager of the Green Bay Lumber Co.; The German Savings Bank with P. H. Claussen as cashier; Peter C. Peterson hotel; T. J. Munster, hotel; Gustav Rickert, saloon; Max Wulf, blacksmith.

from "History of Crawford County Iowa; A record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume 1" by F. W. Meyers, c. 1911

Every Tuesday Night

Come join the fun every Tuesday night at the Ricketts Community Center for weekly Euchre tournaments.

First Annual Germanfest

Ricketts held a Germanfest to help raise money for improvements to the park which includes a shelter house and play ground. On August 28, volunteers installed the latest improvement were new overhead doors in the shelter house.

Germanfest organizers; Elaine Carlson, Bud Gloede, Connie Bridgeman, and Laura Langholdt

DJ Brad Reissen of Eagle Rock Trucking provided music for dancing.

The guys of the Ricketts Volunteer Fire Department grilled Brats donated by NoFrills, HyVee, Bank Iowa, and United Bank of Iowa.

Ricketts Fire Dept. Appreciation Picnic

August 12th, 2007
10:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Everyone in our fire district is invited for free food and games!
Join us at the Community Center!
Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Beans
Petting Zoo, Games, Bingo, Cards, Etc.

Old Iron

30 Years Ago
The Charter Oak Times
August 11, 1977

The 8th Annual Ricketts Steam and Antique Show was held August 5, 6, & 7, 1977. Mary Hennings, daughter of Mrs. Arlene Hennings, was crowned Queen at the variety show. Awards were given to Mrs. Bertha Friedrichsen, as the oldest person present; Mrs. Fern Baine of Hoquim, WA for traveling the farthest, and to Ericka Bishop, 4 month old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. D.L. Bishop of Sioux City, IA as the youngest person present.

Upcoming Events

Saturday August 11, 2007
Come to the German-fest in Ricketts at the shelter house!
Brats, Kraut, Potato salad and baked beans supper at 6:30 PM
Dance at 8 PM
BYOB & Free-Will Offering taken to raise funds for city park improvements

Also in August: Ute Fun Days, Schleswig Calf Show Days, and of course the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines

Aug 15 at 9 AM at the Schleswig Middle School there will be an "Iron & Antique" tractor show right after the Schleswig Calf Show Days Parade. Nothing newer than 1972

And remember the next Ricketts Kids reunion is the 4th Saturday in July, 2008

Little white church in the country

I'm told that on a clear day, from a certain hill outside of town, you can see the spires of all three of the churches in Rickett's "Triple Parish." These are pictures of St. Paul's Lutheran in Hanover Township. The poem below is actually about a Methodist church in Kentucky, but I think it works as well for members of the Triple Parish too.

Carter's Chapel
By Lottie May O'Grady
5/24/1938

There's a little white church in the country,
That stands upon a hill so high,
It can easily be seen for miles around,
Like a 'Beacon of Light' to the passer-by.

It has weathered the storms of the passing years,
Withstood 'The Tests of Time',
Because it is builded secure upon the rock,
Of love of our Savior Divine,

It welcomes the Way-faring Traveler,
To come into its doors and find, peace,
And the weary, tired, and forlorn,
They too, may find sweet relief.

And to those, who will ever be faithful,
And to those who will ever be true,
They will always find a blessing,
In the work, there is to do.

It asks for no reward or merit,
Only that each one may be blest,
And for those who need spiritual feeding,
To come and feast on the best.

We love this dear, 'Church of our Childhood',
It brings back memories dear, you see,
Our mother, father, and dear ones,
Who have crossed, 'The Crystal Sea'.

The years of time will always bring changes,
One by one we will pass on each day,
But the 'Church of God', will stand forever,
It shall never, pass away!

Dedicated to... the Ricketts Volunteer Fire Depatrment

FIREFIGHTERS WHETHER VOLUNTEER OR PAID, HAVE A DEDICATION THAT JUST WILL NOT FADE

THEY HAVE TO CONTINUOUSLY LEARN AND TRAIN, AND FIGHT FIRES IN THE SNOW AND THE RAIN.

THEY DO THEIR JOB WITH HONOR AND PRIDE, THEIR FELLOW FIREFIGHTERS AT THEIR SIDE.

FAMILY MEMBERS WORRY AND PRAY, KNOWING THERE IS A CHANCE THEY WILL BE TAKEN AWAY.

PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE HOW MUCH THEY CARE, OR HOW MUCH OF THEIR LIFE THEY ARE WILLING TO SHARE

WHENEVER THEY ARE CALLED TO HELP THEY GO, EVEN IF ITS SOMEONE THEY DO NOT KNOW ,THEY FIGHT FIRES AND HELP AT ACCIDENT SCENES, WHETHER ITS SOMEONE ELDERLY OR IN THEIR TEENS

WHENEVER YOU SEE THESE MEN AND WOMEN GO OUT, PLEASE REMEMBER TO THINK ABOUT, THE THING THEY ARE DOING INTERRUPTS THEIR FAMILY LIFE, AND SOMETIMES CAUSES THEM TEARS AND STRIFE

SO THE NEXT TIME THEY PASS YOUR WAY, PLEASE TAKE A MINUTE TO STOP AND PRAY, THAT THEY MAKE IT HOME WHEN THE DAY IS DONE AND THAT THIS WON'T BE THEIR LAST RUN.

AUTHOR: KALLIE REHMEL, SECRETARY GREENE COUNTY FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION AND WRIGHT TWP.VOL. FIRE DEPARTMENT.