Comments made 50 years ago are still relevant
Nearly 400 people gathered on the Bell Tower Plaza Sunday afternoon to celebrate the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower’s 50th birthday. A half-dozen or so were also at the dedication of the tower Oct. 16, 1966.
The program lasted just a big longer than an hour and included an abridged version of the original program of dedication.
Carole Custer, president of the Bell Tower Community Foundation, was emcee Sunday. She began the re-enactment by introducing David Morain, who read the transcribed comments of his grandfather Fred Morain, emcee of the 1966 program.
As the program developed, the “cast” was introduced by emcee Fred Morain. The Rev J.P. McGuire (Fr Jeff Schleisman) gave an invocation.
Jefferson mayor Vern Martin (Craig Berry) welcomed guests. “We as a community are real proud that Mr and Mrs Mahanay loved this community so much that they left us the funds to build this memorial tower,” Martin said. “In this day of tourism and tourist travel throughout the United States, we will be the envy of many communities in Iowa and through the nation.”
Next to speak Sunday was Francis Cudahy (David Hoyt), Mahanay’s attorney and chair of the tower board of trustees. Cudahy was droll. “In 1947, when the terms of Floyd Mahanay’s will became known to the people of Greene County, I suppose it would be fair to say that it was met, at best, with mixed emotions. Actually, we didn’t know what we were getting. The word ‘carillon’ meant little to us at that time. We couldn’t even pronounce it. We called it ‘carolinian’ and various other names like that,” Cudahy said.
He talked about Dora Mahanay’s concern about talk about the tower in the 15 years after Floyd’s death. Cudahy quoted Dora Mahanay’s will: “To the trustees named in my husband’s will, I now call attention to the fact that I have left the bulk of my estate for the education of our young people who are the citizens of tomorrow. I have done this because of a deep and abiding interest in the community and in young people generally. It is my fervent hope that the community and the trustees named in my husband’s will will fully reciprocate and leave no stone unturned to carry out the wishes of my late husband and me as to the memorial tower.”
Cudahy told of the challenges of building the tower, challenges shared by the trustees and architect Ray Hueholt. He said the trustees thought at first Hueholt was “laying it on a little, but the problems that beset us as we’ve gone through building this building, and the problems that beset him as he tried to meet our problems, convinced us that building a tower is in fact a rather difficult job.”
He spoke of the legal fight that arose because Mahanay specified the location of the tower (on county property) but gave it to the residents of Jefferson. “I can say on behalf of the trustees of the Mahanay Memorial Tower that never have I worked with bodies that cooperated with the same zeal and the same knowledge and the same effort to accomplish what was in the mind of the board of supervisors of Greene County, Iowa, and the city council of the city of Jefferson, Iowa. They only wanted to accomplish the end, if possible, and they did cooperate, and we tried to cooperate with them,” Cudahy said.
He spoke of grumbling about using the money to build a tower and said Mahanay’s will was very specific. “Now that people who live in Jefferson and Greene County who have had an opportunity to hear these beautiful bells peal out over the countryside will agree that we have brought to Jefferson a cultural achievement, something which we are going to appreciate in the years to come.
“People are going to drive for miles to hear concerts on these bells. This was a peculiar thing that was left to us. We are the beneficiaries, so I think it is good for the community.”
Cudahy related a man telling him that “the tower was the craziest thing that ever happened, but I have to admit, it’s growing on me.”
Cudahy congratulated the architect “because he has made this fit in with the courthouse and it is not something that looks badly.”
Cudahy then presented the keys to the tower to Glen Grow, chair of the Greene County board of supervisors (current board chair John Muir). The Rev Dr E.L. Marousek (Chris Durlam) gave a sermon entitled “Memories and Memorials,” based on Luke 22:19. Dr Marousek was the Mahanays’ pastor for many years.
“May the bells and chimes ringing out from this tower at their appointed times ever remind this and future generations that they should so live that they may leave behind their memories and memorials. So may this tower and its inspiring music be a blessing to all who see and hear from this time on,” Marousek said.
Charlie Hurd (Mick Burkett) and Ralph Maloney (Guy Richardson), members of the tower board of trustees, dedicated the tower to the people of Greene County.
“The deed is done. You’ve been a most patient audience and we thank you for coming. For the many people who are here from throughout the state of Iowa and elsewhere, and there are many of them, we’re real happy that you came,” Morain said in closing the program.
David Williamson of Ogden read his “Mahanay Moments and Memories” poem, a poem compiled from 70 comments and memories collected over the previous months. A group of 17 attended a workshop a month ago to begin the work of crafting the poem, he said. The project was spearheaded by the Jefferson Matters: Main Street Tower View Team. The Tower View Team passed out copies of the poem after the event.
Custer then thanked those who had donated to the “Let the Bells Ring” campaign and those who had donated the 15 bells displayed in the courthouse. She announced that as of one week ago, all bells to complete the 47-bell carillon have been donated. She noted that a $175,000 bequest from the late Paul Nally had provided the corpus for the “Let the Bells Ring” campaign.
The full carillon will be completed early next spring.
Sandy Ehrig, who as director of the Chamber of Commerce in 1991 formed the Bell Tower Community Foundation, was at Sunday’s birthday celebration. Current members of the foundation in addition to Custer are vice president Craig Berry, secretary Peg Raney, treasurer Bob Schwarzkopf, Tim Christensen, Jean McAtee Feldmann and Guy Richardson. Pat Richards, bell tower staff coordinator, is an ex officio member of the foundation.
The program included music by the combined Greene County High School band and Town & Country band directed by Wes Anderson, the Greene County Singers directed by Sheilah McGregor Pound, and the First United Methodist Church bell choir directed by Jean Van Gilder.
Birthday cake was made and served by students of the Ram Restaurant at Greene County High School. Greene Bean Coffee served its Bell Tower blend coffee and the Jefferson Fareway and Hy-Vee stores provided lemonade.
