June 23, 2021
Hanaman Happenings – We returned from Wisconsin on Monday to view a large limb that had blown onto our garage. There was some damage to the roof but the limb missed the window on the north side of the garage. Since it was across the sidewalk to the house, we had to carefully step over it or go around. Rick and Mary Liebich were caring for our cats and called us on Friday to let us know what had happened. This was the only damage and only limb that was down. Ah, the Iowa winds.
From the Rippey Library Shelves – The Iowa history section of the Rippey library includes some interesting and entertaining discoveries.
One of these is “Babe: An Iowa Legend” by Chuck Offenburger about Alfonso “Babe” Bisignano, legendary restaurant owner and colorful character in Des Moines. Chuck was a young columnist for the Des Moines Register when he wrote the book after a series of interviews with Bisignano. They first met when Chuck was 11 or 12 in Shenandoah when he served as an altar boy and Bisignano attended mass with Monsignor Paul Marasco officiating. “Based on months of interviews with Babe and those who knew him, the book portrays this colorful man in all his glory and with all his warts, a revealing look at one of Iowa’s big shots.” ~ by Nancy Hanaman
Jean’s Jottings – A welcome rain on Sunday brought cooler weather. It should make weed pulling much easier. We’ll see.
Last week I was pleasantly distracted by a family who is planning a burial in the Rippey Cemetery and also doing family research. Two sisters from out of town and state, who are descendants of the Burk family, spent a couple days visiting the local cemeteries and I was able to provide some information for them. I also met the Burk boys from Jamaica and was glad to share a picture of a family that is on their tree that was in a box of “stuff” someone else had given me several years ago.
On Saturday afternoon, I went to Woodward for a celebration of life for Charles “Buster” Frantum. Buster and I were childhood friends, attending church and school together, graduating with the class of 1960. As always, there were a few people from my past who, when we looked at each other, our names escape us!
I was able to sit with Jerry Thornburgh, who married a friend and classmate of 1960, and we started visiting about the Thornburgh family tree, (with and without the “h”) and it was fun to provide names for him when he got stuck. I have sent him some pictures and hopefully he will be able to identify some of the people for the two family branches I am concentrating on.
Both the Burk and Thornburgh ancestors were blessed with many children, so there are lots of branches to their trees. I’m never bored!
