Chad Lansing of Lansing Brothers of Fort Dodge, the company that did the demolition of the 1921 portion of the Rippey school last fall, responded to Mary Weaver’s feature for GreeneCountyNewsOnline about Keith Devilbiss and the Rippey school memorial by sending along pictures he took.
Preserving the name plate and the cornerstone from the building were included in the contract. The nameplate was carefully cut into three sections to be taken down from the building.
Devilbiss was there at the front door watching as the cornerstone was removed.
After the three story classroom building was removed, Lansing Brothers hired Devilbiss to help patch holes left in the brick.He is pictured on the left in the lift. Devilbiss had hauled brick for the masons when the gymnasium was build immediately after his high school graduation. His employer was so impressed with his work ethic that he paid for Devilbiss to attend a seven-week masonry course. Devilbiss had a long, successful career as a mason.
In the note Lansing sent with the photos, he wrote about Devilbiss, “He is quite a character. I enjoyed meeting him and working with him.”
