Recent feature stories down below!

Manning, Iowa
"Home of Pioneer Spirit" Where independent & rugged-thinking individuals (both past & present) work together to accomplish great things for the community!

If you stumble onto my web page or follow a search link here and had/have a relative who lived here in Manning, please contact me.
I'm interested in any/all old pix, history, and old items connected to Manning to scan and document.
I'll share with you if you share with me...

I'm posting the older Monitor articles I scan at these links so as not to over-load my main web page.

Monitor Archives scanned 2025

Monitor Archives scanned 2026

I will continue to add more Monitor articles down below, as I continue to scan them, along with corresponding information for some of them, so you may need to scroll down on the right side to find some of the more recent articles featured.

August 5, 1937, Manning Monitor

August 12, 1937, Manning Monitor

August 5, 1937, Manning Monitor

Roger Joens

Click to see the tribute

Lonnie Ferneding

Click to see the tribute

Until I read Ron Sporrer's comment on my 2026 guestbook, I had never quite thought about it this way...I was thinking from a more basic perspective that I am preserving Manning's history but his comment "...all you do to make these memories come to life!" gives me a whole new way to look at justifying all of the time, money, effort, and even sometimes grief I get from a few people, for the dedication it takes to scanning, documenting, and archiving the Manning history I can get my hands on...
Dave

I continue to scan more Monitor pages from the 2nd tote and noticed this horrific account.
I generally concentrate on the "good" things about our history but sometimes we need to understand how tragedy and horrible events are unfortunately nothing new or unusual over time.

September 2, 1937, Manning Monitor

Here is an opposite example of a unique situation that had to be a wonderful experience for the Ansorge family.
Frederick Heinke was the father of Gertrude (Heinke) Ansorge.

September 9, 1937, Manning Monitor

September 9, 1937, Manning Monitor

403 Main Street - September 9, 1937, Manning Monitor

September 16, 1937, Manning Monitor

September 23, 1937, Manning Monitor

Another first - Manning's First FB Homecoming in 1937...

October 28, 1937, Manning Monitor

Even in 1937, sports were considered a privilege as seen with the 5 suspensions in this next article.

October 28, 1937, Manning Monitor

October 28, 1937, Manning Monitor

I'm sure there is one of these bins still standing on the farm where my uncle Melvin Kusel once lived on the north edge of Manning.

August 26, 1937, Manning Monitor

Remember all of the "back to school" ads in the Monitor over the years?

August 26, 1937, Manning Monitor

August 26, 1937, Manning Monitor

223 Main Street - August 26, 1937, Manning Monitor
Manning Fruit & Grocery Company (1937 Keith Peltz & wife -- Jewish family from Omaha)

August 26, 1937, Manning Monitor

August 26, 1937, Manning Monitor

August 26, 1937, Manning Monitor

September 30, 1937, Manning Monitor

223 Main Street - September 30, 1937, Manning Monitor

Located on the northwest edge of Manning - just north of the old Milwaukee tracks
July 22, 1937, Manning Monitor
Son of Jacob L. and Lucinda Ellen (Hayes) Nickum, he was born February 19, 1894, at Manning.
He served in the US. Navy prior to World War I, and was married at Manning to Cecelia Addison on July 14, 1915.
He operated a rendering plant here for 30 years.

July 22, 1937, Manning Monitor

July 29, 1937, Manning Monitor

Orren & John Ramsey

Ralph Ramsey

July 29, 1937, Manning Monitor

Bernice Vogt is the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Herman Vogt of Manning. After her graduation from Manning High in 1932, she attended school at the Vogue school of Art in Chicago. Until recently she was owner and manager of the Gay Mode Style Shop in Manning.
September 2, 1937, Manning Monitor

September 2, 1937, Manning Monitor

Rose Hoffmann & Bernice (Vogt) Howe.
Photo taken by Vern Howe (Bernice's husband) in November 1983 at Healdsburg, California.
Rose was 96 years old. Her birthday on January 22, 1984
Bernice and Vern came to visit Aunt Rose.

September 2, 1937, Manning Monitor

Barbara Wiese

Click to see the tribute

I paid more than I wanted to on e-bay, but this lady's leg bottle opener with Parkhouse on it is something I've not run into before.
Thomas rode his bike from Traer, Iowa, in 1894 at the age of 21 to start his business here - for 35 years.
After moving back to Traer in 1931, he was killed by a vehicle while walking along a road into town - because of his deafness not hearing the car from behind was probably partially responsible for his death.

Thomas Dench Parkhouse - 217 Main Street

Carmen Kasperbauer

Click to see the tribute

Randy Hargens

Click to see the tribute

If you don't think we are in BIG TROUBLE - watch this video which is all over the Internet.
I generally don't get into the ridiculous non-sense like this that we live in today but this clip is truly amazing! "Follow the science?" I watched this once and it is PAINFUL to watch and won't watch it any more!

Ramona Hughes

Click to see the tribute

Steven C. Rutz

Click to see the tribute

Another unique event at the Manning Veterans' wall.

January 3, 2026

What is this all about?

September 15, 1975

DeNage (Kleespies) Lowe

Click to see the VERY tragic story but also a time when she was young

When items are reasonable on E-bay, I try to purchase them.
Here is a recent purchase...

If you have old Manning items/history that you want to bring back and donate to Manning, please get them to me first.
I'll digitize them and try to find other information about the topic, and also record who donated them and the person/family who had them.
All too often stuff is donated and then put in boxes or hung on a display, not realizing that eventually those items continue to deteriorate, so digitizing them is the only way to preserve them long term.
Having worked on Manning history for over 50 years, I have the experience and know-how with preserving our ever-dwindling history.

I've been working on Manning IDs since the mid-1970s, and when I started my web page in 1996, I had assumed and hoped that I would get all kinds of help, but unfortunately, for whatever reasons, I seldom received help...I just had to depend on taking time showing pictures to the "old timers" around town who many times were helpful - folks like Art & Ila Rix, Ken Dethlefs, Max Detlefsen, Bill Ohde, Bud & Letha Johnson, Lyle & Dorothy Arp, Gerhardt Voge, my mother, and many many more.
Now they are ALL gone, so pix from those older generations will sadly go on forever unidentified, UNLESS someone younger has the same picture that is identified.
So if you see a picture I have posted and asking for help with IDs and you know - please let me know.
Once I no longer am able or around to do this, the old Manning pictures and history still in existence will end up in the trash heap of history since no one will take the time try to find out the IDs or be able to find anyone living who can help.

It's up to everyone connected to Manning who grew up here to help me...I can't do it by myself!

Judy Musfeldt, Joan Mohr, Judy Borkowski, Barb Doyel, Norma Luetje

I keep getting different names for the tall gal in the middle - is this Judy Borkowski?
The name sewn on her shirt is Darlys.

If you have a Manning Veterans uniform and don't know what to do with it - please contact me.
I'm trying my best to save as much Manning history as I can.
I often hear "you can't keep everything!" and then I tell them "everything" is almost gone, when it comes to my 50+ years perspective on the totality of Manning's past.

I'm looking for information and obituaries for Nicholas Dappen MHS 1966 and Joleen (Irlmeier) Wess MHS 1965.
If you know where/when they passed away and any other details to narrow down the search parameters online to find obits, please let me know.
Thanks,
Dave

This is another shout-out to anyone/everyone who in the distant past or recently have agreed to work with me on old Manning connected pix and history they have so I can scan those things and get them preserved in the Manning Historical Database I'm constantly working on.
I know you are busy and it is a hassle to dig out and send to me, but the only way that history you have will get preserved long-term is if I get it to scan and archive.
I know many people scoff at this and say that their family won't throw those things away and/or they have scanned those things - but I have 50+ years of experience to back up this statement...as I've seen one old family/Manning collection after another thrown away - I usually find out around 5 - 10 more collections that were thrown away each year.
So either lose it, or preserve it in my database...you don't have to spend much time but I'm the one who spends hundreds and thousands of hours scanning Manning stuff.
I've seen scans by people and most of the time it is way below par...and the other problem is very few have that data properly backed up on multiple hard drives and at off-site locations such as in a bank safe deposit box.
Dave

Does anyone know the location or contact information for Charles Scott who taught mathematics at Manning in 1972?
He was a Vietnam Veteran and I'd like to get some military information/pix for him to add to the Manning Veterans' book.
For that matter, any teacher at Manning who served that you know of their whereabouts - please let me know.
The list of Manning connected names who served keeps growing almost daily.

Please visit the Manning Exchange for local news, articles, and information...a work in progress.

Many upcoming events.

Korean War Veterans continues

There are lots of Manning Veterans of the Korean era with no pictures or information.
Will you be in the Manning Veterans' book???
Unless more post-WWII Veterans come forward there will be a lot of 1946 to present day Manning connected Veterans missing from the book.

For those of you who are occasional visitors to the Manning Exchange - please make sure to click on the "archived articles" section where previous featured stories are kept.

Click to visit the Manning Exchange

1 example from the Logeland Studio wedding packets.

There are still quite a few Logeland Studio wedding packets available.

Click to read about this important project.
It will help to financially support the Manning Veterans' history book project.

"Let it be known that he who wears the military order of the purple heart has given of his blood in the defense of his homeland and shall forever be revered by his fellow countrymen."
George Washington, August 7, 1782

Just as a reminder: the Manning History book committee continues to work on a Manning area Veterans' history book project.
For those of you who are Veterans or have/had Veterans in your family - will you come forward?
The history book committee will do their best to get as many pictures and information about the 1000+ Manning Veterans but we can't do it all by ourselves.

How many small communities do you know have published 5 history books? The first one was the History of Manning 1898, then the 1981 Manning Centennial book, next the 2006 Manning Quasqui book, and most recently the 2009 Manning School history book. Probably the last book to be published will be the upcoming Manning Veterans' book - unless someone comes forward in the next generation to take over these projects after I'm gone. Will you help with the Veterans' history book project? If you are a Manning connected Veteran or are presently serving and do not submit your military connected pictures and infomation you probably won't be in this once-in-a-life-time Manning Veterans' history book. With a limited number of volunteers we can only do so much on our own but will try to get pictures of as many Veterans as we can. There are over 1000 Manning Veterans so we have a long ways to go before the book can be published.

Manning Veterans are slowly coming forward and below is another example. We hope to eventually get more pictures and information for Mike to put in the book but for now this is what I have to show to you.

Amos Rutz WWII

One thing that many Veterans and people who are submitting information have not fully understood is that this next Manning history book is specifically a Veterans' only book. It won't be like the Centennial or Quasqui history books were, where there is a Veterans' section along with other community aspects. We are aiming for a 2-volume book (around 1090 total pages) which will really be unique!!!
This book will be ALL Veterans' information (and the post auxiliaries) - hence it won't be a "Name, Rank, and Serial Number" only history but we want a complete history for each Veteran.
For instance - below is Louis Boell's picture and the information that was published in the Veteran section of the 1982 Aspinwall Centennial history book. It has the basic information but we are looking for more and I spoke to Louie by phone and he sent more pictures and information - also for his brothers.

To see what Louis submitted click on the link underneath "Are you a Manning Veteran" shown below.

Note: we also want some family background such as parents and grandparents. All too often you will only see just the Veteran's name with their basic military information but without the family connections it will be difficult for future historians and genealogists to know for sure who this person belongs to.

Are you a Manning connected Veteran? I would like to hear from you!!!
We are starting a Manning Veteran history book project and if you don't come forward you may not be included in the book. NOT because we want to intentionally leave you out but because you didn't come forward.
Same goes for those of you who have Veterans in your family who have passed away. If you don't come forward and help by submitting Veteran connected pictures and information your Veteran may not be included in this once in a life-time Manning Veterans' history book.

Please e-mail me about your Veteran questions manningveterans@davidkusel.com

The United States flag
is proudly displayed here and NO other flag is as IMPORTANT!

1 Manning citizen served in the War of 1812
106 served in the Civil War
1 served in the Indian War
5 served in the Spanish American War
350+ served during WWI
650+ served during WWII
87+ served in the Korean war era
65+ (more names need to be found) served in the Vietnam era
55+ (many more names need to be found) served from 1975 to present

29 paid the ultimate price with their lives defending the U.S. Flag

Are you a Manning Veteran?
Are you currently serving and have a Manning connection?
We are starting the Manning Veterans' history book project
Don't wait until you see "Deadline" or it WILL be too late!!!

Click to read promos for the Veteran book

There are a lot of WWI and some WWII Veterans pictures with no IDs.

Before you spend time scanning pictures
please look at these instructions
I appreciate your efforts scanning pictures for me but if you only make low resolution scans you are really wasting your time. High resolution scans are the best and only way to really preserve those old pictures.

Click to see the tutorial

If you simply don't want those old family pictures you inherited please don't throw them - send them my way.
A lot of times I can recognize a face or location in those old pix.

One thing to keep in mind while you are looking for pictures - if they are glued in old scrap books please do NOT try to pull them out or cut them out. I can scan the whole page of the scrapbook and crop out the pictures you want to use in the book. If you attempt to forcibly remove the pictures you will probably damage them and when I scan them that damage will probably show up. This means I'll either have to use my graphics program to touch up the damage which can take a lot of time, or if they are badly damaged I just may not even take the time to scan them.

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