"Don't cry over spilt milk!"
I don't want to take away from the tribute to Lois, but if you read along and then pay close attention, you'll see that I'm actually giving a lot of credit to Lois and Ronnie, for their love of community and school...just take the time to read and then you should understand what I'm referring to.

Lois Vennink - Manning FFA's very first "Sweeheart" of the newly formed "FFA Sweetheart Dance."

Lois & Ron have been very supportive of my Manning historical projects.
When I asked them about their school scrapbooks, they let me go through them and scan the material.
I've visited with them over the years about various aspects of Manning's history and one day I brought up the Manning FFA and how I was sad that the FFA scrapbooks, pictures, trophies, and other history somehow disappeared.
WELL, did I get my eyes opened!...Lois & Ron told me that they tried to save those items. When the school board and authorities decided to end Ag courses and FFA, Ron and Lois got wind that they were going to just throw away the old FFA historical items...a history that began in 1937 and my dad was one of the FFA Charter members, including many other seniors, juniors, and a few sophomores, one being a good friend of my dad, Gerhardt Voge.

From 1937 through the 1950s the Manning FFA won various categories of state championship trophies almost every year.
Each year, there was a historian who made a new scrapbook.

Then comes the era in the early 1960s when supposedly interest in Ag courses and FFA waned so it was decided to end the Ag courses and FFA.
ALSO, when the historical FFA and Ag stuff was thrown away...even over the objections of the Frahms, who offered to take those things so they could be preserved.

Not until 1973, when the new high school opened, were the Ag courses and FFA brought back.

NOW I don't bring this up to judge or criticize the people who decided to throw the FFA history, but to bring it to everyone's attention how FAST & EASY our history is lost...SADLY, this lack of concern about our historical stuff continued on through today. I could site more current examples of organizations and goverment entities throwing our history but don't want to distract from the tribute to Lois any more...

Lois (Vennink) Frahm
April 13, 1937 - September 6, 2020

Below is just a sampling of the wonderful collection I scanned from the Frahm scrapbooks.


Nishnabotna No. 2 Country School

"Honor Lies in Honest Toil"

Nishnabotna No. 2 Country School

Fall 1942

Back: ??
Middle: Wilber ?, Mildred Vennink, Lois Vennink (Kindergarten)
Front: Wayne Vennink, Dale Huebner, Wayne Steinkuehler, Allen Vennink

1944-45

Back: Wilbur ?, Mildred Vennink
Middle: Wayne Steinkuehler, Allen Vennink, Wayne Vennink
Front: Dale Huebner, AnnaBelle Vennink, Lois Vennink


Mildred ?, Lois Vennink


Manilla town school

Back: Lanny Rutherford, Dale Nielsen, Mark Ramsey, Richard Agan, Lee Poleski, Robert Opperman, Rollin Huffaker, Robert Hollander, Dick Johnson
Middle: Hans Waterbury, Charles Finnegan, Howard Vrana, Pete Soe, Harold Vrana, Roth Farley, Robert Bandow, Paul Gengler
Front: Miss Virginia (Brown) Dethlefs, Jerrie Terwillerger, Lois Vennink, Marilyn Berndt, Betty Ladehoff, Belva Sleister, Aloha Waterbury, Alice Hahn, Margaret Olberding, Rae Jean Steffen

Back: Robert Farley, Robert Bandow, Marilyn Berndt, Betty Ladehoff, Richard Israel, Pete Soe
Middle: Lee Polaski, Alan Lorenzen, Dale Nielsen, Rollin Huffaker, Mark Ramsey, Dick Cee, Aloha Waterbury, Belva Sleister, girl ?, Lois Vennink, girl ?, Teacher Edith Cadwell
Front: Robert Opperman, Rae Jean Steffen, Jerri Terwilleger, Richard Agan, Margaret Olberding, Alice Hahn, Robert Hollander, Lanny Rutherford, boy ?

Iowa No. 7

LaVonne Genzen - sister to Virgil and aunt of Larry Genzen


1949 attendance


1950 Mary Ann Rothfolk - teacher


1951


Admission into high school


Iowa No. 7 Country School


Lois Vennink - Manning High School MHS 1955


Carol Rowedder, Lois Vennink, Janice Ahrendsen, Lou Polking

Aunt Jemima Pancake Day Plans Completed
Plans for Aunt Jemima pancake day in Manning next Wednesday were completed Monday night when the trade relations committee set up a schedule of events for the day.
Pancakes will be served free in the Loucks building next to The Monitor from 10 a. m. to 4 p. m. The chamber is furnishing coffee and Manning Creamery the butter.
To lend atmosphere to the day, chamber members and merchants will "black face" for the occasion. Those not complying with the trend will be fined in "kangaroo court" unless they procure a "poor white 'trash" permit.
Assistance in having the proper make-up applied may be had by reporting at the Loucks' building early that morning. Minstrel shows featuring home talent and music departments of high school, will be presented at Firemen's hall. First show will be at 6:45 for children of school age and the second for adults at 8 p.m. A free-will offering will be taken to help defray expenses.
Music for the minstrel shows will be provided by a jazz band, which will also appear at different times during the day on Main Street.
Dwane Mickelson and Kay McNamara, music instructors, are assisting the committee in getting the shows lined up.
A large minstrel chorus is practicing with instrumental and vocal performers and the customary end men are polishing their lines to ready for the occasion.
Through The Monitor pages today will be found several Aunt Jemima day specials.

Comet Dance royalty March 4, 1955
Ron Frahm, Lynn Clark, Phillip Zerwas, Burton Sander (King), Lois Vennink, (Queen), Sandra Anderson, Louise Polking, Janis Groteluschen

1954-55 Homecoming

Back: Lois Vennink, Bonnie Brus, Carol Rowedder, Shirley Ruhde, Jeanette Justice, Bonnie Lohrmann
Front: Nick Dappen, Noreen Eich


I think this might be Louise Polking


Christmas party: Lois Vennink, Carol Rowedder, Louise Polking


Pep Band


Ronnie Frahm


Christmas special to the Spotlite


Lois & Ron - Junior/Senior Banquet 1954


Band & Vocal Concert

The Mumps!

Ann (Littell) Grau, Jane Opperman

In Lois' scrapbook she wrote: "My misery began March 29, the night after Jane, Ann, and I went skiing.
Jane & Ann stayed overnight."
Apparently Lois gave Ann the mumps but Jane survived.
"I went back to school April 9."
"Named my horn Lumpy after my sore jaws from practicing my solo - sure wished I hadn't. Went to contest April 10."
"Acquired new nickname FATHEAD"


Lois Vennink Christmas party circa 1954 down by Botna.
Notation on back of the picture "we broke one chair."
Standing: Jeanette Justice, Bonnie (Brus) Lorenzen
Kneeling: Jane Opperman, Lois Vennink, Carol Rowedder, Louise Polking

Jane Opperman's New Year's Eve party

Back: Jeanette Justice, Louise Polking, Karen Carstens, Deanna Donaghu
Front: Lois Vennink, Carol Rowedder, Bonnie Brus, Ann Littell

Junior Class play "Meet Corliss Archer" 1954

Back: Jane Opperman, Mary Stangl, Bonnie Brus, Carol Rowedder, Lois Vennink, Jeanette Justice, Louise Polking
Front: Bill Stein, Lynn Clark, Dale Vollstedt

1953 Prom waitresses

Jeanette Justice, Bonnie Brus, LaVonne "Bonnie" Lohmeier, Lois Vennink

Freshman Algebra class 1952-52

Back: Sally Juels, Mary Stangl, Bonnie Brus, Jeanette Justice
Second: Lois Vennink, Betty Foley, Ann Littell, Carol Rowedder, Verna Singsank, Margaret Schroeder, Sondra Spicer
Front: Louise Polking, Marlene Otto, Shirley Ruhde, Beverly Nielsen, Janis Groteluschen, Judith Vollmer, Susan Brandt


Ronnie Frahm

1953 Jr. Sr. Prom Sophomores waiters and waitresses

Back: Lois Vennink, Jeanette Justice, Bonnie Lohmeier, Judy Vollmer, Bonnie Brus
Front: Lynn Clark, Phillip Zerwas, Donald Froyd, Ronald Frahm, Eustace "Junior" Lake


Lois' Pep Squad letter


Lois' ticket


Lois & AnnaBelle Vennink - Spencer Fair

FFA officers

Back: Larry Witt, Vice-president; Ronny Frahm, President; Norman Vandehaar, instructor; Darryl Jahn, Secretary
Front: Larry Thomssen, Historian; Robert Hagedorn, Sentinel; Roger Barten, Reporter; Dale Vollstedt, Treasurer


Lois Vennink MHS 1955

Lois Vennink & Louise Polking

1955 MHS graduates: Sandra Anderson, Bonnie Brus, Larry Christensen, Lynn Clark, Kenneth Dammann, Merlin Drees, Eunice Eich, Phillip Enenbach, George Eschenbacher, Dennis Fischer, Betty Foley, Ronald Frahm, Russell Frank, Donald Froyd, Joycelyn Genzen, Thomas Grau, Janis Groteluschen (valedictorian), Peggy Grundmeier, Robert Hagedorn, Shirley Hansen, Marion Hargens, Janice Hodne, Ronald Irlbeck, Sally Juels, Jeanette Justice, James Kasperbauer, Shannon Koon, Eustace Lake, Allan Lamaack, LaVonne Lohmeier, Alan Lorenzen, Edwin McConnell, Mary Alice Mohr, Lauron Musfeldt, Beverly Nielsen (salutatorian), Jane Opperman, Marlene Otto, Kathleen Ploog, Louise Polking, Delores Puck, James Ramsey, Daryle Rowedder, Carol Rowedder, Shirley Ruhde, Burton Sander, Margaret Schroeder, Verna Singsank, Mary Stangl, William Stein, Larry Thomssen, Lois Vennink, Clifford Vinke, Judith Vollmer, Dale Vollstedt, Phillip Zerwas

1955 former students: Clark Addison, Lois Armentrout, Jerold Barten, Susan Brandt, Sally Christensen, Delores Davis, Carol Fuller, Letty Fuss, LuEtta Gehlsen, Margaret Gensler, Duane Hansen, Patty Hansen, LaRue Hodne, Mary Kennedy, Marsha Kuhl, Jackie Lee, Clifford Letty, Ann Littell, Janet Martens, Ronald Masters, Kathryn Nollen, David Olbertz, Mary Ann Peters, Norman Pieper, Mark Ramsey, Gene Rostermundt, Gregory Schurer, Sondra Spicer, Janice Stein, Patricia Volquartsen, James Williams

Town school information


Alan Lorenzen          Allan Lamaack


Betty Foley          Beverly Nielsen


Burton Sander          Carol Rowedder


Clifford Vinke          Daryle Rowedder


Delores Puck          Dennis Fischer


Donald Froyd          Edwin Dick McConnell


Eunice Eich          Eustace Roger Lake, Jr.


George Eschenbacher          James Kasperbauer


James Ramsey          Jane Opperman


Janice Hodne          Janice Groteluschen


Jeanette Justice          Joycelyn Genzen


Judith Vollmer          Larry Christensen


Lauren Musfeldt          Lavonne Lohmeier


Louise Polking          Lynn Clark


Marlene Otto          Mary Mohr


Mary Stangl          Merlin Drees


Peggy Grundmeier          Phillip Enenbach


Phillip Zerwas          Ronald Frahm


Ronald Irlbeck          Sally Juels


Sandra Anderson          Shannon Koon


Shirley Hansen          Shirley Ruhde


Thomas Grau          Verna Singsank

Lois Frahm, age 83, of Manning, passed away on Sunday, February 6, 2020, at Manning Regional Healthcare Center in Manning.
Funeral service is at 10:30 AM on Thursday, September 10, 2020, at the First Presbyterian Church in Manning.
Interment will follow in Manning Cemetery.
Visitation is after 5 PM on Wednesday, September 9, 2020, at Ohde Funeral Home in Manning where an Eastern Star service will be held at 7 PM.
Ohde Funeral Home of Manning is in charge of arrangements.

Back to Dave Kusel's main page