Manning history is out there - I just have to find it...
If you have Manning history and want to donate it to the community - PLEASE let me scan it first.
If you give it to an individual or organization and I don't find out about it, more than likely it will get stored somewhere, or maybe put on display, BUT it needs to be digitally scanned first...that way if it gets lost or damaged then I'll have a high resolution digital file for it which then can be printed.

I had to check something out in the Heritage Park building recently and noticed this painting in the office.
I found out who brought it in and the background for it.
This is another important thing about history...if you don't know the who/what/when/where/why then it has less historic value, so I always try to document old Manning history before that information is lost to time.

The talent that comes out of Manning is always amazing to me - here is the historic item I just scanned along with some background about it and the artist.


Trinity Lutheran Church - orginal location in Lincoln Township.

Ron McKay

Lisa Wolfe asked Ron McKay to paint the Trinity Church scene for her and her family.
Lisa's family has deep ties to this church - attending services, baptism and more.
Her grandmother, Clara (Friedrichsen) Wiese was baptized at Trinity, with many of her brothers and sisters, in 1908.
Clara's parents were Herman & Rosa (Kusel) Friedrichsen.

The painting was donated to the Heritage Park and will be framed and put on display in the future.

Now who is Ron McKay?
Sadly, he passed away at a fairly young age in 2019, but fortunately I have several pictures of him and some information about him I scanned, so we can remember him and honor his life here in Manning.

Ronald D. McKay
Ronald was inducted into the U.S.M.C. on August 23, 1982, spending 3 months in basic training. He then trained as a Combat Engineer, attaining the rank of Private First Class on February 1st. Ron was awarded Honor Graduate and promoted to Lance Corporal on February 2nd. He was assigned to Camp Pendleton, California, for 1 year and transferred to Okinawa, Japan where he was stationed for 1 year (7 months of that time was in Korea on two operations). He finished his 4-year duty at Camp Pendleton, California, attaining the rank of Corporal. Ron received the Good Conduct Medal, including several ribbons and was honorably discharged on August 23, 1986.

Now this information didn't just appear out of no where...I approached Ron in 2004 to get a brief over-view of his service for the Veteran section of the Manning Quasquicentennial history book. Here are those files...

Draft information


When the United States was attacked by terrorists September 11, 2001, he was inspired to paint this scene.
It is on display in the Manning Library.

Ron was also very community minded...

Locker nametag in the Manning Fire Station at that time.

You might be interested who Ron's MHS classmates were:
1982 MHS graduates: Richard Duane Amsden, Lynna Marie Andresen, Ken E. Bauer, Sara Mae Carter, Lyle Kevin Christensen, Julie Jeralyn Collison, Susan Crandall (salutatorian), Gerald Thomas Croghan, Owen Jerome Croghan, Jessica Sue Dammann, Mary Helen Drees, Janice Marie Eickman, Kenny Roger Eischeid, Michelle Angelique Fiddelke, Scott Edward Fielweber, Vicki Lin Frank, Robert Allen Genzen, Todd Karl Gruhn, Craig Frank Hacker, Jon Michael Hagedorn, Shelli Dee Hagedorn, Roxanne A. Halbur, Kristie Sue Haskins, Lisa Sue Hass, Donna Lea Herbers, Delia Lee Hicks, Alan R. Hinners, Jeff Houghton, Patricia Ann Hughes, Brett David Irlbeck, Jeff L. Joens, Denise Elaine Johnson, Thomas James Johnson, Lori Sue Justice, Daniel C. Kalkhoff, Annette Kinsey, Chris Elmer Langel, Trudi Margaret Lewis, Patrick Alan Lutwitze, Margaret Renee McAdams, Ron McKay, Mary Jane Miller, Julie Ann Mohr, Rebecca Renee Mohr, Rourke Francis Mullen, Edith Dawn Myer, Christopher D. Nelson, Kent E. Pfannkuch, Richard Allan Ramsey, Dean Wayne Rohe, Donna Jean Rosonke, Mary Jane Marie Rothfolk, Karla Ann Sailer, Barry Schwiesow, Julie Ann Siepker, Kevin Sporrer, Randall Lee Sturm, Wanda Jean Tank, David Scott Thompson, LaDonna Lorraine Vaughn, Kathy Linn Vollstedt, Lisa Marie Wanninger, Tim Waterbury, Carmen Beth Weets, Craig Alan Wegner, David Robert Wegner, Valerie Lynn Weller (valedictorian), Jean Marie Wiese

1982 former students: Roger Auten, David Belding, Shelley Belding, Brent Bell, Dacia Bell, Beth Brotherton, George Davis, Kevin Doyel, Theresa Epperly, John Falck, Michelle Feltner, Sheila Ferry, Laura Fischer, Todd Gerdes, Abner Hendrickson, Kimberly Karstens, Karol Klinker, Sandra Kovacevic, Karen Kruse, Michael Lamp, Susan Lee, Carla Madsen, Michelle McMillen, Keith Meeves, Rick Petersen, Dwayne Read, Todd Rix, Kimberly Ross, Michael Rowedder, Joyce Schlichte, Mary Schwaller, Ron Sevey, Tully "Buzz" Simon, Robert Vaughn, Debora Vogl, David Walsh, Lance Warnke, Duane Wilde, Susan Wittrock.

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