A special thank you to all those who have participated in our “I Remember Rippey” series. Your remembrances have allowed readers to share in our town’s history, activities, sports, school, church, and daily life covering 150 years.
We will continue posting online here, using “I Remember Rippey” remembrances received, though those received after April, 2020 will not be in the printed history book. If you would like to read more Rippey history, you may also click on the History tab of the Rippey Library website: https://www.rippey.lib.ia.us .
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I Remember Rippey Stories by Nancy Bardole Hanaman, Mary Fry Liebich and Marna Rittgers Parker
I remember Halloween when we young kids walked from house to house in Rippey trick or treating and gathered many tasty treats. These included the popcorn that my Grandmother Alberta Bardole prepared to our delight each year. Later in the evening, the high school kids, mostly boys, I think, would build brick barricades in some of the dimly lighted streets and an outhouse would find a new home on Main Street much to the displeasure of Rippey residents. No harm done but a bit inconvenient.–Nancy Bardole Hanaman
I can’t remember if we were in junior high or high school, but the older kids were designated at help the younger ones get across the street at Radebaugh’s corner (across the street from where the parsonage is now). We had vests to wear and a “stop sign” to carry. We would stand on the corner and when younger kids came, we would walk out into the street with our stop sign and halt the traffic. Then the younger ones would cross the street. I don’t think there was a stop sign on the corner at that time.—Mary Fry Liebich
The Rippey Cemetery is the final resting place for so many of my family members. When Mother was still alive and my sister and I would be in Rippey for a visit, we always went to the cemetery with floral arrangements. If my memory serves me correctly (now that’s a laugh), we would put out 20 some arrangements just in Rippey. We would also make the trip to other cemeteries in the area where ancestors are resting. Our children, Juleann, Bradley, and Cody were not too thrilled with these trips. Julene and I learned about “Decoration Day” from our Grandmother Nellie. I miss being able to put flowers out in person. I was so pleased to find a florist in Jefferson who will make a trip to Rippey with arrangements. That’s Iowa for you.—Marna Rittgers Parker