The Time Capsule | Roy Marshall

Last month, following the death of Cal Hultman, I sorted through a file looking for a document labeled “Top 10.” I was curious, not remembering if he’d been included.

The “Top 10” was an idea of Greg Orear, our publisher when Joni Ernst was elected to the U.S. Senate. We discussed the significance of her election, did a couple of articles. He then asked for my thoughts on either a column or feature listing the ten most famous and influential people ever to come from this county. He knew such a list would draw fire, which was part of the attraction. Even as we spoke, he identified an issue; readership does not stop at the county line and perhaps this should not.

The job sounded like one for a committee, and there were problems more difficult than establishing geographic boundaries. “Famous” and “influential” are not the same. There are varieties of each. Rev. Lynn Kelly came to mind. He influenced changes in Iowa’s criminal justice system and has been famous for a century because, in 1917, he was arrested for the murders of eight people. Is that the kind of fame we intend to recognize?

And what of Virginia Christine? She was a character actress who, as Mrs. Olson, exercised her greatest influence on the general public by peddling coffee. Is that the sort of influence we’re looking for?

Judd Holdren was famous and without doubt helped pave the way for Star Wars, Space Odyssey and other really good movies. His own, though, were awful.

Pioneers seem more deserving, including Alfred Hebard. Once known as the “Father of Red Oak,” before that he served in a Territorial Legislature clearing a path to statehood. This was done, in part, by screwing American Indians out of their land. Hebard then influenced the location of towns and trade across southern Iowa, surveying the route of what became the CB&Q.

Residency issues brought questions. What about people such as Clyde Cessna? His name remains well-known today and clearly he influenced aviation and transportation, but he lived in this county only briefly as an infant. Do we rate him higher than someone like Helen Murphy, who spent nearly her entire life in the same town, giving generously of herself and her resources for community improvement? I suspect she’d say her father and grandfather were more worthy. Through art calendars, newspapers and philanthropy, they carried a lot of influence and were definitely well-known.

Orear’s idea was formed because of Joni Ernst. We should also consider Otha Wearin from Hastings; a U.S. representative, state representative, novelist, farmer and conservationist. Hastings puts us in Mills County, so we’d best include Bill Scherle of Henderson. Scherle went from state representative to multi-term congressman and eventually deputy administrator at the USDA. Oscar Hultman was a World War I veteran from Stanton who ran a lumber yard and served in the state legislature for thirty years. Bill Harbor of Henderson was a World War II veteran who ran a grain elevator and served in the state legislature for 30 years. Cal Hultman, Oscar’s son, was for 10 years minority leader of the Iowa Senate, majority leader for four more and was often mentioned as a candidate for governor. State supreme court justices are influential, and we’ve had a few.

Due to the area’s military tradition we need a soldier, and several come to mind. Ensign Darwin Merritt went down with the Maine, an incident that sparked the Spanish American War, but do we rate him above those who actually fought in that war? And other wars?

Athletes give us a number of choices. A personal favorite is Alix. True, she was a horse—but she was the toast of racing fans from coast to coast and set records that will never be approached.

Judi Sheppard Missett deserves consideration. Sixty-plus years ago her mother took her to dance lessons in their home town of Red Oak. Missett later founded Jazzercise, spawning a fitness dance industry that continues to assail us with chunky folks hip-hopping across our television screens.

But wait. “Top Ten” means 10 only. If it came down to Missett, who the last I heard was a kazillionaire living in an enormous mansion in San Diego, or Rev. Bent Halland, who founded an orphanage, gave all he could give to provide a start in life for homeless children and probably died broke, which are you going to choose?

The list was returned to my “Too Hard” basket. If Brad ever decides to revive the idea, I’ve 26 “Top Tens” he can start with.

Roy Marshall is a local historian and columnist for the Red Oak Express. He can be contacted at news@redoakexpress.com.