BIOGRAPHY-Occupations

OCCUPATIONS

       1. General Mills -sales 1967-1968

        2. Allied Mutual Insurance Company- Casualty Commercial Underwriter  Des Moines Iowa 1968-1976

        3. First Realty/ Better Homes & Gardens-Residential Real Estate Sales Associate 1976-1994

         4. Operated and owned largest Residential Cleaning/ Window Cleaning operation in Marshalltown, Iowa 1994-2012.

         5. Retired to Williamsburg, Iowa. 2012-present(2016)



         
       

BIOGRAPHY-Education

EDUCATION.

       1. Attended Laurel Consolidated School from Kindergarten (1949) through twelve grade and graduated in 1962.

        2. Attended Marshalltown Community College and received AA degree 1962-1964

        3. Attended Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa and received degree in Business/Marketing BA. 1964-1967.

       

BIOGRAPHY/Hobbies/Activities/Oranizations

HOBBIES/ACTIVITIES/ORGANIZATIONS

      1. Laurel School days-Boy Scouts, 4-H, lettered in football, baseball, and various musical groups  including chorus, quartet, & solo singing.

       2. Two term elected President of the Enterprise Breakfast Club (a reciprocal business group)

       3. Member of Delta Sigma Pi Business Fraternity while attending Drake University.

       4. Two term elected President of Real Estate Associate members at First Realty.

       5. Avid traveler of the USA.

      6. Enjoyed cooking and dining out.

      7. Passion for writing of Personal and Family Related Short Stories. Also, taught classes throughout Central Iowa on Motivating Seniors in writing. Started Blog-dennisnowandago.blogspot.com

       8. Long time Iowa Hawkeye supporter and season ticket holder in football.

       9. Chicago Cubs fan (attended 1st night game at Wrigley Field 8/9/1988.)

      10. Member Laurel United Methodist Church

      11. Rock & Roll enthusiast and love of dancing and Broadway musicals. 

      12. Love of family activities most of all.

      13. Snow skiing with children in Colorado.

OUR DINING ROOM --WHERE THE ACTION WAS!

      Through the years, I always had a problem with the homes I lived in because the dining rooms were never large enough. Nothing could compare to the dining room size in the home where I grew up. Nothing!

       At Christmas time the huge dining room table with two or three leaves would hold 10 to 12 people easily with a card table or two off to the side for the kids. That room was the hub when relatives came for a Holiday event. Some might say that the real action was in the kitchen where most of the ladies were preparing those many feasts, but, not to me.

       The east side of this room was the opening to the living room with its oak pocket doors that normally remained open until closed on cold winter spells to preserve the heat. To the south was an  expansive picture window with a bench seat the length of the room except for the door in the southeast corner that went out to the enclosed porch on the south side of the house.

       The west wall was a built-in China hutch reserved for finer dishes and glasses and then the pass-through counter to the kitchen and below built-in drawers which kept games and all sort of things.

       The north wall held a long wood buffet which also held fine china and glasses and held plates of prepared foods during those special meals. Above it was a long ornate framed mirror that provided added depth and perception to the all ready over-sized room. On either side was one door (left( that went back to a bedroom, later used as a TV room. And, to the right side of the north wall was another door that led to a hallway and stairs to the second level. 

       During the winter, this room carries the fondest of memories. We would close off the living room and the front bedroom by closing the pocket doors and basically shutting down the house to two main rooms-the dining room and kitchen including the bathroom.  With all the glass too the south, the dining room would obviously, on a sunny day, be the coziest room in the winter.

       Many a day when we were snowed in, I remember playing Chinese Checkers to pass the time. Also, for a while our early TV was put in the dining room in the southeast corner. I still fondly remember watching Davy Crockett series with Fess Parker as Davy from that room. With all the family meals shared and enjoyed there and those fond memories of snowed in days, it will always be my favorite!

THE AUTOGRAPH BOOK-A LITTLE MORE!

      I would like to share a couple more entries from my mom's 7th grade Autograph Book dated 7/11/1926.

feb. 12-1926

Dear May

      be a good little girl
      eat lots of pickles
      and marry a man 
      with lots of nickles

                 your schoolmate
                 
                 Lowell Spence

_________________________________________________________________________________


feb. 19 1926

Dear May

     I wish you happy
     I wish you joy
     I wish you had a baby 
     boy, but when its hair 
     begins to curl, I wish
     it were a baby girl.

                         Your friend

                         Margery? Halverson "Toots"

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feb 24 1926

Dear Doris May

Labor to keep alive in 
your breast that little
spark of celestial fire
called conscience.

     Your Mother
     
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TOURNAMENT OF DRUMS-LITTLE DISAPPOINTED!

      After I returned from Washington this past Friday, I did relax alittle before heading to Cedar Rapids and attending the Tournament of Drums in Cedar Rapids at Kingston Stadium.

      My main reason for attending was that I had heard how fantastic the Genesis Drum and Bugle Corps from Austin, Texas would be. They were very talented as was the group from Wisconsin that led off the evenings entertainment. However!

       First of all I was prepared for these groups to come out from one of the entrances with some type of explosion and enter with a fast pace march while going into a formation of some type and going from there. They just walked on and set up in the middle of the football field and started from there.

       The fast and constant cadence of the drums became tiring after a while. Maybe it is like getting too much of a good thing. I decided I really enjoy more an entire band complete with saxophones, clarinets, tubas, and all the rest that you expect in a marching band. I guess I have been spoiled by the Iowa Hawkeye Marching band at football games.

     Another factor that entered in was that I used to love watching years ago at Thanksgiving the Grambling vs, Southern football game. I watched it not for the football game, but, because these two Southern Black Universities had great bands and they could move and march with such speed and movement that no White marching band could compare.

       I know I am an Odd Duck, but, so shoot me. It's like I like Black Gospel for the same reason. Tuttie Fruttie was not the same with Pat Boone as Little Richard. You get the picture. Those young kids did do their very best, but, I am still glad I left at intermission so I could be home before dark!

       

FARGO GUY!

       Again, one reason why I love about working part-time at the Burg Grocery is meeting interesting people from time to time. This past week was no exception. A young man and three of his young children came into the store. 

       I helped them out with their groceries and immediately when he spoke, I knew he was not from around here. The only thing missing in his dialect or accent was "Ya You Betcha!" He was from Fargo.North Dakota, ya, and he was here to attend a softball tournament in Kalona, Iowa. 

       I love listening to different accents from around the country and I wish I could have engaged in more of a conversation with him. My only thing I could think of to tell him as they left was that "Fargo" is my favorite movie! I am sure he thought I was a real idiot! Ya You Betcha!