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Along Our Way

What a way to end a summer! We Offenburgers were the guests on a late-summer weekend at the lake house of our friends Joe and Cindy Connolly. The Connollys live in Council Bluffs and commute many weekends to their get-away place on a private lake just south of Columbus, Nebraska. It was a real “kick-back” weekend with lots of sunshine, fun boating, good food and plenty of time to read.
[TO SEE THESE PHOTOS & OTHERS IN LARGER FORMAT, AND TO READ A BRIEF STORY, CLICK HERE.]

A conversation

LIVING WITH CANCER

with the Offenburgers

Chuck Offenburger was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins follicular lymphoma cancer on July 10, 2009, had six months of chemotherapy & is now doing well in a “maintenance” program. Carla Offenburger underwent surgery on April 26, 2010, for removal of a jaw tumor which was found to contain adenoid cystic carcinoma cancer. She underwent six weeks of follow-up radiation in June and July, and continues under close medical observation. We post updates frequently here, including brief insights from Chuck, Carla and at least one of you readers.

“Carla, if you were standing here I’d hug you. This is such a ton of stress and scheduling for anyone but then add that you are recouping yourself and it is nearly overwhelming. Yet here you are forging ahead.”

FOR THE LATEST UPDATE, CLICK HERE.

What’s the deal with the
black & white saddle shoes?

Click here for the story of our farm in Greene County, Iowa.

Here's looking at life
at Simple Serenity Farm

Carla’s sister & brother-in-law Chris and Tony Woods, of Des Moines, were at the farm on Sunday, August 22, helping Carla do the lawn mowing and other yard work that we’ve struggled to keep up with lately, with all our medical appointments. The Woodses brought along their 18-month-old granddaughter Ari, who was a delight watching all the action from the porch with Chuck, catching up on her reading and then getting a moment on the lawn tractor seat!
Click here for larger format

Earlier photos in this series

Chuck Offenburger's
new book on sports
legend Gary Thompson
gets excellent reviews

FOR INFORMATION ON WHERE & HOW TO BUY THE BOOK, CLICK HERE!

''GARY THOMPSON: All-American'' is the new, 352-page biography of one of the state’s genuine sports icons. From 1950-’53 Gary Thompson led the Roland Rockets to high school sports glory in basketball and baseball, giant-killers from one of Iowa’s small schools. Then he led the Cyclones at Iowa State from 1953-’57, becoming the college’s first two-sport All-American. He’s had major success in broadcasting and business, from his home base in Ames. And he and his wife Janet have a family as solid as they come. “I’m the luckiest guy around,” Thompson says.

TO READ CHUCK OFFENBURGER'S COLUMN ABOUT THE BOOK AND THE ''BOOK LAUNCHING'' HELD EARLY IN DECEMBER, CLICK HERE.

TO READ DES MOINES REGISTER SPORTSWRITER RICK BROWN'S REVIEW OF THE BOOK, CLICK HERE.

TO READ CEDAR RAPIDS GAZETTE SPORTS COLUMNIST JIM ECKER'S REVIEW OF THE BOOK, CLICK HERE.

TO READ AMES DAILY TRIBUNE SPORTSWRITER DICK KELLY'S STORY ABOUT THE BOOK, CLICK HERE.

TO READ DOUG BURNS' STORY ABOUT THE BOOK IN THE CARROLL DAILY TIMES HERALD, CLICK HERE.

TO READ ANDY GOODELL'S STORY ABOUT THE BOOK IN THE OSKALOOSA HERALD, CLICK HERE.

WANT TO SEE AND HEAR THE OLD ROLAND HIGH SCHOOL FIGHT SONG PERFORMED? CLICK HERE!

FOR INFORMATION ON WHERE & HOW TO BUY THE BOOK, CLICK HERE!

FOR PHOTOS FROM OUR BOOK LAUNCHING EVENTS, CLICK HERE!

SEE BOB MODERSOHN'S PHOTOS OF OUR BOOK CHAT AND SIGNING AT BEAVERDALE BOOKS IN DES MOINES!

Our Partners & Patrons
Iowa Hall of Pride
netINS, Inc.
Butler House on Grand B&B
Sam's Barber Shop
Douglas T. Bates III, Attorney
KMA Radio's ''Chuck & Don Show''
Barack Obama story & coloring book
The Monks of New Melleray Abbey

Along Our Way

About 200 people turned out on a cold, slick Saturday morning, December 6, in the central Iowa town of Roland, where a biography of Roland's most famous native son Gary Thompson was launched. The 352-page book ''GARY THOMPSON: All-American'' is by Chuck Offenburger. The two hosted a ''Norwegian coffee'' in the Commons of Roland-Story Middle School, which is on the site of the former Roland High School. Next door in the building is the same old gym where Thompson led the Roland Rockets to basketball glory from 1950-'53. Offenburger did a couple of brief readings from the book, recalling how Roland fans chanted cheers in the Norwegian language back then. And an emotional Thompson told the Roland people he has been forever grateful for having grown up in the community he did. Norwegian goodies, including the excellent kringla coffee dunkers, were served by a group from the Salem Lutheran Church, the congregation in which Thompson was raised. And Harris ''Pete'' Twedt, a friend of Thompson since they were boys, led the singing of the old Roland High School fight song after words to the song were distributed to the crowd. About 160 books were sold in 90 minutes, with Thompson doing inscriptions as quickly as he could. Then Thompson and Offenburger were off to Ames for Saturday afternoon's men's basketball game between the Iowa State Cyclones and Oregon State Beavers. Thompson, a two-sport All-American for the Cyclones, attracted a line of fans for an hour before and after the game, with people recalling their favorite Iowa State basketball moments while Thompson personalized their books. For information on how to order the books, see Chuck Offenburger's column of December 13, 2008.

A crowd of about 200 people came and went in the school Commons in Roland during two hours of Saturday morning, December 6, for the launch of Chuck Offenburger's new book ''GARY THOMPSON: All-American.'' Here Thompson begins signing books for some of the early purchasers.

Thompson signed 160 books in 90 minutes while still taking time to chat with people as they came through the line.

Here Thompson shows the vintage Roland Rockets sweatshirt he wore for the book signing in his hometown.

Bob Higgins (right), an official of the Roland Historical Museum, brought some of the Gary Thompson and Roland Rockets' memorabilia that is displayed at the museum to the school for the book event. Included was Gary's Roland High School basketball number 24, which the school long ago ''retired'' in his honor.

Pete Twedt leads the singing of the old Roland High School fight song, with accompaniment by Linda Donahue. Twedt called several former Roland High cheerleaders forward to help him lead the singing.

How's this for a trio singing the Roland High fight song? Left to right are writer Chuck Offenburger, Gary and Janet Thompson.

On Saturday afternoon in the concourse at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa State fans lined up before and after the Cyclones men's basketball game to buy copies of ''GARY THOMPSON: All-America'' and get the books signed. Proceeds of the book at being donated to Iowa State.

Send your comments to carla@Offenburger.com or chuck@Offenburger.com

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