Along Our Way

KMA radio in Chuck Offenburger’s hometown of Shenandoah celebrated its 85th birthday on August 12. The station, owned by the May family for three generations now, honored its history of having big “jubilees” by putting up a big tent, broadcasting outdoors throughout the day, giving visitors free pancakes and sausages, inviting listeners to “face dive” in an 85-foot-long cake, airing lots of vintage audio clips, and doing special interviews.
[TO SEE THESE PHOTOS 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.

“If the sedative makes normal people balmy, I wonder what it’s going to do to you since you have been balmy ever since I’ve known you, except for the last days of your first two marriages.”

FOR THE LATEST UPDATE, CLICK HERE.

What's the deal with the Saddle Shoes?
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



RELATED LINKS
About Offenburger.com
Biographies
Want to Reprint?
Want Updates?

ARCHIVES
Chuck Offenburger's columns
Christie Vilsack's columns
Carla Offenburger's columns
Carla's book reviews
Jared Strong's columns
Guest Columns
The Simple Serenity Farm
     columns
Farm Photos, 2006 - 2008
Our Iowa News Digest
Along Our Way
Archives: Here's looking at life at Simple Serenity Farm

Here are the archived photos from the farmstead and three acres in southern Greene County, Iowa, that the Offenburgers bought in the fall of 2003, had rehabbed and, since the summer of 2004, have called home.

Ari Farm Visit - August 24, 2010
Ari

Gorgeous Garden - June 26, 2010
Gorgeous

Spring Yard Work - April 19, 2010
Spring

Snow Melt - March 15, 2010
Snow

More Snow - February 10, 2010
More

Christmas Eve - December 28, 2009
Christmas

Christmas Tree - December 8, 2009
Christmas

The Varsity Drive-In - October 28, 2009
The

Fall Flowers - October 15, 2009
Fall

Garden Produce - September 27, 2009
Garden

Great Pie - August 9, 2009
Great

Flower Tour - July 28, 2009
Flower

Farm Work - July 14, 2009
Farm

Clothes on line - June 21, 2009
Clothes

New Farm Dog - June 7, 2009
New

John & Jenny Wedding - May 28, 2009
John

Angela Holbrook King - May 20, 2009
Angela

Arizona Visit - April 20, 2009
Arizona

Offenburger Reunion - February 24, 2009
Offenburger

Plants in Winter - January 30, 2008
Plants

Carla Birthday Dinner - January 14, 2009
Carla

Christmas 2008 - January 5, 2009
Christmas

Tree Hunting - December 15, 2008
Tree

Thanksgiving - November 30, 20008
Thanksgiving

Sue Burt Moving - November 17, 2008
Sue

Work Release Weekend - November 7, 2008
Work

Vegetable Eating Dog - October 29, 2008
Vegetable

Lindsay at 15 Months - October 20, 2008
Lindsay

Garden Harvest - October 5, 2008
Garden

Soybeans Turning - September 22, 2008
Soybeans

Lindsay Cubs Fan - September 16, 2008
Lindsay

Giant Zucchini - September 2, 2008
Giant

Carla Canning - August 25, 2008
Carla

Farmers Market Supper - August 8, 2008
Farmers

Farm Visitors - July 28, 2008
Farm

Birthday Donut - July 14, 2008
Birthday

Lindsay 1st Birthday - July 3, 2008
Lindsay

Dogs and Cats - June 24, 2008
Dogs

Flooding 2008 - June 9, 2008
Flooding

Spring Flowers - June 2, 2008
Spring

Visiting Turtle - May 18, 2008
Visiting

Farm Cleanup - April 21, 2008
Farm

Historical Society - April 6, 2008
Historical

Spring Soaker - March 31, 2008
Spring

Holy Week - March 23, 2008
Holy

Winter Thaw - March 2, 2008
Winter

Last Snowfall - February 26, 2008
Last

Hoar Frost - February 3, 2008
Hoar

Sledding Adventure - January 27, 2008
Sledding

Tractor Practice - January 6, 2008
Tractor

Christmas Gatherings - December 31, 2007
Christmas

Christmas Views - December 24, 2007
Christmas

Christmas Tree - December 10, 2007
Christmas

Ice Storm - December 2, 2007
Ice

Lindsay Thanksgiving - November 22, 2007
Lindsay

Painting Garage - November 12, 2007
Painting

Lassie Remembered - November 5, 2007
Lassie

Halloween Spiderman - October 30, 2007
Halloween

Pretty Days - October 24, 2007
Pretty

Corn Harvest - October 15, 2007
Corn

Woodses At Farm - October 8, 2007
Woodses

Ditch Spiders - October 2, 2007
Ditch

Granddaughter visit - September 18, 2007
Granddaughter

Fall Flowers - September 10, 2007
Fall

Foggy Nights - September 3, 2007
Foggy

Storm Damage - August 29, 2007
Storm

Farm at Night - August 20, 2007
Farm

Garden Produce - August 12, 2007
Garden

Lindsay One Month - August 6, 2007
Lindsay

Blooming Hibiscus - June 30, 2007
Blooming

Flower Garden - July 23, 2007
Flower

Birthdaying 2007 - July 17, 2007
Birthdaying

Farm Visit - July 8, 2007
Farm

July Crop Scouting - July 1, 2007
July

Flower Garden Tour - June 25, 2007
Flower

Prairie View B&B - June 18, 2007
Prairie

Beni Boy the Farmer - June 4, 2007
Beni

Memorial Day - May 28, 2007
Memorial

IPTV Interview - May 14, 2007
IPTV

Farm Update - May 7, 2007
Farm

April Showers - April 30, 2007
April

Tulip Update - April 23, 2007
Tulip

Easter Eggs - April 12, 2007
Easter

Cooper History - April 2, 2007
Cooper

Pancake Fundraiser - March 26, 2007
Pancake

Cooper Post Office - March 18, 2007
Cooper

Spring Runoff - March 13, 2007
Spring

Blizzard Aftermath - March 4, 2007
Blizzard

Snowed In - February 25, 2007
Snowed

Snowy Scenes - February 19, 2007
Snowy

Super Cooper Pie - February 12, 2006
Super

Super Bowl Party - February 4, 2007
Super

Stuck in the Snow - January 30, 2007
Stuck

Snowy Scenes - January 22, 2007
Snowy

Snowy Weekend - January 14, 2007
Snowy

South African Vacation - January 8, 2007
South

On Vacation - January 1, 2007
On

Favorite Christmas Decorations - December 24, 2006
Favorite

Cat and Dog - December 17, 2006
Cat

Postmaster Jenny Davis - December 11, 2006
Postmaster

Trail in Early Winter - December 4, 2006
Trail

Thanksgiving 2006 - November 27, 2006
Thanksgiving

Big Turkey - November 22, 2006
Big

First Measurable Snow - November 13, 2006
First

First Measurable Snow - November 13, 2006
First

Political Signs - November 6, 2006
Political

New Garage Roof - October 30, 2006
New

Cooper Sign - October 16, 2006
Cooper

Barn Chat - October 9, 2006
Barn

Farm Cleanup - October 2, 2006
Farm

Cooper Lake - September 18, 2006
Cooper

Carla Canning - September 11, 2006
Carla

Farm Pets - September 4, 2006
Farm

Flowers & Soybeans - August 28, 2006
Flowers

Sunrise Fog - August 21, 3006
Sunrise

Garden Weeding - August 13, 2006
Garden

August Gardens - August 6, 2006
August

Visiting Bikers - July 21, 2006
Visiting

Old Bikes - July 13, 2006
Old

Church Service - July 2, 2006
Church

June Growth - June 26, 2006
June

Father''s Day - June 19, 2006
Father''s

Jefferson Parade - Monday, June 12
Jefferson

June Garden Report - June 5, 2006
June

Travis Peony - May 29, 2006
Travis

Painting Quilts - May 22, 2006
Painting

Mother''s Day - May 15, 2006
Mother''s

Farm Visitors - May 8, 2006
Farm

Weed Hound - May 1, 2006
Weed

Farm Blooming - April 24, 2006
Farm

Judging Easter Eggs - April 16, 2006
Judging

Signs of Spring - April 9, 2006
Signs

March Views - 3/27/06
March

American Gothic 2006 - 3/12/2006
American

Old Buildings - 3/5/2006
Old

Freddie Cat - February 26, 2006
Freddie

Sunrise Sundogs - February 17, 2006
Sunrise

To read Chuck's original column about buying the farm, click here.

Sam's Barber Shop