 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 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 
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 How is it that so many writers have come from Shenandoah High School? We'll talk about it By CHUCK OFFENBURGER September 24, 2008 COOPER, IOWA Please forgive a bit of hometown puffery, but this weekend of September 26-28, my alma mater Shenandoah High School in southwest Iowa is having an “All-Class Reunion,” and many of us who are old Mustangs and Fillies are beginning to make our ways back to the town that knew us when.
Some sneak previews of the answers to that question: “My youth in the ‘warm cocoon’ of Shenandoah inspired me to go and out ‘see the world,” writes Harriet Welty Rochefort, Class of ’63 and now a columnist and commentator in Paris, France. “And my English classes at SHS, along with writing for the Shen-Hi-Can student newspaper inspired me to write as much as I could, the best I could, and especially to write for publication.” Mary Adams Anderson, ’57, now an author of children’s books in Lincoln, Nebraska, responded that her “love for words began at the Shenandoah Public Library about 60 years ago when I discovered the magic of the written word.” Bob Kling, ’70, an art teacher and newspaper columnist in Indianola, Ia., says his “education in Shenandoah has had a profound effect on my writing. Doc Creighton was a tremendous friend and influence. Even the name of my column ‘Hit It Hard,’ comes from my years in band at SHS. In the mornings when I’d leave for band practice, Dad would always tell me to hit it hard! My love of writing I attribute to my dad. It’s from him I learned to be a story teller. The courage to try anything comes from my mom.” I have my own three theories on why it seems that Shenandoah has produced more writers than most Iowa towns of about 5,500 people. First, there was always a lot of opportunity for creative work, with a small daily newspaper, which is now the Valley News Today, and two local radio stations, KMA and the former KFNF. For years, the student newspaper, which was the “The Shen-Hi-Can” and later “The Round-Up,” covered a full page each week in the town newspaper. A whole lot of Shenandoah High students worked for those media outlets, and that experience led many into communications as a career. Second, from the 1930s to the mid ’50s, those radio stations had stables of professional entertainers who were their “on-air” performers who filled the hours of open mic time every day. Most notable among them, of course – the “Everly Brothers,” Don and Phil, charter members of the national Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame. But there were many, many more and being entertainers, many of them were eccentric as heck. They did not think like most small-town Iowa folks thought, and didn’t act that way, either. As a result, I think Shenandoah always honored eccentricity – or at least tolerated it – a little better than most small towns. And let’s face it, most writers are a bit eccentric. Third, we had excellent English teachers as we went through school. They knew how to bring along young writers, help develop them. And, in a small community like Shenandoah, we had a very kind audience. I started writing sports for the old Evening Sentinel when I was 13 years old and just finishing eighth grade. The curse of having written for a newspaper is that in the old bound volumes of the Sentinel in the Public Library, I can go back and read my earliest stories. They were awful. It was two or three years before they started getting reasonably good. But you know what? In those early years, I never remember anybody in the public telling me I was bad. In fact, I got nothing but encouragement. There will be more such reflections Saturday morning during our Writers Program. Some of the writers will do brief readings. Some will have books for sale. And the coffee and goodies will be free. I’m going to share the line-up of writers we’ll have there, just so you can see the variety of work we’ve done. But before I do, I’d be remiss if I didn’t note that there are several other SHS writers who are having to miss the reunion for one good reason or another. Among those are Suzanne Ely Muchnic, ’58, who has covered arts and culture for the Los Angeles Times for years; Leon Nicholls, ’59, a retired professor who directed the Department of Hospitality and Tourism at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, and who just had a chapter published in a book about what old profs do in retirement – for him it’s been Gulf Coast hurricane relief work for the Red Cross; Will Hoover, ’64, a senior reporter for the Honolulu Advertiser; songwriting brothers Ben Green, ’92, of Jefferson City, Mo., and David Green, ’85, of Des Moines. And there is that Honor Roll of deceased SHS alumni who had great success as writers, including what seems to me to be a fleet of good journalists. Now, here are the writers who will gather Saturday morning, and you’re all welcome to come be another kind audience for us: Jerry Teachout, Class of ’41, Rapid City, S.D. He says he is “wondering just how many of the grads are in the boat I am in – never been ‘published’ but have done our share of writing. For example, I belong to the Veterans’ Writers Group headed by the professor emeritus of he English Department of the South Dakota School of Mines here in Rapid City. As a result, I have written 23 chapters of my autobiography, from the time I can remember of my life on the farm west of Shen, to the first two years at Ellsworth Air Force Base.” And he is still at work on the story that will cover his career as a military pilot in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and also as a flight instructor. Mary Adams Anderson, ’57, Lincoln, Nebraska. After college at Northwest Missouri State, she was a classroom teacher, and in later years has taught writing seminars and conducted writing workshops at community colleges and schools throughout Nebraska. She began writing greeting card sentiments for the Blue Mountain Arts Company, and also has written stories and columns that have appeared in more than 100 periodicals. She has written six books for children, the latest, “Gracie Gannon: Middle School Zero,” that she says “concerns bullying, belonging and dealing with insecurities and presents constructive ways kids can resolve the issues.” Dean Dickerson, ’58, Anita, Iowa. He retired from the U.S. Navy in 1977, then taught for more than 25 years before retiring. “My writing stems from an interest in rural history,” he said. “I wrote a book entitled, ‘Harry: A Common Man’s Uncommon Story,’ about the life of Harry Devore. He was a horse trader, jockey and Golden Glove boxer who lived his entire life in Massena, Iowa. My book is a collection of his stories.” Dickerson is now working on a series of stories about the military experiences of his brothers. “Collectively, we spent 76 years in the service of our country,” he notes. Linda Cochrane White, ’60, Tabor, Iowa. She says that after retiring from 28 years of teaching first graders, “I felt compelled to do more writing of my opinions about politics, nature, family and life-views in general. Sometimes they are in essay form, and sometimes as poetry, albeit in a sophisticated first grade style, so it is mostly shared just among my family and a few tolerant friends.” Then she rattled off a list of her favorite Shenandoah memories: “Miss Gorsuch and Miss Rolf at Forest Park Elementary, Father robins at church and Bible School, that wonderful Shenandoah Public Library, Jay drugstore, the Page and State Theaters, the Bee Hive, Cozy Corner, Skateland with Gabby and Millie, and our huge swimming pool. If you grew up in Shenandoah, these words and many more produce a flood of memories of sights, sounds and even smells that remain with us all to this day. I think anyone who grew up in Shenandoah in the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s received a gift not available today. I encourage everyone to relive those days by writing memories and feelings down on paper.” Linda Klepinger Keenan, ’61, Newport, Vermont. She visited Japan on a summer exchange program after her sophomore year at Grinnell College, “and much of my life, and all of my writing, editing and translating efforts to date, have evolved from that experience,” she said. He work includes academic writing, book editing and “some co-writing of Buddhist-Christian theology” with her husband John Keenan. She also did the translation from Japanese of “a book-length autobiography of a young Japanese American man ‘interned’ by the U.S. government during World War II.” She said she is now “thinking of writing something about the connection between my two hometowns – Shenandoah and Kagoshima, Japan. My Japanese ‘Papa-san’ and his company initiated a program of sending Japanese high school students to the U.S. every summer for about 15 years in the 1960s and ’70s. In Shenandoah, they were sponsored by the Rotary Club, to which my dad belonged, and were welcomed into the homes of many local families.”  Harriet Welty Rochefort, ’63, Paris France. She has worked as a freelance journalist since graduating in English from the University of Michigan and with a master’s in journalism from the Medill School at Northwestern University. She worked for 10 years for the Paris bureau of Time magazine, while freelancing for several other publications, including the International Herald Tribune. Currently, she contributes a monthly “Letter from Paris” for the “Paris Pages” site on the Internet, and she writes for “French Today” magazine. She also teaches journalism at a French university, and is often featured as a commentator on Franco-American relations in the French media. She has written two books of essays about the differences between the two countries, “French Toast” and “French Fried,” and she is now at work on a novel. You can read her writing at www.frenchfolio.com. Chuck Offenburger, ’65, Cooper, Iowa. I was the third Offenburger brother to start writing sports for the old Evening Sentinel during our Shenandoah student years, joining the staff in the spring of 1961 before I started high school. That helped me win a journalism scholarship to Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. I returned to the Sentinel for three years post-college, then spent 26 years reporting for the Des Moines Register, 21 of them as a feature columnist. I’ve taught journalism and Iowa public affairs at three colleges. I now do freelance writing from our acreage in Greene County, 125 miles northeast of Shenandoah, where my wife Carla and I partner in this Internet news and opinion site Offenburger.com. I’m a regular columnist and commentator for the Iowa Farm Bureau publications and for KMA radio in Shenandoah. I’ve also written seven books, the latest “GARY THOMPSON: All-American,” to be published in December. Fred Scarbrough, ’68, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. After graduating in veterinary medicine at Iowa State University, he began working as a vet in animal hospitals in Florida, and in the 1980s began developing and operating his own facilities for animal care. In the 1990s, he became increasingly concerned about the plight of the homeless people in his area,, and that led him in 1996 to start a ministry to the homeless called “The Shepherd’s Way,” focusing his work in Broward County. In 2005, he published a book “It’s Not About You,” in which he “reveals why serving God provides you with dramatically improved personal relationships,” as a Barnes & Noble reviewer put it. The book is Scarbrough’s “journey of climbing the ladder of worldly success, only to find out that, once there, the view didn’t look so good. The author’s story is one of personal transformation along with practical applications,” supporting this conclusion by him: “Your life will be transformed by honoring God’s call to serve the needy.” Chris Offenburger Walsh, ’69, Cedar Rapids. Yeah, this is my li’l sis. After 26 years of teaching in public schools, Chris retired early and is now working in the Education Department at the University of Iowa, writing and consulting on test development for the primary level students. She also is a published poet and author of children’s books. Her first book, “Little Ryann Wiggletoes” is sold in Shenandoah at Micky G’s, and by the major online book vendors. She has completed three additional children’s books. In the past year, she has received two awards in poetry and is currently a finalist in a national poetry contest for her poem entitled,, “Mamas Really Never Go Away.” Bob Cochrane, ’69, Minneapolis. He began his writing career with stories in the Shen-Hi-Can student newspaper, and while still in high school, he joined the staff of the Evening Sentinel covering sports and general news. After graduating in journalism at the University of Iowa, he rejoined the Sentinel briefly, then transitioned his careere into public relations in Omaha, working for health care and banking firms for several years. He served a year as press secretary for the governor of Nebraska, then returned to corporate communications. He worked in communications for GE Capital in Minneapolis, then with a public affairs campaign and an ad agency in Florida. He left communications in recent years and is now working for a property management company in the Twin Cities. Susan Larson Etscheidt, ’69, Cedar Falls, Iowa. She is now a professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Northern Iowa, teaching in the area of behavioral disorders, educational management and special education law & policy. She also serves as an administrative law judge for special education appeals in Iowa. Her publications include three academic books used in the field of special education, the most recent of which is “Special Education Law & Practice ini Public Schools,” which she published in 2006 with two other colleagues. She has received many awards for her teaching at UNI, her research and service in the field, and last year was given the Winterstein Memorial Award for meritorious achievement in special education. Bob Kling, ’70, Indianola, Iowa. He taught high school art for 33 years, and is a working artist in painting, pottery and photography. And for 20 years, he has also written a weekly column “Hit It Hard” for the Indianola Record-Herald & Tribune. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Simpson College, where he has taught educational methods courses, digital imaging, drawing, painting and illustration. His recent art work has included a series of portraits, one of which is of Indianola hometown hero Casey Blake, who now plays professional baseball with the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Steve Buttry, ’72, Cedar Rapids. Now serving as editor in chief of the Cedar Rapids Gazette, he is probably the highest-ranking journalist Shenandoah ever produced. He moved to Shenandoah midway in his high school years when his father, who had retired from the U.S. Air Force, accepted a ministerial position in the community. He began writing sports for the Evening Sentinel while in high school, and went on to Texas Christian University. After graduating there, he returned to the Sentinel for a year and then continued a journalism career that in 31 years has seen him working as an editor, reporter, writing coach and consultant for the Des Moines Register, Kansas City Star and Times, Minot Daily News, Omaha World-Herald and the American Press Institute. His career, especially his work as a writing coach, has taken him to all 50 states as well as Canada, Venesuela, Mexico, Germany, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Ecuador. Buttry became editor of the Cedar Rapids Gazette last June, two days before the city was inundated by a historic flood that went beyond the 500-year flood plain. Leslie Rauma Westrick, ’77, Saint Clair, Michigan. She is actually an “Alum-Not” of SHS, since her family moved away before her high school years. Her father Bruce Lee Rauma had worked in several capacities at KFNF radio in the community. But “the part of my childhood that had quite continuity was in Shenandoah,” and she said she has “always wanted to go back to Shenandoah…so there must be some Karmic value in this Reunion/ShenFest.” Her career has been in nursing and raising six children. But, she said, “I have always loved to write. I happened upon writing a novel when I found myself out of a job a couple years back.” The result? A novel, “Where the Moonlight Dances,” which she said “came out of me like a fever. After six solid weeks, the rough draft was outlined and left me with another year filling in, rebuilding and editing, trying to polish ’er up.” Here is one passage from it: “It started with a simple kiss, but then there is something to say about a kiss. It transcends all other forms of communication. I remember my very first real kiss. It was on my 13th birthday in a small town in Iowa called Shenandoah.” Heather Hartfield Greenfield, ’00, Milford, Kansas. After graduating for SHS, she was in the U.S. Army for three years as a meteorologist, with duty assignments in Oklahoma, North Carolina and South Korea. She has written three collections of poetry, the first of which, “Dream Book,” was completed while she was in high school. Her second book “Six Months in Oklahoma,” was written during her training at Fort Sill, and her third book “Korea and Back” was about her time in that nation. She is married to a soldier, is currently a stay-at-home mother with three youngsters, and is working on a fourth book of poetry. “I do have one poem I wrote while I was in Korea about looking forward to going back home to Shenandoah,” she said. “I’ll be glad to read it during the Writers Program.” You can write the columnist at chuck@Offenburger.com.
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